essay about strength of character

Essays About Character: Top 5 Examples and 9 Prompts

If you’re writing an essay about character, below are helpful examples of essays about character with prompts to inspire you further.

When we say that a person has character, we usually refer to one’s positive qualities such as moral fiber, spiritual backbone, social attitudes, mental strength, and beliefs. But not to be mistaken with mere personality, character goes beyond the sum of all good traits. Instead, it demonstrates and applies these qualities in interacting with people, acting on responsibilities, and responding to challenges. 

Character, hence, cannot be evaluated by a single action or event. Instead, it manifests in a pattern and through consistency.

Read on to find essays and prompts to help you create an essay with rich insights. 

1. How 5 CEOs Hire For Character by Chris Fields

2. the character of leadership by brian k. cooper et. al, 3. when proof of good moral character helps an immigration application—or doesn’t by ilona bray, j.d., 4. what are the 24 character strengths by sherri gordon, 5. the five character traits the best investors share by richard thalheimer , 9 writing prompts for essays about character, 1. what are your character strengths, 2. the importance of character, 3. how household chores develop a child’s character, 4. how challenges shape your character, 5. character education in schools, 6. character analysis, 7. character vs. personality , 8. why psychologists study character, 9. choosing people for your character reference  .

“You have to be a good person with a good heart. Of course, you have to be qualified, educated and skilled, that goes without saying – or it should – but your next candidate can’t be a bad person because CEOs are looking for character.”

The essay compiles insights from famous billionaire CEOs who underscore the importance of recruiting people with good character. It shows the upward trend among companies seeking qualifications beyond education and professional experience and looking more into the heart of people. You might also be interested in these essays about courage .

“…[L]eadership that achieves results goes beyond how to be, and becomes how to do; this type of leadership is all about character. So in other words, in order to get things done personally and organizationally, one first needs to get in touch with his or her character.”

Character in leadership could translate to benefits beyond the organization, society, or the world. The essay is based on a study of the three underlying dimensions of leadership character: universalism, transformation, and benevolence. 

“Demonstrating good moral character is an extremely important part of many immigration cases, but it is not required in all of them. In fact, providing proof of your accomplishments to the court could hurt your immigration case in some instances.”

Showing good moral character is a common requirement for immigrants seeking to be naturalized citizens in a different country. This article gets into the nitty gritty on how one can best prove good moral character when facing immigration officers.

“Knowing a person’s character strengths provides a lens through which psychologists, educators, and even parents can see not only what makes a person unique, but also understand how to help that person build on those strengths to improve situations or outcomes.”

The concept of character strengths aims to help people focus on their strengths to lead healthy and happy life. Understanding character strengths meant being more equipped to use these strengths to one’s advantage, whether toward academic access or overcoming adversities.

“… [Y]ou have to be able to pick the right stocks. That’s where talent, intellect, knowledge and common sense come in. Of course, if you can’t control your emotions, and you get fearful and sell every time the market drops, all that talent, knowledge, intellect and common sense go out the window.”

Having an eye for the right stocks requires developing five character traits: talent, intellect, knowledge, common sense, and a bias to action. All these could be honed by sharpening one’s knowledge of the current news and financial trends. Developing character as a stock investor also requires a daily routine that allows one to exercise analytical skills.

Check out these great prompts about character:

What are the positive character traits you think you have that many people also see in you? List down these strengths and dive deep into each one. To start, you may look into the 24 strengths highlighted in one of the essay examples. Then, identify which ones best suit you. Finally, elaborate on how you or the people around you have benefitted from each.

In a world where many are motivated by fame and fortune, how can you convince people that being kind, honest, and courageous trump all life’s material, fleeting desires? Turn this essay into an opportunity to call more people to build good character and keep out of bad habits and actions. 

Tasking children doing household chores can offer benefits beyond enjoying a sparkly clean home. In the long-term, it builds children’s character that can help them lead healthy and happy life. For this prompt, lay down the top benefits children will gain from performing their chores and responsibilities in the household.

Our best selves reveal themselves in the darkest times. You can easily say that obstacles are the actual test of our character. So, first, narrate a challenging experience you had in your life. Then, describe how you turned this bad period around to your advantage to strengthen your mind, character, and resilience. 

Schools play a vital role in training children to have a strong-minded character and contribute to the good of society. As such, schools integrate character education into their curriculum and structure. In your essay, narrate how much your school values character building. Elaborate on how it teaches bad actions, such as bullying or cheating, and good virtues, such as respecting others’ culture, traditions, and rights. 

Pick a character you adore, whether from a novel or a book. Then, write an analysis of their traits and how these fit into their assigned role in the story. Of course, as in every character analysis, narrate their character transformation. So you have to identify key turning points and realizations that prompted the changes in their character, role, values, and beliefs. 

Both your character and personality make you a unique individual. But they have different definitions and uses that make them independent of each other. In your essay, identify these differences and answer which has the most significant impact on your life and which one you should focus on. 

Psychologists study characters to know how and why they change over time. This helps them enhance their understanding of human motivation and behavior. In your essay, answer to a greater extent how studying character drive more people to thrive in school, work, or home. Then, compile recent studies on what has been discovered about developing character and its influences on our daily lives.

A good character reference can help you secure a job you’re aiming for. So first, identify the top qualities employers look for among job seekers. Then, help the reader choose the best people for their character reference. For students, for example, you may recommend they choose their former professors who can vouch for their excellent work at school. 

To make sure your readers are hooked from beginning to end, check out our essay writing tips ! If you’re thinking about changing your essay topic, browse through our general resource of essay writing topics .

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What Are the 24 Character Strengths?

Everyone has varying degrees of these positive traits

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• Character Strengths

People often look for good character in others, whether they are employees, students, friends, or potential dating partners. According to positive psychology , good character is exemplified by 24 widely valued character strengths.

Learn how the idea of these character strengths came about, how they are organized, and how to assess which strengths a person may possess. We also share ways to maximize one's character strengths, enabling a person to live to their fullest potential.

History of the 24 Character Strengths

The notion of character strengths was first introduced by psychologists Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson. Seligman and Neal Mayerson, another psychologist, created the Values In Action (VIA) Institute on Character, which uses the VIA Inventory of Strengths developed by Peterson to identify people's positive character strengths.

A character strength inventory can identify both a person's strengths and ways they can use those strengths in their life. Building on one's positive character strengths can help them improve their life and emotional well-being , as well as address the challenges and difficulties they are facing.

It's also important to note that the 24 character strengths that these tools identify have been studied across cultures. These strengths are important components of individual and social well-being globally, with different strengths predicting different outcomes.

For instance, intellectual, emotional, and interpersonal character strengths can help a person better cope with work-related stressors, ultimately impacting their level of job satisfaction. Interventions that help build character strengths can also improve the psychological well-being of people with chronic illnesses .

Classification of Character Strengths

The 24 character strengths are divided into six classes of virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Here is a closer look at the six virtues and the positive character strengths that are grouped with each of them.

Those who score high in the area of wisdom tend to have character strengths that lead them to acquire knowledge and use it in creative and useful ways. The core wisdom character strengths are:

• Creativity : Thinking of new ways to do things
• Curiosity : Taking an interest in a wide variety of topics
• Open-mindedness : Examining things from all sides ; thinking things through
• Love of learning : Mastering new topics, skills, and bodies of research
• Perspective : Being able to provide wise counsel to others; looking at the world in a way that makes sense

People who score high in courage have emotional character strengths that allow them to accomplish goals despite any opposition they face—whether internal or external. The character strengths associated with courage are:

• Honesty : Speaking the truth; being authentic and genuine
• Bravery : Embracing challenges, difficulties, or pain; not shrinking from threat
• Persistence : Finishing things once they are started
• Zest : Approaching all things in life with energy and excitement

Those who score high in humanity have a range of interpersonal character strengths that involve caring for and befriending others . These core character strengths are:

• Kindness : Doing favors and good deeds
• Love : Valuing close relations with others
• Social intelligence : Being aware of other people's motives and feelings

People who are strong in justice tend to possess civic strengths that underscore the importance of a healthy community. The character strengths in the justice group are:

• Fairness : Treating all people the same
• Leadership : Organizing group activities and making sure they happen
• Teamwork : Working well with others as a group or a team

Those who score high in temperance tend to have strengths that protect against the excesses in life. These strengths are:

• Forgiveness : Forgiving others who have wronged them
• Modesty : Letting one's successes and accomplishments stand on their own
• Prudence : Avoiding doing things they might regret; making good choices
• Self-regulation : Being disciplined ; controlling one's appetites and emotions

Transcendence

People who are strong in transcendence tend to forge connections with God, the universe, or religions that provide meaning, purpose, and understanding. The core positive character strengths associated with transcendence are:

• Appreciation of beauty : Noticing and appreciating beauty and excellence in everything
• Gratitude : Being thankful for the good things; taking time to express thanks
• Hope : Expecting the best; working to make it happen; believing good things are possible
• Humor : Making other people smile or laugh; enjoying jokes
• Religiousness: Having a solid belief about a higher purpose and meaning of life

Positive Character Traits List

The 24 positive character strengths are split into six virtue classes:

• Wisdom : Creativity, curiosity, open-mindedness, love of learning, perspective
• Courage : Honesty, bravery, persistence, zest
• Humanity : Kindness, love, social intelligence
• Justice : Fairness, leadership, teamwork
• Temperance : Forgiveness, modesty, prudence, self-regulation
• Transcendence : Appreciation of beauty, gratitude, hope, humor, religiousness

How Character Strengths Are Assessed

A person's character strengths can be determined using one of two inventories. The VIA Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) is for people aged 18 and older, while the VIA Inventory of Strengths—Youth Version (VIA-Youth) is designed for kids and teens aged 10 to 17.

The goal behind the classification of strengths is to focus on what is right about people rather than pathologize what is wrong with them. It's important to point out that people typically have varying degrees of each positive character strength. In other words, they will be high in some strengths, average in some, and low in others.

There is no single indicator of good character. Instead, a person's character should be viewed across a continuum.

The VIA Institute on Character stresses that the traits not included as signature strengths are not necessarily weaknesses, but rather lesser strengths in comparison to the others. Likewise, the top five strengths should not be rigidly interpreted because there are usually no meaningful differences in their magnitudes.

Uses for Character Strengths

One of the main reasons for assessing positive character strengths is to use this information to better understand, identify, and build on these strengths. For example, identifying and harnessing character strengths can help young people experience greater academic success. It can also help people increase feelings of happiness .

Knowing a person's character strengths provides a lens through which psychologists, educators, and even parents can look. It helps them see not only what makes a person unique but also enables them to better understand how to help that person build on those strengths to improve their situations or outcomes.

For example, one strategy involves encouraging people to use their signature strengths in a new way each week. Studies have found that taking this approach can lead to increases in happiness and decreases in depression . Another approach involves focusing on a person's lowest-rated character strengths in an attempt to enhance those areas of their lives.

Research has demonstrated that traumatic events can change a person's character strengths, as evidenced by studies investigating the effects of shooting tragedies. Other studies note that some character strengths can help people better cope with these types of situations, such as was found with people who lived through Hurricane Michael, a category 5 storm.

Overall, determining and using one's character strengths has the potential to improve their health and well-being, enhance their job performance, and improve their academic success. It's also a more positive way of viewing and improving oneself than focusing on their shortcomings and faults.

Lavy S. A review of character strengths interventions in twenty-first-century schools: their importance and how they can be fostered . App Res Qual Life . 2019;15:573-596. doi:10.1007/s11482-018-9700-6

Wagner L. Good character is what we look for in a friend: Character strengths are positively related to peer acceptance and friendship quality in early adolescents . J Early Adolesc . 2018;39(6):864-903. doi:10.1177/0272431618791286

VIA Institute on Character. About .

Harzer C, Ruch W. The relationships of character strengths with coping, work-related stress, and job satisfaction . Front Psychol . 2015;6:165. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00165

McGrath RE. Character strengths in 75 nations: An update . J Posit Psychol . 2015;10(1):41-52. doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.888580

Yan T, Chan C, Ming Chow K, Zheng W, Sun M. A systematic review of the effects of character strengths-based intervention on the psychological well-being of patients suffering from chronic illnesses . J Adv Nurs . 2020;76(7):1567-1580. doi:10.1111/jan.14356

Najderska M, Cieciuch J. The structure of character strengths: variable- and person-centered approaches . Front Psychol . 2018;9:153. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00153

Wagner L, Ruch W. Good character at school: positive classroom behavior mediates the link between character strengths and school achievement . Front Psychol . 2015;6:610. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00610

VIA Institute on Character. Frequently asked questions .

Schutte NS, Malouff JM. The impact of signature character strengths interventions: A meta-analysis . J Happiness Stud . 2018;10:1179-1196. doi:10.1007/s10902-018-9990-2

Abdullah Basurrah A, O'Sullivan D, Seeho Chan J. A character strengths intervention for happiness and depression in Saudi Arabia: A replication of Seligman et al.'s (2005) study . Midd East J Pos Psychol . 2020;6:41-72.

Schueller SM, Jayawickreme E, Blackie LER, Forgeard MJC, Roepke AM. Finding character strengths through loss: An extension of Peterson and Seligman (2003) . J Pos Psycho l. 2015;10(1):53-63. doi:10.1080/17439760.2014.920405

Raney AA, Ai AL, Paloutzian RF. Faith factors, character strengths, and depression following Hurricane Michael . Int J Psychol Religion . 2022;32(4):330-346. doi:10.1080/10508619.2022.2029045

By Sherri Gordon Sherri Gordon, CLC is a published author, certified professional life coach, and bullying prevention expert. She's also the former editor of Columbus Parent and has countless years of experience writing and researching health and social issues.

Why Strong Character Is a Foundation of Resilience

This interview with dr. david wang explores character development & resilience..

Posted March 7, 2019

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Today I continue in my series of interviews with experts on how resilience —one of the major themes of my book, A Walking Disaster: What Surviving Katrina and Cancer Taught Me About Faith and Resilience —connects to their area of study. Today’s interview is on the subject of character development and resilience and features Dr. David C. Wang, Associate Professor of Psychology at the Rosemead School of Psychology, Biola University. A licensed psychologist, he also serves as a pastor of spiritual formation at One Life City Church, as well as at several non-profits in various capacities.

JA: How do you personally define character development?

DW: People have been thinking about character and character development for millennia, and it has inspired some very thoughtful scholarship in quite a number of academic disciplines. For example, Rachana Kamtekar, professor of philosophy at Cornell University, speaks of how contemporary virtue ethicists tend to speak of virtue as a sort of harmony between what we rationally believe to be the right thing to do and our natural affections or natural desire to do it. What I like about this thought is that it acknowledges the unflattering reality that just because we know what the right thing is to do, doesn’t necessarily mean that it is also what we fundamentally want to do, nor that it is even what we ultimately choose to do. And so, Aristotle reminds us in the Nicomachean Ethics that the goal of virtuous character isn’t just to know what virtue is but to become good. So, putting this all together, I understand character development to be the journey we take to not only know what is good, but to choose what is good, and (this just might be the hardest part of it all) to earnestly and wholeheartedly desire and take pleasure in what is good.

JA: How did you first get interested in studying character development?

DW: In addition to my academic and clinical work, I’m also a pastor of a local congregation. And ironically, what had gotten me initially interested in studying character development was a few really horrible ministry experiences early on in life. While religious education is generally understood to cultivate character, so many of us (myself included) are profoundly familiar with the pain inflicted by thoroughly religiously educated individuals who yet suffer from major character deficits. How can someone who knows the good so well still have such a capacity to do evil? This was the question that has led me to where I am today and where I hope to be in the future.

JA: What is the connection between character development and resilience?

DW: Linda Zagzebski, Chair of Philosophy of Religion and Ethics at the University of Oklahoma, described intellectual virtues as “forms of motivation to have cognitive contact with reality.” Although she was speaking here of intellectual virtues in particular, I think it would be fair to say that there is something about virtue, in general, and how it cultivates in us a disposition towards facing or having contact with reality—whatever it might be (e.g., the reality of ourselves, of others, of our situation, etc.). And here is where I believe the connection between character development and resilience lies. Resilience can be understood as a person’s capacity to overcome difficulty, or to recover and ‘bounce back’ from trauma . Unfortunately, many people think that the key to overcoming difficulty is to simply to maintain a positive attitude. But the problem is that this positive attitude also needs to be in contact with the reality of the situation, which is often quite bleak. If it is not, this positivity can turn rigid and degenerate into avoidance, which is what research has found to be a powerful predictor of poor adjustment post-trauma. Thus, character is the glue that binds positive attitudes and behavior with a realism that is grounded in the needs and realities of a broken situation.

JA: What are some ways people might cultivate character strengths to help them live more resiliently?

DW: Continuing what I was speaking on previously, I think the key to cultivating character strengths is the courage to face reality: the reality of ourselves, the reality of others, the reality of our situation. And this is why I believe themes such as guilt and shame are so counterproductive in the cultivation of character. People use guilt and shame to shape behavior because they are so effective. Guilt motivates us through fear , and shame leads us to cover up and hide our true selves. But virtue is not just about doing what is good, but also earnestly desiring it as well. And we can’t do the latter through fear and hiding. We can’t do the latter without first coming to terms with the reality of ourselves.

JA: Can you share what you’re working on these days related to character development?

DW: I’m leading a series of grant projects funded by the John Templeton Foundation on the character and spiritual development of seminary students—individuals who will one day become the leaders of local churches and parishes, denominations, and non-profit organizations (click here and here for more information). We have partnered with the Association of Theological Schools and are presently ramping up efforts to conduct longitudinal research on the character and spiritual development of seminary students enrolled at 14 Evangelical, Roman Catholic, Mainline Protestant, and historically African-American seminaries. We are excited to empirically investigate topics such as 1) to what extent does religious education shape character, 2) what about religious education shapes character, and 3) what is the relationship, if any, between spiritual development and character development?

JA: Anything else you’d care to share?

DW: Despite all the tragedy that we witness and hear about, I am continually amazed at how remarkably resilient and virtuous people can be—and often from people that garner little attention from the news, from people that we might least expect. I am grateful for opportunities to bring to light the stories and realities of some of these individuals, so that we may all be inspired and edified.

Jamie Aten , Ph.D. , is the founder and executive director of the Humanitarian Disaster Institute at Wheaton College.

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How Developing Character Strengths Can Improve Well-Being Essay (Article)

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Introduction

Character strengths, definition of well-being, relationship between character strengths and well-being, positive psychological interventions, practical application in personal life.

