Paul Brian
Men with outstanding character make a positive impact on those around them in everything they do.
If you’re a top-tier guy, you likely don’t focus a lot on your own prestige or accomplishments.
But the following list is evidence that you’re a man of outstanding character even if you haven’t yet realized or reflected on it.
1) You’re honest and frank
The first of the signs you’re a man with outstanding character is that you’re honest and frank.
You are who you seem to be, and you don’t have a gap between what you say and what you mean.
You try your best to follow through on any promises you make and you communicate openly and clearly with anybody in your path.
You’re honest as much as possible and you expect the same in return.
It’s a simple formula, but it works.
2) You’re caring about others
Next up in the signs you’re a man with outstanding character is that you’re caring about others.
You never ignore your own needs or priorities and you stand up for yourself.
But at the same time, you genuinely care for the well-being of those around you and in your life.
This also extends to strangers and those you come across who have fallen on hard times.
You’re likely to buy a bit of food for a homeless person or help give directions to a person who’s lost.
This kind of Good Samaritan behavior might be going out of style, but as far as you’re concerned it’s still very much in mode.
3) You stand by your core values
The next of the crucial signs you’re a man with outstanding character is that you stand by your core values through thick and thin.
Life presents many opportunities to betray what we stand for and take the easy way out.
As a man of character you reject those opportunities and choose to stay true to what you believe instead.
While you’re open to critical thinking and challenging your own beliefs, you never put expedience ahead of doing the right thing.
This makes you well-trusted and respected, although it can also lead to pushback.
You don’t care, because you do what’s right by your moral compass regardless.
4) You’re tenacious and determined
The next of the key signs that your character is elevated is that you’re tenacious and determined.
In a world full of excuses and chances to play the victim, you choose not to give up when times get hard.
As the saying goes, “when the times get tough, the tough get going.”
You live by this code, but it’s not just words, for you it’s a way of life.
You take challenges as opportunities to learn, grow and get stronger, while many others may take them personally or as excuses to give up.
If you’re trying to find out the truth or get to the bottom of a difficult issue, you don’t stop looking until you get there.
“When faced with a problem, you won’t give up until you find the answer.”
5) You give the benefit of the doubt
The next of the top signs that you’re a man with character far above the average, is that you give people the benefit of the doubt.
Whether it’s your girlfriend or your work colleagues, you choose to see their motivations and actions in a generally neutral or positive light.
When it comes to arguments and conflicts, you also try to reserve judgment as much as possible.
You don’t let yourself be pushed around or bullied, of course, but at the same time you’re just not looking for a fight unless it’s unavoidable.
Mainly, you don’t want a fight because it’s usually a waste of time.
“A good sign of character is someone who doesn’t immediately develop an extreme conclusion,” observes Saarim Aslam.
“They are able to give the other person the benefit of the doubt or simply hear them out first before thinking of a worst-case scenario.”
6) Your compliments are genuine and have no agenda
Next up in the important signs you’re a man with outstanding character is that you only give compliments when you actually mean them.
Buttering people up to get something from them or influence them just isn’t in your playbook.
If you tell your coworker he did a great job and is a smart guy, it’s because you’re impressed and want to remind him of his value, not because you want to dump work on him next week.
If you tell a girl she’s beautiful when you’re out on a date, it’s because her beauty has genuinely floored you, not because you’re hoping to get laid later on.
Your compliments are genuine and don’t have strings attached. Simple as that.
7) You treat living beings with kindness and compassion
Having character isn’t always something that can be taught.
Plenty of people have poor character or are very malicious despite having been attempted to be taught kindness and respect from a young age.
That’s why one barometer of your character is your instinctive reaction to animals:
Are you kind to them or do you mistreat and do unkind things to them for fun?
Hunting is different, because that is about survival and food.
But those who mistreat animals for fun are certainly not of good character. In fact, FBI profiler Robert Ressler discovered that 36% of serial killers he studied grew up torturing or harming animals for fun.
8) You behave respectfully to people of all classes and jobs
The next of the signs that you’re a stand-up guy is that you treat people with respect regardless of their station in life.
A bank CEO or a homeless guy on the street have different income levels, personal hygiene and education levels, but to you they are genuinely still two human beings with inherent worth.
It’s not a line you say to feel like you’re a good person. You probably don’t even consider yourself a good person, particularly.
But whether you’re at an exclusive VIP meet and greet or ordering food at a diner, you treat everyone the same.
In fact, watching how somebody treats their waiter can be a good sign of how much character and integrity they have.
“The next time you talk to someone, pay attention to how they treat waiters and bartenders.
Do they treat them with respect, or do they act like they’re entitled to better service than everyone else?”
9) You never go behind someone’s back or gossip
Especially with the growth of social media, there are endless opportunities to spread rumors and talk behind people’s backs.
One of the biggest signs you’re a man with outstanding character is that you refrain from doing this.
Furthermore, when you hear gossip or rumors about other people you don’t spread it.
You have no interest in living your life like a tabloid full of malicious or entertaining gossip.
It’s a waste of time, and you wouldn’t want it done to you, so you don’t do it.
10) Your purpose and objective always comes ahead of ego
As a man of outstanding character, you have a purpose and objectives in life that sustain and empower you.
You always take care of yourself and your well-being, but you’re also driven.
You have goals and endeavors that mean the world to you, and they help move you forward through the darkest moments.
In business and your personal life, there are all sorts of times that you may feel your ego inflated or deflated:
It affects you as it does anyone when you feel your worth is lower or higher.
But you never put your own self-satisfaction and ego above a realistic assessment of the situation.
You keep striving for your goals through the ups and downs, and you’d rather succeed for real than get recognition and praise for a job only half-done.
11) You ask for help respectfully and without pressure
On a related note to not having an ulterior agenda:
One of the key signs you’re a man with outstanding character is that you don’t try to manipulate people into helping you.
If you need help, you ask and make your needs known.
But you never tie this to an obligation, a threat or an inducement.
Because you don’t want to create that kind of dynamic going forward and live in a merely transactional society.
12) You respect boundaries in sex, dating and romance
Last and very crucially, a man of character respects others in his dating and intimate life.
You never cross these boundaries or push yourself on somebody.
You take rejection on the chin, and you are patient and understanding.
The truth about character
Some amount of character is innate and genetically predisposed, in my opinion.
Some of our crucial character is formed in our earliest years by who and what shaped us.
The rest is up to you to develop.
Working on the points above, do your best to become a man of character.
