People of character …

People of character do the right thing even if no one is looking. People of character do the right thing even if it costs more than they want to pay. People of character do the right thing even if no one else does, not because they think it will change the world, but because they refuse to be changed by …

SCHOOL’S OUT…AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THEY WILL OPEN AGAIN.

SCHOOL’S OUT… …AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHEN THEY WILL OPEN AGAIN.    Sadly, I think the LA superintendent gave terrorists their greatest victory since 9/11. It’s likely terrorists had nothing to do with the threat that caused the superintendent to instill a new level of fear in more than a half million students and the millions of adults who love them. The …

7 Truths About Effective Communication by Michael Josephson

Earn Trust – be honest; don’t exaggerate, distort or deceive. Really Listen – you can’t change another’s opinion until you truly understand it. Be Open – if you want to change another’s mind, show yours is open; be willing to make the first concession. Show Respect for the opinion you want to change and the person who owns it – …

A Personal Note from Michael

As I celebrate my 73rd revolution around the sun (December 10) I am immensely grateful, not only to still be alive, but because the Josephson Institute and its CHARACTER COUNTS!  program have emerged from our most challenging year ever poised to reach new levels of impact on the character of our kids and the ethical quality of the country. There …

Terrorists Do Us Harm by Killing People But They Win Only If They Kill Our Ideals. – by  Michael Josephson 

“America is great because America is good. If America ever stops being good she will stop being great.” – Alexis De Tocqueville ————– Republican or Democrat, conservative or liberal, if you are following the news I hope you share my dismay and concern about fear-mongering demagogic rhetoric which has been embraced by millions of Americans desperately seeking to feel safe. …

Gratitude Unlocks the Fullness of Life

  “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of your past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for …

COMMENTARY 953.4: Money Is the Icing, Not the Cake

Despite the advice of preachers and philosophers warning us of the shortcomings of money, it’s hard to argue with Gertrude Stein’s observation: “I’ve been rich and I’ve been poor. Rich is better.” Although money is better at reducing suffering caused by poverty and relieving anxiety caused by debt than it is at making us happy, it can buy lots of things that make …

CC! Founder, Michael Josephson, in South Korea to Discuss Character Education

CC! Founder Michael Josephsonis in South Korea this week meeting with education officials to discuss nation’s new plans to introduce character education into schools. One of the challenges South Korea faces is the nation’s addiction to the internet and how that is impacting the kids. http://www.abc.net.au/…/south-korean-children-seek-…/6769766  

A LEADER MUST LEAD

A LEADER MUST LEAD When others count on you to lead, failure to decide is a choice – and it’s usually a bad one. Both action and inaction have consequences, but indecisiveness has the added consequence of eroding trust. – Michael Josephson. Of course it is wise to get as much information as you can before you make an impactful …

A LEADER MUST LEAD

When others count on you to lead, failure to decide is a choice – and it’s usually a bad one. “Both action and inaction have consequences, but indecisiveness has the added

DEFLATING ETHICAL EXPECTATIONS IN SPORTS

(Revised 9/5/15) DEFLATING ETHICAL EXPECTATIONS By Michael Josephson* “At its best, athletic competition can hold intrinsic value for our society. It is a symbol of a great ideal: pursuing victory with honor. The love of sports is deeply embedded in our national consciousness. The values of millions of participants and spectators are directly and dramatically influenced by the values conveyed by …

Five Things to Teach our Children

Five Things to Teach our Children. 1. Be a good friend 2. Be kind even to those who don’t deserve it. 3. Learn from every experience. 4. Do your share even when others don’t do there’s. 5. Start and finish a job even when you don’t feel like it. Michael Josephson Do you have any others to add?

It’s not what you think; IT’S WHAT YOU DO.

It’s not what you think; IT’S WHAT YOU DO. It’s not who you know, IT’S WHAT YOU KNOW. It’s not who you were; IT’S WHO YOU ARE. It’s not where you’re from; IT’S WHERE YOU’RE GOING. It’s not what you want, IT’S WHAT YOU WORK FOR. –Michael Josephson  

OUTBREAK OF RESPONSIBLE CITIZENSHIP. “All that is necessary to defeat evil is for good people to do something.”

Long ago Edmund Burke observed that “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” Passive acceptance of evil is a serious social disease but there is an antidote called “doing something” and a glimmer of hope that this anti-toxin is spreading, leading to a new aphorism: “All that is necessary to defeat evil …

3 Young Americans Prove That Character Counts Everywhere, All the Time. They are not just heroes, they are ambassadors of America and the power of character.

The solid instincts and courage of the three Americans who disarmed the gunman on the train from Amsterdam to Paris a few days ago is worthy of admiration and appreciation but the way they handled the interviews, their true humility, honesty, generosity and candor was a truly magnificent ac act of diplomacy. They showed what is best about the American …

Accountability in the Workplace (943.2)

Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time consulting with large companies concerned with strengthening their ethical culture. Although I’m sure the leaders I work with care about ethics and virtue for their own sake, I know the driving force to seek outside assistance is self-interest. The risk of reputation-damaging and resource-draining charges resulting from improper conduct is so high …

The passing of Ron Kinnamon – a great man and great friend

Personal Note: I just learned that a very dear friend, Ron Kinnamon, one of the original board members of the Josephson Institute and a founding father of CHARACTER COUNTS! passed away on July 30. Ron was not only a tremendous personal friend and friend of the Institute he was also one of the finest men I’ve had the fortune to …

A Right To Do

How often do we hear someone defend against an action of wrongdoing by the claim that what they did was within the law? This defense may work n court but not at the gates of heaven. One has a right to do what is legal, that does not mean it is right to do it. The domain of ethics is …

If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it.

If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place. – Nora Roberts This is a variation of the Wayne Gretzky comment: “I miss 100% of the shots I don’t take.” Whether it is fear of failure, procrastination, …

Teachers affect all eternity. You never know where their influence stops.

Teachers affect all eternity. You never know where their influence stops.” – Henry Adams. The day to day tribulations of teaching, especially in often overcrowded and under-resourced public schools, can be so consuming that both the teachers and students forget the monumentally important impact they have on children. Often the impact goes unnoticed but it occurs. A great teacher teaches …