Brooks calls the first kind of virtues "resume virtues" – things like test scores, achievements and the things we bring to the marketplace. The second, more important kind he calls "eulogy virtues", the ones that are talked about at our funeral, the ones by which we are remembered – whether we were kind, courageous, faithful or honest. Eulogy virtues describe our character; they describe who we are in our inmost being.

Why does character matter? It matters because who we are shapes how we live, and how we live leaves a wake. It has been said that, “character is manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones.” Our character will determine whether we are humble or boastful in victory, whether we are gracious or petulant in defeat. It will determine how we handle sickness or stress or the responsibility that comes with a job.

But it is shaped in the small choices we make in the everyday moments of life. Do we notice a piece of rubbish on the ground and pick it up, or do we take the attitude that that is the responsibility of someone less worthy than ourselves? Do we allow our parents to do the washing up, pretending not to hear their calls for help? Do we notice a younger student sitting alone in the playground and go over to sit with them?

It is in these moments that our character is formed, and it is in these moments, oftentimes when no one is watching, that we can send out tiny ripples of hope which, over the course of a lifetime, can bend the trajectory of our lives – and the lives of those around us – towards justice, goodness and love. That is why I think our character matters.

Mark Lovell

Mark Lovell is part of the Character and Enterprise education team at Barker College and qualified English teacher. He is also currently a Ramsay Scholar at St John's College, Annapolis who loves to think about education, faith and the human condition.