At the turn of the twenty-first century, a new branch of psychology emerged, which was named positive psychology. This new field of psychology aims at studying people’s happiness and the ways of achieving it (Parks & Titova, 2016). Positive psychology focuses on people’s positive experiences, character strengths, and positive institutions, such as workplaces and families (Harzer, 2016). These constituents, as well as their interrelation, influence individuals’ well-being (Harzer, 2016). One way of increasing one’s happiness is to recognize and utilize one’s character strengths (Parks & Titova, 2016). This paper aims at identifying the key character strengths and their influence on people’s well-being. The knowledge of personal qualities that contribute to one’s feeling of happiness helps one to develop those traits and enhance one’s life satisfaction.

One of the key concepts used in positive psychology is character strengths. They are positive personal qualities that are stable but liable to changes through training (Gander, Hofmann, Proyer, & Ruch, 2019). Researchers distinguish 24 character strengths that are considered valuable in many cultures and contribute to greater life satisfaction (Freidlin, Littman-Ovadia, & Niemiec, 2017). Some of them are curiosity, bravery, honesty, forgiveness, self-regulation, gratitude, and spirituality (Wagner, Gander, Proyer, & Ruch, 2019). A person demonstrates these character strengths through feelings, thoughts, and behaviors (Harzer, 2016). For example, if a student is listening to the lecturer, he may be interested in the subject, thus showing curiosity through feeling. If he thinks about asking the lecturer for more details on the topic, he demonstrates this strength through thought. When he approaches the teacher after the class to ask for more information, his curiosity manifests through behavior.

Character strengths are basic qualities that contribute to the development of more complex behaviors. They provide the basis for talents, interests, skills, values, and resources (Niemiec, 2017). For example, to develop a talent, which is something that a person is inherently good at, one should exercise self-regulation, perseverance, and zest (Niemiec, 2017). While talents and skills may worsen, resources, such as friends or family, maybe lost over time, character strengths always remain in a person’s nature (Niemiec, 2017). For this reason, it would be beneficial for anyone to invest time and effort in developing positive personality traits.

There are several subgroups of character strengths, depending on the degree to which they are present within a person. Signature strengths are qualities that are the most characteristic of an individual and are used the most naturally and frequently (Niemiec, 2017). Happiness strengths are associated with life satisfaction and include love, zest, gratitude, hope, and curiosity (Niemiec, 2017). Middle strengths are supplemental to signature strengths, while lower strengths are traits that are underdeveloped and, therefore, used rarely (Niemiec, 2017). Finally, there are lost strengths that disappeared from one’s personality due to some external influences, such as an authority figure or cultural restrictions (Niemiec, 2017). This subdivision implies that, initially, a person possesses all positive traits, but over time, some of them become dominant while other ones remain underdeveloped or dormant.

Generally, character strengths improve well-being, but scholars have different opinions as to what is considered well-being. There are two points of view on this concept: hedonic and eudaimonic (Harzer, 2016). Hedonists believe that well-being is determined by “pleasures and happiness” (Harzer, 2016, p. 310). In psychology, it is usually called subjective well-being, meaning “frequent positive affect, infrequent negative affect, and high life satisfaction” (Harzer, 2016, p. 310). The eudaimonic point of view is different since it suggests that personal growth and the fulfillment of one’s potential is the key to life satisfaction; psychologists call this perspective psychological well-being (Harzer, 2016). These two viewpoints focus on different things when defining factors contributing to one’s happiness.

However, the most comprehensive explanation of well-being was proposed by Seligman. He argued that this concept comprised both hedonic and eudaimonic elements (Wagner et al., 2019). According to Seligman, well-being consists of positive emotions, positive relationships, engagement, accomplishment, and meaning (as cited in Wagner et al., 2019). Engagement means being completely focused on a task; meaning is leading a purposeful life; accomplishment means having goals and ambitions (Wagner et al., 2019). If a person pursues each of these components, he or she will experience overall well-being.

Numerous studies show that character strengths contribute to both subjective and psychological well-being. Some of them have a greater influence on life satisfaction, for example, love, gratitude, curiosity, hope, and zest (Harzer, 2016). Other character strengths, such as modesty, creativity, appreciation, and love of learning, have less impact, but none of them has a negative effect on people’s happiness (Harzer, 2016). The most important traits for subjective and psychological well-being are zest, hope, and curiosity (Harzer, 2016). Zest means feeling full of energy; hope is believing that something good will happen in the future; curiosity implies expressing interest and looking for new experiences (Harzer, 2016). Thus, it makes sense to cultivate at least these three qualities in order to achieve greater well-being.

There is also an association between underuse and overuse of particular character strengths as compared to their optimal use. The study by Freidlin et al. (2017) showed that when positive traits were utilized moderately, they contributed to individuals’ well-being. However, excessive or insufficient use of character strengths was likely to lead to mental health impairments, such as depression or social anxiety disorder (Freidlin et al., 2017). At the same time, underuse of character strengths had a greater probability of negative outcomes than the overuse of them (Freidlin et al., 2017). For example, people who underused self-regulation, zest, and humor, and overused humility were more likely to experience social anxiety (Freidlin et al., 2017). These findings imply that individuals should make efforts to recognize their character strengths and the extent to which they are developed. Further improvement of underdeveloped positive traits may enhance people’s well-being.

Research into the relationship between character strengths and well-being is important not only because it helps to understand how personality traits influence the experience of happiness. Another reason for its importance is that it provides individuals with ideas of how their well-being can be improved. Recent studies show that personality is not something unchangeable, so personal qualities may be intentionally developed or eroded (Niemiec, 2017). Based on this knowledge, researchers have begun to create techniques designed to help people increase their happiness, and these methods are referred to as positive psychological interventions (PPIs) (Parks & Titova, 2016). The purpose of PPIs is to help people cope with their negative emotions and enhance their positive feelings for a long time (Parks & Titova, 2016). The interventions involve different activities that are intended to improve particular character strengths. For example, to improve well-being through the development of gratitude, people could be asked to keep a log with reflections about their feeling grateful for something (Parks & Titova, 2016). PPIs can be self-administered, which makes them a convenient tool for people who aim at improving their well-being through self-development.

Now that I have identified the purpose of positive psychology and the role of personal qualities in enhancing well-being, I can determine how these concepts relate to my life. First of all, research into positive psychology has helped me to understand what makes people feel happy. Not material things or money but positive emotions, the experience of flow states, close relationships, a sense of purpose, and ambitions contribute to one’s life satisfaction (Wagner et al., 2019). It means that in order to improve my well-being, I need to increase the amount of these positive things in my life.

Furthermore, this research has helped me to understand the significance of personality traits for one’s feeling of happiness. Given this knowledge, I can take action to identify my signature strengths, as well as qualities that I need to develop to enhance my well-being. To perform this, I can take a test based on the Values-in-Action (VIA) classification of strengths, which is commonly used for assessing personality traits (Wagner et al., 2019). As soon as I know what qualities are my signature strengths and what my lower strengths are, I will be able to search for self-administered PPIs that may help me to improve my underdeveloped strengths and make my life more meaningful.

To sum up, the aim of positive psychology is to help people enhance their happiness by increasing the number of positive experiences. One of its key topics is character strengths, that is, 24 positive personality traits that contribute to an individual’s well-being. Since personal qualities are liable to changes, people can enhance their life satisfaction by cultivating their underdeveloped character strengths. Research into the relationship between personality traits and well-being has helped me to understand how I can become happier and more satisfied with life. I can also share this knowledge with others, thus contributing to the overall public well-being.

Freidlin, P., Littman-Ovadia, H., & Niemiec, R. M. (2017). Positive psychopathology: Social anxiety via character strengths underuse and overuse. Personality and Individual Differences, 108 , 50-54.

Gander, F., Hofmann, J., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2019). Character strengths – stability, change, and relationships with well-being changes. Applied Research in Quality of Life. Web.

Harzer, C. (2016). The eudaimonic of human strengths: The relations between character strengths and well-being. In J. Vittersø (Ed.), International handbooks of quality-of-life (pp. 307-322). Cham, Switzerland: Springer.

Niemiec, R. M. (2017). Character strengths interventions: A field guide for practitioners . Göttingen, Germany: Hogrefe Publishing.

Parks, A. C., & Titova, L. (2016). Positive psychological interventions. In A. M. Wood & J. Johnson (Eds.), The Wiley handbook of positive clinical psychology (pp. 305-320). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Wagner, L., Gander, F., Proyer, R. T., & Ruch, W. (2019). Character strengths and PERMA: Investigating the relationships of character strengths with a multidimensional framework of well-being. Applied Research in Quality of Life. Web.

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Character Strengths: What Are They and Why They Matter?

by Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD

Ability to meet and overcome challenges in ways that maintain or promote well-being.

Determination

Flexibility, perseverance, self-confidence.

What are character strengths? What meaningful role does character play in child and adult development?

It is widely acknowledged that character –not beauty, high test scores, or wealth–account for life satisfaction and well-being. Derived from the field of positive psychology, the term character strengths has become synonymous with a group of 24 unique human characteristics developed by the VIA Institute on Character. Research suggests these attributes impact happiness, including our development of resilience and positive relationships.

How do children develop character strengths during their academic climb from kindergarten through high school? Educational goals of developing intelligence are well articulated and their outcomes can be measured. Until now, however, character strengths were less defined and not as measurable.

Martin Luther King Jr. understood the concept of character strengths long before they were as well-defined as they are today. At a speech at Morehouse College in 1948, he said, “We must remember that intelligence is not enough.  Intelligence plus character–that is the goal of true education.”

When I reflect on King’s statement, I think of my closest friends and the people I most respect. I am drawn to them by forces beyond intellect and external success. I admire their character strengths, the values they hold, and how they put their values into action. When we consider the role of families, schools, and communities in the broadest sense, it is important to understand how each of these stakeholders helps kids develop character strengths during childhood and adolescence that determine the kind of adults they will become.

This article defines character strengths and summarizes a framework for understanding them. As adults who model character to kids each and every day, it’s helpful to begin by taking inventory of our own character strengths!

Character Strengths Count Throughout Life

While researchers are not in total agreement, there has been effort in recent years to define and measure character strengths .

In their highly acclaimed academic textbook, Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman attempt to define these inner virtues and strengths. Research suggests that “people who use these inner strengths every day are three times more likely to report having an excellent quality of life and six times more likely to be engaged at work.” You can read extended definitions of all these strengths at the nonprofit VIA Institute on Character , but simply put, they fall into the following six categories:

• Wisdom and Knowledge : Creativity, Curiosity, Judgment and Open-Mindedness, Love of Learning, Perspective
• Courage: Bravery, Perseverance, Honesty, Zest
• Humanity: Capacity to Love and Be Loved, Kindness, Social Intelligence
• Justice: Teamwork, Fairness, Leadership
• Temperance: Forgiveness and Mercy, Modesty and Humility, Prudence, Self-Regulation
• Transcendence: Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, Religiousness and Spirituality

It’s important to note that this is one framework used to understand character strengths. I like the VIA Institute Model because it is easy to understand and backed by lots of empirical research. Some scholars argue that these character strengths are not new, but an adjunct to what we have learned by studying personality theory for decades. Every model has limitations and it’s best to consider them helpful guides rather than bibles for living a full and happy life.

The value of any kind of framework is in how it is understood and applied in the real world–in homes, classrooms, and out-of-school-time activities for children. That link from theory to practice is at the heart of our articles at Roots of Action .

Getting Started: Understanding Your Character Strengths

The survey for adults takes 30-40 minutes and produces a free report of your top five strengths. There is also a survey designed for youth ages 11-17 that takes 40-50 minutes. If you want more detailed reports of your 24 character strengths, fees vary from $10-$40.

A few years ago, my daughter and I took the survey. I opted for the free version which listed my top five strengths and what they mean. Mine were:

• Appreciation of beauty and excellence – You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.
• Creativity, ingenuity, and originality – Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are.  You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.
• Gratitude: You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.
• Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness: You expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.
• Industry, diligence, and perseverance: You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you “get it out the door” in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.

Discussing Strengths of Character with Kids

My daughter chuckled at the results of my VIA Quiz, saying they fit me to a tee. “Anyone determined enough to get a Ph.D. in mid-life has to have a lot of ingenuity and perseverance!” she said.

Being in the middle of a job search, my daughter opted for the $40 report which she thought might be helpful in understanding her strengths as they related to a career choice. The 18-page report rank-ordered all of her strengths, not only giving her a top five but also information on how she could develop strengths that she didn’t use as much. It was a very helpful document.

My daughter’s top five strengths were completely different from mine, which was not surprising.  Through our conversations, we learned a lot about each other, how we differ, and why we admire each other’s strengths. We agreed that developing character strengths mattered in life!

Want to learn about your own character strengths?  Take the VIA Survey of Character . When you have finished, you’ll understand your own strengths and take the first step to learning how to foster character strengths in young people!

Next Steps: Fostering Personality Strengths in Families, Schools, and Communities

Understanding our own character strengths is an important first step to helping develop these strengths in our children:

• Learn how families can develop character by talking about and reinforcing the VIA character strengths from preschool through adolescence. If you hold regular family meetings with children ten or above, the results of the VIA survey make for wonderful conversation and learning!
• Learn why good teachers view character education as half their jobs and how one 4th grade teacher makes character strengths central to his core curriculum.
• Learn how communities support and encourage young people to be their best selves.

[This article was originally published May 6, 2011. It was updated with new information and research May 1, 2019.]

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Published: May 1, 2019

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About the author.

Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, is founder of Roots of Action and author of Tomorrow's Change Makers: Reclaiming the Power of Citizenship for a New Generation . A developmental psychologist and researcher, she writes for Psychology Today and Edutopia on positive youth development, K-12 education, and family-school-community partnerships. Website // @DrPriceMitchell // Facebook

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The Classification of Character Strengths and Virtues

This handbook also intends to provide an empirical theoretical framework that will assist positive psychology practitioners in developing practical applications for the field.

There are 6 classes of virtues that are made up of 24 character strengths:

• Wisdom and Knowledge
• Transcendence

Researchers approached the measurement of “good character” based on the strengths of authenticity, persistence, kindness, gratitude, hope, humor, and more.

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Strengths Exercises for free . These detailed, science-based exercises will help you or your clients realize your unique potential and create a life that feels energized and authentic.

This Article Contains:

What makes us strong and virtuous, the csv handbook’s list, positive psychology & character strengths and virtues.

• What Strengths do Women Score Higher?
• What Strengths do Men Score Higher?
• What Can We Learn From Both

Development of Character Strengths in Children

• Character Strengths and Wellbeing in Adolescence

Videos on Character Strengths

A take-home message.

Cultures around the world have valued the study of human strength and virtue. Psychologists have a particular interest in it as they work to encourage individuals to develop these traits. While all cultures value human virtues, different cultures express or act on virtues in different ways based on differing societal values and norms.

Martin Seligman and his colleagues studied all major religions and philosophical traditions and found that the same six virtues (i.e. courage, humanity, justice, etc.) were shared in virtually all cultures across three millennia.

Since these virtues are considered too abstract to be studied scientifically, positive psychology practitioners focused their attention on the strengths of character created by virtues, and created tools for their measurement.

The main assessment instruments they used to measure those strengths were:

• Structured interviews
• Questionnaires
• Informant Reports
• Behavioral Experiments
• Observations

The main criteria for characters strengths that they came up with are that each trait should:

• Be stable across time and situations
• Be valued in its own right, even in the absence of other benefits
• Be recognized and valued in almost every culture, be considered non-controversial and independent of politics.
• Cultures provide role models that possess the trait so other people can recognize its worth.
• Parents aim to instil the trait or value in their children.

The Handbook delves into each of these six traits. We’ve summarized key points here.

1. Virtue of Wisdom and Knowledge

The more curious and creative we allow ourselves to become, the more we gain perspective and wisdom and will, in turn, love what we are learning. This is developing the virtue of wisdom and knowledge.

Strengths that accompany this virtue involve acquiring and using knowledge:

• Creativity (e.g. Albert Einstein’s creativity led him to acquire knowledge and wisdom about the universe)
• Open-mindedness
• Love of Learning
• Perspective and Wisdom (Fun fact: many studies have found that adults’ self-ratings of perspective and wisdom do not depend on age, which contrasts the popular idea that our wisdom increases with age).

2. Virtue of Courage

The braver and more persistent we become, the more our integrity will increase because we will reach a state of feeling vital, and this results in being more courageous in character.

Strengths that accompany this virtue involve accomplishing goals in the face of things that oppose it:

• Persistence

3. Virtue of Humanity

There is a reason why Oprah Winfrey is seen as a symbol of virtue for humanitarians: on every show, she approaches her guests with respect, appreciation, and interest (social intelligence), she practices kindness through her charity work, and she shows her love to her friends and family.

Strengths that accompany this virtue include caring and befriending others:

• Social intelligence

4. Virtue of Justice

Mahatma Gandhi was the leader of the Indian independence movement in British-ruled India. He led India to independence and helped created movements for civil rights and freedom by being an active citizen in nonviolent disobedience. His work has been applied worldwide for its universality.

Strengths that accompany this virtue include those that build a healthy and stable community:

• Being an active citizen who is socially responsible, loyal, and a team member.

5. Virtue of Temperance

Being forgiving, merciful, humble, prudent, and in control of our behaviors and instincts prevents us from being arrogant, selfish, or any other trait that is excessive or unbalanced.

Strengths that are included in this virtue are those that protect against excess:

• Forgiveness and mercy
• Humility and modesty
• Self-Regulation and Self-control

6. Virtue of Transcendence

The Dalai Lama is a transcendent being who speaks openly why he never loses hope in humanity’s potential. He also appreciates nature in its perfection and lives according to what he believes is his intended purpose.

Strengths that accompany this virtue include those that forge connections to the larger universe and provide meaning:

• Appreciation of beauty and excellence
• Humor and playfulness
• Spirituality , or a sense of purpose

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Positive psychology practitioners can count on practical applications to help individuals and organizations identify their strengths and use them to increase and maintain their levels of wellbeing.

They also emphasize that these character strengths exist on a continuum; positive traits are regarded as individual differences that exist in degrees rather than all-or-nothing categories.

In fact, the handbook has an internal subtitle entitled “A Manual of the Sanities” because it is intended to do for psychological wellbeing what the DSM does for psychological disorders: to add systematic knowledge and ways to master new skills and topics.

Research shows that these human strengths can act as buffers against mental illness. For instance, being optimistic prevents one’s chances of becoming depressed. The absence of particular strengths may be an indication of psychopathology. Positive psychology therapists, counselors, coaches, and other psychological professions use these new methods and techniques to help build people’s strength and broaden their lives.

It should be noted that many researchers are advocating grouping these 24 traits into just four classes of strength (Intellectual, Social, Temperance, and Transcendence) or even three classes (excluding transcendence), as evidence has shown that these classes do an adequate job of capturing all 24 original traits.

Others caution that people occasionally use these traits to excess, which can become a liability to the person. For example, some people may use humor as a defense mechanism in order to avoid dealing with a tragedy.

