Every human being is unique. Every individual has a unique personality. The assumption that every person will react the same way to a certain situation is foolish. Depending on certain traits that are unique to each individual, an individual will react in a certain way. These reactions can be something that a person wants to showcase depending on the situation or something that they demonstrate regardless of what they want to do. Persons react differently to different stimuli depending on their attitudes and personalities.
Attitude vs Character
The main difference between attitude and character is that attitude refers to the amount of liking a person has for a situation, person, or thing, whereas character refers to the core values of an individual that can be used to evaluate their quality of character.
Typically, attitude is the behavior an individual exhibits on the outside that determines how they will react to external stimuli. The attitude of a person can be changed as often as they want to depending on the situation they are in. Attitude is something that changes over time.
The character of an individual is the inner behavior that makes them behave in particular ways, regardless of their wishes. The reason for this is that it is in their nature to react to that particular situation only in that way. Character does not tend to change over time.
Comparison Table Between Attitude and Character
| Parameters of Comparison | Attitude | Character |
| Definition | A person’s attitude determines how they will react to a certain environment. | Character influences how an individual reacts to a particular environment. |
| Nature | Attitude is an external feature of an individual and thus is objective. | Character is the internal feature of an individual and thus is subjective. |
| Reasons | Attitude is determined by physical traits and individual characteristics. | Character is determined by a person’s mental and moral qualities. |
| Choice | An individual is in control of what attitude they want to showcase in front of everyone. | An individual is not in control of what character they want to showcase in front of everyone. |
| Decision making | Attitude can help an individual decide things they want to like or dislike. | Character has no role in determining an individual into things that they like or dislike. |
| Change | Attitude is a temporary trait and may change over time. | Character is a permanent trait and hardly changes over time. |
| Judgment | It is easy to judge a person’s attitude towards a situation by observing their behavior. | It is difficult to determine a person’s character by observing their behavior. |
What is Attitude?
Attitude is the manner, disposition, feeling, position, etc. with regards to a person, thing, or situation, especially of the mind. Attitude is the opinion or the method by which one approaches a given situation. Attitude is a choice. Attitude determines how you handle or approach certain things and it is all your decision how you are going to do certain things. This means that attitude is a choice and you can change it after evaluating the situation or environment you are in. Attitude is a firm opinion about something. Attitude is built by experience. Attitude can be changed. It’s just a matter of choosing the way you wish to be. Attitude shows what a person wants. Attitude is not that easy to figure out because it is within a person and it is up to him to change it and fit in. It will take more time to know the attitude of a person.
What is Character?
Character is the degree to which you live your life consistently with high, life-enhancing values. Character makes one do particular things even if the world is watching. Character is something that is already innate in every person and is not subject to change. It makes you do things you’re not supposed to do in front of many people but you do it anyway because that’s your character. Character makes you do well while the others are not even though no one is watching. You do it because that is who you are. Character is identity. Character is built by education. Character is not something you can change. Just as you grow up to become the person you are, you grow into the character you become. Character does not give importance to wants. It will just directly show what qualities a person lives by. You can easily notice someone’s character because it is visible externally. You can judge someone’s character fast. Character is the mental and moral quantities and the innate thoughts you develop in the course of your life.
Main Differences Between Attitude and Character
- Attitude is an external feature of an individual that helps determine how they want to react to a certain environment, whereas character is the internal feature of an individual that forces someone how to react to a particular environment.
- Attitude can help an individual decide things they want to like or dislike, whereas character has no role in determining an individual into things that they like or dislike.
- An individual is in control of what attitude they want to showcase in front of everyone, whereas an individual is not in control of what character they want to showcase in front of everyone.
- Attitude is a temporary trait and may change over time, whereas character is a permanent trait and hardly changes over time.
- It is easy to judge a person’s attitude towards a situation by observing their behavior, whereas it is difficult to determine a person’s character by observing their behavior.
Conclusion
In some ways, attitude and character are the same thing, but strictly speaking, there is a difference between the two. Even though these terms are often used interchangeably, the differences between them are substantial. An attitude refers to a person’s total preference for a particular subject or thing. A character is an assessment of a person’s qualities. Identifying a person’s individuality or how he behaves towards something is important when determining his individuality. By doing this, we can assess the person more accurately.
References
- https://www.scirp.org/journal/paperinformation.aspx?paperid=63705
- https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/55909564.pdf