College of Criminal Justice Education

Subject: Character Formation 1 Patriotism and Nationalism

PRELIMINARIES

The term was derived from the Greek word "charassein," referring to an engraving instrument;
originally used of a mark impressed upon a coin or the mark cut by it. Then it was applied to a
distinctive mark of the personality; and gradually, to the sum total of such marks, each
individual one is being called characteristics (Bartemeier, 2009). Basically, character is defined
as a psychological notion that refers to all the habitual ways of feeling and reacting of a person
that distinguish one individual from another. It is the trademark of being a person.

Character as defined by the American Psychiatric Association, signifies the relatively fixed or
continuing group of an individual personality attributes of a person or the characteristic pattern
of behaviour of an individual. The social, emotional and intellectual manifestations of a
character are called personality, and character is roughly equivalent to personality.

WHAT IS CHARACTER FORMATION?

Character formation as defined by Donald (2006), is the process by which the individual,
through interaction of biologically transmitted predispositions with the environment, develops
stable pattern of functioning, thinking and feeling. It is also known as, Character Building. It is
that deeply internalized patterns of values and attitudes and the consequent actions that are
often established in precognitive times of life through the natural and normal educational
patterns that are appropriate for young children. Nursing, weaning, toilet training, birth of
siblings and the early relationship to the parents (especially to the mother) are some of the
examples of character formation. Character traits are usually formed through the identification
with parents and other important adults in the child's environment.
Everyone is partly responsible for one's character. Aristotle noted that character develops over
time as one acquires habits from parents and the environment either through reward and
punishment. Developing a good character is much learning to play a musical instrument.
Initially, an individual may be under some pressure to practice, but eventually, enjoys playing
with skill and understanding (Hartman, 2013).

CONTRIBUTING FACTORS FOR CHARACTER FORMATION

1. Parental Influence

Parental influence is the most important of all the factors responsible for personality
development. The way parents behave with the child, how much he is allowed to socialize, the
kind of culture he is subjected to by them, and the emotional make-up of his parents, all these
have a great bearing on the child's mental growth. In early stage of their human existence,
children adapt their parent's mannerisms. Thus, parents should be careful in their ways for they
establish a great influence to their children's character.

2. Home Environment

Home as cradle of human character and personality largely contribute to the character
formation of a child. It is said that the parents are the first educators of the children. It is their
parental guidance and discipline that creates the kind of character, personality and attitude the
child has.

Parents should make sure child incorporates the positive emotions in his that the personality
and stays away from the negative ones. A child needs both his parents, to develop his
personality. An absentee father can be a negative influence on the child. To make a child a
confident, positive person, parents should avoid being too authoritative, trying to discipline
excessively, criticizing the child, discouraging him, comparing him with others, and being partial.

3. School Environment

To perfect the total development of a child's character and attitude, besides the home
environment, a child's school environment too plays a major role in shaping a child's
personality. Once a child starts going to school, he learns how to interact and deal with his
peers. He comes to know how to engage in "playing" according to the rules and regulations. He
gets educated, learns how to read, write and communicate effectively. A child's personality is
greatly influenced by the way he is treated at school, both by his teachers as well as his peers.
The school reinforce the education that the child needs that home fails to provide.

4. Culture
Everyone has different character and values because of the different cultures where everyone is
exposed. Sociologists found out that different cultures have different values and a child grows
up with them, sub-consciously absorbing the same. Influence of culture in personality and social
development cannot be ignored. Those who were born and grown up in western countries are
influenced to be individualistic and competitive, while those children brought up in Asian,
African and South American countries are taught to be cooperative.

Infancy, toddler-hood, preschool and school age are the various phases that a child passes
through and each of these stages has its own share of problems and challenges, which a child
has to overcome, with his parent's assistance, to turn out to be a well-developed personality.

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE FILIPINO CHARACTER FORMATION by: Sen. Leticia Ramos Shahani

1. Home environment

2. Social environment

3. Culture and language

4. History

5. Educational system

6. Religion

7. Economic environment 8. Political environment

9. Mass media

10. Leadership and role model

DETERMINING CHARACTER OR PERSONALITY TYPES

Five (5) Factors Personality Traits. that Determine Character

1. Openness: appreciation for a variety of experiences.

2. Conscientiousness: planning ahead rather than being spontaneous.

3. Extraversion: being sociable, energetic and talkative.

5. Neuroticism: inclined to worry or be vulnerable or temperamental.

GENERAL TYPES OF CHARACTERS

1. Positive Character / Good Character / Positive Trait These are attributes such as integrity,
honesty, courage, loyalty, fortitude, and other important virtues that promote good behaviour
and habits. Further, it is said that:

a. Being honest and taking responsibility for your actions are admirable qualities.

b. Adaptability and compatibility are great traits that can help you get along with others.

c. Drive and determination will help you keep going no matter what.

d. Compassion and understanding mean you relate well to others.

e. Patience is a virtue and also a good personality trait.

f. Courage will help you do what's right in tough situations.

g. Loyalty is a good quality to possess, making others trust you.

