What Character Traits Are Essential?

Why are character traits so important?

To some people a concernfor character may sound a little on the pious side. They may feel either that character is not too important, or that they can take care of themselves at this point.

But to the girl who is married to an irresponsible gambler, or who is fleeing across the country with a man wanted by the police; to the man whose business career and social standing have been ruined by an unscrupulous wife; to the girl whose husband deserted her as soon as she became pregnant, the matter of character cannot be so easily dismissed. Crooks do not go around with labels on, ringing a bell. They look, talk, and appear like anyone else. Some of them are unusually beauti­ful, charming, and lovable.

63. Why are character traits so important?

When you select a marriage mate you are choosing far more than a bed-fellow and companion for your recreation. You are selecting a partner in a permanent building enter­prise who will be among other things:

1. The other parent of your children. This requires character,  personality and the  intelligence necessary  to guide and direct the development of growing children.
   
   
2. One who will have rather complete access to your bank account and credit. Such a trust requires not only honesty, but enough discipline to keep from squandering needed family resources for personal whims.
   
   
3. Even more important, that person will have intimate access to you; your innermost thoughts and feelings, your hopes and plans, your ambitions and aspirations. By encouraging you when you need it most, or by lend­ ing a hand or dragging his feet when the going gets tough, he may be able to make or break you.

The way your mate gets along, or does not get along with your friends, neighbors and business associates can do much to determine your social and professional success. Your par­ents may have had more influence upon you, but this you could not help. No one else will mean so much for your fu­ture as the one whom you choose as your mate. Remember that you are choosing more than a companion for fun. You are choosing someone to do a total job; a job which requires a high level of integrity, competence, self-discipline and finesse. This choice is one of the most important decisions which you will ever make.

64. Have you checked carefully on essential character traits?

As we have seen, in an earlier age, young people often married those with whom they had grown up. They knew their families well. Therefore the risks of making a mistake about character were less than they are today. Now, people move so much that it is often difficult to be with them for any length of time. Often there is no contact with the family of the other until the marriage interest is well on the way.

The dangers of poor choice are especially increased for those who are eager to marry. Priscilla was plain and homely.

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