This classic mussar work opens by asserting that a person's character traits define who they are and who they will become — providing the ethical framework within which the significance of a name (as a map of character) should be understood.
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִזְכַּרְנוּ יִתְרוֹן מַעֲלוֹת הָאָדָם, רָאוּי לָנוּ לְבָאֵר חֲשִׁיבוּתוֹ וּגְנוּתוֹ, טוּבוֹ וְרָעָתוֹ, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִפְנֵי הַמַּשְׂכִּיל דֶּרֶךְ הַיָּשָׁר וְיַגִּיעַ לַחֲצַר הַמֶּלֶךְ. כִּי יִבְחַר נַפְשׁוֹ בְּכָל כּוֹחוֹ בַּמִּדּוֹת הַטּוֹבוֹת, כֵּיוָן שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ בְּרֵרָה – יִזְרֹק הַפְּסֹלֶת וְיִקַּח הַסֹּלֶת. כֵּיצַד? יֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁהוּא בַּעַל חֵמָה כּוֹעֵס תָּמִיד, וְיֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁדַּעְתּוֹ מְיֻשֶּׁבֶת עָלָיו וְאֵינוֹ כּוֹעֵס כְּלָל, כִּי אִם מְעַט לְכַמָּה שָׁנִים. וְיֵשׁ אָדָם שֶׁהוּא גְּבַהּ לֵב בְּיוֹתֵר, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא שְׁפַל רוּחַ מְאוֹד. וְיֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא בַּעַל תַּאֲוָה, וְלֹא תִּשְׂבַּע נַפְשׁוֹ מֵהֲלֹךְ בְּתַאֲוָתוֹ, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא טְהוֹר גּוּף בְּיוֹתֵר וְלֹא יִתְאַוֶּה אֲפִלּוּ לִדְבָרִים מוּעָטִים שֶׁהַגּוּף צָרִיךְ. וְיֵשׁ בַּעַל נֶפֶשׁ רְחָבָה, לֹא תִּשְׂבַּע נַפְשׁוֹ מִכָּל מָמוֹן שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (קהלת ה ט): ״אֹהֵב כֶּסֶף לֹא יִשְׂבַּע כֶּסֶף״. וְיֵשׁ קְצַר רוּחַ שֶׁדַּי לוֹ אֲפִלּוּ בְּדָבָר מוּעָט, וְלֹא יִרְדֹּף לְהַשִּׂיג כָּל צְרָכָיו. וְיֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא מְסַגֵּף עַצְמוֹ בָּרָעָב וְקוֹבֵץ עַל יָד, וְאֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל פְּרוּטָה מִשֶּׁלּוֹ אֶלָּא בְּצַעַר גָּדוֹל, וְיֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא מְאַבֵּד מָמוֹנוֹ בַּיָּדַיִם לְדַעְתּוֹ. וְעַל דְּרָכִים הָאֵלּוּ וּשְׁאָר הַדֵּעוֹת, כְּגוֹן מְהוֹלֵל וְאוֹנֵן, צַר עַיִן וְנָדִיב, אַכְזָר וְרַחֲמָן, רַךְ לֵבָב וְאַמִּיץ לֵב, וְכָל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. וְכָל הַדֵּעוֹת [המידות] – יֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁהָיוּ לָאָדָם מִתְּחִלַּת בְּרִיאָתוֹ לְפִי טֶבַע גּוּפוֹ, וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן דֵּעוֹת שֶׁטִּבְעוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם זֶה מְכֻוָּן וְעָתִיד לְקַבֵּל אוֹתָם מְהֵרָה יוֹתֵר מִשְּׁאָר דֵּעוֹת. וְיֵשׁ שֶׁאֵינָם לָאָדָם בִּתְחִלַּת בְּרִיאָתוֹ אֶלָּא לָמַד אוֹתָם מֵאֲחֵרִים, אוֹ שֶׁפּוֹנֶה לִבּוֹ מֵעַצְמוֹ לְפִי מַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁעָלְתָה בְּלִבּוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁשָּׁמַע שֶׁזֹּאת הַדֵּעָה טוֹבָה לוֹ וּבָהּ רָאוּי לֵילֵךְ, וְהִנְהִיג עַצְמוֹ בָּהּ עַד שֶׁנִּקְבְּעָה בְּלִבּוֹ. יֵשׁ מִדָּה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ בְּרוֹב הַמְּקוֹמוֹת, וְיֵשׁ מִדָּה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ מְעַט. וְזֶה דּוֹמֶה לְעוֹשֶׂה תַּבְשִׁיל, וְצָרִיךְ יָרָק וּבָשָׂר וּמַיִם וּמֶלַח וּפִלְפְּלִין, וְכָל אֵלּוּ הַמִּינִים צָרִיךְ לִקַּח מִכָּל אֶחָד כַּשִּׁעוּר: מִזֶּה מְעַט וּמִזֶּה הַרְבֵּה. אִם יְמַעֵט הַבָּשָׂר – יִהְיֶה רָזֶה, אִם יַרְבֶּה מֶלַח – לֹא יִהְיֶה נֶאֱכָל מֵחֲמַת מִלְחוֹ. וְכֵן כֻּלָּם: אִם יְמַעֵט בַּמֶּה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הַרְבֵּה, וְיַרְבֶּה בַּמֶּה שֶׁצָּרִיךְ מְעַט – יְהֵא הַמַּאֲכָל מְקֻלְקָל. אֲבָל הַבָּקִי, אֲשֶׁר יִקַּח מִכָּל אֶחָד מִשְׁקָל הָרָאוּי, אָז יְהֵא הַמַּאֲכָל עָרֵב וּמָתוֹק לְאוֹכְלָיו. וְכָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה בַּמִּדּוֹת: יֵשׁ מִדּוֹת שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִקַּח מֵהֶן מְרֻבֶּה, כְּגוֹן הָעֲנָוָה וְהַבֹּשֶׁת וְדוֹמֵיהֶן, וְיֵשׁ מִדּוֹת שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לִקַּח מֵהֶן מְעַט, כְּגוֹן הַגַּאֲוָה וְהָעַזּוּת וְהָאַכְזָרִיּוּת. לָכֵן בִּהְיוֹת הָאָדָם שׁוֹקֵל בְּפֶלֶס הַמֹּאזְנַיִם לִקַּח מִכָּל מִדָּה שִׁעוּרָהּ, לֹא יִפְחַת וְלֹא יוֹסִיף – בָּזֶה יַגִּיעַ לְתַכְלִית הַטּוֹבָה.
