Are you a good judge of character?
Jet Pack Prompt 12/23/25


“You’ll only find your voice through the struggle.” (James Jean)

Being a good observer of character definitely provides a challenging test for me in making the right decisions about going about my life. So far so good it seemed for me in the career past in finding success with this character matter in my own methodically patient way. For I can Ireflect back to my teaching days involving deep level questioning of my students to gain their positive participation in class. Nowadays, I’m similarly finding it successful to look beyond the superficial like or dislike of one’s personal appearance or complaint filled ranting and try to help others I meet feel some good in their life for themselves. In doing so, however, I’ve found that for many people, their search for a brighter path through such daily struggle in their life can be concealed in an outwardly contrasting way.

So examine four mural photos I’ve displayed from our past travels. For these are the kind of questions that I’d be asking to determine their character if I met them consecutively for real? What dreams for success does this unsmiling person of color really have? When these three faces turn ugly, what kind of better life are these young people trying to find? What hopeful thoughts cross a sad looking woman’s mind as she hugs a favorite animal? Why might those struggling immigrants in a new country cause them to desperately cup their hands in prayer?