# What Is Character Development? An Honest, Practical Guide

> Source: [https://icharles.com/articles/what-is-character-development](https://icharles.com/articles/what-is-character-development) (canonical)
> Author: Charles Botensten — iCharles, https://icharles.com
> Published: 2026-08-15

## TL;DR

Character development is the lifelong process of building the traits — honesty, discipline, courage, kindness — that shape how you act when no one is watching. The American Psychological Association defines it as growth influenced by genetic, environmental, and social factors. It is not fixed at birth; the VIA Institute on Character identifies 24 strengths you can measure and train. You build character the way you build fitness: small, repeated, honest reps over years, guided by clear values and daily self-reflection.

The VIA Institute on Character has catalogued 24 character strengths that appear across nearly every culture studied. Character development is the ongoing work of strengthening those traits — how you behave under pressure, temptation, and boredom. The [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/) calls it a process of growth shaped by genes, environment, and relationships. In plain terms: you are your habits, and character is what those habits harden into.

## What Is Character Development?

Character development is the lifelong process of forming the moral and behavioral traits that govern your choices. The [American Psychological Association](https://www.apa.org/) describes it as growth and change across a person's entire life, driven by genetic, environmental, and social factors. It is not a personality-quiz result or a fixed setting you were born with.

Think of character as the sum of what you repeatedly do. Honesty is not a feeling — it's a track record of telling the truth when lying would be easier. Discipline is not motivation — it's showing up on the mornings you don't feel like it. Character development is making those reps count, on purpose, over years.

## What Are the Key Components of Character?

The key components are measurable strengths grouped under broad virtues. The [VIA Institute on Character](https://www.viacharacter.org/) organizes its 24 strengths under six core virtues found across cultures and history. This gives you a concrete map instead of vague advice to "be a better person."

| Virtue | Example strengths | What it looks like daily |
|---|---|---|
| Wisdom | Curiosity, judgment, perspective | Asking one more question before deciding |
| Courage | Bravery, honesty, perseverance | Finishing the hard set; saying the true thing |
| Humanity | Kindness, love, social awareness | Checking on a friend without being asked |
| Justice | Fairness, teamwork, leadership | Giving credit; owning your mistakes |
| Temperance | Self-control, humility, forgiveness | Skipping the second drink; letting a grudge go |
| Transcendence | Gratitude, hope, faith, humor | Naming three things you're thankful for at night |

No one maxes out all 24. The point is to know your top strengths, lean on them, and shore up one weak one at a time.

## Can Character Be Taught, or Is It Innate?

Both — character is partly inherited and largely trainable. The APA is explicit that genetic, environmental, and social factors all contribute, which means temperament gives you a starting point but not a destiny. Environment and deliberate practice do the rest.

Schools prove the trainable part. [Character.org](https://www.character.org/), formerly the Character Education Partnership, reports that structured character-education programs are linked to improved academic performance, reduced bullying, and stronger social-emotional skills. Parents agree it matters: a Pew Research Center survey found that 77% of U.S. adults believe developing good character is more important for a child's future success than academic achievement. Character is taught the way a language is — early, by immersion, then by daily use.

## How I Build Character in a 5am Brick Session

I learned more about character in triathlon training than in any book. A brick session — bike straight into a run — at 5am, in the dark, alone, is where I find out who I actually am. Motivation is gone at that hour. What's left is the promise I made the night before.

Here's the honest mechanism: I don't decide to be disciplined at 5am. I decide the night before by laying out my kit and setting the alarm across the room. The character isn't in the workout; it's in removing the exit. Faith does similar work — I train because my body is a gift I'm accountable for, not just a project to optimize. On the mornings I keep that promise, the trait gets one rep stronger. On the mornings I hit snooze, it gets one rep weaker. Nothing dramatic. Just accumulation.

That's the whole secret. Character is compounding interest paid in small, boring, honest choices.

## How Does Character Shape Relationships and Success?

Character strongly predicts both relationship quality and long-term success. Research in the [Journal of Personality and Social Psychology](https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp/index.html) links secure attachment styles with more positive character traits, meaning the trust you build in close relationships tends to strengthen your character overall. The National Institute of Mental Health connects character strengths to emotional intelligence — the ability to read and manage emotions well.

Stephen Covey made the professional case in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: durable effectiveness rests on a "character ethic" of integrity and discipline, not on personality tricks. It tracks with Abraham Maslow's idea of self-actualization — you reach your potential by becoming trustworthy, not by chasing image. People follow character further than they follow talent.

## How Can You Assess and Improve Your Own Character?

Start by measuring where you actually stand, then train one strength at a time. Assessment removes the guesswork; deliberate practice does the building. Here's a simple protocol you can run this week:

1. Take the free VIA Character Strengths survey to identify your top five strengths and your lowest one.
2. Pick ONE weak strength to train for 30 days — self-control, courage, or kindness are good starts.
3. Attach it to an existing habit: one honest hard conversation per week, one act of kindness per day, one skipped indulgence.
4. Write two lines each night — what you did well, and where you fell short. Self-reflection turns behavior into character.
5. Review at 30 days. Keep what stuck; pick the next strength.

A few rules that keep this honest:

- Train the trait, not the feeling. You'll rarely feel like it.
- Make the good choice easy and the bad choice hard by changing your environment.
- Measure reps, not intentions. Character is what you did, not what you meant to do.

## Related reading

- [Habits or Mindset: Which Should You Focus On First?](/articles/habits-or-mindset-which-to-focus-on)
- [Why Do I Get Angry So Easily, and How Do I Stop?](/articles/why-do-i-get-angry-so-easily-how-to-stop)
- [What Are Limiting Beliefs and How Do You Overcome Them?](/articles/what-are-limiting-beliefs-and-how-to-overcome-them)

## Frequently asked questions

**What is character development?**

It's the lifelong process of building the moral and behavioral traits that govern your choices. The APA describes it as growth shaped by genetic, environmental, and social factors — trainable through repeated, deliberate action.

**What are the key components of character development?**

The VIA Institute on Character identifies 24 measurable strengths grouped under six virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Knowing your top and bottom strengths gives you a concrete training target.

**Can character development be taught or is it innate?**

Both. Genetics set your starting temperament, but the APA confirms environment and social factors do most of the work. School character-education programs measurably improve behavior, proving it can be taught.

**How does character development impact mental health?**

The National Institute of Mental Health links character strengths to emotional intelligence, and higher emotional intelligence is tied to more positive traits and better emotional regulation.

**How does character development influence relationships?**

Research in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology finds securely attached people show more positive character traits, so the trust built in relationships and your character reinforce each other.

**How can I assess and improve my own character?**

Take the free VIA Character Strengths survey, then train one weak strength for 30 days by attaching it to an existing habit and reviewing your reps nightly.

**What is the relationship between character and success?**

Stephen Covey argued in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People that lasting effectiveness rests on a character ethic of integrity and discipline, which aligns with Maslow's self-actualization.