Saturday, October 25, 2008

Admiration

What qualities do you admire in other people? For me, there's two qualities that always impress me in another person, regardless of other parts of this person's personality. Maybe these two things impress me so much because I wish I had them.

1. Honesty - I love being around people who don't try to be someone they're not. Maybe some better adjectives would be "transparent" or "genuine". I don't mean people who are sort of prideful about how "real" they are, and others aren't. And I don't mean people who are genuine, yet they passively brag on themselves every chance they get. But when someone has truly come to terms with who they are as a person... when they're willing to admit their weaknesses and even their accomplishments without seeking any attention, I love that. I love being around those people. My grandfather is like that. He is who he is, and that never changes no matter who he's around.

2. Integrity - I love it when someone holds a high standard when they don't have to, even if it costs a lot. I tend to run people down sometimes, but it's refreshing to be around people who just can't imagine saying something negative about one of their friends. Also, as people we tend to cheat and cut corners all the time, even without thinking. But I love being around people who will stay true and constant regardless of how small the situation is. They don't do commonly accepted things like downloading illegal music or breaking traffic laws - and they would never make themselves feel superior over others because they have a higher standard. It's just who they are. I want to be around these people too, because they have character that means something.

Noble character is something so rare today. When I see any real nobility in another person I tend to sit back in awe, wanting to be around them as much as I can hoping that somehow a little bit would rub off on me.

What qualities do you admire in other people?

1 comment:

Terry Laudett said...

Joshua,
Very well said. I must admit that I love to be around such people, too. Many of the Christians with whom I am familiar who are in their 60s and 70s fall within this category. They set the bar high for the rest of us, but I have found them to be very willing to help us in any way they can. Thanks for the thoughtful post!