What a character. Part 4

               The reason we have been looking in our subconscious mind is because our perception, our foundational motivations, and our character are here. These pieces make the subconscious mind seem like a good place to begin our search for the real morality we operate by; the morals we hold to no matter who is around and no matter what the situation is. We could not find our moral standard in our subconscious perceptions and motivations because those places in us are too easily affected by what we are in the mood to see in others and in ourselves. We are going to look for a part of us that holds onto what we think is right and takes into account our state of being (being just us), how we relate to others, and how we react.

               Our perceptions don’t change with our interactions or our reactions. We can add other perceptions to our own but our primary perception stays the same no matter what. Our motivations give us a basic feeling that we add something beneficial to this life. That doesn’t shift styles in different circumstances either. We are going to look at our character. Our subconscious character is the style of our intentions. Our intentions live in a different part of our soul but the style of our intentions is in our character. Character traits will be positive or negative. Some of us may think negative traits are more powerful and desirable. That will be based on our moral standard so this will be the first piece we have found of our individual morality.

               Our state of being character traits are either: nurturing or apathetic, joyful or hopeless, peaceful or full of strife. Nurturing character means showing a type of love that does not necessarily mean an emotional closeness or attachment.

A nurturing state of being is when we are the kind of people who help when we can and enhance success, truth, and life in ourselves and in others. Apathetic character does nothing to enhance others or themselves and isn’t bothered or upset when there is no improvement in negative or difficult situations.

A joyful character does not mean that we will always be happy or even be happy most of the time. This style of character looks for joy, is open to be pleased, and appreciates all opportunities to be happy.  Hopeless character is focused on what is unpleasant and will miss opportunities for happiness or even reject them.

Peaceful character will does not necessarily mean that we will be shaken in strife and conflict or that we will not war. It does mean that our mind and emotions thrive and flourish in peace. When we have this character trait we will work at fostering peace within ourselves even if we can’t find it around us. Character that is full of strife comes to life when others are upset, is bored and frustrated when everything is restful, and confuses peace with others attempting to confuse and trap them.

               Our interactive character style has these positive or negative traits: patience or laziness, kindness or assault, and excellence or manipulation.

When we are patient we are willing to do what it takes to see things through to the finish. Naturally the opposite of a patient person is an impatient one. Everyone gets impatient sometimes but a person whose subconscious trait is to be an impatient person is someone who is lazy. It takes a lot of effort to finish working toward a goal whether it is in an argument or a job. Laziness in subconscious style will resent anything that requires patience.

A person with kind character will act and choose with the intent to not cause harm and to encourage and enhance the benefit of others. An assaulting character is the intent to attack and irritate and inhibit others. Kindness and assault are based on our intentions. Niceness and meanness are how others perceive our actions. We can do a kind act, like an intervention, and be perceived as mean. We can do an assaulting act like controlling others with their addictions and be perceived as nice. It is the results we intend to achieve that show if we are kind or assaulting.

Excellence is the intent to do your best. An excellent character makes a person willing to be corrected and taught. The intended result is actually doing well not just being perceived as doing well. A manipulative character will put effort into the perception of their efforts not in the actual process or results. Manipulative character spends their efforts polishing garbage. An excellent character does their best and learns from the failures.

               The last section of character traits are the style of our reactions: gentleness or fury, faithfulness or betrayal, and self-government or chaos and disorder.

Gentleness is not weakness. It is power that is held and measured and not used any more than is necessary for the situation. Restriction of energy creates more energy. It is the basis of electricity. Fury is allowing our personal power to spill and pour out at whatever we are trying to influence or control. Fury is not a guarantee of strength and gentleness may not be soft. Intent is the key. A gentle character can cause harm when needed but will not do it by pouring out a flood of influence all at once. A gentle person can be a good protector and defender and is less likely to hurt those they are protecting when they react. Fury is a quick answer but is difficult to keep pointed in the right direction. 

Faithfulness as a trait will not mean we don’t leave relationships if they stop working, but it does mean that we will not betray the trust of the other person as we are leaving. Faithfulness is an easy reaction when all is feeling good. But when our connections to people and situations are tested we can see what our character is. Faithfulness will make us deal with problems and conflict directly. Betrayal as a character trait styles our intentions to make our own feelings a priority. Loyalty to our feelings of pleasure and satisfaction are the traits of a betraying character. Faithfulness looks to its own interests now and in the long term. Betrayal acts in the moment for personal satisfaction and justification.

Self-government is a trait that wants to keep as much self-control over as possible. Chaotic and disordered character does not control the reactive direction of their life. When trouble happens the chaotic character is blown in different directions and is victimized by chance. Self-governed people do not control chance but intend to control their reactions to it and to not be taken completely by surprise when it can be helped. Self-government monitors three areas: health, communion, and growth. Chaos monitors its victimization, its dysfunction, and its retardation. To monitor our health we have to watch our physical health and our mental clarity and correctness. Communion is our intimate bonds of different types. We commune in our closest relationships and in some friendships. Self-governed people maintain nurturing self-acceptance and the work involved in intimate relationships. Monitoring growth means stretching and challenging personal boundaries and maintaining spirituality.

               Anyone who has a mind, will, and emotions has a philosophy that guides their personal direction in life and a philosophy that explains for them how life or the world works. Maturity and experience will adjust or challenge these philosophies. No matter what beliefs a person has the self-governed person will have successful spirituality when they explore how their personal philosophy and their philosophy of existence (how life works) blend together productively. Beliefs do no good if the keeping of them just as they are create a gap between how you see yourself working and how you see existence working. Managing doubts and wrestling with ideas are essential to a self-governed character.

Questions:

1.      Can we choose to change our character traits?

2.      How long would we have to focus on changing a trait before it became a subconscious trait?

3.      If this is the first part of our morality does that mean we can use this insight to begin to see if others are wrong?

4.      Can we accept the differences in people who share our character and know that we are alike where it really matters?

5.      Is this an accurate line in the sand to begin to sort out those who are really like us and those who are not? Can we accept the differences in people who share our character and know that we are alike where it really matters?

(This is a place for ideas. We will not be critics of spelling or grammar. Anyone leaving a comment has the responsibility of being as clear as they can be. Anyone reading a comment has the responsibility of understanding the message. The thought can be discussed but not typos or grammar. That's not a valid argument against thoughts anyway.)