Philosophy, morals, and ethics. I first saw this book in a stack by the couch in the home of a family whom I served as a caregiver for several years. It intrigued me and when I spotted it again a while later at Half Priced Books I snapped it up. Finally got around to reading it this year. It was one my choices in the attempt to read on this subjet from all angles. Perhaps I simply have different definitions for what it means to have character.
I enjoyed it for the tiny glimpses into history, each chapter followed a different historical person deemed by the author to have great character. Interestingly enough, several of his choices have shown up recently in other books that I am reading and I always love when my reading collides in unexpected ways.
However, after a few chapters a theme emerged---the road to character means denying your true self, doesn't count as character if you take ANY sense of pride in your accomplishments, the more miserable you are, the more you neglect your family, etc--the better your moral character. One should sacrifice any sense of personal gratification for the greater good of others and yes points will be subtracted if you are feel good about yourself and your accomplishments. You get the drift...the theme continues in many ways and one gets bonus points if you started out in a more pleasure seeking manner but chose to take the road to misery--I mean Character instead.
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