Character vs. Behavior — What's the Difference?
By Fiza Rafique & Urooj Arif — Updated on April 18, 2024
Character defines the core ethical traits of a person, like honesty and integrity, while behavior is how one acts in specific situations, often influenced by the environment.
Difference Between Character and Behavior
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Character refers to the intrinsic values and moral qualities that an individual consistently exhibits over time, reflecting deep ethical beliefs and personal virtues. On the other hand, behavior is the outward expression of a person's actions in specific situations, which can change based on context or social pressures.
Character is typically viewed as more stable and enduring, forming the essence of who a person is at their core. Whereas behavior can be more flexible and variable, often influenced by external factors such as societal norms or immediate circumstances.
Character involves deep-rooted attributes such as trustworthiness and compassion, which are often cultivated over a lifetime. Conversely, behavior might include temporary actions like showing anger in a stressful situation or kindness in a moment of need.
While character shapes how individuals fundamentally perceive and interact with the world, behavior is the actual implementation of these perspectives through actions. Behavior can sometimes contradict character if external pressures overpower ingrained values.
Character is usually assessed through long-term observations of an individual’s consistent actions and choices. On the other hand, behavior can be evaluated in real-time, observing how a person reacts to a particular event or scenario.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Core ethical traits and moral qualities
Actions exhibited in specific situations
Stability
Stable and enduring
Variable and situational
Influenced by
Personal virtues and values
External factors and immediate circumstances
Evaluation
Assessed over long periods through consistent actions
Observed in real-time scenarios
Example
Integrity, compassion
Smiling in a friendly meeting, frowning in stress
Compare with Definitions
Character
Moral and ethical quality.
Her character is defined by her unwavering honesty.
Behavior
Response to environment or stimuli.
Her behavior changes dramatically in stressful situations.
Character
Core personality elements.
His character compels him to always fulfill his promises.
Behavior
Manner of behaving, whether good or bad.
His behavior at the party was impeccable.
Character
The aggregate of features and traits forming the individual nature of a person.
The character of the community is welcoming and warm.
Behavior
Observable activity in a human or animal.
The behavior of wolves in the wild can be quite complex.
Character
Reputation.
She has a character in her community as a reliable and fair person.
Behavior
Psychological or moral tendencies.
Repeated lying is often part of destructive behavior patterns.
Character
Literature, a person represented in a drama, story, etc..
The main character of the novel is a courageous young woman.
Behavior
The way one acts under certain circumstances.
His behavior in the meeting showed confidence and composure.
Character
The combination of mental characteristics and behavior that distinguishes a person or group.
Behavior
Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English; see spelling differences) is the actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in conjunction with themselves or their environment, which includes the other systems or organisms around as well as the (inanimate) physical environment. It is the computed response of the system or organism to various stimuli or inputs, whether internal or external, conscious or subconscious, overt or covert, and voluntary or involuntary.Taking a behavior informatics perspective, a behavior consists of actor, operation, interactions, and their properties.
Character
The distinguishing nature of something.
Behavior
The manner in which one acts or behaves.
Character
Moral strength; integrity
An educational program designed to develop character.
Behavior
The actions or reactions of a person or animal in response to external or internal stimuli.
Character
Public estimation of someone; reputation
Personal attacks that damaged her character.
Behavior
The manner in which something functions or operates
The faulty behavior of a computer program.
The behavior of dying stars.
Character
(Biology) A structure, function, or attribute of an organism, influenced by genetic, environmental, and developmental factors.
Behavior
(uncountable) Human conduct relative to social norms.
Character
A person considered as having a specific quality or attribute
"Being a man of the world and a public character, [he] took everything as a matter of course" (George Eliot).
Behavior
(uncountable) The way a living creature behaves or acts generally.
Character
A person considered funny or eccentric
Catcalls from some character in the back row.
Behavior
A state of probation about one's conduct.
He was on his best behavior when her family visited.
Character
A person portrayed in an artistic piece, such as a drama or novel.
Behavior
(countable) An instance of the way a living creature behaves.
Character
A person or animal portrayed with a personality in comics or animation
A cartoon character.
Behavior
Observable response produced by an organism.
Character
Characterization in fiction or drama
A script that is weak in plot but strong in character.
Behavior
(uncountable) The way a device or system operates.
Character
Status or role; capacity
In his character as the father.
Behavior
Manner of behaving, whether good or bad; mode of conducting one's self; conduct; deportment; carriage; - used also of inanimate objects; as, the behavior of a ship in a storm; the behavior of the magnetic needle.
A gentleman that is very singular in his behavior.
Character
A description of a person's attributes, traits, or abilities.
Behavior
Manner of acting or conducting yourself
Character
A formal written statement as to competency and dependability, given by an employer to a former employee; a recommendation.
Behavior
The action or reaction of something (as a machine or substance) under specified circumstances;
The behavior of small particles can be studied in experiments
Character
A mark or symbol used in a writing system.
Behavior
(behavioral attributes) the way a person behaves toward other people
Character
A Chinese character.
Behavior
(psychology) the aggregate of the responses or reactions or movements made by an organism in any situation
Character
One of a set of symbols, such as letters or numbers, that are arranged to express information.
Character
The numerical code representing such a character.
