Character is not perfection; it is what you do once imperfection becomes undeniable.

Nobody manages a clean record, so character cannot mean an unbroken one. What actually distinguishes people is what happens after a failure becomes undeniable: whether they own it plainly, repair what they can, and change something, or whether they manage the story. That response is the real test.

When you next get something wrong, resist the impulse to explain before acknowledging. Say what you did, without the context that softens it, and say what you will do about it. The explanation can come later if it is still needed. Most of the time it turns out not to be.