by Nathan Munro

Created on: March 08, 2010

To put it simply, character development is an integral part of a quality education because character development is an integral part of human development.  Without developing our character we are incomplete.  Without character education, education is incomplete.

In the 100 years or so that we have had a formal education system in America the importance of character education has ebbed and flowed.  At times, we've given it proper importance, at other times we let it be secondary behind the seemingly more important academic subjects.  But we never forget it completely, and we tend to come back to it when the challenges we face are greatest.  

In the few thousand years since we identified the importance of raising our children with certain knowledge and abilities, the development of character has been the most consistent aspect of education.  Back then no one knew the earth was round, that life evolves, that atoms could split, or that the moon would someday be reached.  But they did know that ignoring the importance of character development as part of education had disastrous consequences.  

I like to think of character as mortar between the bricks that are our intellectually abilities.  Math, science, history, writing, are strong in themselves, but stacked together and bound with the strength of character they become a structure, a foundation, a fortress.  An intellectually strong individual with strong character as well, is truly a pillar of strength.  

A person cannot learn to read or write or solve sophisticated math problems without help from others.  Neither can they learn to maximize their best character traits in order to improve their lives, and the lives of those they love, without some help.  The character traits of persistence and responsibility enhance our academic education by helping us through the struggles involved in learning.  The character traits of compassion and kindness make it possible to learn from a variety of other individuals and to take their recommendations to heart.  And the trait of respect allows us to look to the past for knowledge, to our teachers for guidance, and to the natural world for inspiration.  

In short, an education without character development is hollow, weak and dangerous.  How many very smart people throughout history have done very bad things due to a lack of character?  As Teddy Roosevelt once said, "To educate a man in mind but not morals is to educate a menace to society."  

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