Nations differ in their national character as much as individuals differ in personal character. For success in international relations it is just as profitable, and indeed just as essential, to understand the character of the nation with which one is dealing as it is to understand the character of an individual in personal dealings. This maxim applies equally to friends, neutrals, and potential enemies.<br><br>In all aspects of international relations and especially in the formulation and implementation of foreign policy, an intimate understanding of the character of other nations must always be one of the vital factors in the situation - usually one of the first factors. Such understanding becomes part of almost every phase of foreign policy planning and execution. It is an essential element of any international problems, whether the genesis of the problem be military, diplomatic, economic, political, psychological or cultural.<br><br>National character includes the predominant traits in the character of individuals within a nation, the effective character of influential groups, and finally the coalescence of individual and group desires when a people responds to a crisis as a nation.