A person of character has least dissipation of thoughts. Human greatness is not muscular strength, but the greatness of character. Not only do the scriptures teach this, but this is also found to be true psychologically.
A person is said to have character when he can influence his mind with his discriminative intellect even when the lower impulses rise in the mind. A good person is not one who never gets lusty thoughts, but one who has the strength to use the discriminative intellect to curb and redirect such thoughts in the right direction.
As we build our character, our mental dissipations become less. A person without self-control, however, dissipates his mental powers. Whatever emotions rise in his mind, he has to act upon them. When we thus act from the emotions and impulses of the moment, we have only the dignity of the animal and not the glory of the human being.
The difference between man and animal is that man has the capacity to discriminate and choose. When we do not use this faculty, we live impulsively. A person of character controls and regulates his impulses through his discriminative intellect. When our character is chastened, we discipline ourselves for a higher life.
Moral stature is not only a strength for the individuals themselves, but it adds strength to the society or the community. Just think of the morally great Christ, or the prince of compassion, the Buddha. A great person’s life is able to send out waves of influence, not just in their own lifetime, but as time passes, it gathers even new momentum. Therefore, character building is absolutely necessary.