The Road to Character
In his book, The Road to Character, The New York Times columnist and bestselling author, David Brooks, challenges readers to rebalance the scales between focusing on external success—“résumé virtues”—and, instead, elevate and value core inner principles.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Video: Let Your Conscience By Your Guide ]
The Road to Character is a reminder (just as SemperVerus is) that we must strengthen our character—our moral compass—to stay true to what is right and stay true to our aim in life.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Door of Leadership Swings on the Hinge of Character ]
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: The Shift
Chapter 2: The Summoned Self
Chapter 3: Self-Conquest
Chapter 4: Struggle
Chapter 5: Self-Mastery
Chapter 6: Dignity
Chapter 7: Love
Chapter 8: Ordered Love
Chapter 9: Self-Examination
Chapter 10: The Big Me
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness Self-Defense: Seeing Temptation as a Threat ]
Quotes to ponder from The Road to Character
• “Character is built in the course of your inner confrontation. Character is a set of dispositions, desires, and habits that are slowly engraved during the struggle against your own weakness. You become more disciplined, considerate, and loving through a thousand small acts of self-control, sharing, service, friendship, and refined enjoyment. If you make disciplined, caring choices, you are slowly engraving certain tendencies into your mind. You are making it more likely that you will desire the right things and execute the right actions. If you make selfish, cruel, or disorganized choices, then you are slowly turning this core thing inside yourself into something that is degraded, inconstant, or fragmented. You can do harm to this core thing with nothing more than ignoble thoughts, even if you are not harming anyone else. You can elevate this core thing with an act of restraint nobody sees. If you don’t develop a coherent character in this way, life will fall to pieces sooner or later. You will become a slave to your passions. But if you do behave with habitual self-discipline, you will become constant and dependable.”
