Character strengths and values

Researchers at the Values Action Institute were the first to identify and classify positive psychological traits of human beings. The Character Strength and Virtues (CSV) include six virtues (listed below*) and 24 measurable strength characteristics. Identifying and cultivating them puts you on the road to happiness, satisfaction and purpose - what positive psychologists call the “good life.” Visit the Values in Action web site at viastrengths.org for more information.  

  • Wisdom and Knowledge - strengths that involve acquisition and use of knowledge

  • Courage - strengths that allows us to accomplish goals in the face of opposition

  • Humanity - strengths related to tending and befriending others

  • Justice - strengths that build healthy community

  • Temperance - strengths that protect against excess

  • Transcendence - strengths that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning

*Excerpted with permission 

 

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Gaining ground
Positive psychology: What makes life worth living?

The following article is based on an interview with Christopher Peterson, Ph.D., founding father of Positive Psychology and consulting editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology.

AWARE What is positive psychology?
PETERSON Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living. It is a call for psychological science and practice to be as concerned with strength and building the best things in life as it is with weakness. Traditionally, psychology has focused on what makes people unhappy or unhealthy. But not being unhappy isn’t the same as being happy. Positive psychology is as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling as it is with healing pathology.
AWARE So, it’s not a simplistic notion.
PETERSON Positive psychology is not a recycled version of, nor a sequel to, the power of positive thinking. The definition does not imply that psychology should ignore or dismiss the real problems people experience. It does not imply that the rest of psychology needs to be discarded. Rather, it is a way to complement and extend the problem-focused psychology that has been dominant for many decades. Positive psychology is based upon science, and science requires checking theories against evidence. It is not to be confused with untested self-help programs or secular religion.
AWARE But it is about living the “good life.”
PETERSON

Psychologically speaking, yes. Most people are happy, and happiness is a cause of good things in life. Happiness leads to desirable outcomes at school and work, to fulfilling social relationships and even to good health. Further, most people are resilient. Happiness, strengths of character and good social relationships buffer against the damaging effects of disappointments and setbacks.

What’s more, the good life can be taught. That’s especially important because it means happiness is not simply the result of good fortune. There are things people can do to lead better lives. We know that our good days have common features. But as with anything worthwhile, attaining the good life is hard work. There are no shortcuts to sustained happiness. We must live and behave differently, permanently.
AWARE What determines happiness?
PETERSON Happiness is determined by a number of things; genetics for one. But I’m interested in the things we can do something about. The best determinant is good social relationships with family, friends, colleagues and clients. Certainly, our clients don’t have to be our best friends, but it’s important to let them know that they matter. Another determinant is how engaged you are with your work. Do you get so caught up in what you’re doing that you lose track of time? Or are you a clock watcher?
AWARE Are there additional determinants?
PETERSON Yes. It’s important to believe your work has meaning and purpose and that it makes a difference in the world. This is about how you view your work. When the oldest garbage collector in New York City - who never missed a day on the job - was asked how he felt about his work, he said it enabled him to send his five children through college. Such a purpose made his life meaningful. In the insurance industry, people provide benefits that help prepare clients for the future and enable them to take care of their loved ones. Now that’s meaningful.
AWARE Any other words of wisdom?
PETERSON Optimism is contagious. You can choose to associate with the people you want to be like. So, given the choice, hang out with optimistic people. Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to be.”  I would add “associate” with the change you want to be in the world. Watch and learn about the characteristics you admire (see sidebar). Learning to think like an optimist is less important than acting like one. Changing the way you react to the world can free you up to act in new ways. Over time, with new behaviors come new experiences which reinforce personal transformation.
Christopher Peterson, Ph.D., is a professor at the University of Michigan, a member of the Positive Psychology Steering Committee, a consulting editor of the Journal of Positive Psychology and a former Templeton Senior Fellow. He led the creation of the Value in Action Classification of Strengths and was lead author of Character Strengths and Virtues, A Handbook and Classification. A founding father of Positive Psychology, he is one of the world's 100 most-cited psychologists.