Character Development- Part-2- Negative Character

What Is A Negative Character?

• Negative character traits define who you are just as clearly as positive traits.

• They too, are a combination of values, environment and experiences. However, unlike positive character traits, negative traits can lead to behaviours that could cause hatred, violence and even wars.

• If you treat someone dishonestly, or show a lack of compassion, you are saying that you do not care about that person. If that person also has a negative character and responds to you in a disrespectful or aggressive way, then you have what is known as a conflict.

• A conflict that exists without a peaceful solution will result in hatred and violence. Here is an example; let’s say someone who is dishonest steals money from someone who is unforgiving. The person who was stolen from will try to retaliate against the one who stole from him. This too, can result in hatred and violence.


Don’t Accentuate The Negative
 K eep in mind that nobody’s character is completely negative and devoid of all positive character traits. Yet, most people do have some negative traits that they need to eliminate from their character.

 For example, someone can be a compassionate person, always looking for ways to help others, but is usually late for most functions and events. Or, he can be an honest person, but very impatient. Do these examples remind you of anyone you know? Do they remind you of yourself?

 Not accentuating negative character traits means first realizing that there are some aspects of your character that need changing, then focusing on doing just the opposite of the behavior you want to change. For example, if you have difficulty being on time, you may try going to bed earlier and setting your alarm clock half an hour earlier than you normally wake up. You might even borrow a few books from the library on time management. The point is to focus on improving your character by eliminating the negative and accentuating the positive.

• We should always try to focus on the positive character traits of other people instead of focusing on the negative.
• When we focus on the negative character traits then we will automatically overlook the positive.
• Focusing on the negative only leads to more negative.
• Sometimes people who are accustomed to displaying negative character traits can change their lives around because of a simple realization that people do see good in them.

Islam teaches us to always focus on the good in others. The beautiful teachings of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) tells us that we should make at least 72 excuses for something negative that the next person has done. The wisdom behind this is that when we make excuses for others, we are actually focusing on their positive instead of higlighting their negative.

Islam further teaches that we should not hate someone because there may be something good that comes from that person.

We cannot get rid of negativity by using negativity!

May the Almighty Allah help us all to get rid of the negative character traits in ourselves first!

Material for this post was referenced from: www.peacefulsolution.org/curriculum/.../Parenting-Manual-Lesson-2.pdf