2nd Peter. Chapter 1.

I wasn't talking about how you see others. I was talking about how you are perceived.

We're talking about what your focus should be on. If you place other people's perception of you as more important than how you are growing and protecting your character, you will fall astray.

What other people think should never be more important than what you know yourself to be. That way lies madness.

Human beings are natural mimics. Anyone can display good character for a time. They often do; and it's easy when unchallenged and has no consequence. I hate to break it to you but almost all men fake an appearance of character when it suits them, especially toward women.

In one person's observation and presence someone could have character. In another person's observation and presence someone will not. That's not a function of differing perceptions, so much as it as function of how our presentation of character changes from person to person. We're not the same with every person or group we're with.

That's how you have so many so-called Christians out carousing around all weekend getting into all manner of poor character displays and then crawling into church Sunday morning with a hangover crying over the blood of Jesus.