Character Strengths and Virtues

1. Character Strengths: Building Blocks of the Good Life

We believe that character strengths are the bedrock of the human condition and that strength-congruent activity represents an important route to the psychological good life.

Focus on the positive. Character strengths, as defined by positive psychology, are not merely the absence of weakness but are positive traits that contribute to personal fulfillment and societal well-being. This approach shifts the focus from fixing problems to building strengths.

Beyond the disease model. Traditional psychology often operates from a "disease model," focusing on disorders and dysfunctions. Positive psychology, in contrast, emphasizes psychological health and the factors that make life worth living.

Strength-congruent activity. Engaging in activities that align with one's character strengths is a key pathway to a fulfilling life. Identifying and cultivating these strengths can lead to greater happiness, resilience, and overall well-being.

2. Six Core Virtues: A Universal Moral Compass

These six broad categories of virtue emerge consistently from historical surveys, as detailed in chapter 2.

Cross-cultural values. Despite cultural variations, six core virtues appear consistently across history and cultures: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. These virtues may be rooted in biology and have been selected for through evolution.

Virtues as solutions. These virtues represent ways of solving fundamental problems necessary for the survival and flourishing of individuals and societies. They provide a framework for understanding and cultivating good character.

Virtues as a whole. For an individual to be deemed of good character, all six virtues must be present at above-threshold values. This holistic view emphasizes the importance of a balanced character profile.

3. Classifying Strengths: A Science of the Sanities

In short, our goal is “a manual of the sanities” (Easterbrook, 2001, p. 23).

Aspirational classification. The authors propose a classification scheme for character strengths, similar to the DSM for mental disorders, but focused on psychological health. This classification aims to provide a common vocabulary for researchers and practitioners.

Moving beyond philosophy. The classification goes beyond armchair philosophy by providing ways to measure character strengths across the lifespan. This allows for a science of human strengths that can inform interventions and promote positive youth development.

From classification to taxonomy. The authors acknowledge that their classification is a work in progress and hope that it will eventually evolve into a taxonomy, supported by a deep theory of the good life. This would provide a more comprehensive understanding of the relationships between different character strengths.

4. Wisdom and Knowledge: Cognitive Strengths

Strengths of WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE Introduction.

Acquisition and use of knowledge. Strengths of wisdom and knowledge are cognitive traits that involve the acquisition and use of information in the service of the good life. These strengths include creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, and perspective.

Creativity. Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things; includes artistic achievement but is not limited to it.

Curiosity. Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering.

Open-mindedness. Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; not jumping to conclusions; being able to change one’s mind in light of evidence; weighing all evidence fairly.

Love of learning. Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally; obviously related to the strength of curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows.

Perspective. Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to oneself and to other people.

5. Courage: Emotional Strengths in the Face of Adversity

Strengths of COURAGE Introduction.

Willpower in the face of opposition. Strengths of courage involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition, whether external or internal. These strengths include bravery, persistence, integrity, and vitality.

Bravery. Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what is right even if there is opposition; acting on convictions even if unpopular; includes physical bravery but is not limited to it.

Persistence. Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles; “getting it out the door”; taking pleasure in completing tasks.

Integrity. Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way and acting in a sincere way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for one’s feelings and actions.

Vitality. Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activated.

6. Humanity: Interpersonal Strengths of Care and Connection

Strengths of HUMANITY Introduction.

Tending and befriending others. Strengths of humanity are interpersonal traits that involve tending to and befriending others. These strengths include love, kindness, and social intelligence.

Love. Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to people.

Kindness. Doing favors and good deeds for others; helping them; taking care of them.

Social intelligence. Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick.

7. Justice: Civic Strengths for a Flourishing Community

Strengths of JUSTICE Introduction.

Healthy community life. Strengths of justice are civic traits that underlie healthy community life. These strengths include citizenship, fairness, and leadership.

Citizenship. Working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one’s share.

Fairness. Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chance.

Leadership. Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen.

8. Temperance: Strengths That Protect Against Excess

Strengths of TEMPERANCE Introduction.

Protecting against excess. Strengths of temperance are traits that protect against excess. These strengths include forgiveness and mercy, humility and modesty, prudence, and self-regulation.

Forgiveness and mercy. Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful.

Humility and modesty. Letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves; not seeking the spotlight; not regarding oneself as more special than one is.

Prudence. Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted.

Self-regulation. Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions.

9. Transcendence: Strengths Connecting Us to Something Larger

Strengths of TRANSCENDENCE Introduction.

Connection to the larger universe. Strengths of transcendence are traits that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning. These strengths include appreciation of beauty and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, and spirituality.

Appreciation of beauty and excellence. Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in various domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

Gratitude. Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.

Hope. Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be brought about.

Humor. Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokes.

Spirituality. Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort.

10. Measuring Character: Assessment and Application

We have no way of forecasting the eventual success of the present classification, but we will be satisfied if it provides to psychologists ways of thinking about strengths, naming them, and measuring them.

VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS). The authors developed a self-report survey for adults, the VIA-IS, to measure the 24 character strengths in the classification. The VIA-IS uses 5-point Likert-style items to measure the degree to which respondents endorse items reflecting the strengths.

VIA Inventory of Strengths for Youth (VIA-Youth). A separate inventory, the VIA-Youth, was developed for young people aged 10-17. This inventory uses similar items to the VIA-IS but phrased in a developmentally appropriate way.

Applications of the classification. The classification and assessment package can be used in different practical domains, including positive psychology research, youth development, gerontology, family relations, education, business, the military, leisure and recreation, and clinical/counseling psychology.

Last updated: March 10, 2025