The story that began a course in Character Development

A 16-year-old, 250-pound athlete stood before a classroom of doctoral students at an eastern university. His mother, the class’s professor, had invited him to speak about the impact of self-perception on a person’s life. The young man looked the part of the self-assured football player and track star. However, the class learned, his attitude had been much different in previous years. He told the students how he had seen himself as a failure. He explained, “I failed tests, didn’t do homework, stayed back in school, and was considered an oddball. I could do well in sports, but not in much else.”