Progress is measured by the quality of life we lead but civilized society is measured by the QUALITY OF CHARACTER of its people.

Character being the essentiality of one’s life still we fail to understand its importance. Why? The quandary we face is not that our morals are not clearly defined but that we succumb to weakness “weakness of circumstances”. To me the root cause is indifference. This attitude proclaims loudly, “As long as it doesn’t bother me, who cares”? Moral and societal decay are linked to this indifference and lack of courage to face the reality. Many people who behave indifferently either out of ignorance or deviousness have the nerve to label it as spiritual detachment. You all would agree as it’s not uncommon to hear people around us say, “Rise above worldly things. Curtail your desires in life”. They even say,“Be away from people, create your own space where things shouldn’t bother you”. Ahh! You need to attain a state ofBliss. Can indifference in the guise of detachment provide a state of Bliss for them?

Bad circumstances are not excuses for making bad choices. Values and ethics are not just designed for good times. You need them when circumstances are good, but they are more valuable to protect you from the bad. Sensitivity has to overcome touchiness. For people with fragile ego everything becomes a prestige issue. They get offended easily. They not only have a hard time apologizing for their mistakes, but they are also instinctively very unforgiving of other people’s honest mistakes too.

Socrates has nicely remarked:

Whom, then, do I call educated?

First, those who manage well the circumstances which they encounter day by day: and those who can judge situations appropriately as they arise and rarely miss the suitable course of action.

Next, those who are honorable in their dealings with all men, bearing easily what is unpleasant or offensive in others. and being as reasonable with their associates as is humanly possible.

Furthermore, those who hold their pleasures always under control and are not unduly overcome by their misfortunes, bearing up under them bravely and in a manner worthy of our common nature.

Most important of all, those who are spoiled by their successes, who do not desert their true selves, but hold their ground steadfastly as wise and sober-men, rejoicing no more in thee good things but have come to them through chance than in those which through their own nature and intelligence are theirs since birth.

Those who have acharacterwhich is in accord not with one of these things, but with all of them, these are educated possessed of all the virtues.

Let’s put our values in practice choose wisely and courageously under any circumstances. Choose wisdom over foolishness, good over bad, virtue over vulgarity, regardless of experiences & academic degrees then with pride say, thatI AM EDUCATED.