--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Character grows in the soil of experience…" description: "\"Character grows in the soil of experience with the fertilization of example, the moisture of ambition, and the sunshine of satisfaction. Character cann..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/stephen-covey-339_academic_character-grows-in-the-soil-of-experienc_2477194.jpg" --- # Character grows in the soil of experience with the… ![“Character grows in the soil of experience with the fertilization of example, the moisture of ambition, and the sunshine of satisfaction. Character cannot be purchased, bargained for, inherited, rented or imported from afar. It must be home-grown. Purely intellectual development without…” quote by Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/stephen-covey-339_academic_character-grows-in-the-soil-of-experienc_2477194.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/stephen-covey-339_academic_character-grows-in-the-soil-of-experienc_2477194.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/31a/stephen-covey-339_academic_character-grows-in-the-soil-of-experienc_2477194.jpg) > “Character grows in the soil of experience with the fertilization of example, the moisture of ambition, and the sunshine of satisfaction. Character cannot be purchased, bargained for, inherited, rented or imported from afar. It must be home-grown. Purely intellectual development without commensurate internal character development makes as much sense as putting a high-powered sports car in the hands of a teenager who is high on drugs. Yet all too often in the academic world, that's exactly what we do by not focusing on the character development of young people.” [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Character is cultivated through experience, examples, ambition, and satisfaction; it cannot be bought or imported, only nurtured internally. **In simple terms:** Character must be grown, not bought. Key Takeaway Focus on nurturing character alongside intellect. Themes character development education personal growth Mood reflective serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - teaching - mentoring - parenting - leadership training Key Concepts integrity resilience self‑actualization Questions to Reflect On - How can educators balance intellectual and character development? - What practices foster authentic character growth? A Different Perspective Pure intellect without character is dangerous and ineffective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Academic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/academic/) [Afar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afar/) [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Car](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/car/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-development/) [Character Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-grows-592405/) [Development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/development/) [Drug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drug/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Fertilization](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fertilization/) [Grows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grows/) [Growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growth/) [Hands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hands/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Intellectual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual/) [Intellectual development](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intellectual-development/) [Internal Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internal-character-824030/) [Internals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internals/) [Moisture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moisture/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Satisfaction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction/) [Satisfaction Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/satisfaction-character-824029/) [Soil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soil/) [Sports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports/) [Sports cars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sports-cars/) [Sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunshine/) [Teenager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teenager/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young/) [Young people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/young-people/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [Internal character: how you behave when no one is watching.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-courtney/internal-character-how-you-behave-when-no-one-is-watching/) [Bill Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-courtney/) > [Good looks should never become a part of your internal character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrithik-roshan/good-looks-should-never-become-a-part-of-your-internal-character/) [Hrithik Roshan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrithik-roshan/) > [I was shocked by the reaction I got for Bleak House. 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She wanted that baby, so badly, and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-wilder/gilda-radner-was-in-the-in-vitro-fertilization-program-and-it-nearly/) [Gene Wilder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-wilder/) > [Each year thousands of embryos, no bigger than the head of a pin, are created in the process of in vitro fertilization, with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-capps/each-year-thousands-of-embryos-no-bigger-than-the-head-of-a-pin-are/) [Lois Capps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-capps/) > [Strangely enough, for me, Instagram has been a creatively freeing and inspiring format lately. I have been so very resistant to nearly all forms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guinevere-van-seenus/strangely-enough-for-me-instagram-has-been-a-creatively-freeing-and/) [Guinevere Van Seenus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guinevere-van-seenus/) > [One-third of all female infertility is the result of blocked fallopian tubes. 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True effectiveness requires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/many-people-seem-to-think-that-success-in-one-area-can-compensate-for/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) [Explore all 663 Stephen Covey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) ## More Academic quotes > [When I went to college, as much as my parents emphasized academic achievement, they emphasized marriage even more. 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