"Character matters" has become the sort of overused adage that is neither considered nor applied. Yes, character does matter. Of course it does. So much so that it's measured not with intentions, but with results. And when considering results, what matters is competence. If we had to choose, of course I'd choose success in certain roles over other ones. However, choosing between character and competence is not only a false dilemma, it is a false*hood*. You can't choose character at the expense of competence. Not only are character and competence *not* mutually exclusive, real character produces real competence. Competence is what merits attention. So, character merits attention to the extent that a man with character excels at his work. That's because character creates competence.