Character strengths are the positive parts of our personality that make us feel authentic and engaged. They are a core and foundational part of who we are. Our strengths are linked to our development, wellbeing, and life satisfaction (Niemiec, 2013).

They influence how we think, act, feel, and represent what we value in ourselves and others. When we draw on our strengths, research shows we can have a more influential positive impact on others, improve our relationships, and enhance our wellbeing and happiness.

So, where can we begin? By recognizing our strengths, of course!

The VIA Survey is one validated tool that can help us discover our strengths, including those we tend to use and rely on the most (Peterson & Seligman, 2004).

Scientists found a common language of 24 character strengths that make up what is best about our personality. Everyone possesses all 24 character strengths to different degrees, so each person has a truly unique character strengths profile.

Each character strength falls under one of these six broad virtue categories, which are universal across cultures and nations:

• Wisdom : These strengths are useful in helping us learn and gather knowledge.
• Courage : These emotional strengths empower us to tackle adversity and how we tend to work through it.
• Humanity : These strengths come into play by helping us build and maintain positive, warm relationships with others.
• Justice : With these strengths, we relate to those around us in social or group situations.
• Temperance : Temperance strengths help us manage habits and protect against excess, including managing and overcoming vices.
• Transcendence : As a virtue, transcendence strengths connect us to the world around us in a meaningful way.

Knowing our strengths allows us to consciously use those that benefit us and develop those that we might find useful.

What Strengths Do Women Score Higher?

There’s an interest in identifying dominant character strengths in genders and how it is developed.

As Martin Seligman and his colleagues studied all major religions and philosophical traditions to find universal virtues, much of the research on gender and character strengths have been cross-cultural also.

In a study by Brdar, Anic, & Rijavec on gender differences and character strengths, women scored highest on the strengths of honesty, kindness, love, gratitude, and fairness.

Life satisfaction for women was predicted by zest, gratitude, hope, appreciation of beauty/excellence, and love for other women. A recent study by Mann showed that women tend to score higher on gratitude than men. Alex Linley and colleagues reported in a UK study that women not only scored higher in interpersonal strengths, such as love and kindness, but on social intelligence, too.

In a cross-cultural study in Spain by Ovejero and Cardenal, they found that femininity was positively correlated with love, social intelligence, appreciation of beauty, love of learning, forgiveness, spirituality, and creativity. The more masculine a man was, the more he correlated negatively with these character strengths.

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What Strengths Do Men Score Higher?

Brdar, Anic & Rijavac reported that men score highest on honesty, hope, humor, gratitude, and curiosity.

Their life satisfaction was predicted by creativity, perspective, fairness, and humor. Alex Linley and colleagues study showed that men scored higher than females on creativity.

Miljković and Rijavec’s study found sex differences in a sample of college students. Men not only scored higher in creativity, but also leadership, self-control, and zest. These findings are congruent with gender stereotypes, as the study by Ovejero and Cardenal in Spain showed that men did not equate typical masculine strengths with love, forgiveness, love of learning, and so on.

In a Croatian sample, Brdar and colleagues found that men viewed cognitive strengths as a greater predictor for life satisfaction. Men saw strengths such as teamwork, kindness , perspective, and courage to be a stronger connection to life satisfaction than other strengths. There is an important limitation to this sample population, as most of the participants were women.

What Can We Learn From Both?

While there are differences in character strengths between men and women, there are many that they share. Both genders saw gratitude, hope, and zest as being related to higher life satisfaction, as well as the tendency to live in accordance with the strengths that are valued in their particular culture.

Studies confirm that there is a duality between genders, but only when both genders identify strongly with gender stereotypes. It makes one wonder if men and women are inherently born with certain strengths, or if the cultural influence of certain traits prioritizes different traits based on gender norms.

Learn more about strengths and weaknesses tests here .

Park and Peterson’s study (2006) confirmed this theoretical speculation, concluding that these sophisticated character strengths usually require a degree of cognitive maturation that develops during adolescence. So although gratitude is associated with happiness in adolescents and adulthood, this is not the case in young children.

Park and Peterson’s study found that the association of gratitude with happiness starts at age seven.

“Gratitude is seen as a human strength that enhances one’s personal and relational wellbeing and is beneficial for society as a whole.”

Although most young children are not yet cognitively mature enough for sophisticated character strengths, there are many fundamental character strengths that are developed at a very early stage.

The strengths of love, zest, and hope are associated with happiness starting at a very young age. The strengths of love and hope are dependent on the infant and caregiver relationship. A secure attachment to the caregiver at infancy is more likely to result in psychological and social well adjustment throughout their lives.

The nurturing of a child plays a significant role in their development, and role modeling is an important way of teaching a child certain character strengths as they imitate behavior and can then embrace the strength as one of their own.

Most young children don’t have the cognitive maturity to display gratitude but have the ability to display love and hope. Therefore, gratitude must not be expected from a young child but must be taught.

Positive education programs have been developed to help children and adolescents focus on character strengths. There are certain character strengths in adolescents that have a clearer impact on psychological wellbeing. These strengths must be fostered to ensure life long fulfillment and satisfaction.

“Character strengths are influenced by family, community, societal, and other contextual factors. At least in theory, character strengths are malleable; they can be taught and acquired through practice.”

Gillham, et al.

17 Exercises To Discover & Unlock Strengths

Use these 17 Strength-Finding Exercises [PDF] to help others discover and leverage their unique strengths in life, promoting enhanced performance and flourishing.

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Character Strengths and Wellbeing in Adolescents

The majority of the research today on character strengths focuses on adults, despite the known importance of childhood and adolescence on character development.

Research into character strengths shows which promote positive development and prevent psychopathology.

Dahlsgaard, Park, and Peterson discovered that adolescents with higher levels of zest, hope, and leadership displayed lower levels of anxiety and depression in comparison to their peers with lower levels of these strengths. Other research findings suggested that adolescent character strengths contribute to wellbeing (Gillham, et al, 2011).

The research suggests that transcendence (eg. gratitude, meaning, and hope) predicts life satisfaction, demonstrating the importance of adolescents developing positive relationships, creating dreams, and finding a sense of purpose.

VIA Character Strengths Youth Survey

Parents, educators, and researchers have requested the VIA: institute on character strengths to develop a VIA survey that is especially aimed at youths. Take the VIA psychometric data – youth survey if you are between the ages of 10-17.

To finish off, here are some helpful videos for you to enjoy if you want to learn more about character strengths and virtues:

The measurement of character strengths and the different traits that go into making them have many applications, from life satisfaction to happiness and other wellbeing predictors. These measurement tools have been used to study how these strengths have been developed across genders and age groups.

What strengths do you possess? What implications can you see this research having in our world today? Can you see how it may apply to your own life?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. Don’t forget to download our three Strengths Exercises for free .

• Bowlby, J.(1969). Attachment and Loss , (Vol. I). Attachment . Basic Books, New York.
• Dahlsgaard, K.K. (2005). Is virtue more than its own reward? Character strengths and their relation to well-being in a prospective, longitudinal study of middle school-aged adolescents (Unpublished doctoral dissertation) . University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia,PA.
• Gillham, J., Adams-Deutsch, Z., Werner, J., Reivich, K., Coulter-Heindl, V., Linkins, M., Seligman, M. (2011). Character strengths predict subjective well-being during adolescence. The Journal of Positive Psychology , 6(1), 31-44.
• Jolly, M., & Academia. (2006). Positive Psychology: The Science of Human Strengths . Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/6442081/Positive_Psychology_The_Science_of_Human_Strengths
• Kochanska, G. (2001). Emotional development in children with different attachment histories: The first three years. Developmental Psychology 72, pp. 474–490.
• McCullough, M. E., Kilpatrick, S. D., Emmons, R. A., & Larson, D. B. (2001). Is gratitude a moral affect? Psychological Bulletin , 127, 249−266.
• Niemiec, R. M. (2013). Mindfulness and character strengths . Hogrefe Publishing.
• Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2006, a). Character strengths and happiness among young children: Content analysis of parental descriptions. Journal of Happiness Studie s, 7(3), 323-341.
• Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2006, b). Moral competence and character strengths among adolescents: The development and validation of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths for Youth. Journal of adolescence , 29(6), 891-909.
• Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. (2004). Character strengths and virtues a handbook and classification .
• Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Simmel, G. (1950). The sociology of Georg Simmel . Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
• Tartakovsky, M. (2011). Measuring Your Character Strengths | World of Psychology . Retrieved from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/01/05/measuring-your-character-strengths/

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Very interesting article – and I love that children are learning this information now. Hoping that while they learn more about their own strengths and weaknesses, they will not only develop their own character but be understanding and accepting of others as well.

Very useful article, i know only basic English. But your sentences are easily understandable. This way i can improve my English skills. Thank you all.

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How to Showcase Your Strengths in Your College Application Essays

Your admission essay is an adcom’s greatest insight into who you are as a person. It can also be a tool to showcase your high school accomplishments. So, how can you craft an essay that both conveys your personality and portrays your strengths—without coming off as arrogant? Here are four tips to guide you.

1. Paint a picture.

This is a phrase that English teachers have drilled into your head, but it’s true for your college essay and in all your written work. Painting a picture of your accomplishments through examples and rhetorical devices helps adcoms visualize the steps you’ve taken to get to where you are today and the person you are and strive to be.

How can you show rather than tell? There are many ways to express yourself through language, from personalized metaphors —actions, experiences, or objects that mirror and symbolize your journey—to rich, vivid details. This is especially true in your essay, but you can also employ these rhetorical devices and language throughout your application, such as in your extracurricular accomplishment descriptions.

For instance, if you’re a pianist, you might use imagery to describe the progression of your musical development, initially exploring playing one note at a time to learning how to play the music you play today. You could evoke specific sounds and melodies to illustrate this development.

2. Use action-oriented verbs.

Rather than relying on soft adjectives, use action verbs like “implemented,” “facilitated,” and so on. These types of words are much more powerful and demonstrate that you do and make things happen. They also emphasize your ownership of your achievements, signifying that these achievements don’t just happen to you: you made them happen.

For example, rather than saying that you were responsible for speaking on behalf of the student body as student council president, you might say, “Raised awareness of X issue and implemented a procedure for handling complaints.”

3. Offer examples and details.

Examples are an essential feature of your essay. They illustrate your accomplishments, provide context, and show adcoms how you’ve made an impact in concrete ways. You should also use numerical values and other details to quantify your accomplishments.

In this post on successful activity entries, students use details to summarize and portray their accomplishments. While this post concerns another section of your application, you can apply the same concepts to your essay.

Example: “Provided homework and study help to underprivileged kids. I studied with one girl until her Cs became As. I love being the “go-to” mentor.”

Here, the applicant shows the impact of her tutoring, rather than simply stating that she tutored. In doing so, she demonstrates the impact on both her and the students she tutored.

Example: “I have been studying piano and performing in recitals since kindergarten. I’m currently working on Beethoven’s Sonata No. 1 in F minor from Opus 2.”

This entry shows the progression of the applicant’s work by demonstrating how far she has come, exemplified by the challenging piece she’s currently playing.

These examples bring your experiences to life, so you’re not just listing achievements but also quantifying them and pointing to concrete ways in which they’ve affected you and others.

4. Tell a story.

Like any good story, your essay should have a narrative arc. Instead of a list of achievements, it should portray an experience that shaped you. No matter what topic you choose, you should be able to tell an account that captures your reader’s attention and has all the hallmarks of a compelling narrative.

For instance, if you’re a first-generation student, you might begin by describing a specific moment in your childhood when you realized that you would be the first member of your family to attend college and then narrate specific events along your journey, such as encouragement from your parents or teachers, difficulties you faced and how you overcame them, and how you finally reached this moment and are excited about the next chapter. This is much more effective than simply stating that you’re a first-generation student and listing the reasons why attending college is important to you.

If you can’t weave together a compelling story with the topic you’ve chosen, you may want to rethink it. Spend some time brainstorming to hone your topic and ensure that it is one that will both capture your audience and showcase your accomplishments.

Your Essay: A Reflection of You

Your essay is a concise glimpse into you as a person. While other areas of your application detail your accomplishments, grades, and extracurricular achievements, this is a place to showcase your qualities as a person. Still, your accomplishments are most likely integral to your personality. Keep these tips in mind as you craft an essay that both captures your character and your strengths as a candidate for admission.

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Positive Psychology

Character Strengths

Character strengths are positive traits that are valued in and of themselves by nearly all cultures. A handbook of the 24 character strengths was created by Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson, grouping them into six categories of virtues: wisdom, courage, humanity and love, justice, temperance, and transcendence.

According to Seligman, your top strengths also have to feel authentic and powerful to you; you have to delight in exercising them, and feel energized afterward. If one of your top strengths doesn’t fit those criteria, it’s not a ‘signature strength’. Below there are described the 24 character strengths by Seligman.

The VIA Institute on Character is a nonprofit formed in 2001 to study and promote character strengths. It offers a free survey that ranks your strengths, as well as reports, training, and speakers.

Once you’ve figured out your top strengths, positive psychologists often recommend figuring out your five ‘signature strengths.’ Growth and development examples often include using your top strengths, which also have to feel authentic and powerful to you; you have to delight in exercising them, and feel energized afterward. According to Seligman, your top strengths also have to feel authentic and powerful to you; you have to delight in exercising them, and feel energized afterward. If one of your top strengths doesn’t fit those criteria, it’s not a ‘signature strength

The 24 character strengths

Appreciation of beauty:  You recognize beauty and excellence, and it awes you.

Citizenship:  You work well in a group and respect your team members and leaders.

Curiosity:  You are open to new experiences and thrive in situations of uncertainty. You aren’t easily bored.

Fairness:  You have a strong sense of morality and believe in treating people equally, without regard for your feelings or prejudices.

Forgiveness:  You forgive and give people second chances. You aren’t vengeful and don’t hold a grudge.

Gratitude:  You’re thankful for other people and circumstances. You don’t take things for granted.

Humility:  You’re modest and don’t seek attention. You don’t see your accomplishments as special.

Humor:  You’re funny, and you enjoy making others laugh.

Ingenuity:  You are creative and street smart. If you want something, you’ll find unique and original ways to get it.

Integrity:  You are honest and transparent in word and in actions.

Judgment:  You think critically and are open-minded to different perspectives. You can weigh facts objectively, without your feelings getting in the way.

Kindness:  You enjoy making others happy, even if you don’t know them well.

Leadership:  You successfully organize activities and treat group members equally.

Love of learning:  You are the type of person who loves school, reading, and museums. You’re probably an expert in something, just because you love it.

Loving and being loved:  You have strong relationships, where you can accept and give love.

Optimism:  You have hope and expect good things, so you plan for a happy future.

Perseverance:  You’re industrious, finishing what you start. You meet or exceed expectations, but don’t give yourself unattainable goals.

Perspective:  You are wise, and people come to you for advice.

Prudence:  You think long-term, weigh your options, and exercise caution.

Self-control:  You can regulate not only your actions but also your emotions.

Social intelligence:  You are aware of the feelings and motivations of others and of yourself, and you can use that information to handle social situations well.

Spirituality:  You have strong beliefs and a sense of purpose. You understand your place in something larger, whether it’s religious or not.

Valor:  Despite fear, you can face difficult physical and emotional challenges.

Zest: You feel passion, inspiration, and energy when embarking on a new day or new activity.

Writing a Character Analysis Essay | Step-by-Step Guide

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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I’m also going to give you a ton of examples.

This post is split into four parts for easy navigation:

• What is a Character Analysis Essay?
• What is the best Format to Use?
• 11 Character Analysis Example Ideas
• Template, Checklist and Outline for Your own Piece

In this post, I’m going to explain to you clearly and in a step-by-step way how to conduct a character analysis.

1. What is a Character Analysis Essay?

Let’s get you started with some really simple details about what a character analysis is:

• A Quick Definition: A character analysis essay zooms-in on a character in a book, movie or even real life. It provides what we sometimes call a ‘sketch’ of a character.
• The Purpose of a Character Analysis: The purpose of a character analysis is to reveal interesting details about the character that might contain a broader moral message about the human condition. For example, Atticus Finch is not just a lawyer in To Kill a Mockingbird. Rather, he provides us with a moral message about the importance of doing what you believe is right even though you know you will likely fail.

2. What is the best Character Analysis Essay Format?

Character analysis essays do not have just one format.

However, let me offer some advice that might act as a character analysis essay outline or ‘checklist’ of possible things you could discuss:

1. Start with the Simple Details.

You can start a character analysis by providing a simple, clear description of who your character is. Look at some basic identity traits such as:

• Race (if relevant)
• Social class (if relevant)
• Protagonist or Antagonist? A protagonist is the character who is our central character in the plot; the antagonist is often the protagonist’s opponent or challenger.
• Major or minor character?

2. What are the character’s distinctive personality features?

Your character might have some really clearly identifiable character traits. It’s best to highlight in your character analysis the exact traits that this character possesses. Some common character traits include:

I recommend you take a moment to write down what you think the top 3 to 5 words are that you’d use to explain your character’s personality traits. These will be important to discuss throughout your character analysis.

Sometimes a character may start out with some personality traits, but change over the course of the text. This is quite common; and one clear example of this is Lady Macbeth she deteriorates from a cutthroat power player to a guilt ridden shell of a person roaming the halls of the castle. This dramatic character change is something that makes her very interesting, and is worthy of discussion!

3. What are the character’s key relationships?

Does your character have a close relationship with a certain person in the storyline?

You might want to discuss the character’s relationships as a part of your character analysis. These relationships may reveal some key personality traits of your character.

For example, in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Horatio is the loyal offsider to Hamlet. Through his actions in staying by Hamlet through thick and thin, we learn that he is a deeply loyal character.

Examining the character’s relationships with their friends and foes therefore is very useful for digging deeper into who this character actually is, and what personality traits they have when they are put to the test within the narrative.

4. What are the character’s motivations?

Another thing you might want to examine are the character’s motivations . What do they desire most in the world? Some common motivations for characters in stories are:

• A simple life
• To serve others

This list really could be endless, but I hope the above examples give you a bit of an idea of the sorts of traits to look out for. By mentioning and examining the motivations of the character, we will come closer and closer to learning exactly what moral message this character might be able to tell us.

5. What are the character’s key conflicts?

Stories tend to have a beginning, a complication, and a resolution.

The complication involves conflicts and challenges that need to be overcome. For Edmund in Narnia, it’s cowardice. For Romeo and Juliet, it’s the conflict between love and family loyalty. Here’s some other common conflicts for characters:

• Whether to stay loyal to a friend;
• To overcome obstacles to love;
• To seek a way out of a challenging situation;
• To escape war or poverty;
• To persevere through imprisonment;
• To overcome personal fear

Again, this list is endless.

Knowing the character’s core conflict gets us even closer to knowing the moral that the character is trying to teach us.

