Strength of character is like any other kind of strength, in that it has breaking points - different for points for different people. For some the breaking point might be the safety of their family or loved ones, or their faith. For some it goes well beyond that even; and for others it stops well short, perhaps at the point where they simply might appear "bad" or silly or whatever - in other words prone to simple peer pressure. So I don't think it makes sense to talk about such traits in absolute terms.

How impressed you are then by other people's character and integrity and honesty, depends on two things: Your own standards, i.e. where do you put the bar for yourself; and the circumstances in which you've known them, i.e. whether they have been adequately tested in your view.

Donuel, from what little I have known you through your postings I guess your own standards are pretty high, so I am not surprised that only one person has passed the test for you; there may be others that you have come across but have not seen tested yet.

I like to think that my own standard is high-ish too; at least, I think it is higher than that of my mother's; though I suspect lower than my father's. And yet, I have failed my own standard half a dozen times in my life already. I call it pragmatism - some might call it cowardice.

We don't know if we can even live up to our own chosen standards, if we have not been tested. And many of us (thankfully) go through life without being strenuously tested for loyalty to family, country, faith, friendship, we have not fought in a war, have not suffered penury or true battle for survival.

Yes, many of us might have been broken if tested to such extremes. But we were lucky. That should not detract from our worth, so we shouldn't slight the untested majority; just praise those few who, when tested, came through with flying colours.