The Definition Person of Substance

We may be considered a fully-grown adult today. However, we are still in the process of learning how to navigate the world and interact with the places and people within it. And during this interaction we meet with all kinds of people. There are some that we admire, some we would like to avoid, and some that we despise. As this process of interaction with the world happens, we slowly learn to know about one self. This is what makes life worth living, ‘to be able to continuously discover oneself’. “What kind of person do I want to be?”, this is a question that most of us have answered to, and we strive to become that person.

Being a ‘Person of Substance’ can be one of the major goals in life and it isn’t an extraordinary work. Everyone can be a person of substance. To define it, a person of substances is someone knowledgeable with great purpose in life to serve the humanity. They are a person of various positive qualities.

Just like how the quality of hospitality determines the status of restaurant and the returns earned determines the worth of the investment, the attributes possessed defines the characters of a human being. Henry Ward Beecher an American Congregationalist Clergyman, social reformer and well-known speaker perfectly quoted: “He is rich or poor, according to what he is, not for what he has”. So, to know more about a person of substance, let’s have a look at each of qualities that a person with substance will possess.

A person of substance is someone knowledgeable who is always ready to learn. This quality comes from them being conscious of the fact that there is still something out there that they don’t know. The perspective of “I don’t know what I don’t know” is a supreme stimulation for their learning. They never let ‘ignorance’ play its game in their life, hence they are open to different views and have variety of interest including reading, inquiring and exploring outside and within their home and family, thus acquiring knowledge from different sources.

Having a purposeful life and a reason to strive for is what makes an individual full of substance. A person of substance understands that there is something greater in the world for them to serve, whether this be humanity or a particular cause. For them it is an embedded fact that a life without a purpose is like a life spent wandering in the maze, wherein you entered but never reached the goal. If an individual is unaware of what they are supposed to do, how they act is always hindered by confusions. Having determined vision, goals and a straightforward attitude with less attention seeking motives and more inclination towards one’s work is something that delivers a sense of purpose in one’s life. Moreover, being aware of one’s purpose is a perquisite in acting with responsibility, since a person with substance is someone who takes care of their responsibilities.

Being empathetic is another one of the essential characters of a person with substance. It’s all to do with humanity and connections. It is about embracing nuance and uncertainty, acknowledging everyone as one without having any discrimination. They see the other side of every argument, since, they have the desire to experience the world through someone else eyes. As said by Angelou (n.d). “I have learned that people will forget what we have said, people will forget what we did, but they would never forget how we made them to feel”.

A person of substance does not live or work just for themselves or their family or just a few individuals. They always intend to impact a huge number of individuals by their actions. Hence, a person of substance adds value to the world by creating something whether it is a material item, a thought, or an emotion. They are the kind of people who are more action oriented and is thus better able to deliver a change in society at large. They perform for the best of all and the whole universe is a platform for them. They never seem to limit themselves while serving others.

Responsibility is also a trait of a person of substance. The first and foremost characteristic that makes an individual strong from the core is acting with responsibility. They willingly admit on their wrong doings to rectify the situations. The word acting signifies the importance of being in the moment and taking steps that are required based on the present situations. Such an individual is well informed about the need of that moment, without letting the past prejudice or future anxieties create any hindrances. Not only taking actions but also holding responsibility for the consequences of those actions are vital. A person of substance knows inside out that blaming is a useless and time-wasting game. Thus, they take up the responsibility for the consequences that arise due to their actions.

Being true to one self is one of the attributes of a person of substance. When faced by adversities, they know thoroughly how to accept them and turn it into something more creative and productive. They very well know that reacting to situations does no good. They would be filled with positive energies and would challenge themselves to learn new things. Such creation will not only enhance their understanding of life but will also benefit them as well as the people who are with them. They understand that the situations that arise in life are always accompanied by a message, so instead of finding a reason to cover it up, they try to find what they have to learn from it.

A person of substance always strives to be a lifelong learner where they fully commit to, and are enthusiastic about, the pursuit of learning, and believe that the learning is a journey and not a destination. As a self-directed learner, they will be responsible for their own learning. Life long learners will always set their goals, identify humans, set material resource for their learning, monitor their learning progress, evaluate learning outcomes at each stage and modify learning strategy as necessary. So, to become a successful lifelong learner, we must be self-motivated and develop a passion and interest towards the chosen path instead of becoming a person who prefers sound bites and videos to actual reading and reflection.

We each make thousands of decisions every day. We choose between urgent and important, between what’s the best for us and what’s right, between short and long term betterment, between money and relationships, between giving lip service and wholeheartedness, between apathy and commitment, between the self-absorbed and the greater good, between avoiding and accepting responsibility, between risk avoidance and risk management, between a life of safe leisure and a life of challenge, between timidity and courage, between deceit and integrity and between expediency and honor. My guess is that the person of substance chooses the less travelled latter option at each and every divergence.

A person of substance would also be a person who has strong character and is consistent. They will try to conduct life with patience, honesty and integrity in which they would be aware of the concept of fairness and hurtfulness. A person of substance possesses a virtue that brings peacefulness, love, patience and steadfastness in themselves and their surroundings. Striving to be a person of substance builds hope into lives-the hope of stronger and deeper relationships, the hope of being sincere and real, the hope of living with integrity, and the hope of knowing that god is at work in our life.

They will never wish for an easy-going life but an inspiring one. Besides virtue and other character qualities, they also have knowledge. Such an individual will always want to learn from the loss incurred and mistakes they had made. Such learning will then enhance the strength and resilience and guide the person to the realization of the actual potential of his or her own life.