For example, in Romeo and Juliet, the challenge of Romeo and Juliet being together despite their families’ objections teaches us something. Personally, I believe it teaches us the importance of letting go of old grudges in order to let love bloom.

This moral lesson was taught to us through conflict: namely, the conflict that Romeo and Juliet were right in the center of.

6. What are the character’s epiphanies?

Sometimes a character has an epiphany. This often happens towards the end of the story and helps the character overcome the challenge or conflict that we discussed in the point above.

Here’s an example of an epiphany:

• In the Lion King, Simba runs away from his tribe to live in exile. After a chance encounter with his childhood friend Nala, he has an epiphany that he has a duty to his tribe. This leads him back home to fight Scar and return freedom to Pride Rock.

Not all characters have an epiphany. But, if they do, I strongly encourage you to write about it in your character analysis.

7. Examine the moral message the character teaches us.

Finally, conclude by examining the moral message behind the character. Nearly every character has something to teach the reader. Authors put a lot of thought into creating complex characters with whom we can relate. We relate to the character and say “wow, they taught me a lesson about something!”

The lesson might be something like:

• Money doesn’t buy happiness;
• Loyalty to family comes above all else;
• Love gives life meaning;
• Honesty is always the best policy

This is the core of your character analysis essay. If you can pick out exactly what moral message the character teaches you, you’ll be well on your way to writing a strong character analysis.

Below I’m going to give you some examples to help you out. I know it can be hard to really get your head around a character, so sometimes the best thing is to look at some samples!

3. Here’s 13 Example Character Analysis Essay Ideas.

Most times when we create a character analysis, we’re exploring the deeper moral stories / aspects of humanity. Here’s some example ideas. I’ve tried to outline in less than a paragraph exactly what your key point will be about each character:

• Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird: A character who teaches us a lesson about standing up for what’s right, even if you know you’re likely to lose.
• Huckleberry Finn from Huckleberry Finn: A character who reveals our inner desire for freedom from the elements of society that constrain us.
• Dudley from Harry Potter: A character whose personality tells us a cautionary tale of the perils of middle-class narcissism, parents’ desire to wrap their children in cotton wool, and the lack of discipline we perceive in contemporary childhoods.
• Jack from Lord of the Flies: A character who represents the innate desire for power that seems to lurk not too far from the surface of the human condition. When social structures are stripped away, he quickly reverts to violence and superstition to assert control over his peers.
• Lady Macbeth from Macbeth: Lady Macbeth teaches us a valuable lesson about the perils of contravening our own morality. She starts out a cutthroat killer but is increasingly consumed by the guilt of her own actions. While we may be able to escape full punishment from outside forces, it is the inner guilt that might eat us away to our last.
• The Boy who Cried Wolf: The boy who cried wolf is a character whose fatal flaw is his desire for attention and adulation. His repeated attempts at gaining the attention of others leads the townspeople to no longer take him seriously, which causes him harm when he actually needs the villagers to take him seriously to save his life. He teaches us the virtue of honest and humility.
• Nick Carraway from the Great Gatsby: Nick shows us all the inner conflict between the trappings of wealth, glamor and spectacle; and the desire for simplicity, honesty and community. He is drawn by the dazzling world of East Egg, New York, but by the end of the novel sees live in East Egg as shallow and lacking the moral depth of his former life in small town Minnesota.
• Alice from Alice in Wonderland: In many ways, Alice represents the child within all of us. She is a character of goodwill to all and who looks upon the world (or, rather, Wonderland) with awe. Travelling with a cadre of flawed characters, she learns with them the importance of seeking strength from within.
• The Nurse in Romeo and Juliet: Like many Shakespearian characters, the nurse’s role is both as loyal confidante to a central character and comic relief. Shakespeare uses minor characters to regale his crowd and sustain viewer interest between scenes.
• Lucy in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: Lucy represents a surprising character whose youthfulness and small stature make her an underrated character by all around her. Nonetheless, she possesses within the bravery and loyalty necessary to carry out the quest for Aslan. Lucy represents the goodness in children and, by extension, all of mankind.
• Anne in Anne of Green Gables: Anne occupies the typical literary role of young girls in many classical novels: she represents innocence and wonder, and her contraventions of rules are seen through a prism of childhood innocence. This frames Anne not as a deviant but as a precious soul.
• Simba from The Lion King: Simba’s story follows his struggle with growing up, embracing his destiny and duty to his family, or fleeing towards freedom and a ‘no worries’ lifestyle. Simba flees Pride Rock and goes through an existential crisis with his existentialist friends Timon and Pumba. When he runs into an old childhood friend, he realizes how shallow his new carefree life has become and reflects upon his obligation to his community back home.
• Woody from Toy Story: Woody starts out Andy’s favorite toy, but when Andy gets a new flashier toy, Woody’s status amongst the toys falls apart. Woody’s key character challenge is to learn to be humble and inclusive living within the group. By the end of the movie, Woody realizes his duty to love and serve Andy is more important than his own status within the group.

4. Here’s an Example Template for your own Character Analysis Essay

Feel free to use this brainstorming template to get you started with your character analysis essay. I recommend filling out as many of these key points as you can, but remember sometimes you might have to skip some of these points if they’re not relevant to your character.

Once you’ve brainstormed the ideas in Table 1, follow the character analysis essay outline in Table 2 to stay on track for your character analysis essay. Do remember though that each assignment will be different and you should adjust it based on your teacher’s requirements.

Here’s Table 1, which is a brainstorming template for your character analysis essay:

And here’s Table 2, which is an example character analysis essay outline. This is for a 1500 word character analysis essay. Change the word count according to how long your essay should be:

Read Also: 39 Better Ways to Write ‘In Conclusion’ in an Essay

Character analyses can be really tough. You need to know your character really well. You might even need to re-read (or watch) your book or movie a few times over to get to know the character really well.

I recommend when you re-read or re-watch the text before you write your character analysis, have the checklist I provided above handy and take notes. Then, use the essay outline I provided above to put all of those notes together into a clear and thorough final character analysis essay.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Number Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Word Games for Kids (Free and Easy)
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 25 Outdoor Games for Kids
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 50 Incentives to Give to Students

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• How to Write a Character Analysis Essay

How to Write a Character Analysis Essay: A Comprehensive Guide

By: Angelina Grin

Character analysis

Character analysis is the process of critically examining and interpreting a fictional or non-fictional character within a narrative, play, novel, film, or any work of literature or storytelling. It involves a comprehensive evaluation of the character's personality, motivations, development, and impact on the story's plot and themes.

During a character analysis, one seeks to understand the character's internal and external traits, such as their beliefs, values, emotions, behaviors, and relationships with other characters. It aims to uncover the character's strengths, weaknesses, desires, fears, and the evolution of their personality throughout the narrative.

A well-executed character analysis not only reveals the character's multifaceted nature but also provides insights into the author's intentions, the story's underlying themes, and the broader cultural or societal context in which the character exists. Character analysis enhances the reader's or viewer's appreciation of the narrative by shedding light on the character's role in advancing the plot and conveying profound messages about human nature, society, or the human condition.

Step 1: Choose Your Individual for Analysis

Character evaluation is the first step to a great analysis. The role or persona you choose for your analysis is crucial to its success. Primary characters are sometimes easier to write since they have well-defined personalities, and their motivations may be evident. Secondary characters can be just as interesting to write, but getting the right evidence within the text to support one's position might be challenging.

The character's significance in the story also plays a part in whether analyzing the persona will be easy or difficult. Important characters have more depth to them that's easily seen. Less significant players require more understanding of the background story and setting. Typically, several types show up in a story:

• Protagonist: Also known as the "main character," protagonists drive the narrative. Analyzing their development, motivations, and role in advancing the plot is often richly rewarding.
• Antagonist: The primary opposition to the protagonist, antagonists offer insights into their motivations and the reasons behind their opposition.
• Deuteragonist: These key supporting characters offer perspective and context, enriching the story's depth.
• Tertiary Characters: Smaller roles can still provide unique insights and are worth considering based on their impact on the plot.
• Romantic Interest: A romantic interest's analysis explores their influence on the protagonist and their own personality development.
• Confidant: These characters offer emotional support and guidance, shedding light on the protagonist's inner world.
• Foil: Foil characters highlight the central role's qualities and flaws, aiding in their development.

Another method of separating characters is by their quality. An individual will fall into one of these groups:

• Dynamic: A dynamic character undergoes significant internal changes during the story, and their analysis explores the events and decisions driving this transformation.
• Static: In contrast, static characters remain relatively unchanged. Analyzing them focuses on their consistency and the impact of their steadfastness on the story.
• Stock: Stock characters often adhere to familiar archetypes or stereotypes. Analyzing characters involves exploring how they conform to or subvert these expected roles.
• Symbolic: Symbolic characters represent abstract concepts, values, or themes. Their analysis delves into the deeper meaning and associations they bring to the narrative.

Each persona type offers a unique perspective, allowing you to uncover the layers of complexity that make literary and cinematic characters so fascinating. A character analysis example would offer a great format to see what each of these character types looks like.

Step 2: How to Start a Character Analysis Essay

How do you start a character analysis essay? The blank page is a difficult place for a student to start, but an outline can help arrange your thoughts. Starting your character analysis means looking at the existing work and deciding what parts of the story accentuate or support your decisions on the character's personality.

Starting with the Basics: Writing a Character Analysis Overview

• Physical Description: Is your character short, tall, medium build? Does he or she have muscles? This description should be more than skin-deep; it should capture essential details, such as appearance, gestures, or personal style. These features may offer insights into the character's personality or the author's intentions.
• Role in the Story: Outline the character's role within the narrative. Are they the protagonist, antagonist, supporting role, or something more complex? Summaries of this role provide context for their actions and development.
• Relationship with Other Characters: Characters do not exist in isolation. Discuss the character views and relationships with other key figures in the story. Take note of significant interactions, conflicts, or connections, as these relationships often influence personality development. What directions does the character’s decisions drive the other players?

To analyze characteristics, you might be inclined to ask a few questions, such as:

• What is the Value of Your Character? Consider why the individual is essential to the story. How do they contribute to the plot's progression or thematic development? Identifying their value will help you delve into their significance.
• Is Your Character Friends with Anyone? Explore the persona's friendships, as these relationships can reveal their true nature and motivations. Analyze the dynamics of these friendships thought a character summary, considering whether they're genuine or superficial.
• By the Time the Story Ends, Has Your Character Learned Anything? Investigate the role's growth and development throughout the narrative. Have they gained wisdom, overcome challenges, or evolved in any way? This transformation can be a focal point of your analysis.
• What Has Been Your Character's Main Transformation Throughout the Narrative? Beyond learning, identify the persona's primary transformation. This could be a change in beliefs, values, or traits. Understanding their journey is vital to a thorough analysis.
• What Motivates Your Character? Delve into the role's motivations and desires. What drives them to act in specific ways? Examining their inner motives can uncover deeper layers of their personality.
• How Does the Setting Influence Your Character? Sometimes, a character's surroundings significantly impact their actions and development. Assess how the story's setting interacts with your character's choices and behavior.

These questions show how to analyze a character to figure out the most critical parts of the individual under analysis to develop their report in a more well-rounded way.

Delving into Personality Traits: The Core of Character Analysis

What is the personality of the role you've chosen for your character analysis? Personality traits differ from person to person, and so, too, they differ from individual to individual. How to analyze characters using personality traits is pivotal to gaining a profound understanding of a persona's psychological nuances.

Step 3: Understanding Internal vs. External Traits

Characterization may be divided into internal and external traits. Internal traits pertain to a character's inner qualities, such as beliefs, values, emotions, and thought processes. They influence decision-making and personal growth throughout the story. On the other hand, external traits encompass a character's outward behaviors, actions, and physical manifestations of their personality. Both dimensions play a vital role in shaping the character's identity.

Character analysis examples will show one or more of these traits as core elements of a character’s personality. By realizing a narrator has these traits, an analysis can discern what an individual is thinking as they perform an action. This makes the persona's decisions and thought process far more "real".

Step 4: Analyze Character Development: How to Do a Character Analysis Through Evolution

Analyzing character development forms the most critical way we examine how a role grows and evolves over the story. In a character analysis, you should look at personality arcs, the events that induce their development (or regression), and the impact of their challenges and conflicts.

Character Arcs: Transformation, Growth, or Regression

Character arcs are the trajectories that characters follow, often culminating in transformation, growth, or regression. They represent the role's journey from the story's beginning to its conclusion. Understanding the type of arc a persona experiences, whether a hero's journey of self-discovery or a descent into villainy, provides a lens through which to analyze their actions and decisions.

Key Events That Influence the Character's Evolution

Identifying pivotal events within the narrative is critical to character analysis. These events can be turning points that alter the role's trajectory. It's essential to scrutinize the impact of these events on the character's beliefs, values, and motivations. For instance, the loss of a loved one, a personal triumph, or a moral dilemma can all catalyze significant changes. Recognizing these moments helps to chart the individual's development.

How Challenges and Conflicts Shape the Role

No well-rounded persona is complete without some conflict that plays on their feelings and behavior. The adversity they face can range from internal struggles to external opposition. The individual's response to these challenges, whether they overcome them, are changed by them, or succumb to them, indicates their growth or regression. Examining how characters adapt, learn, or grapple with adversity reveals their resilience, vulnerabilities, and capacity for change.

A character analysis can be built by examining these crucial elements of a persona, looking at where they start and end, and following the decisions that drive their conflict and resolution. By following the characters closely on their journey, one can gain a sense of appreciation for all they went through to get to the culmination of their arc.

Step 5: The Role of Environment in Writing Character Analysis

Whether it's a high fantasy novel or a play set in 1930s Georgia, a role's actions and decisions are driven by their environment. The prevailing social, cultural, and, at times, political climate may be more than just window dressing for a literary work or a film. It's essential to understand that characters don't exist in a vacuum, and the environment is as crucial to understanding their story as is their personalities.

How Setting Influences a Character's Behavior and Decisions

The physical environment, or setting, can significantly impact a persona's actions and choices. The story's location, climate, or specific places may influence a character's behavior. For instance, a character raised in a bustling city may exhibit different traits and make different decisions than one raised in a remote rural area. For instance, it's understandable that a protagonist from a poor Chicago family in the 1920s would subject himself to physical harm to ensure he could have a job during an economic depression. Yet that same decision would make no sense in a wealthy family of the same era. Analyzing the setting allows a deeper understanding of why a character behaves the way they do.

The Impact of Cultural, Social, and Historical Backgrounds

Cultural values, traditions, and norms influence their beliefs and actions. Social status, family dynamics, and community ties can determine their roles and relationships. Historical contexts, such as war, economic crises, or political movements, play a significant role in character development. For instance, a character who grew up during the Second World War may exhibit different traits and motivations than one who grew up as the child of a royal family in 17th-century Europe.

Analyzing a character's background within these contexts helps readers and viewers understand the character's identity and the constraints or opportunities that influence their decisions and evolution.

Incorporating the environment into character analysis adds depth and complexity to the examination, revealing the intricate interplay between characters and their world and providing valuable insights into the character's behavior and decisions.

Step 6: Dialogue and Actions in a Character Analysis: Unveiling the True Essence

Most well-defined characters have different layers of personality folded in on itself. To view the true essence of an individual, an analysis must examine how the persona speaks with others and the actions they take that impact other persons in the setting.

How a Character Speaks: Tone, Choice of Words, and Mannerisms

A character's dialogue is a rich source of insights. Their tone—whether it's sarcastic, earnest, or timid—sheds light on their emotions and attitudes. Their choice of words, such as a formal language or slang preference, reflects their background and education. Mannerisms, like stuttering, nervous tics, or assertive body language, offer cues about their inner struggles and self-confidence. Scrutinizing these aspects of speech illuminates the character's true nature.

Actions that Define a Character: Brave Acts, Betrayals, Sacrifices

A character's actions, whether acts of courage, betrayal, or sacrifice, define their essence. Courageous deeds demonstrate their values and convictions. Betrayals reveal moral complexity or flaws in the persona. Sacrifices demonstrate selflessness or inner conflicts. Character analysis is the process of deducing a person's essential beliefs, their malleability, and the overarching themes of a story from their behavior.

Step 7: Symbolism and Motifs: Key Elements in How to Do a Character Analysis

Authors have always favored symbols instead of blatantly stating something about the role. "Showing, not telling" makes for compelling works, offers us commentary without being open about it, and also gives us a bit of work to unravel the symbolism each persona may carry with them.

Objects or Symbols Associated with the Character

Objects or symbols that recur throughout a character's interactions can hold deep meaning. For instance, a character's prized possession, like a family heirloom, can represent their values and connections. One of the most stunning expressions of this is the river in Huckleberry Finn as a symbol of freedom and escape from bondage. Analyzing these symbols within a paragraph or two helps unveil the character's significance in the story and their emotional attachments.

Recurring Themes or Patterns Linked to the Character

Recurring themes and patterns that revolve around a role provide a window into their role and development. These motifs can encompass elements like repeated actions, words, or situations. One of the more modern instances of this is the use of the Litany Against Fear in Frank Herbert's Dune series. By identifying and interpreting these motifs, character analysis can expose the character's personal growth, impact on others, and broader relevance to the narrative's themes and messages.

Step 8: Compare and Contrast: Enhancing Your Character Analysis Through Dynamics

The compare and contrast approach helps to make for a richer analysis, especially for college-level reports. By focusing on the characters' dynamics and their interaction with their society, we can derive particular insights into the character's mind and behaviors.

How the Character Stands Out or Blends In

Comparing the individual to others in the story can be helpful in illuminating their uniqueness. It highlights distinctive traits, values, and behaviors that set them apart or make them blend in with the narrative's world. This distinction can reveal the character's individuality or their role as a representative of a specific group or archetype.

The Significance of Character Dynamics

Exploring character dynamics—how they interact with other characters in a book or film—holds a mirror to their personality and development. Comparing these interactions can unveil power struggles, alliances, and emotional bonds. The significance of these dynamics lies in their impact on the character's evolution, their influence on the plot, and the broader thematic implications for the narrative.

Step 9: Conclude with the Overall Impact

The character's profound influence on the world, the plot, and the other personas should form the basis for your analysis's conclusion. Their place in driving the action forward should be highlighted. Moreover, the emotional impact on the reader or viewer should be emphasized, highlighting how the character's journey, personality, and interactions resonated. Whether it's admiration, empathy, or a sense of closure, examining the character's ability to evoke emotions and engage the audience adds a meaningful dimension to the character analysis, underscoring their enduring significance within the story.