Character
(Mathematics) The trace function of a representation.
Character
A style of printing or writing
"Here is the hand and seal of the Duke.
You know the character" (Shakespeare).
Character
A cipher or code for secret writing.
Character
Of or relating to one's character.
Character
Specializing in the interpretation of often minor roles that emphasize fixed personality traits or specific physical characteristics
A character actor.
Character
Of or relating to the interpretation of such roles by an actor
The character part of the hero's devoted mother.
Character
Dedicated to the portrayal of a person with regard to distinguishing psychological or physical features
A character sketch.
Character
To write, print, engrave, or inscribe.
Character
To portray or describe; characterize.
Character
(countable) A being involved in the action of a story.
Character
(countable) A distinguishing feature; characteristic; trait; phene.
A single locus governing the petal colour character was detected on the linkage group A2.
Character
A complex of traits marking a person, group, breed, or type.
A study of the suspect's character and his cast iron alibi ruled him out.
Character
(uncountable) Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; moral strength.
He has a great deal of character.
"You may not like to eat liver," said Calvin's father, "but it builds character."
Character
(countable) A unique or extraordinary individual; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits, especially charisma.
Julius Caesar is a great historical character.
That bloke is such a character.
Character
(countable) A written or printed symbol, or letter.
Character
Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the particular form of letters used by a person or people.
An inscription in the Runic character
Character
A secret cipher; a way of writing in code.
Character
One of the basic elements making up a text file or string: a code representing a printing character or a control character.
Character
A person or individual, especially one who is unknown.
We saw a shady character slinking out of the office with some papers.
That old guy is a real character.
Character
A complex number representing an element of a finite Abelian group.
Character
(countable) Quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty.
In the miserable character of a slave
In his character as a magistrate
Character
The estimate, individual or general, put upon a person or thing; reputation.
A man's character for truth and veracity
Her actions give her a bad character.
Character
A reference given to a servant, attesting to their behaviour, competence, etc.
Character
Personal appearance.
Character
(obsolete) To write (using characters); to describe.
Character
A distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol.
It were much to be wished that there were throughout the world but one sort of character for each letter to express it to the eye.
Character
Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people; as, an inscription in the Runic character.
You know the character to be your brother's?
Character
The peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others; the stamp impressed by nature, education, or habit; that which a person or thing really is; nature; disposition.
The character or that dominion.
Know well each Ancient's proper character;His fable, subject, scope in every page;Religion, Country, genius of his Age.
A man of . . . thoroughly subservient character.
Character
Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; as, he has a great deal of character.
Character
Moral quality; the principles and motives that control the life; as, a man of character; his character saves him from suspicion.
Character
Quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty; as, in the miserable character of a slave; in his character as a magistrate; her character as a daughter.
Character
The estimate, individual or general, put upon a person or thing; reputation; as, a man's character for truth and veracity; to give one a bad character.
This subterraneous passage is much mended since Seneca gave so bad a character of it.
Character
A written statement as to behavior, competency, etc., given to a servant.
Character
A unique or extraordinary individuality; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits; a person who illustrates certain phases of character; as, Randolph was a character; Cæsar is a great historical character.
Character
One of the persons of a drama or novel.
Character
To engrave; to inscribe.
These trees shall be my books.And in their barks my thoughts I 'll character.
Character
To distinguish by particular marks or traits; to describe; to characterize.
Character
An imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story);
She is the main character in the novel
Character
A characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something;
Each town has a quality all its own
The radical character of our demands
Character
The inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions;
Education has for its object the formation of character
Character
An actor's portrayal of someone in a play;
She played the part of Desdemona
Character
A person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities);
A real character
A strange character
A friendly eccentric
The capable type
A mental case
Character
Good repute;
He is a man of character
Character
A formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability;
Requests for character references are all to often answered evasively
Character
A written symbol that is used to represent speech;
The Greek alphabet has 24 characters
Character
Engrave or inscribe characters on
Common Curiosities
What is character?
Character refers to the set of ethical traits and core personal virtues that define a person’s moral essence.
How does character influence behavior?
Character forms a basis for behavior, often guiding it, but behavior can vary with situational factors despite a stable character.
What influences a person's behavior?
Behavior can be influenced by the environment, immediate social context, and personal emotions.
Is character always visible through behavior?
Not always; sometimes behavior can mask true character, especially under unusual stress or influence.
Can behavior be a true reflection of character?
While behavior often reflects character, it can also be influenced by external factors, thus not always a true indicator of character.
How are character and behavior evaluated?
Character is evaluated over a long period through consistent behaviors, whereas behavior is assessed based on actions in specific situations.
Are character and behavior the same?
No, character is about enduring qualities of a person, while behavior is how those qualities are expressed in various contexts.
What is behavior?
Behavior is the way in which a person acts in response to specific circumstances or environments.
Can someone's behavior change while their character remains the same?
Yes, a person’s behavior can change due to external pressures or situations, even if their underlying character remains consistent.
How can one improve their character?
Character can be developed through self-reflection, education, and consistent practice of moral values.
How does one maintain good behavior?
Good behavior can be maintained by self-awareness, social norms understanding, and adapting to situational demands.
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Written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
