And now it’s time for a philosophical discussion. I was thinking about this driving home in my super-fast car, toddling along like a slug compared to the rest of New England’s homebound workforce. I was thinking that a true test of character occurs when you have power coupled with anonymity. Two examples came to mind.
First, there was me at that very moment. I was driving along with a powerful car and no bumper stickers labeling me as a Christian, lover of milk, Apple fan, etc. It was well within my power to totally blow by every other car on the road, and my reputation was secure (unless I got into an accident). This is what started me on this train of thought.
Another example: Let’s say you were given complete invisibility at will, sort of like Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak. What would you do? You just became very powerful AND anonymous. Harry never uses it for evil (it’s a kid’s book, after all), but I wonder how many people immediately think of all the naked people they could see or money they could steal. That would be a good test of character.
Of course, being anonymous, the only person that sometimes knows about your character is you. Ah, except when you become a Christian. Suddenly, you realize that there is no such thing as anonymity!
Some quotes to consider:
“The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.” – THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAY (1800-1859) — British writer and politician
“The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can’t fight back.” – ABIGAIL VAN BUREN (“Dear Abby”) advice columnist
“Everyone tries to define this thing called Character. It’s not hard. Character is doing what’s right when nobody’s looking.” – C. Watts
“Nearly all men can stand adversity. But if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” – Abraham Lincoln
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