2. Negative Character / Negative Character / Negative Trait - A person's predisposition to

a. A propensity for lying, in order to avoid responsibility for our actions, is a deplorable quality.

b. Being rigid and selfish, unyielding to the needs of others are not endearing qualities

c. Being full of laziness and excuses is sure to drive others away, too.

d. A hot temper and an inability to empathize with others will also alienate us from others. e.
Being quick to anger will turn people away.

f. Being disloyal, quick to talk about others behind their backs or, worse, stab them in the back
for personal gain also falls high on the scale of negative personality traits.
3. Neutral Character / Neutral Trait - Commonly

This is used to describe a person who doesn't pick sides in disputes; neutral also pegs anything
that To refuses to be bold.

a. Judges, for example, must remain totally neutral when hearing a case.

b. Manners mavens say that it's best to remain neutral when topics like politics and religion
come up during a party.

c. Boxers can look to the neutral corners in the ring to escape a punch.

TYPES OF CHARACTERS

1. Self-realized Character. A person with this type of character is ever enthusiastic for he knows
his potentialities and limitations. This sort of a character is an asset not only to the family but
also the society in which person lives.

2. Covetous Character. This refers to a jealous or acquisitive character. It is held that, persons
with greed will endeavour to go all out in collecting worldly possessions and fulfilling his
personal petty ambitions by adopting any means open to him even crossing all the limits of
moral and ethical limits.

In effect the person will become most arrogant, repulsive, slanderer and fully bereft of any
moral feelings for the humans. He is the burden not only on the family but also the society in
which he lives.

3. Superstitious Character. In a way all are superstitious but when we're over superstitious then
problem starts. It is not merely bad for the individual concerned but also for those who come in
contact with this unpredictable person, who may change his tag any moment thus leaving
everybody around in the lurch. Too much reliance on superstitions also robs us of scientific
temper and forward looking approach in our life, But we should not compare superstitious and
traditionalists.

4. Egoistic /Overbearing / Bossy / Tall-Talker. The person who thinks that world runs due to him
and everything and everybody should respect him as such. His overbearing and bossy
disposition puts him in the category of hard-to-please (fastidious). This person learns his lesson
after sometimes. This fellow with 1-DAMN-CARE-ATTITUDE' hardly cares for others. This sort of
egocentric character is the bane of any society, irrespective of their status in the society.
5. Anti-social Character. A person who neither cares for the norms set by the society nor cares
for the moral or ethical values is an anti-social character. This character is both a sinner and a
criminal. He could also be termed as an offensive character. This like character resorts to
offense besides being abusive on even a pettiest pretext. This anti-social behaviour cuts him off
from the community in which he is living and has to fend for himself ultimately for his acts of
omissions and commissions.

6. Insincere Character. When a person does something good for us, we express our sincere
thanks and go extra mile in being sincere to that person in whatever way it is possible for us.
Contrarily, a person who thinks others is there for serving him and is without any warmth in the
feeling for others. This like person is not only a insincere to his own family, society and even to
the Creator who had created him!

7. Complacent Character. We all should have confidence on ourselves. It is good for day to day
functioning of our society. But when we cross the threshold of confidence and step into the
realm of complacency then problem starts. A person who afi imbibes this trait finally faces
ignoble defeat for being so and learns a lesson.

THE PILLARS OF GOOD CHARACTER

1. TRUSTWORTHINESS

This is the pillar of good character that is considered the most complicated of the six core
ethical values and concerns a variety of qualities like honesty, integrity, reliability and loyalty.

When a person is trusted he is given a greater leeway and no need to be monitored just to
assure that they meet their obligations. When they are trusted, we develop in them higher
esteem which may be satisfying to them. They must constantly live up to the expectations of
others and refrain from even small lies or self-serving behaviour that can quickly destroy
relationship.

a. Honesty

There is no more fundamental ethical value than honesty. Honesty is associated with honor.
Thus, a person of honesty is a person of honor and he is admired and trusted because of his
being straightforward.

