1. Character

A man's character is what he is inwardly, for character is the combination of qualities, traits and virtues that distinguishes the individual. It has been said that every man is three different individuals--the man he thinks he is, what others think he is, and what he really is. In the words of Hames: "A good character is, in all cases, the fruit of personal exertion. It is not inherited from parents, it is not created by external advantages, it is not necessary appendage of birth, wealth, talents or station; but it is the result of one's own endeavors." Each individual has his own distinctive qualities, and these qualities are what help to develop his reputation for honesty, integrity and fair dealing. Just as George Washington once said: "I hope I shall always possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an 'honest man.'"