Everyday Canvas

The Content of One’s Character

Prompt: What do you think it means to be "judged by the content of one’s character"? If you wish, write a scene, a story, or a poem in which an individual is not judged by the content of his or her character, but by something totally different from it.

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For this idea, we must first think about what the content of one’s character refers to. My question is can we really determine what one’s character contains even if we have known that person for decades? After all, some serial killers have been known as one of the most respected people of their community. Thus, the knowledge of the contents of one’s character is an iffy concept, to begin with. This makes the promise of judging a person by the criteria of their character is unreliable.

Take a political person for example. Their words may drip with passion and compassion for the citizens, but their actions at other times and their words in their private life may show just the opposite. Mostly, such a person has a penchant for pretending to be who they aren’t, and worse yet, such people can resort to animosity and fake information about their opponents.

In the same vein, the word content means what is held inside. Thus, the real content of one’s character is not the same as one’s reputation. Each person is born with an inclination toward one character. Life experiences evolve, alter, better or worsen that character. Some people aren’t even aware of what their own characters hold.

My point is, since we can’t fully know anyone’s character’s contents, I lean more toward, “Judge not, that ye be not judged!” Of course, forming an opinion on someone's character makes us adapt to circumstances, but I think passing a clear-cut, unchangeable judgment on anyone's character is useless and baseless.