Pro Tips for Stellar Character Analysis Essays

• Provide Evidence: Back your analysis with specific examples from the text or source material to support your claims. Ideally reference a certain scene if possible.
• Consider Conflicting Traits: Acknowledge contradictions or inconsistencies in the character's behavior, as these can reveal depth and complexity. A good character analysis paper example can help you to see how this is done.
• Stay Objective: Your analysis should be done from the point of view of an impassionate researcher, even if the topic is one that is close to your heart.
• Relate to Themes: Discuss how the character's traits, actions, and development relate to broader themes in the work based on your research.
• Compare and Contrast: Compare the character to others in the narrative to highlight unique qualities and relationships.
• Maintain Focus: Stay focused on the character and their impact, avoiding excessive summary of the plot or storyline.
• Don't Overthink: Sometimes, all it takes to see a character's place in a story is to examine the story around the character.

Building the Perfect Character Analysis

The steps mentioned above will give you a general idea of what your character analysis should look like. However, each character is unique, and each character review will touch on different topics, themes, and interactions. A deep character analysis not only helps you understand the character but also helps to put their struggle and conflict in perspective. To truly understand the art of good character analysis, you should try with a few characters from your favorite books. Reach out to some of the genres that you don't usually read and analyze them. With practice comes perfection.

What does it mean to analyze a character?

What is the purpose of a character analysis, how to write an essay about a character, can i analyze more than one character in an analysis essay, how do i know if i've gone deep enough in my analysis, are there any pitfalls i should avoid, how do i write a character analysis in middle school.

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• Front Psychol

The Practice of Character Strengths: Unifying Definitions, Principles, and Exploration of What’s Soaring, Emerging, and Ripe With Potential in Science and in Practice

Ryan m. niemiec.

1 VIA Institute on Character, Cincinnati, OH, United States

Ruth Pearce

2 Other, Cincinnati, OH, United States

Associated Data

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

What does it mean to be “strengths-based” or to be a “strengths-based practitioner?” These are diffuse areas that are generic and ill-defined. Part of the confusion arises from the customary default of practitioners and leaders across many cultures to label anything positive or complimentary as “strengths-based,” whether that be an approach, a theoretical orientation, an intervention, or a company. Additional muddle is created by many researchers and practitioners not making distinctions between very different categories of “strength” in human beings – strengths of character, of talent/ability, of interest/passion, of skill/competency, to name a few. To add clarity and unification across professions, we offer seven characteristics and a comprehensive definition for a character strengths-based practitioner. We center on the type of strength referred to as character strengths and explore six guiding principles for understanding character strengths (e.g., character is plural; character is being and doing) and their practical corollaries. Reflecting this foundation and based on character strengths research, our longstanding work with strengths, discussions with practitioners across the globe, and a practitioner survey asking about strength practices ( N = 113), we point out several character strengths practices or approaches we describe as soaring (e.g., explore and encourage signature strengths; practice strengths-spotting), emerging (e.g., the integration of mindfulness and character strengths), or ripe with potential (e.g., phasic strengths; the tempering effect; the towing effect). We use the same framework for describing general research domains. Some areas of research in character strengths are soaring with more than 25 studies (e.g., workplace/organizations), some are emerging with a handful of studies (e.g., health/medicine), and others are ripe with potential that have none or few studies yet opportunity looms large for integrating character science (e.g., peace/conflict studies). Using this framework, we seek to advance the exchange and collaboration between researcher and practitioner, as well as to advance the science and practice of character strengths.

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. ‐ Goethe

Introduction

Over 700 studies on the VIA Classification published in the last 10 years; over 15 million surveys administered ( VIA Institute, 2021 ); steeply increasing annual usage of the VIA Survey: all reflect a unique precedence of both scholarship and popularity around advancing the science and practice of character strengths. Despite being a young science, there is substantial scientific grounding for practitioners educating and guiding clients. At the same time, the large number of practitioners across the globe applying character strengths presents an opportunity for researchers to explore gaps in the science and practice and continue to advance the work. This is the quintessential bridge between academia’s ivory tower and the practitioner or consumer on main street; it is the dialogue between science and practice.

Myriad definitions of character strengths exist in the literature (e.g., Peterson et al., 2005 ) and a minimalist definition from the original VIA Classification text states they are the routes to the great virtues ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). A more comprehensive definition that sums up the array of cultural, practical, and scientific approaches states: Character strengths are positive personality traits that reflect our basic identity, produce positive outcomes for ourselves and others, and contribute to the collective good ( Niemiec, 2018 ). Said another way, the VIA Classification of character strengths is a consensual nomenclature ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ), a “common language” to understand what is best in human beings.

Character strengths have been studied across industries (e.g., business/organizations, education, healthcare), professions (e.g., physicians), application areas (e.g., youth, disability), areas of well-being (e.g., mental health, happiness, positive relationships), valued outcomes (e.g., achievement, stress management), and domains of life (e.g., parenting); see VIA Institute (2021) for summaries of the studies in the science of character. One would be hard-pressed to find an area in psychology that has neither some research on character strengths being discussed nor the strong potential for so doing. In part, the recent theory suggests, character strengths are relevant for the full range of human experiences – positive opportunities, as well as adversities and suffering, and the mundane in-between ( Niemiec, 2020 ). Despite the large volume of studies, there remains far more to discover about the practice of character strengths. We attempt here to highlight what we see as patterns or trends in the practice of character strengths.

As we turn to examine strengths-based practices, we intentionally loosely define practitioner as any helping professional, such as a psychologist, counselor, social worker, mentor, coach, manager, supervisor, teacher, physician, nurse, health technician, mediator, or professor. Similarly, we loosely define client as any person being helped or supported, such as a patient, counseling client, coaches, student, employee, or the general consumer. In addition, we will use the term “character strengths” to refer specifically to the 24 character strengths of the VIA Classification (which is the substantial focus of the scientific literature on strengths), while the term “strengths” will refer to the more generic frame of some kind of positive quality. Some studies do not specify the type of strength being investigated, thus, in those cases that lack clarity, we use the term “strengths.”

What Really Is a Strengths-Based Practice?

In querying thousands of practitioners in workshops across spheres of application (e.g., workplace, education, coaching, counseling) if they are a strengths-based practitioner or have a strengths-based practice, the majority answer “yes.” Then when asked to share what they mean by “strengths-based,” the range of responses is almost as varied as the number of people asked. Unfortunately, “strengths” and “strengths-based” have become so generic in their use that in many cases they have become lackluster and meaningless. This trend is only increasing. Yet, the value of strengths is significant and warrants clear definitions and characteristics of strengths-based practices.

Integration of strengths into practice has been discussed for more than two decades and spans many fields, such as social work ( Saleebey, 1996 ), counseling ( Smith, 2006 ), psychotherapy ( Rashid and Seligman, 2018 ), mindfulness ( Niemiec, 2014 ), organizations ( Cooperrider and Whitney, 2005 ), project management (Pearce), disability ( Niemiec et al., 2017 ), personal/executive coaching ( Foster and Auerbach, 2015 ), and education ( Linkins et al., 2015 ). There is not one pathway, model, or theoretical orientation for describing a strengths-based approach or one set of applications for a strengths-based practice. These are unique to each practitioner and infused into their existing approach as a helping professional. However, we believe there are unifying and relevant characteristics of strengths-based approaches applicable across professions.

A first step is to offer specificity on the type of strengths (discussed later) being examined (i.e., strengths of talent or intelligence are different from strengths of character in definition, malleability, and scope). Therefore, our focus is on character strengths. We suggest, based on a review of hundreds of studies on character strengths ( VIA Institute, 2021 ), discussions with strengths-based practitioners across the globe and our own practices with character strengths, that a practitioner taking a character strengths-based approach employs the following seven elements:

• Embodies character strength : the practitioner serves as a role model for character strengths use thus displays character strengths awareness and use as they interact and practice.
• Educates on strengths : the practitioner teaches about strengths, explains rationale and importance, corrects misconceptions (e.g., strengths are Pollyannaish or happiology; strengths involve ignoring weaknesses), and offers pathways forward for character strengths use.
• Energizes : uplifts and fuels the person out of autopilot tendencies, entrapped mental and behavioral routines, and strengths blindness ( Biswas-Diener et al., 2011 ) patterns.
• Empowers : focuses on character strengths to help people move from what’s wrong to what’s strong and/or helps them use what’s strong to overcome what’s wrong.
• Faces adversity : acknowledges problems and struggles – and when appropriate for the context/relationship, explores them but does not get lost in them, nor allows the positive to be squashed out.
• Connects : a character strengths-based approach engenders connections – helping the person become more connected with others, with the world, and particularly with themselves. This strengths connection naturally extends to the practitioner-client dyad.
• Cultivates seeds : a character strengths-based approach offers an orientation of cultivating seeds, not just plucking weeds (the negative). Rather than a prescriptive approach, the descriptive language around character strengths is prioritized to build awareness, to explore, and to help the client grow toward positive action ( Niemiec, 2014 ; Linkins et al., 2015 ).

We propose that these seven action-focused characteristics are essential for an authentic character strengths-based approach. They are central attributes of a practitioner’s mindset. Other beneficial characteristics could be named – such as being goal-oriented or holistic – however, these may not be aligned with certain professions or theoretical orientations. It’s important to understand that any approach, theoretical orientation, or model can be infused with character strengths, and the preceding characteristics can support that, from solution-focused and executive coaching protocols to cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic orientations to humanistic and social-emotional learning approaches ( Niemiec, 2018 ). As a single unifying definition for a character strengths-based approach (or a generic “strengths-based approach”), we offer the following:

A character strengths-based approach (or practice) is empowering, energizing, and connecting in which practitioners, in their own uniquely personal way and with their own orientation/approach to helping, embody and exhibit their character strengths as they educate clients on strengths and support clients in cultivating their character strengths for boosting well-being and handling adversity.

Character Strengths Principles

In order to operationalize this definition and its many elements, we next offer a framework of six core principles for strengths-based practitioners to understand and deepen their work. A related, practical corollary accompanies each principle. These are adapted from Niemiec (2018) .

Character Strengths Are Capacities

Character strengths are viewed as capacities for thinking, feeling, and behaving ( Park et al., 2004 ; Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). In practical terms, we can think creatively and fairly and have grateful and prudent thoughts; we can feel love, kindness, hope, and humility in our body; and we can behave in ways that are brave, zestful, honest, and forgiving ( Niemiec, 2018 ).

A corollary to this principle is that character strengths can be developed and improved. New research on personality traits shows that personality is more malleable than originally thought ( Blackie et al., 2014 ; Hudson and Fraley, 2015 ; Roberts et al., 2017 ), and that the change is not necessarily slow and gradual, which was another previously held assumption. Personality traits can shift for a number of reasons, including normative changes based on our genetics and predictable changes in social role (e.g., getting married, having a child), as well as nonnormative changes. Nonnormative changes include less common but deliberately chosen changes in one’s social role (e.g., joining the military) and atypical life events (e.g., going through a trauma; Borghans et al., 2008 ). In a study of the latter, the character strengths of gratitude, hope, kindness, leadership, love, spirituality, and teamwork all increased in a United States sample (but not a European sample) 2 months after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City ( Peterson and Seligman, 2003 ). Ten months later these character strengths were still elevated but to a lesser degree.

Deliberate interventions focused on improving a part of our personality such as our character strengths also affect personality change. Intervention studies show that such intentional changes can have a positive impact ( Yeager et al., 2014 ; Hudson and Fraley, 2015 ; Roberts et al., 2017 ). Practitioners can help clients tap into their character strengths capacities.

Character and Character Strengths Are Dimensional

Character strengths are expressed in degrees – we have degrees of creativity, honesty, zest, and so on. As opposed to a categorical or diagnostic approach where one has a disorder, condition, or not, these strengths are measured and expressed as “continuous traits,” in that any character strength can show up across a wide continuum of more and less ( Miller, 2013 ). For practitioners, it’s important to reflect on dimensionality so that clients are not lost in all-or-none labels and placed in the creativity box or the teamwork box or as being empty in the self-regulation or humility boxes.

A corollary is that character strengths can be overused and underused along a dimension of character strengths expression. Any of the 24 character strengths can, in a given situation, be brought forth “too much” (overuse) or “too little” (underuse) which are viewed as strengths expressions or lack thereof that has a negative impact on oneself or others ( Niemiec, 2019a ). Too much curiosity is nosiness and too little can be apathetic, while an overplay of prudence is stuffiness and an underuse of it can be reckless.

Character Is Plural

As Chris Peterson (2006) often explained, the character is plural. This means people are not simply kind or humble, brave or hopeful, or honest. Rather, people display a variation, multiplicity, and uniqueness in their character strengths profile that informs the rich tapestry of an individual’s character.

A practical corollary is that character strengths are not expressed in isolation but in combinations or constellations ( Peterson, 2006 ; Biswas-Diener et al., 2011 ; Niemiec, 2018 ). It’s likely that as situations become increasingly complex or challenging, the array of character strengths being expressed increases. For example, a person making a career transition may find themselves leaning strongly on a panoply of character strengths, whereas a person who is doing their standard job on autopilot is likely to be expressing fewer character strengths and with less intensity.

This can also be framed using the relational concept that character strengths are interdependent – they “inter-are” ( Niemiec, 2012 ), to echo the Buddhist concept of interbeing ( Nhat Hanh, 1993 ). The character strengths all relate to one another ( McGrath, 2013 ) to some degree and these interactions might enable or hinder the expression of one another ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ).

All 24 Matter

An important pursuit in the creation of the VIA Classification was that whichever character strengths and virtues were included that they be ubiquitous across people, universal to the human experience ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). Research was conducted on these strengths among people in remote cultures ( Biswas-Diener, 2006 ) and surveys across nations ( Park et al., 2006 ; McGrath, 2015 ) that support this principle. The character strengths, although varying in degrees, are part of being human.

A practical corollary to “all 24 matter” is that the importance of any given strength will vary by the situation or the intended consequence. For example, hope and zest are the character strengths found repeatedly to have the strongest links with happiness ( Park et al., 2004 ; Proctor et al., 2009 ), with some causal evidence ( Proyer et al., 2013b ). In terms of a different outcome or consequence, achievement, it’s likely that perseverance is going to matter in a significant way ( Lounsbury et al., 2009 ; Wagner et al., 2019 ). While all 24 matter, how they matter will vary by person and situation.

There Are Many Kinds of Strengths

The category of character strengths is not the only type of strength human beings express. Strengths categories can be and should be differentiated. This principle is important for the science of strengths to grow. A number of distinct types of strengths can be identified – talents (abilities or intelligences), skills (competencies), interests (passions), values, and resources.

Talents are hardwired abilities that encompass what we do naturally well; the multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner (1983) represents one set of examples. Skills develop through learning and practice, such as job skill-building with computer programming or presentation skill development or personal skill development around anger management or diversity skills training. The strength category of interests reflects our passions in life, those activities we are drawn to especially during leisure time; such as sport, art, and music. Resources are a strength category that is external to us; examples include having supportive friends, living in a safe neighborhood, and belonging to a spiritual community. Values are what we internally hold dear and reside in our thoughts and feelings; they say nothing about the action we actually take. A value for hard work does not equate to putting that value into action without turning to character strengths of perseverance and zest to transform value into behavior.

A corollary to this principle, we hypothesize, is that character strengths are the central mechanisms that allow these other strength categories to operate. For example, if someone has a talent for playing the guitar, they need to invest in ~10,000 h of deliberate practice over a 10 years period ( Ericsson and Ward, 2007 ) to really develop that talent/intelligence; this requires depths of perseverance, self-regulation, hope, prudence, creativity, and other character strengths to maximize that talent. In this way, character strengths are the driving force for other types of strengths ( Niemiec, 2018 ).

Character Is Being and Doing

The work of character strengths involves being and doing. For “being,” character strengths reflect our identity, self-understanding, and supporting people to be themselves. For “doing,” character strengths are expressed in behaviors/actions. There is support for both approaches in the literature: Research on signature strengths reflects identity – “being” true to one’s best qualities (e.g., Seligman et al., 2005 ). As researcher Rhett Diessner observed: “Traits are ontologically closer to the core of human being than is thinking or reasoning” ( Diessner et al., 2009 , p. 255). At the same time, there is an abundance of research linking character strengths and different types of action and outcomes – which can be viewed as our “doing” – putting one’s best qualities into action (e.g., Gander et al., 2013 ). A practical corollary is a connection with the overarching self-development goals of authenticity and goodness ( Niemiec, 2014 ). Individuals aspiring to be more authentic in life may focus on the “character is being” element (i.e., being authentic), while those striving to do more good in the world may resonate with the “character is doing” element (i.e., doing good).

The Practice of Character Strengths: Soaring, Emerging, or Ripe with Potential?

To build off the preceding principles and elements and definition of a strengths-based approach, and to further our hypotheses and experiences with character strengths-based practice, we administered a second section, 22 question survey using the Survey Monkey platform. The first section asked participants to rate themselves on each of the criteria of the “Checklist for Strengths-Based Practitioners” in Niemiec (2018 ; results are discussed in Table 1 ). The second section of the survey asked a number of questions about character strengths use in practice (results are discussed in Table 2 ). To recruit participants, we targeted audiences likely to be practitioners familiar with character strengths, including a robust Facebook group dedicated to character strengths knowledge and use, a personal invitation during a large, weekly, international, online community event dedicated to the topic of character strengths, and through the second author’s LinkedIn profile. The survey was open for 2 weeks in May 2020. A total of 113 individuals responded to the first section of the survey and 106 individuals completed both sections. Of the 113 respondents, 62 self-identified as therapists, counselors, or coaches. The remainder represented teachers, managers, and other professionals with some aspect of a helping role.

Results from section 1 of the practitioner survey ( N = 113). Each item from the Character Strengths Practitioner checklist in Niemiec (2018) is shown, including those not asked (noted with N/A).

Frequency of responses to character strengths-based questions ( N = 106).

The instructions offered to participants were minimal, focusing on the purpose of the survey as an informal gathering of information; and that the intended use of the results was to explore, in aggregate, how character strengths practices are emerging. Participants were not required to provide a name or e-mail although most did. Due to the mostly “character strengths” context mentioned, it is likely that participants were responding to the strengths-oriented questions with a mindset focused on “character strengths,” however, we did not specifically ask participants which type of strengths (e.g., character strengths, talents, skills, interests, etc.) they used in practice nor did we define these terms, therefore we cannot be certain participants were responding to questions with the 24 character strengths of the VIA Classification in mind. Our intention with the survey was to gather general impressions of practitioners’ experiences with character strengths and to begin to understand potential trends in the utilization of character strengths-based practices with clients and in personal growth. Table 2 shows the questions we asked in part two (with forced-choice format as noted) and the results in percentages.

The survey results reveal the use of character strengths practices to be relatively high, with 60% describing their use as always or frequently. About one-third (34%) view character strengths as foundational to their strengths-based practice while 37% view character strengths as a supplemental approach or adjunctive technique to their work. A small percentage (14%) of practitioners takes a formal approach in mapping out their strengths interventions with clients. This might reflect how character strengths practices are new and/or amorphous for many practitioners who perhaps do not feel equipped to map out formal structured approaches.

