Character Building

by Booker T. Washington

It takes a very good and a very bright teacher to say, “I don’t know.” No teacher knows everything about every subject. A good teacher will say frankly and clearly, “I don’t know. I cannot answer that question.”

Education is not what a person is able to hold in his head, so much as it is what a person is able to find.

the truly educated man was not the one who had all knowledge in his head, but the one who knew where to look for information upon any subject upon which at any time he might want information.

Grow into the habit of talking about the bright side of life.

It is often very easy to influence others in the wrong direction, and to grow into such a moody fault-finding disposition that one not only is miserable and unhappy himself, but makes everyone with whom he comes in contact miserable and unhappy.

The miserable persons in this world are the ones whose hearts are narrow and hard; the happy ones are those who have great big hearts. Such persons are always happy.

it is the wise individual who prepares him-self beforehand for the day of difficulties, for the day of discouragements, for the rainy day. It is the wise individual, who makes up his mind that life is not going to be all sunshine, that all is not going to be perpetual pleasure.

You cannot hope to succeed if you keep bad company. As far as possible, try to form the habit of spending your nights at home. There is nothing worse for a young man or young woman than to get into the habit of thinking that he or she must spend every night on the street or in some public place.

You must remember that the people are watching you every day. If you yield to the temptation of strong drink, of going into bad company, others will do the same thing. They will shape their lives after yours. You must so shape your lives that the hundreds and thousands of those who are looking to you for guidance may profit by your example.

There is great power in simplicity, simplicity of speech, simplicity of life in every form. The world has no patience with people who are superficial, who are trying to show off, who are trying to be what the world knows they are not.

You will find that every man and every woman who is worthy to be respected and praised and recognized will be respected and praised and recognized.

It does not pay an individual to do anything except what his conscience will approve of every day, and every hour and minute in the day.

The explanation was that the character of the man was behind the sermon. You may go out and make great speeches, you may write books or addresses which are great literature, but unless you have character behind what you say and write, it will amount to nothing; it will all go to the winds.