Why Character is Your Greatest Asset (And How to Build It)
The common goal of most people is to live the best life possible.
Terms like time management, self-improvement, and mindset are everywhere—and it’s no wonder.
Social media is overflowing with faceless gurus and self-proclaimed coaches, each promising to guide you to success in every aspect of life.
Endless courses on mindset chant clichés like "fake it until you make it," while time management workshops teach you how to dissect every single hour of your day.
Persuasion courses promise to unlock the secrets of influence.
It’s a constant flood of “tips and tricks,” all claiming to hold the key to success.
And yet, I have the feeling that most people feel trapped.
Many people feel lost and unclear about their next steps.
Raised by parents with the ultimate "you can do whatever you put your mind to" mentality, I have attended several live events held by big names in the "life-coaching" industry. I’ve read multiple books on self-improvement, popular psychology, and self-help.
Reflecting on that period, I’ve realized that most of the knowledge and techniques I encountered were merely quick fixes, addressing acute problems temporarily. While they sometimes provided short-term solutions, the underlying issues remained untouched, only to resurface repeatedly.
It wasn’t until I read Stephen Covey's classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that I began to understand that effective living is based on a few basic principles. At its core, it’s all about having good character.
Don't get me wrong.
All the skills and techniques I mentioned above aren’t bad in themselves. I believe you need many of these skills to succeed in certain areas of life. But these are secondary traits, not primary traits.
If I try to use human influence strategies, which I learned in my persuasion course, to get people to do what I want while my character is fundamentally flawed, then, in the long run, I won’t be successful.
Everything I do will be perceived as manipulative.
It makes no difference how good the rhetoric is or how good the intentions are—if there is little or no trust, there is no foundation for lasting success. "Only basic goodness gives life to technique." – Stephen R. Covey
In fact, character is the most valuable asset a person can have.
Ironically, we all know this.
There are people we trust completely because we know their character. Whether they are skilled at dealing with people or not, whether they are persuasive or not, we trust them and work well with them.
And it's true for the opposite as well. Someone with bad character, someone swayed by ego, someone dishonest—it’s not going to end well for them. And it’s not going to end well for you either if you try to associate with them.
While we can agree that character is one of the most valuable assets a person can have, the real challenge lies in shaping and strengthening it.
This realization led me to explore Stoicism—a philosophy rooted in practical wisdom. It teaches that strong character is not only the foundation of success but also the key to a meaningful, fulfilled life.
The goal of this newsletter is twofold:
To emphasize that good character traits are the foundation of everything, while all else is secondary (what you've read already).
To introduce Stoic principles that can inspire you to dig deeper into the values and habits that form a strong character (the next section).
Aware of the fact that this newsletter can’t cover all Stoic virtues in-depth, I’ll share the four cardinal virtues and two simple yet important principles that can help you cultivate good character:
Practice Virtue Above All
The Stoics focused on four key virtues that guide how we think, act, and treat others:
Wisdom: Knowledge, education, truth, self-reflection, peace…
Wisdom is about making thoughtful decisions and understanding what truly matters. It helps us avoid impulsive actions and see the bigger picture. When we’re faced with criticism, wisdom allows us to reflect on whether it’s constructive instead of reacting defensively. It’s the ability to ask, “What’s the right thing to do here?” and act accordingly.
Courage: Bravery, endurance, honor, sacrifice…
Courage isn’t about being fearless; it’s about doing the right thing even when it’s hard. It could be standing up for someone being treated unfairly or trying something completely new, like writing a newsletter, even if you might fail. Courage reminds us that growth often comes from facing discomfort rather than avoiding it.
Temperance: Self-control, moderation, balance…
Temperance is about controlling impulses and staying focused on what matters. It could be as simple as sticking to your workout routine when you don’t feel like it or resisting the urge to overspend on things you don’t need.
Justice: Fairness, service, goodness, kindness…Justice is about doing the right thing—not only in big moments of responsibility but also in the little things. It’s about how we treat strangers, how we do business, how seriously we take our obligations and the impact we have on the world around us.
Virtues can be compared to a craft—something to pursue just like any profession or skill. Virtue is something we do.
Focus on What You Can Control
Your quality of life increases when you focus your mental and physical energy only on things you can personally influence.
Everything else is a distraction that pulls you away from managing your life properly.
A lot of people are concerned with things entirely outside their control, which makes them reactive. Life happens, and they just react. Bad weather? They get grumpy. Traffic jam? They honk and complain. Although this is the default response for most, there is another way to live.
You must limit the irrelevant things you do and think about. By doing so, you become better at the relevant things on which you spend your time.
If you want to learn more, I’ve written an entire newsletter on this topic: How big is your Circle of Control?
Keep Your Word
Commonly, people try to wiggle out of things they’ve agreed to.
They try to come up with an exemption so they don’t have to keep their promises. Perhaps because something better came up.
Because something more profitable is on the table.
Because it became clear how exhausting it would be.
Because they don’t think it really says anything about them.
Yes, it’s true—keeping your word can cost you. You might get stuck doing something you’d rather not do. But not keeping your word doesn’t come without a cost either. Not only is your reputation and trust at stake, but each time we break faith, we make it harder for people to trust us.
Luckily, the opposite is also true: Every time we keep our word, we not only build self-confidence but also strengthen trust in the eyes of those we live and work with.
So, if you say it, they are counting on you—do it! Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Even if it’s going to be difficult or painful.
That’s it for today.
These newsletters are a reflection of what I am learning at this very moment, and I hope this information sparks your interest to also embark on the journey to develop good character traits or strengthen the ones we already have.
Start small: reflect on one Stoic virtue—wisdom, courage, temperance, or justice—and how you can practice it today. Over time, these small actions will shape a stronger, more resilient character.
Ultimately, I believe that a changeless character based on fundamental values and principles is a great way to get to know yourself on a deeper level. You will define yourself from within, rather than by others' opinions. "Right" and "wrong" will have little to do with being found out.
Dustin.
