Character First

1. Character First Tolerance

2. Character Character is the inward motivation to do what is right in every situation even when no one is looking.

3. Tolerance Accepting others at different levels of maturity.

4. Tolerance Blends idealism with realism, accepting others and inspiring growth.

5. Tolerance Sees individuals as unique rather than stereotypes. Realizes that there is more to a person than meets the eye. Looks past others’ weaknesses in order to appreciate their strengths.

6. Tolerance Tolerance is the internal character quality that keeps you from getting “bent out of shape” by the actions and attitudes of those around you.

7. Tolerance By being slow to judge, tolerant individuals have time to recognize their own character deficiencies. All too often, things that irritate people the most are the very things they unknowingly do themselves.

8. Tolerance Character can be changed for the better; however, things such as racial background, family history, birth order, aging, physical features, and irreversible handicaps can not be changed. Tolerance recognizes the unchangeables in others and refuses to discriminate against those things.

9. Tolerance “Tolerance consists of seeing certain things with your heart instead of with your eyes.” Orlando A. Battista “With all thy faults, I love thee still.” William Cowper

10. Tolerance “The test of courage comes when we are in the minority. The test of tolerance comes when we are in the majority.” Ralph W. Sockman “ Chief above all does tactful tolerance win the mind.” Ovid

11. Tolerance “Tolerance is the positive and cordial effort to understand another’s beliefs, practices, and habits without necessarily sharing them.” Brian Aldiss “Don’t stare!” Mom

12. I Will: • Not confuse what is right with what is popular. • Expect the same of myself as I expect of others. • Look for ways to help others mature. • Accept my own unchangeables and the unchangeables of others. • Listen before I form an opinion,

13. Tolerance: Key Concepts • Give Room to Grow • Recognize the level of character development in others - and encourage continued growth and maturity. • Accept Others • Demonstrate that you accept others for who they are, even when you cannot condone their actions or attitudes. • Look at Yourself • Rather than distancing yourself from those who irritate you, recognize how their irritating idiosyncrasies and faults reveal similar idiosyncrasies and faults in your life.

14. Tolerance: Key Concepts • Curb the Urge • Curb the urge to criticize others - especially when your motivation is to feel better about yourself. • Overlook Faults • Tolerance is the character quality of teamwork. It is a willingness to overlook faults and get along with others.

15. Tolerance Ask yourself: “Do my actions demonstrate tolerance?”

16. Tolerance Example in Nature

17. The Eastern Box Turtle When attacked by a curious or hungry assailant, the turtle relies upon the strength of its built -in “shield,” so that it can patiently tolerate the ordeal. www.billsboxturtles.com

18. The Tolerance of the Turtle Although notoriously slow and certainly not known for its strength, the turtle does have a set of extremely powerful muscles under its shell which it uses to draw in its head and limbs and then patiently hold them there, for days, if necessary. www.billsboxturtles.com

19. Tolerating the Intolerable The cold-blooded turtle relies on external conditions to regulate its body temperature. When heat becomes a problem, the turtle seeks the protection of shade, water, a burrow in the cool earth, or a pile of moist leaves, thus tolerating otherwise unbearable circumstances. www.billsboxturtles.com

20. Dealing With Irritations To remove bothersome leeches, the not particularly agile turtle will sun itself. The warmth of direct sunlight kills leeches and soothes irritations. www.billsboxturtles.com

21. The Life Span of the Box Turtle Each scale on the turtle’s shell adds a growth ring for every year. Box turtles usually live about 40 years, and some have even lived as long as 138 years. www.billsboxturtles.com

22. Allow Just as a newly emerging box turtle has much growth and development ahead, so people must learn to give each other “room to grow.” www.billsboxturtles.com

23. Accommodate Box turtles have unique features that distinguish them from other reptiles - and differentiate male and female. These include size, eye color, and shell structure. www.billsboxturtles.com

24. Relate One of the box turtles favorite meals, toadstools, is poisonous to humans. Therefore people have become ill after ingesting these reptiles. www.billsboxturtles.com

25. Curb The box turtle must exercise great inner strength when being mistreated. In order to remain protected, it must “curb the urge” to relax until the danger is well past. www.billsboxturtles.com

26. Soar The turtle must patiently endure the prying teeth and claws of predators, so that it can live to amble on its way. www.billsboxturtles.com

27. Tolerance Tolerance in History

28. Abigail Adams As her husband worked to draft the Declaration of Independence, Abigail Adams worked to demonstrate the very freedoms being proclaimed in that document. http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/abigailadams.html

29. Abigail Adams • Abigail became friends with James, a young, black-skinned boy, who worked for her. • She accepted her unchangeables and the unchangeables of others, and valued character rather than the color of a person’s skin. http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/abigailadams.html

30. Abigail Adams • Abigail taught him to read and write, and made arrangements for him to attend school. • She looked for ways to help others mature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams

31. Abigail Adams • When a neighbor came to deliver a complaint from families who did not want their children attending school with James, Abigail let him speak freely and even asked questions to gain insight into what he was really trying to say. • She listened before forming an opinion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams

32. Abigail Adams • When she discerned that the only real concern was the color of James’ skin, she spoke clearly of all the reasons why James belonged in school and was able to persuade the neighbor to change his mind. • Abigail did not confuse what was popular with what was right and was able to make a difference. http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/abigailadams.html

33. Timothy Dwight • Timothy Dwight (1752-1817) entered Yale College as a student at age 13 and later became president of the college, where he served for 22 years. http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/henry/bios/timothydwight.htm

34. Timothy Dwight • As an administrator, he demonstrated wise tolerance in his oversight of the student body. • It was his aim to create a relationship with students based on affection - a source of influence which he deemed useful in encouraging the pursuits of learning and virtue. http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/henry/bios/timothydwight.htm

35. Timothy Dwight • He understood the need to draw out and inspire improvement rather than to coerce it. • During his presidency at Yale, he raised the bar both educationally and socially, ushering in an era marked by greatness. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dwight_IV

36. Timothy Dwight • A memorial window at Yale reads: Timothy Dwight, distinguished by uncommon powers of mind and unequaled influence both among all his peers and among the young men whom he trained with constant but easy effort to the best principles and ways of life… http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dwight_IV

37. Timothy Dwight • Tolerance is a commitment to a high standard of character with an attitude that gives room for growth, but more importantly - inspires it. http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/d/w/dwight_t.htm

38. Adapted from: Character First! Series II. Character Training Institute. Oklahoma City, OK: 1998.http://www.characterfirst.com http://www.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/abigailadams.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Adams http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dwight_IV www.billsboxturtles.com http://www.iment.com/maida/familytree/henry/bios/timothydwight.htm http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/d/w/dwight_t.htm