Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories We Should All Remember (Modern Library Classics (Paperback))

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People gravitated into towns for survival and protection but also increasingly for political functions, such as governance. He addresses the basic issues of humankind’s origins, of creation, but also the history of our progress from primitive savagery to civilization.

At a fundamental level the choices we make – as individuals and as a nation – not only reflect our priorities, they reflect our values and our character. Senator John McCain developed this idea when he said – “It is your character, and your character alone, that will make your life happy or unhappy. Our founding fathers relied on written law to legalize slavery, and later to ensconce it in the Dred Scott case. Karena mereka mengharap sesuatu dari hidup, dan ketika hidup tidak memberi apa-apa kecuali hanya kekejaman, mereka menyerah.Yet all I knew about her until later in my own life was that Margaret Thompson was my maternal grandmother, a sweet, smiling woman who always seemed to me as fine and delicate as a porcelain doll. And yes character can have some influence on how you address your lot in life, but that is only part of your life story. After interviewing two dozen people from different walks of life, it is clear to me that one’s reputation is defined by three crucial qualities: character, communication and trust. I learned a great deal about these people many of whom I was well aware of their lives and contributions.

Each section provides examples of a specific characteristic, with essays on a well known person, historical or (then) living, whose life reflected a particular aspect of that characteristic. An extraordinary example himself, the stories he selected focus on the motivation, reasoning and actions that he believes help define character. It was in this book that I learned in the year 1940, of a little black girl born in Tennessee, weighing 4 pounds. It is a love that does not yield to disappointment or suffering, but recognizes and defends the good in this world, and in that purpose finds true happiness.We need to remind our young adults that their individual commitment to family, community, and country can make a huge collective difference.

My issue with Heraclitus’ saying does not stem from the word “character,” though, but from the word “destiny. Do we really believe that men—so overwhelmingly represented there—are that much better at governing than women?

It is a sort of courage that we should expect of ourselves and demand of our leaders at every level of society. Kalau Freud percaya bahwa penyakit mental disebabkan oleh konflik antara dorongan dan naluri bawah sadar seseorang dengan kebiasaan dan norma sosial di masyarakat, sementara ia meyakini bahwa kepuasan emosional seseorang tergantung pada kemampuannya menemukan makna hidup yang lebih besar ketimbang dorongan naluriah. Mereka membuatnya kelaparan, menyumpahi, memfitnah, dan menyiksa hingga melampaui batas kemanusiaan.