A general impression from these results is that character strengths continue to gain traction yet there is substantial opportunity for expansion and deepening: becoming more knowledgeable about the range of practices, and more routine and nuanced with the work. That said, this survey should not be viewed as a reflection of any field or profession as a whole as it was intentionally targeted narrowly – toward those who identify as engaging in strengths-based practices (and most likely, character strengths-based practices in particular). We imagine a normative survey of a particular practitioner profession would yield lower percentages in terms of character strengths engagement and application.

The following three subsections discuss the practice (“the how”) of character strengths, using a framework of what’s soaring, what’s emerging, and what’s ripe with potential. The purpose of these descriptive labels is to illuminate a range of practices, highlight strong areas, and offer concrete practices for practitioners to consider and for researchers to examine. They are based on an amalgamation of our experiences in practice, educating, and consulting, and conversations with strengths-based practitioners across the globe over a 10-year period, research on strengths practices and character strengths interventions, and the aforementioned survey. Of these, the greatest weight is given to the science of character strengths, followed by our experiences and our discussions with leading practitioners.

Soaring refers to practices that are popular and appear to be well-established among practitioners who work with character strengths. These approaches are research-based and/or solidly grounded conceptually. A soaring practice does not mean it is a foregone conclusion that the activity or approach will be successful for clients, nor that there is a mountain of research. In all cases, the science of character strengths is in need of deeper examination of the many nuances, dynamics, and applications. In some cases, soaring practices are those in which the practice of character strengths precedes the development of an extensive science of character strengths.

Emerging refers to practices that are increasing in popularity among practitioners familiar with character strengths. In such cases, the science is unfolding and does not reach the soaring point because either the science is too sparse or it’s not a tip-of-the-tongue approach for practitioners.

Ripe with potential refers to practices that have substantial promise and could be explored and developed for client benefit. These need scientific investigation. All are practices that strike a chord with practitioners and are being deployed with clients on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, the science might be ahead of the practice in that there is a strong scientific backing for the underlying philosophy/approach outside of the strengths field, however, practitioners are not aware of it or routinely using it.

These three categories – soaring, emerging, and ripe with potential – are not a ranking of priorities in practice nor do they represent a hierarchy of approaches.

Soaring Practices

Prioritize strengths over deficits.

Due to an entrenched negativity bias coupled with consistent research that bad is stronger than good ( Baumeister et al., 2001 ), it is a paradigm shift for practitioners to teach their clients to look for strengths and to reframe struggles. The degree to which practitioners educate on this – and consistently prioritize strengths – varies significantly but it is becoming more common. Numerous studies have found a strengths-focused approach to be superior to a deficit-focused approach. For example, focusing on strengths prior to student exams boosted optimism and buffered negative emotions, distress, and the decline of well-being compared to focusing on weaknesses ( Dolev-Amit et al., 2020 ). Other studies comparing strengths with weaknesses have revealed benefits for the former group for clinical depression outcomes ( Cheavens et al., 2012 ), for personal growth outcomes ( Meyers et al., 2015 ), and for perceived competence and intrinsic motivation ( Hiemstra and Van Yperen, 2015 ). While this does not imply a unilateral superiority of a strengths-focus, nor is it a rationale to ignore deficits, it clearly encourages and challenges practitioners to question their existing deficit-laden approach.

In our practitioner survey, the majority (84%) of respondents said that they assess and explore what is best in the person at least half the time; only 8% said they rarely or never do this. This leads us to the next soaring practice.

Use the VIA Survey

The VIA Survey (also referred to as the VIA Inventory of Strengths) is a psychometrically valid tool used to assess the 24 character strengths. It has undergone extensive revisions over the years based on published analyses ( McGrath and Wallace, 2019 ), as well as a technical manual for development and psychometrics on its various versions ( McGrath, 2017 ). Researchers utilize short forms, virtue measures, reverse-scored items, and direct measures of signature strengths ( McGrath and Wallace, 2019 ). Practitioners use the VIA Survey to start strengths conversations with clients, to build strengths awareness, to combat strengths blindness, to overcome client preoccupation with weaknesses/flaws, to enrich exploration of problems, and to catalyze interventions that foster client goals.

With over 15 million surveys administered and a steady increase each of the last 5 years, the popularity of the measure is clear. Its use in university positive psychology and well-being courses for students is commonplace and is strongly inclining in organizational/business and educational settings and counseling clinics. In our practitioner survey, practitioners administered the VIA Survey to each of their clients by the first meeting less than half the time (see Table 1 for the items and average scores for this practice and for several other practices we assessed using the “Checklist for Strengths-Based Practitioners” in Niemiec, 2018 ). The number of practitioners who administer the VIA Survey in later sessions is unknown.

Explore and Encourage Signature Strengths

Signature strengths are those character strengths highest in an individual’s VIA Survey results and are defined as involving the three E’s – character strengths that are essential or best reflect who the person is at their core; energizing in that expressing the strength is uplifting and elicits an increase in energy levels; and effortless in that the expression is easy and natural ( Niemiec and McGrath, 2019 ).

Despite only having a few sentences in the 800-page VIA Classification text that introduced this consensual nomenclature ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ), the concept, research, and practice of signature strengths has received substantial attention, especially in the science of positive psychology. A meta-analysis was published on the intervention, use a signature strength in a new way ( Schutte and Malouff, 2019 ), which involves subjects identifying one of their highest strengths from their VIA Survey results and then using that signature strength in a new way each day, typically for 1 week. The meta-analysis found that in randomized controlled studies, this intervention boosted happiness, flourishing and strengths use, and decreased depression. The practical way this intervention is framed in studies makes it easy for practitioners to apply it with clients.

In the practitioner survey, 58% said they self-reflect on signature strengths, that they use their own signature strengths during sessions/meetings about 63% of the time, and they prime themselves to their client’s signature strengths before meetings ( Fluckiger et al., 2009 ) ~45% of the time.

Engage in Strengths-Spotting

Operationalized as the SEA model ( Niemiec, 2018 ), the steps of character strengths-spotting involve the practitioner spotting/labeling the strengths they see in action, explaining with rational/behavioral evidence how they saw the strengths expressed, and offering appreciation – pointing out the perceived value of the strength from a perspective of emotionality, meaning, linkage with goals/outcomes.

The spotting of character strengths in oneself or others is easy to hold as an assumption that it’s useful and practical and neglect its scientific investigation. In addition, many character strengths intervention studies embed strengths-spotting in the intervention in that the subjects identify their top strengths from a list, use their top five strengths on the VIA Survey, or consider a strength they value and want to expand upon and thereby the aspect of character strengths-spotting is not examined separately. That said, a couple of recent studies have looked at strengths-spotting itself and found benefits relating to positive affect, classroom engagement, and need satisfaction ( Quinlan et al., 2019 ); and in an analysis of behaviors associated with strengths-spotted (written about), a variety of valued outcomes were found including empathy, spontaneous affection, helpfulness, friendship, letting go, and speaking positively ( Haslip et al., 2019 ).

While practitioners might not use character strengths-spotting in every meeting, we view this as a soaring approach that has taken hold. In many cases, it is the first step practitioners use when sharing about character strengths with clients or encouraging them to take action. More than half (52%) of the practitioners surveyed use at least one type of strengths-spotting intervention with clients.

Draw the Well-Being/Happiness Link With Character Strengths

One of the character strengths outcomes most investigated has been well-being, in which various measures of flourishing and related concepts such as thriving, life satisfaction, emotional happiness, and elements of flourishing (e.g., positive relationships, accomplishment, meaning) have been positively correlated with character strengths. From early studies ( Peterson et al., 2005 ), to recent studies ( Wagner et al., 2019 ), to cross-cultural work ( Shimai et al., 2006 ), to direct causal work ( Proyer et al., 2013a ) and multiple intervention studies (e.g., Gander et al., 2013 ), the alignment of well-being and/or happiness indicators and character strengths is one of the most consistent positive findings in the field of positive psychology.

While broad character strengths work can increase one’s well-being and decrease ill-being, many practitioners narrow in on what some researchers have dubbed “the happiness strengths” ( Littman-Ovadia et al., 2016 ). So-named because of their consistent link with happiness across several studies, cultures, and populations (e.g., Park et al., 2004 ), the five strengths are zest, hope, love, gratitude, and curiosity. Many practitioners appreciate the single-intervention simplicity and straightforward approach of targeting one of these character strengths in clients. Niemiec (2018) offers evidence-based interventions for each, referred to as activate your zest, best possible self, loving-kindness meditation with strengths, gratitude letter/visit, and boosting curiosity through novelty. Caveats accompany this approach such as that there are many ways to happiness through strengths (not just targeting one or more of these five); that if a client is not high in them it does not mean they cannot boost happiness; and that being high in them is not a happiness guarantee.

Emerging Practices

Draw the adversity/resilience link with character strengths.

While we’d like to say this is soaring in popularity, it is clear practitioners focusing on character strengths in the first couple decades of the VIA Classification have veered toward well-being, sometimes exclusively when discussing strengths. Theories have been developed that character strengths are at the core of both positivity/opportunity and adversity/suffering. Numerous character strengths functions on the adversity/suffering side include the buffering, reappraisal, and resilience functions ( Niemiec, 2020 ). There are studies looking at character strengths across various forms of adversity, such as stress ( Harzer and Ruch, 2015 ), war and terrorism ( Shoshani and Slone, 2016 ), natural disaster ( Duan and Guo, 2015 ), at-risk/vulnerable populations ( Duan and Wang, 2018 ), traumatic brain injury ( Andrewes et al., 2014 ), suicidal inpatients ( Huffman et al., 2014 ), psychopathology ( Freidlin et al., 2017 ), addictions ( Logan et al., 2010 ), aggression ( Park and Peterson, 2008 ), and intellectual/developmental disability ( Niemiec et al., 2017 ). Several of these studies support and discuss character strengths resilience; one study in particular found character strengths predict resilience over different positive phenomena such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, positive affect, social support, optimism, and life satisfaction ( Martínez-Martí and Ruch, 2016 ). Niemiec (2020) documents studies linking each of the 24 character strengths with resilience.

When Possible in Practice, Default on the Science

This approach involves having and integrating a solid grounding in character strengths science when introducing character strengths to a client. This foundation extends to practitioners favoring a mindset that they first turn to the scientific findings on character strengths when offering an intervention. In many instances, we have observed well-intentioned practitioners make something up and then link it back to “positive psychology research” explaining the activity as “based on evidence.” In this emerging scientific field, we suggest a more conservative approach: start with the science and then allow the practice to unfold from there. For example, start with intervention studies that have found using signature strengths to be superior to controls; use that as the practical strategy. If that is not an optimal avenue for your client, you might then turn to theoretical articles, correlation studies, or one activity within an evidence-based program. To flesh out this approach, Niemiec (2018) offered seven, non-sequential categories to guide practitioners in applying strengths, based on evidence; these were later discussed in Ruch et al. (2020) as pathways to justify a strengths-based intervention. A summary of these can be found in Table 3 .

Research-based framework to guide practitioners in applying character strengths.

Overuse, Underuse, and Optimal Use of Character Strengths

An exciting area for practitioners is examining character strengths overuse and underuse. New empirical work using the Overuse, Underuse, and Optimal-Use of Character Strengths Survey ( Freidlin et al., 2017 ) has begun to discover overuse/underuse patterns related to diagnostic conditions, such as for social anxiety disorder ( Freidlin et al., 2017 ) and obsessive-compulsive disorder ( Littman-Ovadia and Freidlin, 2019 ). Central arguments, theory, concepts, research, practical strategies, and language for overuse and underuse have been articulated ( Niemiec, 2019a ).

Practitioners help clients identify the character strengths that are out of balance in challenging situations and relationship conflicts and discuss client strategies for finding balance – or to arrive at the golden mean for a particular situation – the right combination of strengths, expressed with the right intensity, and in the right situation. That said, there are currently no intervention studies that have tested the overuse of character strengths, which indicates that this intriguing dynamic has much to be explored.

The Integration of Mindfulness and Character Strengths

The integration of these popular areas is of significant interest to practitioners. The weaving of character strengths to improve meditation and mindful living practices is referred to as “strong mindfulness” ( Niemiec et al., 2012 ) while the using of mindfulness and mindful living to bring balance, savvy, and enhancement to character strengths is referred to as “mindful strengths use” ( Niemiec, 2012 ). The 8-week program that guides participants through the boosting and integration of each is called mindfulness-based strengths practice (MBSP; Niemiec, 2014 ). Several theoretical, applied, and intervention studies offer a good evidence-base for MBSP. Intervention studies have shown benefits for well-being, engagement, meaning, health, and student retention ( Wingert et al., 2020 ). Additional studies have found MBSP to be superior to the most widespread mindfulness program [mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)] for boosting work task performance, workplace satisfaction, and the strength of humor ( Hofmann et al., 2019 ; Pang and Ruch, 2019a ).

In the practitioner survey, the integration of mindfulness and character strengths was more common in personal practice than in application with clients.

Use the Character Strengths Model: Aware, Explore, Apply

The most straightforward character strengths process is the three-phase model, Aware-Explore-Apply ( Niemiec, 2014 ) which entails: first, raising awareness of a character strength the client was previously unaware of or had limited use of; next, co-exploring the character strength with questions, activities, reflections, and challenges; and finally, moving into the application as the client chooses concrete goals and next steps for putting the character strength into action. These phases have been studied and revealed positive results, including a boost to thrive and decrease in negative emotions ( Bu and Duan, 2018 ) and increases in strengths use and well-being ( Dubreuil et al., 2016 ). This model can be applied in any field in which working on character strengths is part of the focus.

Keep a Personal Character Strengths Practice

As with teaching other practices, it’s important the practitioner first applies the practice to themselves (e.g., for mindfulness, see Dunn et al., 2012 ). This facilitates the “know thyself” and “practice what you preach” adages common in areas of self-development, and it enhances the understanding, depth, and facility when later working with a client’s character strengths. There are many ways to set up a practice with character strengths (which can, in turn, be taught to clients). Four main practice pathways from Niemiec (2018) include:

• Formal : having a regular practice with strengths, often the same time each day or week, e.g., practicing gratitude every evening by counting three good things that happened at the end of each day; or having a strengths appreciation conversation with one’s relationship partner every Sunday morning.
• Informal : using character strengths when needed such as at times of stress, e.g., when one’s body feels tight from stress, one pauses to breathe and consider which of their character strengths they could immediately bring forward.
• In-the-moment : looking to daily routines and areas of life taken for granted for character strengths to be discovered, e.g., while reflecting/journaling, a person realizes they have already been using their appreciation of beauty, prudence, and curiosity as they take their dog for a walk.
• Cued : use of the external environment to cue or remind the individual to use their character strengths, e.g., the individual arranges that every time they hear a bell in their environment, they will pause and consider how they can use one of their signature strengths.

Target Specific Strengths

A number of strength practitioners focus on one particular character strength in their practice with clients (37%). There is an extensive literature on each of the 24 strengths ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ) so focusing on a specific character strength can have a scientific foundation. The practitioner should be familiar with intervention studies supporting the targeted strength, such as for the strength of hope, being familiar with interventions such as teaching clients about agency and pathways thinking ( Snyder, 2000 ). This is an emerging approach that offers practitioners a simple inroad into helping clients, although it’s important to point out it can be narrow and limiting if one or two-character strengths are the sole focus or the only tools in the practitioner’s armamentarium.

Ripe with Potential Practices

These are areas that are strong conceptually yet empirical research is scant. In workshops and trainings for practitioners, these are usually received with significant enthusiasm and curiosity. Several of these areas reflect character strengths dynamics. This is not an exhaustive list and is meant to offer initial ideas for researchers to investigate and for practitioners to work with and offer observations to researchers. Further exploration and examples for each can be found in Niemiec (2018) .

Phasic Strengths

These are strengths of an individual that are not signature strengths, yet the individual brings forth the strength strongly when the situation calls for it ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). A person who’s not high in zest might bring forth significant energy and enthusiasm when presenting to students. Despite being discussed in the original text of the VIA Classification, including a tentative measurement tool called the Rise to the Occasion Inventory ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ), we are not aware of any empirical studies assessing or examining phasic strengths. Some observations have been made about these strengths as situational strengths ( Escandón et al., 2016 ), and some conceptualizing has been done on phasic strengths and stress ( Niemiec, 2019b ). This is where the practice runs ahead of the research as practitioners ask clients about phasic strengths and explore situations in which clients rise to the occasion with character strengths at uncertain and challenging times.

Hot-Buttons

Hot buttons are sensitive areas in which another person’s perceived strengths overuse or underuse triggers discomfort/frustration in the observer. This might stem from the observer’s own character strength beliefs, preferences, or expectations. Hypothetically, the observer’s character strength has been affronted or offended in a way that feels personal and deliberate. This area is ripe for research investigation and for practitioners to explore relational conflicts and troubling interactions clients have.

Receiving Character Strengths

Most of the research and practice on character strengths has focused on inwardly and outwardly expressing one’s character strengths. What about how the character strength is received by the other? First introduced as a character strength name, the “capacity to love and be loved,” Peterson and Seligman (2004) may not have realized they were touching upon an interesting strength dynamic. Pileggi Pawelski and Pawelski (2018) advanced this dynamic by highlighting how gratitude is given and received in couples. We argue that all 24 character strengths have this characteristic, however, research on the topic is sparse. Observationally, how a relationship partner receives humor from their partner’s frequent use of humor might dictate whether the relationship will deepen or be constrained. The expression of forgiveness by someone can be herculean in terms of the emotional toll and therefore how the forgiveness is received by the other can be an important factor in the giver’s healing.

Character Strengths Collisions

A character strengths collision can occur intrapersonally or interpersonally and refers to the dynamic when two character strengths are opposed to one another and are eliciting an internal or external tension/conflict.

Character Strengths Synergies

These are win-win situations in which the character strengths of two or more people combine and are greater than the sum of the parts. Synergies can also occur internally with character strengths expressed together to a positive effect.

The Tempering Effect and Towing Effect

Described in the context of overuse and underuse of character strengths in Niemiec (2019a) , these dynamics occur when one character strength is used to bring balance to another character strength. The tempering effect refers to the use of character strength to help manage a higher strength, for example, using self-regulation to temper one’s curious questioning. The towing effect refers to the use of a higher character strength (e.g., signature strength) to boost or tow-along a lower character strength, for example, the use of one’s top strength of the love of learning to read about and explore new knowledge about how to use one’s lower strength of humility.

The Research on Character Strengths: Soaring, Emerging, or Ripe with Potential?

