Character Ethic vs Personality Ethic

Indian Paintbrush, Trail to Long Lake - July 2025

​Years ago when reading Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” I was struck by something he mentioned early in the book: Character Ethic versus Personality Ethic.

In the 1970’s Covey did an in-depth study of success literature in the United States. He found that in the 1920’s and ‘30’s, the literature shifted focus from developing principles like integrity and trust (Character Ethic) to a focus based on techniques to manage how one appears to others, manipulation of perception (Personality Ethic). Here’s a video of Stephen Covey explaining this concept. 

In both my work and personal life, I am passionate about and committed to transformation for the long-haul. This is work that involves introspection and self-awareness - in the realm of character ethic - and is not a quick and easy endeavor. And yet the messages all around us, from books, podcasts, articles, companies, social media “influencers,” seem to echo the same unrealistic message of “Get Great Quick” personality ethic. 

Messages like “kick those bad habits forever, guaranteed!!” and “achieve your wildest dreams in just three days!!” offer shortcuts, quick fixes, and one-size-fits-all instructions, but they don’t work, not for real change. These techniques might help with some initial success but they don’t last.

Why? Partly because personal work is ongoing, and often involves daily practice rather than one-and-done. And partly because each of us is an amazing individual. And to continue to develop our character, uncover that amazingness, we have to put in effort tailored to our own lives. I call it shoveling out the stable. You’ve got to move out the manure (old habits, patterns, beliefs, and behaviors) in order to really see what you are made of. 

This is sometimes hard work, but it is good work. Work that you’ve probably already been doing in order to get through life’s sometimes excruciating curve balls. Developing character, inner awareness, new insights, and changing actions to get different results is truly a lifelong process. It is rewarding to apply new learning and to cultivate new habits in order to go through the day proud of how you look, feel and act.

I think Stephen King says it best: “It is the dab of grit that seeps into an oyster's shell that makes the pearl, not pearl-making seminars with other oysters."

Originally published July 2022