24 Character Strengths for Positive Living

This post is from an email that a friend and colleague of mine (from Dreamers) Dr. Gary Bradley sent this week. I'd like to hear three things from you readers: 1) Would you add any traits to the list? 2) Would you contest the presence of any trait listed? 3) Which of the traits listed integrate with the nature of a popular Christian understanding of the world (world view) and which are more due to nurture in an individual's experience? Read on . . . Traditionally psychology has always tried to assess what are 'normal' levelsof mental *functioning* and then compare abnormal states to that. (For normal read average). Positive Psychology is a new branch of applied psychological research that posits what is necessary for being realistically more than average - not superhuman - but how to grow,have a full life and realise potential. Martin Seligman (a name that strikes awe and great reverence into most psychologists) has been researching positive psychology for 40 years and has come up with something rather interesting. Unlike humanistic theories of human functioning and being that stem from the likes of Freud, Carl Rogers etc. and that often run into conflict with Christian values - Seligman has proposed something that is almost entirely compatible with Christianity. In fact Seligman, who describes himself as somewhere between an atheist and an agnostic - goes as far to suggest that Christians actually have what others don't and even further to suggest that if you don't currently believe in God and you adopt these principles, you just might find God at the end of it! What I find amazing is that scientific psychology doesn't talk about the heart, just mind, brain and body. Read the following 24 character strengths for positive living - these engage the heart and soul too... Creativity (originality, ingenuity): Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things. Curiosity (interest, novelty-seeking, openness to experience): Taking an interest in ongoing experiences for their own sake; exploring and discovering Open-mindedness (judgment, critical thinking): Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; weighing all evidence fairly. Love of learning: Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally. 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 Bravery (valor): Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; acting on convictions even if unpopular. Persistence (perseverance, industriousness): Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles. Integrity (authenticity, honesty): Presenting oneself in a genuine way; taking responsibility for one’s feeling and actions Vitality (zest, enthusiasm, vigor, energy): Approaching life with excitement and energy; feeling alive and activated Love: Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. Kindness (generosity, nurturance, care, compassion, altruistic love, “niceness”): Doing favors and good deeds for others. Social intelligence (emotional intelligence, personal intelligence): Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself. Citizenship (social responsibility, loyalty, teamwork): Working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group. Fairness: Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others. Leadership: Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same maintain time good relations within the group. Forgiveness and mercy: Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful Humility / Modesty: 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. Appreciation of beauty and excellence (awe, wonder, elevation): Appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in various domains of life. Gratitude: Being aware of and thankful of 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. Humor (playfulness): Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side. Spirituality (religiousness, faith, purpose): Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose, the meaning of life, and the meaning of the universe. from an email by Dr. Gary Bradley Psychologist More information can be found at the Positive Psychology Center The floor is open . . .