We use the same framework – soaring, emerging, ripe with potential – for the current status of the research on character strengths. The first author has been tracking the science of character for more than a decade and an exhaustive summarized list of over 700 studies can be found categorized on the VIA Institute website ( VIA Institute, 2021 ). Note that this number does not include the thousands of studies that have amassed on particular character strengths (e.g., creativity, hope, leadership, love), rather it represents studies using a VIA Survey assessment measure (there are 17 validated measures available to any researcher), the VIA Classification, or clusters of specific character strengths (e.g., studies of the character strengths under the transcendence virtue, Huta and Hawley, 2010 ).

As opposed to an exhaustive list of research areas or domains that are soaring, emerging, or ripe with potential, we selected a handful of examples of domain areas for each of the three categories. These examples are offered to catalyze researchers to build off of what is soaring or emerging or to consider pursuing areas that would benefit from growth.

Soaring Research Domains

To be an area of research that is soaring, we considered domain areas that have at least 25 studies that explored the science of character in that domain. The domains of work/organizations and education meet this criterion (see VIA Institute, 2021 ). While still neophyte character strength domains, these areas have examined situations within their respective domain, replicated findings, offered basic and applied research, and deployed a number of character strengths concepts for further research and practice. While we frame these as “soaring,” we want to highlight the observation that there is far more that we do not know about the application of character strengths in work and education than we do know. That said, a strong foundation is being built for not only researchers but also practitioners to explore and advance.

The workplace has been the most thriving domain in the study of character strengths as character strengths relate to a number of positive and ambitious workplace behaviors ( Gander et al., 2012 ). A range of strengths-related outcomes include job performance ( Harzer and Ruch, 2014 ), job satisfaction, work engagement, and work well-being ( Miglianico et al., 2019 ), improved workplace climate ( van Woerkom and Meyers, 2014 ), employee levels of self-efficacy and proactive behavior ( van Woerkom et al., 2016 ), and improved coping with stress at work ( Harzer and Ruch, 2015 ), to name a few. The importance to both managers and employees of character strengths awareness, alignment with work tasks, and appreciation among colleagues is substantial ( Mayerson, 2015 ).

Novel findings with employees’ top strengths have been conducted and found that signature strengths are connected with positive work experiences, irrespective of which character strengths of the 24 are highest ( Harzer and Ruch, 2013 ). Another study found that workers who used four or more of their signature strengths at work had more positive work experiences and work-as-a-calling than those who used less than four signature strengths ( Harzer and Ruch, 2012 ). A study with work supervisors support found that employees who received supervisor support around character strengths (but not colleague support) increased their character strengths use the following day ( Lavy et al., 2016 ). Different subset categories of character strengths (e.g., lower strengths, happiness strengths) have been examined in the workplace with interesting results. For example, Littman-Ovadia et al. (2016) found that the subsets of signature, lower, and happiness strengths were each associated with positive outcomes, but for work performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and (less) counterproductive work behavior, signature strengths contributed most while for work meaning, engagement, and satisfaction, the happiness strengths contributed most.

The second soaring domain in the science of character strengths is education. Positive education examines character strengths patterns and interventions in children and adolescents within and outside of the school context. Character strengths have been articulated as central to the educational experience of young people and a number of practices for the classroom setting have been discussed ( Linkins et al., 2015 ; Darwish and Niemiec, 2021 ). Character strengths have been outlined as central for boosting 21st-century competencies relating to cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal competencies as identified by the American National Research Council ( Lavy, 2019 ). In addition, systems thinking and systems-wide implementation of character strengths are crucial for this domain ( Darwish and Niemiec, 2021 ).

A wide range of positive classroom outcomes have been found such as positive affect, negative affect, and school achievement ( Weber et al., 2016 ), well-being ( Oppenheimer et al., 2014 ), strengths use, class cohesion, relatedness, and less class friction ( Quinlan et al., 2014 ), as well as social relationships, school performance, and academic motivation ( Grinhauz and Castro Solano, 2014 ).

Intervention studies of programs from different parts of the world have shown positive findings. In the United Kingdom, a study evaluated the impact of a character strengths program on adolescents and found that adolescents who participated in the character strengths exercises had significantly higher life satisfaction than adolescents who did not participate ( Proctor et al., 2011 ). In a Chinese educational context, a strengths training intervention was found to be effective in boosting life satisfaction in the short‐ and long-run ( Duan et al., 2013 ). Some positive education programs which have character strengths as core to the program have found increases in academic scores, social skills, and students’ enjoyment and engagement in school, as well as improve character strengths such as curiosity, love of learning, and creativity ( Seligman et al., 2009 ). In New Zealand, a strengths-spotting intervention of teachers found benefits for improving student outcomes which were explained by better classroom engagement, positive affect, and needs satisfaction ( Quinlan et al., 2019 ). In India, randomized controlled trials involving thousands of girls in poverty found that those who received a curriculum which incorporated character strengths (i.e., identification and use of signature strengths and concrete examples of using other strengths) exhibited significantly greater physical health and psychosocial health benefits in comparison to those girls who received a similar curriculum which did not include character strengths and girls who did not receive any curriculum at all (controls; Leventhal et al., 2016 ). In Australia, while not an intervention study, the integration of character strengths knowledge and activities into an entire school revealed a number of benefits for teachers and students and is documented in White and Waters (2014) .

Emerging Research Domains

For the category of emerging domains, we identified domains with at least 10 peer-reviewed/scholarly articles on character strengths in the domain and were published recently (within the last 5 years) indicating a spike of interest. This points to a new literature beginning to emerge, perhaps reflecting enthusiasm from research groups and scholars claiming an interest in the area. We discuss two domains: health/medicine and mindfulness.

Character strengths have been examined across various dimensions of physical health, including healthy eating, physical fitness, personal hygiene, substance avoidance, and living an active way of life, finding some character strengths more relevant in each area ( Proyer et al., 2013a ). A randomized controlled trial with seriously ill children found that a “granting a wish” intervention reduced nausea and increased life satisfaction, positive emotions, and strengths, compared to a control group ( Chaves et al., 2016 ). Niemiec and Yarova (2019) reviewed the implication of character strengths integration for health across three levels – the individual, the healthcare provider, and the system.

Intervention studies have brought character strengths in as one piece of a healthcare program and received positive feedback from patients as some of the most impactful elements. For example, patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome benefitted from an 8-week phone intervention which included identification and use of a signature strength ( Huffman et al., 2016 ). A number of significant findings surround the integration of character strengths with physicians ( Strecker et al., 2019 ), including the connections with physician work engagement and well-being ( Huber et al., 2019 ), and the mutual impact of signature strengths applications and perceived hospital climate ( Höge et al., 2019 ).

The integration of mindfulness and character strengths was mentioned earlier as an emerging practice. The research has received similar support with ~20 publications since the development of the first positive psychology program to integrate mindfulness with positive qualities in a systematic way – MBSP ( Niemiec, 2014 ). MBSP has received theoretical support for its two-way, mutual integration ( Pang and Ruch, 2019b ) and there are several intervention studies with positive findings (e.g., Wingert et al., 2020 ). A wide range of application areas have been explored with MBSP (e.g., Bretherton and Niemiec, 2020 ), for example, supervision ( Sharp and Rhinehart, 2018 ), early childhood development ( Lottman et al., 2017 ), meaning in life ( Littman-Ovadia and Niemiec, 2017 ), and intellectual/developmental disability ( Shogren et al., 2017 ).

Additional areas that meet or nearly meet the criteria for emerging research domains with character strengths include military, positive psychotherapy, positive parenting, intellectual/developmental disability, workplace/team roles, overuse/underuse/optimal-use, stress management, and positive relationships.

Ripe With Potential Research

For the ripe with potential domain, we selected areas in the science of character strengths that have between zero and three studies and the potential contribution of character strengths is robust and synergistic. We highlight three areas that are ripe for character strengths integration: spirituality, environment/nature connection, and peace/conflict studies. Each has seedlings emerging yet is wide open for extensive scientific investigation and eventually best practices.

The integration of spirituality and character strengths has been piecemeal with spirituality links to particular character strengths such as forgiveness, gratitude, humility, and love. The mutual synergy informed by the latest character strengths concepts, hundreds of studies in character science, character strengths interventions, and new research in spirituality has been largely unexplored. Niemiec et al. (2020) approached these areas by laying out a map of the six existing levels of integration for spirituality within the VIA Classification, and offered models for exploring this integration in the context of the psycho-spiritual journey toward wholeness. They offer two theoretical pathways by which character strengths and spirituality integrate and mutually benefit one another – the grounding path (where strengths offer tangibility and thereby deepen spirituality) and the sanctification path (where spirituality can elevate character strengths) and expound on several integration practices for each pathway that are grounded in science. Another article ( Littman-Ovadia and David, 2020 , this issue) shares how character strengths contribute to non-dual spirituality. Future studies might examine these pathways of integration and the practices therein.

The area of environment/nature connection also represents significant potential for the importance of character strengths. Considering the wide-ranging benefits of character strengths applications, it would seem reasonable to believe there would be a contribution to both pro-environmental behaviors and nature connectedness. One study showed character strengths were connected with sustainable behaviors, defined as actions intended to protect the socio-physical resources of the planet ( Corral-Verdugo et al., 2015 ). Another study examined psychological barriers to environmental self-efficacy and found certain character strengths were strongly related (e.g., zest and leadership) and others were related but less strongly (e.g., kindness, humility, prudence, fairness, and forgiveness; Moeller and Stahlmann, 2019 ). Work on the integration of MBSP and nature connectedness/pro-environmental behaviors is in the beginning stages.

Peace studies (or peace/conflict studies) is the area that surprises us most that there has not been extensive research integrating character strengths to date. Cohrs et al. (2013) offered ways in which positive psychology contributes to peace and point out that character strengths offer strategies for inner peace and peace of mind and might contribute to peace, nonviolence, reduced reactivity, and building a global resilience.

In the literature on peace, a common distinction is made between positive peace and negative peace, where positive peace refers to the creation or building up of harmony and equity while negative peace refers to the decrease or elimination of violence, war, and human conflict ( Christie et al., 2008 ; Neto and Marujo, 2017 ). In addition, there are many types of peace including inner/personal peace, relational peace, intragroup peace, intergroup peace, and international peace. Character strengths would seemingly have a significant place in positive and negative peace across each of these levels. The first author has begun an investigation of the role of character strengths with these levels.

Additional areas we believe are ripe with potential include social/racial justice, positive leadership, addictions and psychopathology, and sport/performance psychology.

The science of well-being, or science of positive psychology, was conceived as a bridge between academic scholarship, practical wisdom, and applied psychology/self-development. It is enveloped with many scholars, researchers, and practitioners eager to advance the field. One of the challenges is the siloed nature of the work. One of our aims with this paper has been to catalyze dialogue for scientists and practitioners by offering definitions, principles, and trending areas to unify disparate scientists and practitioners and spur collaborations.

We suggest the need for more seminal thought leadership papers and basic research in the areas mentioned as ripe with potential, and for researchers to take the next steps in examining the areas in the soaring and emerging domains. From a big-picture vantage point, the work in all these areas is only beginning; there are many nuances and challenges to untangle and discover in advancing the science of character strengths ( Ruch et al., 2020 ).

We encourage practitioners to deepen their study of the principles of character strengths outlined and consistently engage in research-based practices with character strengths, which includes using the science as the default, having your own personal practice with character strengths, and taking action with practices such as strengths-spotting, signature strengths exploration, integration with mindfulness, and adhering to character strengths models such as aware-explore-apply.

We have found – and as noted here the science supports this – character strengths play a substantial role for both the boosting of well-being and the handling of adversity. Each is mountainous areas for researchers and trained practitioners to continue exploring in the pursuit of understanding and benefiting the human condition.

Data Availability Statement

Ethics statement.

Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. Written informed consent for participation was not required for this study in accordance with the national legislation and the institutional requirements.

Author Contributions

RN researched, drafted, and revised the paper. RP lead the practitioner survey discussed and revised the paper. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Start Writing a Character Analysis Essay with Us

Characters are the cornerstones of stories in the broad world of literature; they are individuals with unique intricacies, motivations, and travels. But taking characters at their value only goes so far in revealing their significance. Exploring character analysis in depth reveals a wealth of knowledge that enhances reading and promotes a comprehensive comprehension of the story’s overall structure. In this article, we set out to discover the fundamentals of a character analysis essay , delving into its definition, significance, and constituent parts.

Understand Character Analysis Essay

What is a character analysis essay? Character analysis is a critical process that involves examining the traits, motivations, and development of characters in a literary work. It goes beyond mere observation, requiring readers to delve into the intricacies of characters’ personalities, actions, and relationships. Characters serve as conduits through which readers explore the depths of human nature, embodying universal themes and aspects of behavior. 

Characters analysis offers profound insights into the human condition and enhances comprehension by enabling readers to grasp the underlying messages, themes, and conflicts within a story. Character analysis fosters critical thinking by encouraging readers to interpret evidence, form connections, and form informed opinions about the text.

Key components of the character analysis essay include personality traits, character development, motivations and goals, relationships, and symbolism and archetypes. Personality traits provide insights into the character’s strengths, weaknesses, virtues, and flaws, while character development examines how the character evolves and changes throughout the story. Understanding these components enhances the reading experience and instills a deeper appreciation for the artistry of storytelling. 

Selecting the Character

What is a character analysis selection process? Selecting a character for analysis is crucial for crafting a compelling and insightful essay about a character . Some tips to guide in choosing the most suitable character include considering their significance, complexity, contrasts, personal interest, availability of textual evidence, and relevance.

Choosing a character integral to the plot is essential for conducting a meaningful character analysis essay that sheds light on the central themes and conflicts of the story. Characters are the driving force behind the plot, shaping events and conflicts that unfold within the story. Analyzing a character central to the plot allows for a deeper understanding of the story’s progression and thematic significance. They often embody the central themes and motifs of the narrative, allowing readers to uncover deeper layers of symbolism embedded within the text.

Analyzing a character central to the plot provides context for understanding the motivations, conflicts, and relationships that drive the narrative forward. Characters who play pivotal roles in the plot are often more compelling and memorable to readers, engaging them deeper and encouraging deeper engagement with the text.

Analyzing a character that resonates with the writer on a personal level can greatly enhance the depth and authenticity of the analysis. The benefits of choosing a character that resonates with the writer include emotional investment, empathy and understanding, authenticity, and insightful reflection.

Emotional investment allows for a deeper level of engagement with the text, fueling the passion for the analysis and inspiring insightful observations. Empathy and understanding enable readers to empathize with the character’s experiences, motivations, and struggles, leading to a more nuanced analysis. 

Authenticity lends authenticity to the analysis, as it reflects genuine thoughts and feelings about the character. Insightful reflection prompts insights into one’s own experiences, beliefs, and values, enriching the analysis and adding depth to understanding both the character and oneself.

By choosing an essay about a character that resonates with the writer personally, one can infuse their analysis with authenticity, empathy, and emotional depth, resulting in a more compelling and insightful exploration of the text.

Gathering Evidence

Character analysis is a crucial process in understanding a character’s personality and behavior. To learn how to write a character analysis essay correctly, it is essential to gather textual evidence, such as close reading, note-taking, annotation, character profiles, comparative analysis, and archetypal analysis. These methods help extract relevant information from the text, providing a foundation for your analysis.

Archetypal analysis can explore how the character embodies archetypal traits or roles commonly found in literature, such as the hero, villain, mentor, or trickster. By carefully identifying and documenting the various traits exhibited by the character, you can develop a nuanced understanding of their personality and behavior.

Supporting details play a crucial role in bolstering your character analysis essay , providing concrete evidence to support your interpretations and arguments. To effectively utilize specific examples from the text to support your analysis, select relevant examples that directly relate to the traits, motivations, and actions you are analyzing.

Provide context by introducing each example with a brief explanation or summary of its significance within the larger narrative. Analyze the example in detail, pointing out specific details or language choices that illuminate the character’s traits or motivations. Incorporate quotations from the text whenever possible, using quotation marks to indicate the exact words spoken or written by the character.

When analyzing supporting details, consider multiple perspectives: Acknowledge alternative interpretations and perspectives, but provide reasons why your analysis is the most valid or persuasive. By effectively utilizing specific examples from the text to support your character analysis essay , you can strengthen your arguments and provide readers with a deeper understanding of the character’s role within the story.

Character Analysis Essay Outline

Let’s have a look at the character analysis essay outline and how to write it perfectly.

• Start with a hook or question about the character.
• Provide background information and the thesis statement.
• Describe the character’s role, appearance, and initial impressions.
• Identify and discuss the primary traits of the character.
• Explore the character’s desires, fears, and motivations.
• Analyze the character’s evolution throughout the story.
• Discuss key events or turning points that shape the character’s development.
• Examine the character’s interactions with other characters.
• Discuss the character’s role in the plot.
• Explore how the character embodies or reflects the story’s themes and symbols.
• Analyze how the character’s actions affect the plot’s progression.
• Provide specific quotes or passages from the text.
• Illustrate key character traits with examples of their actions or dialogue.
• Interpret symbols or imagery associated with the character.
• Restate the thesis.
• Recap key points
• End with a thought-provoking statement.

By following this outline for a character analysis essay , you can structure your essay effectively, providing a comprehensive analysis of the chosen character while engaging the reader from start to finish.

Character Analysis Essay Structure

Character analysis essay format typically follows a three-part format: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The introduction serves to introduce the character being analysed and provide context for the analysis. Create a compelling introduction, start with a hook, write background information, and introduce the thesis statement. End the introduction with a clear and concise statement that outlines the purpose and focus of the essay. This will set the stage for a compelling and engaging character analysis essay.

The body paragraphs delve into the analysis of the character, each focusing on a specific aspect or trait. Each essay paragraph should begin with a topic sentence, followed by supporting evidence from the text and an analysis that explores the significance of the evidence in relation to the character’s development and role in the story. Organizing the analysis into coherent paragraphs is essential for presenting a logical and persuasive argument. 

The conclusion of the character analysis essay summarises the analysis’s main points and reinforces the character’s significance within the narrative. It restates the thesis statement in different words, provides a brief recap of the main arguments presented in the essay, and offers final insights or reflections on the character’s importance and impact on the story.

By following these guidelines, you can craft a conclusion that reinforces the significance of the character and provides a satisfying conclusion to the essay.

Process of Analyzing a Character

Character Development:

• Initial Impression: Discuss the character’s introduction and personality traits.
• Growth and Change: Analyze how the character evolves and changes over the story.
• Internal Conflict: Explore internal struggles or conflicts the character faces.
• Relationships: Examine the character’s relationships with other characters and how they evolve.
• Resolution: Evaluate the character’s development at the end of the story.

