Character is what talent is not
IF talent were a mansion, character would have been its foundation. If talent were a vehicle, character would have been its fuel. Talent is what we see.
Character is what we do not see; however, it makes what we see exist. Talent is what opens the door to opportunities. Character is what keeps the door of that room open.
Great talent is good. Great character, however, is better. If an athlete, for instance, spends a lot of time sharpening their gift, it goes without saying that they need to spend even more time shaping their character.
Without character, one’s talent will not see the light of day.
For instance, a young man meets a young woman. He falls head over heels in love with her beauty and talent… ignoring her character. A few years after marriage, he comes to the sad realisation that what really sustains a relationship is the truth.
And… that truth is character.
In another instance, a young dreamer is doing all they can to get their dreams exposed to the right audience. They invest a chunk of their earnings into their skills and talents… ignoring any investment into who they really are.
Years on, the business starts dwindling because of a lack of integrity. Clients start complaining because the products and services are not really what they appear to be. A deficiency in character has made a nonsense of years of investment.
People with great character yet only little talent will reach heights that others with great talent yet only little character can only imagine. Your bad character is like bad breath. Everyone will smell it when they draw near.
Inasmuch as we build our skills and talent, we ought to build who we are inside. Your character will reflect in everything you do. Regardless of how much talent you have been gifted with, bad character will soon shoot you down.
Character is who you are. Talent is what you have. Talent is what takes you to the top. Character is what makes you stay there. Talent is the outer illumination that draws people to you. Character is the inner illumination that will make them stay!
It is amazing how we gloss over who we truly are in our bid to focus on what we have. If we indeed knew our fate revolved around our character, we would have spent a chunk of our lives building it. Talent and opportunities without character are absolute vanity!
Observe a talented young man with no character and another with great character but with only little talent. Many years on, you would notice the latter has reached great heights with even more talents than the former.
Character will make him learn. Character will make them discover their hidden talents and even more.
Great doors have been slammed in the face of very talented people because of their bad attitude. Oftentimes, the only weight pulling us down is our character.
Character, like gravity, can pull you back to your start point.
Sometimes, the only devil sitting on our destinies is our own character. Our character may be that gun that has shot us in the foot.
The character we have built over the years is what will either make or unmake us. You are where you are today partly because of your talent but mainly because of your character.
Our future depends on how we think, act and speak― our character. Who we become when hard times come is who we truly are.
Often, the storms of life unveil our true character. Our true selves are like gold. It is only fire that can bring it out.
Others can barely stay in one place. They cannot stay in a relationship beyond three months. Staying in one church for long is not their thing.
They have never kept a job for more than a year. You see, sometimes what you need is not further education. Sometimes, what needs a facelift in your life is your character!
How far we will ever go in this life depends on our character. I grew up with many friends who were exceptionally talented footballers.
Today, I see those same friends waste their lives away and I can only imagine what happened to their talent. There was talent in abundance, but little character.
Talent is never enough. If you do not add a good, winning attitude to your talent, sad to say, you will get nowhere. What makes a man is not his talent. It is the character he has intentionally built.
If you see a man on top of his game, take note that his talent alone did not get him there. His undying passion to succeed drives that talent.
Without character, talent becomes useless. Without character, your beauty will take you nowhere. Without character, your skills will just be another burden.
Build your character. Develop your thinking capacity. Build your tenacity. Build your self-control and honesty one day at a time.
Character is a priceless asset that no amount of money can buy. You need to manufacture it on your own. You need to build it yourself.
As you prepare for marriage, build your character. As you prepare for greater opportunities in life, mould your attitude. Good times test your talent.
Tough times test your character. Build what you have inside (character) as much as you build the outside (talent). Talent or beauty may not stand the test of time.
They may fade off with age. What will remain when everything else is gone is… what you have built inside; your character.
The writer is the Chief Scribe of Scribe Productions (www.scribeproductions.com) and Scribe Communications (www.scribecommltd.com). His playwriting masterclass is slated for Saturday, March 28th, and Sunday, March 29th, 2026. Call 0546098082 for enquiries.
