CHARACTER AND PERSONALITY
Although
they might sometimes be used interchangeably, character and personality are not
the same but both are concerned with a person. Whereas personality refers to
inborn traits, and character refers to
observable behaviour – temperaments. Character is concerned with the ability of a
person to achieve goals, to relate with others and to respond to law and order.
So, we learn character – we are born
with tendencies or personality traits.
Simply
put – what we learn from our parents, society and all information coming to our
mind forms our character tendencies. Character tendencies are referred to as
character traits. These can be positive
or negative depending on circumstances one is exposed to – particularly that
which influences environmental learning and coping mechanics.These will ultimately be observable through behavioural
attitudes and esteemed values.
THE
SIGNIFICANCE OF KNOWING YOUR CHARACTER STRENGTHS AND PERSONALITY
Knowing your personality and character strengths isn’t just interesting
information. Skilful application of the results in your life will actually
present significant impact in your life and wellbeing. Studies show that people
who made an effort to understand these critical aspects of personhood:
- · Manage problems very well
- · Improve the way they interact with others
- · Improve their self esteem and worldview
- · Enhance their health and longevity
- · Generally cope well with any circumstance or situation faced at any point of their lives.
The best way to think about each of your character strengths is
that they operate along a continuum- at one end you underplay your strengths
and at the other end you overplay your strengths. But in the middle
you’ll find the ‘golden mean’ of your strengths where you’re able to apply them
effectively in different situations to create your desired results.
Here are few questions for you –
·
Are you aware of your
personality type?
·
Are you aware of how your type
relates with other types?
·
are you aware of your strengths?
·
are you using these strengths to
benefit others and yourself?
·
Are u using your strengths to
get the desired outcomes?
According to the VIA Institute, there are 24 Characters and
Virtues classified into 6 main groups. The following list is a extract from their website. You can take a free survey on this blog by clicking Character Survey link on the right hand of this article. If you are interested in coaching, training or counseling others, register for a course on Personality and Behavior Assessment today.
CHARACTER SURVEY
CHARACTER STRENGTHS AND VIRTUES
1. Wisdom and Knowledge – Cognitive strengths that
entail the acquisition and use of knowledge
§ Creativity [originality, ingenuity]: Thinking of novel
and productive ways to conceptualize and do things; includes artistic
achievement but is not limited to it
§ Curiosity [interest, novelty-seeking, openness to
experience]: Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding
subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering
§ Judgment [critical thinking]: 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 [wisdom]: Being able to provide wise counsel
to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to oneself and
to other people
2. Courage – Emotional strengths that
involve the exercise of will to accomplish goals in the face of opposition,
external or internal
§ Bravery [valor]: 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
§ Perseverance [persistence, industriousness]: Finishing
what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles;
“getting it out the door”; taking pleasure in completing tasks
§ Honesty [authenticity, 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
§ Zest [vitality, enthusiasm, vigor, energy]: Approaching life with
excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life
as an adventure; feeling alive and activated
3. Humanity - Interpersonal strengths that
involve tending and befriending others
§ Love: Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which
sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to people
§ Kindness [generosity, nurturance, care, compassion,
altruistic love, "niceness"]: Doing favors and good deeds for others;
helping them; taking care of them
§ Social Intelligence [emotional intelligence,
personal 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
4. Justice - Civic strengths that underlie
healthy community life
§ Teamwork [citizenship, social responsibility, loyalty]:
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 maintaining good relations within the
group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen.
5. Temperance- Strengths that protect against
excess
§ Forgiveness: Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting
the shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful
§ Humility: Letting one's accomplishments speak for
themselves; 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 [self-control]: Regulating what
one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one's appetites and emotions
6. Transcendence - Strengths that forge connections
to the larger universe and provide meaning
§ Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence [awe,wonder, elevation]:
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 [optimism, future-mindedness, future orientation]: Expecting the
best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is
something that can be brought about
§ Humor [playfulness]: Liking to laugh
and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not
necessarily telling) jokes
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