Exploring The 24 Character Strengths: Let’s Improve Your Emotional Well-Being

Do you want to build a good character but are stuck…where to begin from? Well, I have got your back! In this segment, we will be learning about character strengths in positive psychology and how to build them to live a happy and positive life. So, let’s get started!

What is Character Strength?

According to positive psychology, character strengths are a list of positive traits which are commonly expressed through behaviors, feelings, and thoughts of people. There are 24 main character strengths in psychology that can help children and adults maintain a substance for self-confidence with self-awareness.

Character strengths make children understand why we all are different and why we must all appreciate each other’s uniqueness. Character strengths do not talk about skin color, weight, or height but it talks about important values that require constant discussion and reflection.

When we start understanding and reflecting on character strengths, we start seeing people based on their uniqueness. This helps enhance self-confidence, self-awareness, interpersonal relationships, and more. Most importantly, character strengths are not only about focusing on the positive but mostly emphases on the inevitable adversities we all have been through.

Classification of 24 Character Strengths in Positive Psychology

24 Character strengths were first developed by Martin Seligman. Generally, the 24-character strengths are the positive characteristics that we all have (varies on degrees). Character strength can be identified by strengths and the way we use strengths while facing difficulties. Building or improving the 24-character strengths helps improve emotional well-being and address the challenges effectively.

The 24-character strengths mentioned in the positive psychology are used across different cultures and the qualities are associated with essential components of social wellbeing. For example, building or improving these character strengths such as self-regulation, and social intelligence can provide protection again stressors of life such as trauma or anxiety. Additionally, research shows that when we work on increasing humor, kindness, or bravery, it can help with successful recovery from chronic and physical illnesses.

In positive psychology, the 24-character strengths are classified into six important virtues:

1. Wisdom
2. Courage
3. Humanity
4. Justice
5. Temperance
6. Transcendence

Let’s take a closer look at the 6 main virtues of 24 character strengths:

1.Wisdom

Psychology says that if you’ll score high in the field of wisdom, you’ll likely have improved cognitive strengths that can be really useful for professional and personal areas. Wisdom allows us to acquire knowledge and make use of knowledge creatively or usefully. Generally, there are 5 important wisdom character strengths classified in positive psychology:

• Creativity

Innovative thinking and creativity

• Curiosity

Interest and creativity in different ways that innate curiosity within

• Open-Mindedness

Investigating things from all perspectives and allowing different thinking patterns

• Love of learning

Excelling or learning new skills, topics, or research

• Perspective

Providing wise counseling to others or looking at the world from mindful lenses that make everything sensible

2.Courage

To have courage means having an emotional character. Courage allows people to reach goals despite challenges or difficulties they face (be it external or internal). According to positive psychology, there are 4 main courage character strengths classified:

• Honesty

Being authentic, genuine, or speaking the truth directly

• Bravery

Embracing difficulties, challenges, or pain. Not being threatened by pain or pressures

• Persistence

Being consistent and finishing things energetically or excitedly

• Zest

Approaching life and other important things with excitement or energy

3.Humanity

Humanity in positive psychology consists of a wide range of interpersonal traits that involve befriending or caring for others with the whole heart. According to 24 character strengths, there are 3 main character strengths under the virtue of humanity:

• Kindness

Doing good deeds or favors without expecting something in return

• Love

Valuing and respecting all relations

• Social Intelligence

Self-awareness and awareness towards others motives and feelings

4.Justice

Justice means treating others fairly and impartially. People who have this character strength are well-known for knowing their importance in building a healthy community. According to 24-character strengths, there are 3 main character strengths under the virtue of justice:

• Fairness

Treating all people fairly and impartially

• Leadership

Taking ownership of your actions and organizing things for people

• Teamwork

Working well with others and coming out as a great leader

5.Temperance

Temperance is all about protecting against excesses. Those people who have high degrees of temperance are really great at self-regulating themselves. According to 24 character strengths, there are 4 main character strengths under the virtue of temperance:

• Forgiveness

Moving towards self-forgiveness or forgiving people even when they have done something wrong to you

• Modesty

Being genuinely happy about other’s successes or happenings on your own

• Prudence

Making good choices or avoiding making bad things that you might regret in future

• Self-regulation

Controlling emotions, being disciplined, or being aware of your emotions, feelings, and thoughts

6.Transcendence

People who excel in the field of transcendence have large positive connections with religion, god, and people. Such connections often provide them with purpose, meaning, and understanding. According to 24-character strengths, there are 5 main character strengths under the virtue of transcendence:

• Appreciation of beauty

Observing and appreciating beauty within.

• Gratitude

Being grateful for everything you have or taking genuine time to express gratitude to others

• Hope

Making things happen, believing in the right things, and always expecting the best

• Humor

Enjoying funny jokes or making others laugh or smile intentionally and unintentionally

• Religiousness

Serving meaning and purpose with a solid belief

How to Use Your Strengths for Improving Mental Wellbeing?

It is really important to assess your positive character strengths to understand yourself better, identify your real self, and build on more positive character strengths. If you want to excel professionally, you can focus on developing diversity, gratification, or tolerance. The combination of all character strengths makes us unique and opens a scope for better outcomes and improving situations. In order to improve your character strengths, you can take the help of the below-mentioned ways:

Focus on enhancing your strengths

• Reflect on your actions
• Observe other’s traits and reinforce values
• Identify and implement each strength every day
• Review the outcomes mindfully
• Visualize your strengths successfully

Build virtues mindfully

• Reflect on what you love
• Spot your strengths and take actions
• Find the right balance between love and energy
• Give and receive love intentionally

I hope this blog helps you understand the 24-character strengths based on 6 virtues in positive psychology. Comment down and share your views on assessing your character strengths.

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Thanks for reading!