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Explanation of Extremes in Good Character by Ron Kurtus - Character Rules in Business and in Life. Also refer to positive, negative, good, bad, foolish, obsession, personal, social, group-based, achieve goal, business dealing, relationship, government, culture, religion, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Extremes in Good Character
by Ron Kurtus (revised 24 March 2009)
Character traits are usually described as positive and negative. Typical positive or good character traits are to be courageous, generous or honest. But it is possible to be "too good" and take positive character to an extreme. Often, a person that has extremely positive character traits can actually create negative results. Sometimes extreme traits are a result of foolishness or obsession.
Questions you may have include:
- What are extreme personal traits?
- What is extreme good social character?
- What can happen with following rules to an extreme?
This lesson will answer those questions.
Personal
Personal character traits relate to your attitude toward obstacles or challenges in achieving a goal. Positive or good traits improve the chances of success, while negative traits often assure failure or disappointment.
Extreme personal character traits do not necessarily enhance success but can often cause failure due to some other issues.
A person who is overly courageous may be somewhat foolhardy and take unnecessary risks, resulting in injury or death.
Being determined in seeking to achieve your goal is an admirable trait, compared to someone who is easily discouraged. But if your determination is so extreme that it becomes stubbornness, you may not make adjustments in your goals and plan when on the wrong path. This extreme trait can lead to a more severe failure than it would for a person who gives up near the beginning.
An organized person has an advantage in achieving a goal over one who is disorganized. But if you are too organized, your focus is not on the goal but on organizing.
Jennie was always very neat and clean. She also looked after her health. But her concern for cleanliness and health started to go to an extreme. She would never eat in a restaurant for fear of getting germs from the cooks or servers. She sterilized everything in her house. Jennie’s positive character trait of cleanliness now became an extreme trait, which hindered her from enjoying her life.
You should have good personal character traits, but they should not be to an extreme.
Social
Social character traits relate to your attitudes toward other people and their needs and feelings. Good social traits improve your chances of successful business dealings and relationships with other people. Negative traits usually result in people not wanting to deal or associate with you. In some cases, people will even seek revenge.
Extreme social character traits can involve being overly concerned about other people. It can result in those you want to help actually being turned off by your actions. Or you can help one group at the expense of another.
People like to know that the other person tells the truth. But if you are extremely truthful, you can sometimes hurt the other person. For example, if a child shows a drawing he made in school that wasn't very good, and extreme honest person might say, "That is an ugly drawing, compared to what the other children your age have done." Is that better than distorting the truth and complimenting the child on the drawing? Although the person is being extremely honest, he or she is also being unintentionally hurtful.
Group-based
Group-based character concerns following the rules or laws of the government, culture or religion. Positive traits result in being considered a good person by the group and in not being punished for your actions. Punishment can involve being put in jail, banished from your cultural group, or the threat of being sent to Hell by your God.
Some people become too faithful to their cultural rules and traditions that they don't fit into normal society. Others become so devout to their religions that they do not tolerate those who do not follow their interpretation of the religious laws completely.
Having extreme good group-based character often results in moral or ethical dilemmas. Nothing in life is simply black and white. Going beyond normal behavior can result in doing harm to the group or to you.
In the 1970s, several peaceful protests of the war in Vietnam got out of control when the pacifists started throwing stones at the police, breaking windows and tipping over cars.
Later, one group of anti-war pacifists set off a bomb at a University of Wisconsin research laboratory, killing an innocent janitor. Several of the people in this group were caught and sent to prison for the crime.
Following the rules to an extreme can be a problem. But the decision about which rules to follow can cause a dilemma.
Summary
Typical positive or good character traits are to be courageous, generous or honest. But it is possible to be "too good" and take good character to an extreme. Often, a person that has extremely positive character traits can actually create negative results. Sometimes extreme traits are a result of foolishness or obsession.
Be good, but also use common sense
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Extremes in Good Character