“Every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and therefore what one has done in the secret chamber one’s heart has to some day cry aloud on the housetop.”
Oscar Wilde
More than 2500 years ago, Heraclitus uttered the words, “Character is destiny.”
When we make references to people we admire and trust, it’s because of what they have done. When we warn those we love to stay away from an individual, it’s because of their actions. We are known by what we do.
He’s a teacher.
She’s a photographer.
My brother is a student.
This is why, in part, I see the truth in Heraclitus’ statement. Action is character, and character is what defines us, not what we say, not how we feel, but by the way we interact with those around us. It’s how we’ll be known.
We’ve all heard that talk is cheap. The proof is in the empty promises we hear escape the mouths of politicians. These days, there’s an entire industry built of talking heads who contradict and confuse.
So how can we trust someone who seems to be made of words alone? The answer is, it’s impossible. We learn to trust one by watching their actions. This is what defines character, and character is everything. The old saying, our word is our bond, is only true if held up by action.
The statement by Greek philosopher Aesop, “when all is said and done, more will be said than done,”1 is wise. He had it right in the 6th century BC.
Equally true is that we can know more about a person by watching them, not by hearing or talking to them, but only by observing one’s actions can we truly know who they are. Character is action, and character defines a life. Character is destiny.
Remember, every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character, and that therefore what one has done in the secret chamber of one’s heart has to some day cry aloud on the housetop.
Aesop.
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