The 8 Virtues Of Highly Admirable Everyday People

1. They live by their principles when nobody’s looking.

1.1. The everyday people you admire may talk about their values, or they may not

1.2. Regardless, you can surmise what they stand for by the way they act.

1.3. What sets them apart from their less admirable counterparts is that they stick to their principles when it’s easy to ignore them.

2. They “MacGyver” the shit out of everything.

2.1. They show resourcefulness. No matter the problem or the challenge, they find solutions using their limited resources.

2.2. When they succeed, we cheer their victory as a triumph of the underdog.

2.3. We look up to folks who achieve great things when their most significant asset is their wit, determination, and ingenuity.

3. They never turn their heads from a rescue opportunity.

3.1. The people we admire most always do the right thing without prompting and without complaining.

4. They lead in challenging times when there’s no personal gain.

4.1. In times of distress, we yearn for everyday people who can provide reassurance, hope, and reasons to remain optimistic.

4.2. This reassurance cannot be false hope. While we may admire that in the short term, we resent it when we later discover the truth.

4.3. But when someone steps up and volunteers to lead or assist in challenging times, we come to admire that person.

5. They don’t take shortcuts, even when it’s okay to do so.

5.1. When you cheat, even when it doesn’t matter, it signals a lack of integrity.

5.2. We revere people who hold themselves to a higher standard.

6. They use failure as motivation to push forward.

6.1. Few people would blame you for giving up after a devastating failure.

6.2. But those with the grit and work ethic run uphill on one leg after getting kicked in the kneecap.

6.3. It’s hard not to admire them, even if they come up short in the end.

6.4. Their stories remind us of the kind of character we’d like to exhibit ourselves in similar challenges.

7. They put themselves first but not in the way you think.

7.1. We look up to those who are first to speak up on behalf of others because we know it requires inner-strength.

7.2. All it takes is situational awareness and a spark of courage.

7.3. Others tend to follow you, but they need that leader — someone with enough courage to go first.

8. They’re the invisible champions you’ve never heard of.

8.1. The heroes we admire stay humble no matter how much money they make or how many accolades they receive.

8.2. They never boast of their accomplishments and always fess up to their mistakes and shortcomings.