A person of good character must be a person of honesty in both communications and conduct..
Honesty in communications is expressing the truth as best we know it and not conveying it in a
way likely to mislead or deceive
 FOUR DIMENSIONS OF HONESTY

1. Truthfulness. Presenting the facts to the best of our knowledge. Take note that, intent is the
crucial distinction between truthfulness and truth itself. Being wrong is not the same thing as
lying, although honest mistakes can still damage trust insofar as they may show sloppy
judgment.

2. Sincerity. One must observe genuineness, being without trickery or duplicity for it precludes
all acts, including half-truths, out-of-context statements, and even silence, that are intended to
create beliefs or leave impressions that are untrue or misleading.

3. Candor. In relationships involving legitimate expectations of trust, honesty may also require
candour, forthrightness and frankness, imposing the obligation to volunteer information that
another person needs to know.

4. Integrity. Persons of integrity are those who acts according to his beliefs, not according to
expediency. He is also consistent. There is no difference in the way he makes decisions from
situation to situation; his principles don't vary at work or at home, in public or alone.

The person of integrity takes time for self-reflection, so that the events, crises and seeming
necessities of the day do not determine the course of his moral life. He stays in control. He may
be courteous, even charming, but he is never duplicitous or unfaithful. He never demeans
himself with obsequious behaviour toward those he thinks might do him some good. He is
trusted because you know who he is: What You See Is What You Get. People without integrity
are called "hypocrites" or "two-faced."

QUALITIES OF A RESPECTFUL PERSON

1. Ability to Listen - When somebody is talking he is attentively listening.

2. Treats Others

With Consideration Respectful person doesn't resort to intimidation, coercion or violence

3. Capable of Accepting Individual differences and Beliefs Respectful individuals without

It is understood that life is full of choices and everyone has its own judgement and decisions to
take in life. However, we are expected to be responsible for our actions and behaviours as
rational being. Being responsible means to take charge and be accountable of the
consequences of what we think and do. Our capacity to reason and our freedom to choose
make us morally autonomous and, therefore, answerable for whether we honor or degrade the
ethical principles that give life meaning and purpose. Thus, an individual must be responsible
and accountable, pursue excellence and exercise self-restraint. They exhibit the ability to
respond to expectations.

QUALITIES OF A RESPONSIBLE PERSON

a. Sense of Accountability

An accountable person leads by example and doesn't shift blame or claim credit for the work of
others. He considers the likely consequences of his behaviour and associations. He recognizes
the common complicity in the triumph of evil when nothing is done to stop it.

b. Pursuit of Excellence

Responsible person shows diligence what he is doing, careful in his actions, prepared and
informed. They finish what they started, overcoming rather than surrendering to obstacles.
They avoid excuses such as, "That's just the way I am," or "It's not my job," or "It was legal," and
always look for ways to do their work better.

c. Self-Restraint

Responsible people exercise self-control, restraining passions and appetites (such as lust,
hatred, gluttony, greed and fear) for the sake of longer-term vision and better judgment. They
delay gratification if necessary and never feel it's necessary to "win at any cost." They realize
they are as they choose to be, every day.

3. FAIRNESS

This pillar of good character involves issues of equality, impartiality, proportionality, openness
and due process. It is unfair to handle similar matters inconsistently, and to impose punishment
that is not commensurate with the offense.
The basic concept seems simple, even intuitive, yet applying it in daily life can be surprisingly
difficult. Fairness is another tricky concept, probably more subject to legitimate debate and
interpretation than any other ethica value. Disagreeing parties tend to maintain that there is
only one fair position (their own, naturally) But essentially fairness implies adherence to s
balanced standard of justice without relevance to one's own feelings or inclinations.

Unfair person do not scrupulously employ open and impartial processes for gathering and
evaluating information necessary to make decisions. In contrast, fair people do not wait for the
truth to come to them; they seek out relevant information and conflicting perspectives before
making important judgments. They make decisions objectively without favouritism or prejudice.
They don't take advantage of the weakness or ignorance of others.

4. CARING

Caring is the heart of ethics, and ethical decision-making. It is scarcely possible to be truly
ethical and yet unconcerned with the welfare of others. That is because ethics is ultimately
about good relations with other people.

