Building Relationships: The Significance of Character

Trustworthy and virtuous people are valuable.

When admiring someone, it starts with looks, respects talents, matches personalities, lasts with kindness, and values character.

These two sentences emphasize the importance of character. A person with poor character and low quality won’t have many friends.

Kind-hearted people should avoid interacting with these three types of individuals to prevent getting hurt.

Avoid associating with villains: “Don’t have malicious intentions, but don’t lack vigilance against others. The company you keep influences you. Some people wear masks and can’t be trusted.”

Some say not to judge others based on your own standards. But in reality, self-protection is wise.

In the past, elders often said, “It’s better to offend a gentleman than to offend a villain.” At first, it sounded unreasonable, but now it makes sense.

When dealing with villains, be cautious. Being around such people makes it hard to open up, leading to increased sensitivity and pettiness due to environmental influence.

Villains are common in real life. When encountering them, we must be extra careful and cautious. As the saying goes, “A gentleman is open, a villain is calculating.” Confucius believed gentlemen are broad-minded, while villains are petty.

In reality, this holds true. Even when interacting with villains, we must protect ourselves to avoid conflicts and harm.

Avoiding conflict and not engaging in direct confrontation with such individuals is crucial to prevent self-harm.

Avoid associating with selfish people: Being around selfish individuals is exhausting. They disregard others’ feelings and take things for granted. Even if you give a lot, you may not receive anything in return.

Montaigne once said, “Those who live only for themselves are insignificant.”

Excessively selfish people cannot have healthy relationships. They are likely to harm others for personal gain. It’s best to keep a distance from them to protect oneself.

In real life, we encounter various people. Some become friends, while others remain acquaintances. Making friends with extremely selfish individuals won’t lead to genuine friendships.

When I first started working at the company, there was a colleague many avoided due to his domineering nature. Initially, people accommodated him, but he took advantage, causing conflicts. Eventually, many started avoiding him intentionally.

In any situation where interpersonal relationships deteriorate, it’s a tragedy. Many people want to escape from selfish individuals as they rarely change their ways.

Avoid associating with disrespectful individuals: Since ancient times, filial piety has been a traditional virtue. Those lacking filial piety won’t earn respect, regardless of their success.

People without filial piety fail to respect elders and care for the young. Being around them can be harmful as they lack empathy and fail to consider others’ perspectives.

Filial individuals generally have good character as they are reliable in all their actions.

Those lacking filial piety are narrow-minded, ungrateful, and terrifying to deal with. Some may have been overly pampered in childhood, leading to arrogance and stubbornness, making friendship difficult.

Filial piety is a duty for everyone. Those who see it as a burden lack a sense of responsibility and reliability, making them unreliable and prone to breaking promises.

In real life, it’s crucial to be mindful of one’s companions. Character is paramount, and it’s best to avoid those with poor character.

Kind-hearted individuals always consider others, while selfish individuals constantly demand from others. Kind-hearted people are likable everywhere, but kindness should be reciprocated.

Learning to protect oneself is wise. Avoiding these three types of people helps prevent unnecessary harm.