Put another way, character strengths are those traits that show people’s assets rather than their faults and issues. According to positive psychology, good character is exemplified by 24 widely valued character strengths. These are organized under six broad virtues.
History of the 24 Character Strengths
These 24 character strengths were first identified by Martin Seligman, PhD, and Neal Mayerson, PhD. Seligman and Mayerson eventually created the Values In Action (VIA) Institute on Character, which identifies the positive character strengths that all people have (in varying degrees). A character strength inventory can identify both strengths and ways to use these strengths in a person’s life. Building on their positive character strengths can help people improve their life and emotional well-being, as well as address the challenges and difficulties they are facing. It’s also important to note that the 24 character strengths that these tools identify have been studied across cultures. Research shows that these strengths are linked to important components of individual and social well-being, even though different strengths predict different outcomes. For instance, growing evidence indicates that the character strengths of hope, kindness, social intelligence, self-regulation, and perspective all guard against the negative effects of stress and trauma. Meanwhile, successful recovery from physical illnesses is associated with increases in bravery, kindness, and humor.
Classification of Character Strengths
The 24 character strengths are divided into six classes of virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Here is a closer look at the six virtues and the positive character strengths that are grouped with each of them.
Wisdom
Those who score high in the area of wisdom tend to have cognitive strengths that lead them to acquire knowledge and use it in creative and useful ways. The core wisdom character strengths are:
Creativity: Thinking of new ways to do thingsCuriosity: Taking an interest in a wide variety of topicsOpen-mindedness: Examining things from all sides; thinking things throughLove of learning: Mastering new topics, skills, and bodies of researchPerspective: Being able to provide wise counsel to others; looking at the world in a way that makes sense
Courage
People who score high in courage have emotional character strengths that allow them to accomplish goals despite any opposition they face—whether internal or external. The character strengths associated with courage are:
Honesty: Speaking the truth; being authentic and genuineBravery: Embracing challenges, difficulties, or pain; not shrinking from threatPersistence: Finishing things once they are startedZest: Approaching all things in life with energy and excitement
Humanity
Those who score high in humanity have a range of interpersonal character strengths that involve caring for and befriending others. These core character strengths are:
Kindness: Doing favors and good deedsLove: Valuing close relations with othersSocial intelligence: Being aware of other people’s motives and feelings
Justice
People who are strong in justice tend to possess civic strengths that underscore the importance of a healthy community. The character strengths in the justice group are:
Fairness: Treating all people the sameLeadership: Organizing group activities and making sure they happenTeamwork: Working well with others as a group or a team
Temperance
Those who score high in temperance tend to have strengths that protect against the excesses in life. These strengths are:
Forgiveness: Forgiving others who have wronged themModesty: Letting one’s successes and accomplishments stand on their ownPrudence: Avoiding doing things they might regret; making good choicesSelf-regulation: Being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions
Transcendence
People who are strong in transcendence tend to forge connections with God, the universe, or religions that provide meaning, purpose, and understanding. The core positive strengths associated with transcendence are:
Appreciation of beauty: Noticing and appreciating beauty and excellence in everythingGratitude: Being thankful for the good things; taking time to express thanksHope: Expecting the best; working to make it happen; believing good things are possibleHumor: Making other people smile or laugh; enjoying jokesReligiousness: Having a solid belief about a higher purpose and meaning of life
Assessing Character Strengths
A person’s character strengths are determined using the VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS), which is suitable for ages 18 and older, or the VIA Inventory of Strengths—Youth Version (VIA-Youth), which is designed for kids ages 10 to 17. Both character strength tests are available at the VIA’s Institute on Character website.
Wisdom: Creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspectiveCourage: Honesty, bravery, persistence, zestHumanity: Kindness, love, social intelligenceJustice: Fairness, leadership, teamworkTemperance: Forgiveness, modesty, prudence, self-regulationTranscendence: Appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, humor, religiousness
The goal behind the classification of strengths is to focus on what is right about people rather than pathologize what is wrong with them. It’s important to point out that people typically have varying degrees of each positive character strength. In other words, they will be high in some strengths, average in some, and low in others. The creators of the VIA character strength assessment tool stress that the traits not included as signature strengths are not necessarily weaknesses, but rather lesser strengths in comparison to the others. Likewise, the top five strengths should not be interpreted in a rigid way because there are usually no meaningful differences in their magnitudes.
Using Character Strengths
One of the main reasons for assessing positive character strengths is to use that information to better understand, identify, and build on a person’s strengths. For example, identifying and harnessing character strengths can help young people experience academic success, develop tolerance, delay gratification, and value diversity. Knowing a person’s character strengths provides a lens through which psychologists, educators, and even parents can see not only what makes a person unique, but also understand how to help that person build on those strengths to improve situations or outcomes. For example, one widely researched strategy involves encouraging people to use their signature strengths in a new way each week. One study found that having adults do this every day led to increases in happiness and decreases in depression for six months. This study then became the basis for several more studies that used the same methods for older adults, employees, and people with traumatic brain injuries. Another approach involves focusing on a person’s lowest-rated character strengths in an attempt to enhance those areas of their lives.
A Word From Verywell
Overall, determining and using your character strengths has the potential to improve health and well-being, enhance job performance, and improve academic success. It’s also a more positive way of viewing and improving oneself than focusing on shortcomings and faults. If you’re focused on what is good about you and working to use that in your everyday life, it’s bound to result in positive changes.