It is easier to love "humanity" than to love people. People who consider themselves ethical and
yet lack a caring attitude toward individuals tend to treat others as instruments of their will.
They rarely feel an obligation to be honest, loyal, fair or respectful except insofar as it is
prudent for them to do so, a disposition which itself hints at duplicity and a lack of integrity. A
person who really cares feels an emotional response to both the pain and pleasure of others.

The highest form of caring is the honest expression of benevolence, or altruism. This is not to
be confused with strategic charity. Gifts to charities to advance personal interests are a fraud.
That is, they aren't gifts at all. They're investments or tax write-offs.

5. CITIZENSHIP

This pillar of good character includes civic virtues and duties that prescribe how we ought to
behave as part of a community. The good citizen knows the laws and obeys them. He
volunteers and stays informed on the issues of the day, the better to execute his duties and
privileges as a member of a self-governing democratic society.
 CHARACTER TRAITS

1. Alertness - Being aware of what is taking place around.

2. Attentiveness - Showing the worth of a person or task by giving undivided concentration.

3. Availability - Making own schedule and priorities secondary to the wishes of those being
served.

4. Benevolence - Giving to others basic needs without the motivation for acquiring personal
rewards.

5. Boldness Confidence that what is say or do is true, right, and just.

6. Cautiousness - Knowing how important right timing is in accomplishing right actions.

7. Compassion - Investing whatever is necessary to the hurts of others.

8. Contentment Realizing that true happiness does not depend on material conditions.

9. Creativity Approaching a need, a task, or an idea from a new perspective.

10. Decisiveness - The ability to recognize key factors and finalize difficult decisions.

11. Deference - Limiting freedom so not to offend the tastes of others.

12. Dependability - Fulfilling what is consented to do, even if it means unexpected sacrifice.

13. Determination - Purposing to accomplish right goals at the right time, regardless of the
opposition.

14. Diligence - Investing time and energy to complete each task assigned.

15. Discernment-Understanding the deeper reasons why things happen.

16. Discretion - Recognizing and avoiding words, actions, and attitudes that could bring
undesirable consequences.

17. Endurance - The inward strength to withstand stress and do the best.
18. Enthusiasm Expressing joy in doing and accomplishing each tasks.

19. Faith Confidence that actions rooted in good character will yield the best outcome, even
when it's not personally observed.

20. Flexibility - Willingness to change plans or ideas according to the direction of the
authorities.

21. Forgiveness - Clearing the record of those who have wronged and not holding a grudge.

22. Generosity - Carefully managing resources to be capable of freely giving to those in need.

23. Gentleness-Showing consideration and personal concern for others.

24. Gratefulness Letting others know by one's words and actions how they have benefited one's
life.

25. Honor - Respecting those in leadership because of the higher authorities they represent.

26. Hospitality - Cheerfully sharing food, shelter, or conversation to benefit others.

27. Humility - Acknowledging that achievement results from the investment of others in one's
life.

28. Initiative - Recognizing and doing what needs to be done before being asked to do it.

29. Joyfulness - Maintaining a good attitude, even when faced with unpleasant conditions.

30. Justice-Taking personal responsibility to uphold what is pure, right, and true.

31. Loyalty Using difficult times to demonstrate commitment to those being served.

32. Meekness Yielding personal rights and expectations with a desire to serve.

33. Obedience - Quickly and cheerfully carrying out the direction of the superior.

34. Orderliness - Arranging self and surroundings to achieve greater efficiency.

35. Patience - Accepting a difficult situation without giving a deadline to remove it.
36. Persuasiveness Guiding vital truths around another's mental roadblocks.

37. Punctuality - Showing esteem for others by doing the right thing at the right time.

38. Resourcefulness - Finding practical uses for that which others would overlook or discard.

39. Responsibility expected. Knowing and doing what is expected.

40. Security- Structuring one’s life around that which cannot be destroyed or taken away

41. Self-Control - Rejecting wrong desires and doing what is right.

42. Sensitivity - Perceiving the true attitudes and emotions of others..

43. Sincerity - Eagerness to do what is right with one's life around that which cannot be
destroyed or taken away transparent motives.

44. Thoroughness Knowing what factors will diminish the effectiveness of one's work or words
if neglected.

45. Thriftiness - Allowing oneself and others to spend only what is necessary.

46. Tolerance - Realizing that everyone is at varying levels of character development.

47. Truthfulness - Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts.

48. Virtue - The moral excellence evident in one's life as consistently doing what is right.

49. Wisdom - Seeing and responding to life situations from a perspective that transcends
current circumstances.

End of Lecture No 1