FAQ

Who We Are

Frequently Asked Questions

Talking about character can be tricky. There's sometimes a tendency toward skepticism when such issues are tackled on the public stage. We hope the Q&A below helps you gain a better understanding of who we are and what we do. If you have more specific questions, contact us.

How do you encourage good character?
Why do we need "training" for character?
Why are there so many character qualities?
Are there specific curricula?
How can you ascribe "qualities" that work for everybody?
"Faith" is one of your character qualities. How do I know my personal faith jibes with yours?

Q: How do you encourage good character?
A: We ask businesses, schools, the faith community and governments to join the community-wide focus on promoting and teaching one character quality per month by exposing and talking about it. Organizations can devise any methods they choose, and we offer some suggestions here.
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Q: Why do we need "training" for character? Isn't it just common sense?
A: Any character quality is developed by practicing it until it becomes habit. People are not born with these qualities but need to be exposed and encouraged in order to choose to develop good character versus bad character.
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Q: Why are there so many character qualities?
A: It would be difficult to eliminate any of the qualities. We see them all as important to the development of a well-rounded individual. Organizations that are currently involved in the development of character prefer the idea of numerous qualities rather than fewer. It offers variety and room for improvement in all individuals.
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Q: Are there specific curricula that you use?
A: For those segments of the community that don't have a systematic program of encouraging character, the Character Council recommends the Character First!® curriculum. Trainers in Character First!® provide day-long training sessions once a month in the Cincinnati area.
Learn more about Character First!® training sessions
Lean more about Character First!® supplementary material
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Q: People are very different from one another. How can you ascribe "qualities" that work for everybody?
A: The character qualities that we promote are historically and universally accepted qualities. All people can adapt these qualities to their own lives.

We're trying to encourage the development of good character in all individuals to benefit the common good of the community.
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Q: "Faith" is one of your character qualities and one of your special areas of interest. How do I know my personal faith jibes with yours?
A: The definition of faith that we support is, "Confidence that doing the right thing will bring the best outcome, even when I cannot see how."

A person's faith is not a prerequisite for their desiring good character.
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