the personality...

Again, tonight, I was on the phone with my Dad. He is such an amazing person , and I am not saying this out of bias (ok… who would not be). Yet as an individual, as a human being, all judgement from a daughter’s perspective aside, he is simply such a beautiful being.

We bantered a bit about life, its challenges, and what we need to look at when someone presents themselves into our lives—whether it is a lover, friend, colleague or someone that we are chatting up at the local pub.

He did not throw this zinger at me, yet our conversation reminded me of one of the many nuggets the offered over the years. It has to do with taking a good look at someone, understanding their motives, the place from within that they are operating and projecting upon you and the world. And how it affects you, moves you, and sometime you cannot help but to fall in love with the

personality: but marry the character.

Sheesh! What a thought!

It does not mean that we marry one individual, yet whomever we come into contact with, at first we embrace the personality—the charm, cute looks, philosophy of life.

Yet when we commit ourselves to that person—whether it be as a friend, companion, lover, lifetime partner, there is that underlying current that the personality is built upon-- their character.

And what is character, anyway? I think it goes back to that values conversation that we had earlier. Sometimes I wonder if personality is the espoused value, while the character is the value in practice. Kind of the talk-action paradigm (decision is intrinsic to this argument, however for the sake of this chat let’s put it to the side). We talk, hence we are personality in the flesh. We act, that is our character in full demonstration.

On the flip—could it be that our personality it who we aim to become, similar to espoused values and mission? And as long as we live it, will we become it? Fulfill it?

question: what is your type?