Imagine how life would be different if we viewed everyone not based on their appearance, but by their character. Sure, a book’s cover can make us feel inclined to read it, but what about the words in it? The words in the book would be our life stories that others don’t see on the outside, unless they get to know us, of course! Our character isn’t about what we look like, or what we have/ don’t have. Character also isn’t about our achievements. Our character is comprised of our thoughts, feelings, and actions. It is all internal. Each day, we all continue to evolve as individuals. What can be liberating about a new day is that we aren’t the same person we were a decade ago, a year ago, or even yesterday.Â
Some people believe they have inherited a set limit of what they are capable of, and allow defeat to happen just one time for them to confirm that they aren’t good enough and cannot grow. Having a growth mindset means finding that silver lining during rough times. Life is tough, but so are we! Also, how can we have strengths without having challenges? Just like working our muscles, our challenges are what gives us our character strengths.There would be no such thing as perseverance without wanting to give up, or courage if we are never afraid. It’s not about what happens to us, but what we make of it moving forward. Fortunately, developing our character is a life-long journey! The beauty of our character strengths is that it is not something that is tangible. Because we have it within us, it can’t be taken from us!
After diving into the concepts of major religions and traditions, Martin Seligman and Chris Peterson came up with 6 universal virtues. Here is a breakdown of each, with the 24 character strengths:Â
Wisdom: Creativity, Love of learning, Perspective, Curiosity, Judgment
Courage:Â Bravery, Honesty, Perseverance, Zest
Humanity:Â Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence
Transcendence:Â Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Spirituality, Humor, Hope
Justice: Teamwork, Leadership, Fairness
Temperance: Prudence, Humility, Self-regulation, ForgivenessÂ
You can visit https://posproject.org/character-strengths/Â for the definition of all 24 character strengths!
Also, if you are interested in learning more about your character strengths, the VIA Character Strengths Survey is free and only takes 10 minutes! https://www.viacharacter.org/Account/RegisterÂ
If you would like to learn more about character strengths and other aspects of Positive Psychology, feel free to check out our 10-week Positive Psychology group!
