Ethics is not for wimps. It's not easy being a good person. That's why it's such a lofty goal and an admirable achievement

Neither heredity nor environment determine character. But whether we give in to or overcome the negative messages we are exposed to as we wend our way through life is often determined by whether our parents, teachers, mentors and friends exposed us to good examples and morally inspiring ideas.

You are the captain of your own ship; don't let anyone else take the wheel.

The way we treat people we think can't help or hurt us - like housekeepers, waiters, and secretaries - tells more about our character than how we treat people we think are important. How we behave when we think no one is looking or when we don't think we will get caught more accurately portrays our character than what we say or do in service of our reputations.

We all have three characters: the one we really have, the one we try to convince the world we have, and the one we think we have.

The only force that can sustain true and consistent courage is some form of spiritual belief that values like honor, duty, loyalty and integrity above the status, power, money and even security.

What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.