The difference between culture and character
Two terms that are often used to describe people are culture and character. While they do seem to be similar, there are differences between them, especially in their meanings. Culture is much broader than character because it refers to society whereas character refers to the individual. The definition of culture is “the ideas, customs and social behavior of a particular society or group of people.” The definition of character is “the mental and moral qualities of an individual”.
With the movement of people within a country or the world, there are many different cultures. It is the factor that differentiates groups of people and helps them build an identity. It is the process of living in a community. Many factors influence a culture, such as diet, economy, belief system, religious affiliation and language as well as others. Cultural growth is closely aligned with community growth.
A person’s mental and ethical traits make up the character of the individual. Character is innate and cannot be seen by others. It is determined by our actions of behaving in a right or wrong way. Actions that are bad make a bad character, but actions that are good make a good character.
Character has nothing to do with race, religion or the location in which you live. Everyone has character and it is above culture, education and sex. Character is often used in connection with the quality of a person, usually a good character. In this way, it refers to a person who acts in a way that is beneficial for others.
Summary
- Culture is an identity of a group of people, but character is defined by good or bad actions.
- Everyone has character – the mental and ethical traits that influence how we behave. Everyone also has culture but it is more specific and can be seen by others.