And inasmuch as we have mentioned the advantage of the qualities of man, it is only fitting for us to explain their importance and their blame, their goodness and their evil until there will stretch in front of the intelligent person a straight path, and he will reach the courtyard of the King if his soul will choose good qualities with all its might, for inasmuch as a man has choice he may throw aside the husk and take the fine flour. How can this be? There is a certain type of man that is a man of wrath, that is always angry, and then there is a man who is calm and never gets angry at all, and if he does get angry it is a very little anger and occurs once in many years. And there is a man that is exceedingly proud of heart and there is another man who is exceedingly humble. And there is a man who lusts and his soul is never satisfied with following his desire, and there is another man, very pure of heart, who does not desire even the few things that the body needs. And there is a man with so many desires that his soul would not be satisfied with all the money in the world, like the matter that is spoken: "He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver" (Eccl. 5:9). And there is one whose desire is so limited that everything is enough for him even in the smallest quantity and he does not seek to obtain all his needs. And there are times when he afflicts himself with hunger and gathers each morsel and does not eat a penny's worth that belongs to him except with great anguish, and there are times when he throws away his money with his own hands knowingly. And in this vein there are the rest of the Characteristics. For example, one glad, one sorrowful, one miserly, one liberal, one cruel, one merciful, one tender of heart and one brave of heart, and all similar traits. And of all of these characteristics there are some which a man has from the moment of his creation according to his physical nature. And there are also characteristics which the nature of this particular man is more prepared and more ready to receive quickly in the future than other characteristics And there are those qualities that do not belong to a man from the beginning of his creation but he learns them from others or he turns to them himself according to an inclination that occurs to his mind. There is a certain trait that one must use in many places and there is a trait which one should use only a little. And all of this is like one preparing a dish for which he needs vegetables, meat, water and salt and pepper. Now of all of these ingredients he must take from each one a certain measure, from this ingredient a little and from this ingredient much. If he puts in too little meat the dish will be meager and if he puts in too much salt then the dish cannot be eaten because it is too salty. And thus it is with all traits; if he puts in too little of what he requires much, and puts in too much of what he requires but little, then the food will be spoiled. And the expert is the one who can take of every ingredient the proper measure. Then the food will be pleasant and sweet to those who eat of it. In a similar manner are the qualities of a man. There are qualities of which he ought to take much, for example, modesty, embarrassment, and their like. And there are qualities of which he must take only a little, for example, pride, impudence, and cruelty. Therefore, when a man weighs his qualities in the balance of the scales, let him take from every quality its proper measure. He should not take less and he should not add. In this way he will reach the ultimate goodness.