Section A Discussion

Discuss and answer the following questions.

1.      Do you know what your strengths and weaknesses are? Think of concrete examples or situations in which your strengths and weaknesses are demonstrated.

2.      Can you describe your bestfriend's personality? Do you think he/she would agree with you?

3.      “Babies are born with a blankslate (白板). It is the environment that shapes their  personality.” What do you think of this statement?

4.      What personality traits (性格) do you dislike most? Why?

5.      Is there any aspect of your personality that you would like to develop or change?

Section B Quotes

Study the following quotes about personality and see if you accept the ideas expressed in the quotes.

 1.    Like father, like son.                                   — Chinese Proverb

2.    When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary (完全相反的) character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.     — Confucius

3.   Nearly all men can stand adversity(困境), but if you want totest a man's character, give him power.              — Abraham Lincoln

Study the following quotes about personality and see if you accept the ideas expressed in the quotes.

 1.    Like father, like son.             — Chinese Proverb

Interpretation:

    “Like father, like son.”(有其父必有其子) is a common quote that is used not only by Chinese but also by many other races and cultures in the world. It could be used either as a compliment or as a criticism of the son (and the father implicitly). The underlying assumption of this quote is that whatever traits demonstrated by the son are inherited from the father. Therefore, those who believe in this are proponents that nature has an overpowering influence onone's character.

2.    When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary (完全相反的) character, we should turn inwards         and examine ourselves.         — Confucius

Interpretation:

       This quote from Confuciusis a reminder to us that we should first look into ourselves before we criticize others. The original in Chinese is “见贤思齐焉，见不贤而内省也。”(《论语》第17章）

3.   Nearly all men can stand adversity(困境), but if you want totest a man's character, give him power.                  — Abraham Lincoln

Interpretation:

       Lincoln’s quote is an indication of how power, wealth and status could affect our behavior and actions. It addresses the belief that power tends to corrupt (腐败), implying that only a man of strong character can resist this tendency.