The Six Pillars of Character

The Six Pillars of Character


Trustworthiness
Be honest • Don’t deceive, cheat or steal • Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do • Have the courage to do the right thing • Build a good reputation • Be loyal — stand by your family, friends and country

Respect
Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule • Be tolerant of differences • Use good manners, not bad language • Be considerate of the feelings of others • Don’t threaten, hit or hurt anyone • Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements

Responsibility
Do what you are supposed to do • Persevere: keep on trying! • Always do your best • Use self-control • Be self-disciplined • Think before you act — consider the consequences • Be accountable for your choices

Fairness
Play by the rules • Take turns and share • Be open-minded; listen to others • Don’t take advantage of others • Don’t blame others carelessly

Caring
Be kind • Be compassionate and show you care • Express gratitude • Forgive others • Help people in need

Citizenship
Do your share to make your school and community better • Cooperate • Get involved in community affairs • Stay informed; vote • Be a good neighbor • Obey laws and rules • Respect authority • Protect the environment


Six Pillar Mnemonics

To help young people remember the Pillars, some educators employ these creative devices.

Color Scheme
Each of the Six Pillars is associated with a certain color.

Trustworthiness: Blue — like "True Blue"
Respect: Yellow or Gold — like the Golden Rule
Responsibility: Green — as in being responsible for a garden or finances; or as in being solid and reliable like an oak
Fairness: Orange — like dividing an orange into equal sections to share fairly with friends
Caring: Red — like a heart
Citizenship: Purple — as in the regal purple representing the state

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TRRFCC
Use this acronym to help you remember that people with good character are terrific:
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship