Character vs. Personality

Adam Grant is an author and professor of organizational psychology. He has some great books and podcasts, and I highly recommend following him on social media. On social media he shares quick thoughts and pointers for helping not just in business, but in daily life as well.

I recently saw a post that Grant shared that said:

Personality is how you respond on a typical day. Character is how you show up on your worst day.

It’s easy to demonstrate fairness, integrity, and generosity when things are going well.

The real question is whether you stand by those values when the deck is stacked against you.

In middle school, I had a teacher who said, “Character is who you are when no one is looking.” I feel like this is exactly what Grant is saying here.

We might pride ourselves on being level-headed, calm, fair, kind, and trustworthy. But do we exercise these same traits when the pressure is on and the situation is tense? I know when I find myself backed against the wall, the best parts of me don’t always shine.

Every day we should be striving to make our personality and character match. When the going gets tough, make sure that your character is shining through and highlighting the best parts of you!

Until next time…we are Advoco, make every minute count.

About Molly: Molly Hallman is our Engagement & Experience Coordinator, helping the marketing team with all things writing related, websites, social media, and events. When she’s not telling the Advoco story, she’s spending time with her dogs and her husband in pursuit of Greenville’s best hot dog (current favorite: the mac and cheese dog from the Greenville Drive Stadium.) Got a question for Molly? Send her an email!

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