Seeing as how I haven't posted anything in almost a month, I think I'll exercise my opinion once more, if perchance someone might be enlightened a bit.
You know, I've had to face pretty much all of my flaws in my life, openly. I being an extravert carry my personality explicitely, so my character flaws are displayed clearly to spectactors. In the case of the intravert however, where character and short-falls aren't
necessarily so clear, he or she may not need to stand on the receiving end of criticism. I have quite often.
So my question is this:
are there such things as
character flaws that stand out from the rest of human character, and if they amount to anything can we define what an individual's character flaws are? Are we merely judgmental?
To say to someone in offense or exasperation, "Would you like me to list everything that's wrong with you?" only displays in the addresser a judgmenat character; someone who doesn't bother to understand others. Isn't that displaying wrong character? But then one needs to question what
character is.
What is character? Aren't we all different? Aren't we all the same? Aren't we ALL flawed in someway? It seems to me that to define someone's 'character flaws' is giving someone the right to define who someone else is by negative shortfalls. 'Character flaws,' then can be understood as someone's character.
I think the phrase 'character flaws' is used too loosely to describe someone who we clash with, someone we don't understand (in a lot of cases). As I say this I can imagine the argument in offense: what I mean is that too often people are misunderstood by others and the misconception is that there's something wrong with him or her. Is that a flaw in character? I think not.
Personally, I think that the words "character flaw" are used in many cases when people don't understand what they are saying or doing. Which in fact they are labeling someone negatively. It's judgment. I can vouch for myself, saying that too often these judgments are not justifiable.
I can't understand how others are so comfortable in sharing others "character flaws" when they could so easily list all the things that are "wrong" with them.
In a Christian society, the irony is that when someone does that exact thing, they themselves are displaying wrongness in the Christian character. Christ said often "love your neigbour." The Apostle Paul says:
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort
from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and
compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same
love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or
vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves....Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe. (Phil 2:1-5,14-15; NIV)
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (1 Thess. 5:11-15; NIV)
As Christians we should not consider ourselves innocent of having character flaws and we should not regard someone based on his or her character flaws either. If someone you know is portraying negative traits, do not blatantly scold them, set them aside and tell them calmly what they must do to improve their behaviour. I can say one thing more, if someone is constantly being told to their face what their character flaws are, it will infect his or her self worth.
We need to show love, patience, kindness and learn to live with each other because we have the hope in Christ. Christ is what makes our lives worthwhile!
So, I left for the United Kingdom Tuesday morning with Providice College Singers, Providence's college choir that I am a member of! What a trip! First off I had to go back to Prov on Monday evening with my family so they could drop me off to stay overnight in dorm. Tuesday morning I left Prov at 5am to go to the airport. I only had a 9 am flight but the choir was divided into two, one half left at 7:45 and the other [my group] left Winnipeg airport at 9. I had to leave with a person who was on the earlier flight.