Motivations and Actions:

• Identify Core Motivations: Understand what drives the character to act and the underlying reasons behind their behavior.
• External Influences: Analyze the external factors that influence the character’s motivations and actions.
• Internal Conflicts: Explore any internal conflicts or contradictions within the character that influence their motivations and actions.
• Character Consistency: Evaluate the consistency of the character’s motivations and actions throughout the text.
• Consequences of Actions: Discuss the consequences of the character’s actions and decisions within the narrative.

Impact on the Narrative:

• Plot Development: Examine the character’s role in advancing the plot and driving the story forward.
• Theme Exploration: Analyze how the character embodies or reflects the story’s central themes and motifs.
• Symbolic Significance: Explore any symbolic significance associated with the character and their role in the story.
• Influence on Other Characters: Discuss how their relationships, actions, and decisions impact the development and behavior of other characters.
• Resolution and Conclusion: Evaluate the character’s ultimate role in the resolution and conclusion of the story.

By discussing what is character analysis significance in shaping the story, you can provide a comprehensive analysis of their role and impact within the narrative, highlighting their contribution to the overall meaning and interpretation of the text.

Polishing and Refining

Proofreading is an important step in the editing process, ensuring your writing is free from errors and effectively communicates your ideas. To correct errors in grammar, punctuation, and syntax, take a break, read aloud, use editing tools, focus on one element at a time, print and review, and seek feedback from peers or instructors.

Polishing involves refining language, strengthening arguments, and enhancing the overall clarity and coherence of your work. Techniques for polishing your writing include clarifying your thesis, tightening your writing, strengthening your arguments, enhancing transitions, checking for consistency in tone, style, and formatting, and proofreading carefully.

Afterthoughts on Character Analysis Essay

A profound character analysis essay offers a profound understanding of the human psyche, storytelling, and the timeless relevance of literature. By examining character traits, motivations, and impact on the narrative, students gain a deeper understanding of universal themes, conflicts, and complexities of the human experience.

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Character Education: A Role for Literature in Cultivating Character Strengths in Adolescence

• First Online: 01 January 2015

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• Emily FitzSimons 4  

Part of the book series: Positive Education ((POED))

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The ability to know, measure and cultivate those elements that contribute to the flourishing life is transforming the world of education. The findings of positive psychology are being used to more effectively educate for psychological well-being alongside that of traditional academic learning. One crucial area of study in positive psychology is character strengths. Individuals who are not only cognizant of their strength profile but use their strengths daily are happier, higher achieving, more resilient and more satisfied with their lives. These findings give new life and scope to what schools might call “character education”. By cleverly capitalizing on the skills of regular classroom teachers all schools, regardless of their human and financial resources, location or demography, can begin embedding principles of positive psychology. We need to promote robust, cross-curricular learning in our students and better equip regular classroom teachers for the task; accessible, evidence-based and well-integrated curricula are needed. English literature, by virtue of its content and pedagogy, presents a rich opportunity for an innovative model. Learning about and cultivating character strengths through and in conjunction with literature can be achieved via robust classroom pedagogy that cultivates higher-order student understanding and personal reflection. However, more than exclusively achieving the agenda of positive education, the science of well-being has a great deal to offer our study of literature. Using character strengths in our literature study can enrich the analytical process. After providing an empirical and theoretical base, this chapter offers suggestions for activities on character education in the English classroom. Vitally, it demonstrates that a rich focus on well-being need not come at the expense of academic rigor, deep ethical and emotional competencies or analytical essay writing, all of which are an integral part of study in the literature classroom.

M. White, S. Murray (Eds.), Evidence-based approaches in Positive Education: Implementing a Strategic Framework for Well-being in Schools.© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014

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Acknowledgements

This chapter is based on sections of my final project for the University of Pennsylvania’s Masters of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program. It was completed under the supervision of Dr. James O. Pawelski from the University of Pennsylvania. He is one of the best teachers I have ever known and I thank James sincerely for his inspiration and guidance. I would like to thank St Peter’s College, Adelaide, for the opportunity to participate in the MAPP program. This study was supported, in part, by a grant from St Peter’s College. I thank the Headmaster, Mr. Simon Murray, for his unending support of me and of positive education more broadly. Further, I acknowledge Dr. Mathew White for his support both in applying to the program, and since my return. My study would not have been possible without the school’s support

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FitzSimons, E. (2015). Character Education: A Role for Literature in Cultivating Character Strengths in Adolescence. In: White, M., Murray, A. (eds) Evidence-Based Approaches in Positive Education. Positive Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9667-5_7

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The Dartmouth Student Wellness Center Blog

Leveraging Character Strengths to Connect to Our Purpose

Welcome to Connecting with Our Purpose where we at the Student Wellness Center will be exploring with our community the various pathways for pursuing purpose. A wonderful step to serve you on your journey towards more meaning and fulfillment is by recognizing the character strengths you hold and express, which can help you tap into one of the many entry points for living your strongest life possible.

What are character strengths? Character strengths are, according to the field of positive psychology, a family of constructive traits expressed through a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that are universally recognized for the strength that they create in individuals and communities. Understanding your own character strengths can help you realize what you intuitively gravitate towards and contribute. With awareness and intention you can maximize that which makes your life most worth living.

There are more than few tools out there to help you connect to character strengths. But did you know that Dartmouth students have free access to the renowned Gallup CliftonStrengths Assessment , which guides you through your unique talents and how to use those talents to succeed in your role as a student? Understanding your top strengths can help you thrive academically, socially and in your future career. Explore the assessment (available for Dartmouth students) here . Or perhaps you already have a heightened awareness of your unique strengths or understanding of your heart’s compass through a reflective journaling or other wellbeing practice . What next?

Try Gallup’s “Name It, Claim It, and Aim It” framework to make meaning of your strengths and leverage them to fortify your connection to purpose:

• Name it: Raising self-awareness of your unique talents and intentions helps you gain clarity on what you naturally do well and enjoy. Take the CliftonStrengths survey and/or try these steps for strengthening your self-awareness .
• Claim it: Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism , posits that “your obligation is to the highest contribution you can make”. So how do you know what unique contributions you have for this world? By not only understanding your strengths but accepting them too. By appreciating what powers and values you are bringing to the table, you are empowered to claim ownership of them and better articulate your needs moving forward.
• Aim it: When you have identified your talents and claimed them as strengths, you might ask: ‘how can I leverage these strengths to accomplish what is most important to helping me live a purposeful life?’ Intentionally practice using and developing your strengths. Schedule a Wellness Check In with a trained Wellness Coach at the Student Wellness Center or connect with a Career Coach from the Center for Professional Development to strategize how to meaningfully apply your strengths towards personal growth in areas like your career, relationships, and wellbeing.

You can thrive and live more fully into your life’s purpose when you take a strengths-based approach to your life. By doing more of what you do best, and you can feel more engaged, empowered, and energized.

More From Forbes

How to build a strong character as a leader.

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Master coach instructor, creator of Metacognitive Programming, a coaching and therapeutic technique. Founder and CEO of Think Meta .

Strong business leaders are thought to have strong characters. And they do. But how does one end up with a strong character? Is the predisposition to successfully lead a business innate to some? Or do leaders and aspiring leaders build their character strength over time?

I don’t think a strong character is something you either have or don’t have. Nor do I think strength can be built, as “building” implies creating something that did not exist before. My view is that all of us already have strength within ourselves. It might be buried deep down at the bottom, but it is there.

From External Masks To Inner Strength

Society teaches us to wear masks to be safe and accepted. These masks take different forms. Some business leaders stuff all their emotions inside, not showing them to anyone. Some focus on pleasing others so they think well of them. Some present themselves as super smart to gain respect. All these masks have their functions, of course. And yet, when we put on a mask it means we feel that we are not enough as we are. Paradoxically, you may think that the mask gives you strength, but in fact, the more you rely on it, the more fragile you are.

Then something happens: Your business goes through a serious crisis. You experience difficulties in your family life. Or you experience a personal crisis, questioning who you are and who you want to be. Importantly, these triggers are not necessarily negative. For instance, your business might, in fact, be going through a period of unexpected growth. Regardless of its nature, this trigger makes you stop and reflect upon your actions, desires and values.

This reflection provides space for you to learn what keeps you going and understand that there’s a tremendous strength awakening within you. In fact, it was always there, you just didn't recognize it before. The essence of this strength is knowing who we are, knowing what our needs are and knowing we have the power to satisfy them. But it also means knowing our values, and knowing that we are free to make choices that follow those values.

This strength can manifest as a primitive power; it can manifest in anger, determination or pride, among other things. Occasionally, this primitive power can make us dangerous to other people and society at large, and that’s why we were forced to bury it and put on a mask in the first place. In other words, we all have power, but not everyone knows how to control it.

The leaders I admire and respect most are the ones who know they can use their power at any moment but choose not to. You can lead as a dictator, shutting down everyone who dares to challenge your thoughts and actions. You can find subtle ways of punishing those who made you angry. Or you can decide not to follow the wave of anger, frustration or vanity. Do not act on those feelings, but allow them to pass. When you are grounded, your mind is in a good place for making decisions that align with your true self and not merely your primitive power.

Mastering the ability to control your primitive power equals having a strong character.

Start Finding Your Strength

If you are a business leader or aspire to be one, you might be wondering where to start. I’d say there is not a single correct answer. However, there are a few places from which you can start getting to know your genuine strength.

• Be curious about yourself. Approach your thoughts and emotions as interesting internal experiences that can guide you.

• Ask yourself big questions—and be honest while replying to them. Often, we lie to ourselves. But we somehow always know when we do this. So ask yourself, and answer honestly: Who am I? Who do I want to be? Where am I now with my business? What do I want to achieve in the future? What kind of relationship do I have with my employees? What are my needs? What are my values? I particularly like the values-related question because our thoughts and emotions are temporary, while values are more stable and permanent. Values might be the greatest guides toward understanding what keeps you going. Additional values-related questions to ask yourself: Do my actions reflect my values? Am I true to myself? What’s the purpose of everything I am doing?

• Remind yourself daily that you always have a choice to think, feel and act differently.

I would be lying if I said I always have answers to all of these questions. In fact, I’m not sure it’s possible to have all the answers at all times. But I do often ask myself these questions. And I do remind myself of our shared ability to make choices. These things ground me, allowing me to put down the mask and take responsibility for my business and my life in general.

To conclude, we all have needs. We all have the resources to fill those needs. But more importantly, we also have our callings. We have values, interests and desires to do things for purposes greater than simply fulfilling our own needs. Those who become aware of their calling and realize that they have choices in terms of how to pursue that calling are the people who are ready to reveal their strength. They are ready to put down their masks and take responsibility. They lead not only by following their brain but also their hearts.

Such people can encourage others to take their share of the responsibility, and I believe we start seeing true progress exactly when we all take our share. Responsible and genuinely strong individuals build a genuinely strong society. Your duty as a leader is to be authentic and strike a spark others will want to follow.

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?

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HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article

The practice of character strengths: unifying definitions, principles, and exploration of what’s soaring, emerging, and ripe with potential in science and in practice.

• 1 VIA Institute on Character, Cincinnati, OH, United States
• 2 Other, Cincinnati, OH, United States

What does it mean to be “strengths-based” or to be a “strengths-based practitioner?” These are diffuse areas that are generic and ill-defined. Part of the confusion arises from the customary default of practitioners and leaders across many cultures to label anything positive or complimentary as “strengths-based,” whether that be an approach, a theoretical orientation, an intervention, or a company. Additional muddle is created by many researchers and practitioners not making distinctions between very different categories of “strength” in human beings – strengths of character, of talent/ability, of interest/passion, of skill/competency, to name a few. To add clarity and unification across professions, we offer seven characteristics and a comprehensive definition for a character strengths-based practitioner. We center on the type of strength referred to as character strengths and explore six guiding principles for understanding character strengths (e.g., character is plural; character is being and doing) and their practical corollaries. Reflecting this foundation and based on character strengths research, our longstanding work with strengths, discussions with practitioners across the globe, and a practitioner survey asking about strength practices ( N = 113), we point out several character strengths practices or approaches we describe as soaring (e.g., explore and encourage signature strengths; practice strengths-spotting), emerging (e.g., the integration of mindfulness and character strengths), or ripe with potential (e.g., phasic strengths; the tempering effect; the towing effect). We use the same framework for describing general research domains. Some areas of research in character strengths are soaring with more than 25 studies (e.g., workplace/organizations), some are emerging with a handful of studies (e.g., health/medicine), and others are ripe with potential that have none or few studies yet opportunity looms large for integrating character science (e.g., peace/conflict studies). Using this framework, we seek to advance the exchange and collaboration between researcher and practitioner, as well as to advance the science and practice of character strengths.

Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do. ‐ Goethe

Introduction

Over 700 studies on the VIA Classification published in the last 10 years; over 15 million surveys administered ( VIA Institute, 2021 ); steeply increasing annual usage of the VIA Survey: all reflect a unique precedence of both scholarship and popularity around advancing the science and practice of character strengths. Despite being a young science, there is substantial scientific grounding for practitioners educating and guiding clients. At the same time, the large number of practitioners across the globe applying character strengths presents an opportunity for researchers to explore gaps in the science and practice and continue to advance the work. This is the quintessential bridge between academia’s ivory tower and the practitioner or consumer on main street; it is the dialogue between science and practice.

Myriad definitions of character strengths exist in the literature (e.g., Peterson et al., 2005 ) and a minimalist definition from the original VIA Classification text states they are the routes to the great virtues ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). A more comprehensive definition that sums up the array of cultural, practical, and scientific approaches states: Character strengths are positive personality traits that reflect our basic identity, produce positive outcomes for ourselves and others, and contribute to the collective good ( Niemiec, 2018 ). Said another way, the VIA Classification of character strengths is a consensual nomenclature ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ), a “common language” to understand what is best in human beings.

Character strengths have been studied across industries (e.g., business/organizations, education, healthcare), professions (e.g., physicians), application areas (e.g., youth, disability), areas of well-being (e.g., mental health, happiness, positive relationships), valued outcomes (e.g., achievement, stress management), and domains of life (e.g., parenting); see VIA Institute (2021) for summaries of the studies in the science of character. One would be hard-pressed to find an area in psychology that has neither some research on character strengths being discussed nor the strong potential for so doing. In part, the recent theory suggests, character strengths are relevant for the full range of human experiences – positive opportunities, as well as adversities and suffering, and the mundane in-between ( Niemiec, 2020 ). Despite the large volume of studies, there remains far more to discover about the practice of character strengths. We attempt here to highlight what we see as patterns or trends in the practice of character strengths.

As we turn to examine strengths-based practices, we intentionally loosely define practitioner as any helping professional, such as a psychologist, counselor, social worker, mentor, coach, manager, supervisor, teacher, physician, nurse, health technician, mediator, or professor. Similarly, we loosely define client as any person being helped or supported, such as a patient, counseling client, coaches, student, employee, or the general consumer. In addition, we will use the term “character strengths” to refer specifically to the 24 character strengths of the VIA Classification (which is the substantial focus of the scientific literature on strengths), while the term “strengths” will refer to the more generic frame of some kind of positive quality. Some studies do not specify the type of strength being investigated, thus, in those cases that lack clarity, we use the term “strengths.”

What Really Is a Strengths-Based Practice?

In querying thousands of practitioners in workshops across spheres of application (e.g., workplace, education, coaching, counseling) if they are a strengths-based practitioner or have a strengths-based practice, the majority answer “yes.” Then when asked to share what they mean by “strengths-based,” the range of responses is almost as varied as the number of people asked. Unfortunately, “strengths” and “strengths-based” have become so generic in their use that in many cases they have become lackluster and meaningless. This trend is only increasing. Yet, the value of strengths is significant and warrants clear definitions and characteristics of strengths-based practices.

Integration of strengths into practice has been discussed for more than two decades and spans many fields, such as social work ( Saleebey, 1996 ), counseling ( Smith, 2006 ), psychotherapy ( Rashid and Seligman, 2018 ), mindfulness ( Niemiec, 2014 ), organizations ( Cooperrider and Whitney, 2005 ), project management (Pearce), disability ( Niemiec et al., 2017 ), personal/executive coaching ( Foster and Auerbach, 2015 ), and education ( Linkins et al., 2015 ). There is not one pathway, model, or theoretical orientation for describing a strengths-based approach or one set of applications for a strengths-based practice. These are unique to each practitioner and infused into their existing approach as a helping professional. However, we believe there are unifying and relevant characteristics of strengths-based approaches applicable across professions.

A first step is to offer specificity on the type of strengths (discussed later) being examined (i.e., strengths of talent or intelligence are different from strengths of character in definition, malleability, and scope). Therefore, our focus is on character strengths. We suggest, based on a review of hundreds of studies on character strengths ( VIA Institute, 2021 ), discussions with strengths-based practitioners across the globe and our own practices with character strengths, that a practitioner taking a character strengths-based approach employs the following seven elements:

• Embodies character strength : the practitioner serves as a role model for character strengths use thus displays character strengths awareness and use as they interact and practice.

• Educates on strengths : the practitioner teaches about strengths, explains rationale and importance, corrects misconceptions (e.g., strengths are Pollyannaish or happiology; strengths involve ignoring weaknesses), and offers pathways forward for character strengths use.

• Energizes : uplifts and fuels the person out of autopilot tendencies, entrapped mental and behavioral routines, and strengths blindness ( Biswas-Diener et al., 2011 ) patterns.

• Empowers : focuses on character strengths to help people move from what’s wrong to what’s strong and/or helps them use what’s strong to overcome what’s wrong.

• Faces adversity : acknowledges problems and struggles – and when appropriate for the context/relationship, explores them but does not get lost in them, nor allows the positive to be squashed out.

• Connects : a character strengths-based approach engenders connections – helping the person become more connected with others, with the world, and particularly with themselves. This strengths connection naturally extends to the practitioner-client dyad.

• Cultivates seeds : a character strengths-based approach offers an orientation of cultivating seeds, not just plucking weeds (the negative). Rather than a prescriptive approach, the descriptive language around character strengths is prioritized to build awareness, to explore, and to help the client grow toward positive action ( Niemiec, 2014 ; Linkins et al., 2015 ).

We propose that these seven action-focused characteristics are essential for an authentic character strengths-based approach. They are central attributes of a practitioner’s mindset. Other beneficial characteristics could be named – such as being goal-oriented or holistic – however, these may not be aligned with certain professions or theoretical orientations. It’s important to understand that any approach, theoretical orientation, or model can be infused with character strengths, and the preceding characteristics can support that, from solution-focused and executive coaching protocols to cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic orientations to humanistic and social-emotional learning approaches ( Niemiec, 2018 ). As a single unifying definition for a character strengths-based approach (or a generic “strengths-based approach”), we offer the following:

A character strengths-based approach (or practice) is empowering, energizing, and connecting in which practitioners, in their own uniquely personal way and with their own orientation/approach to helping, embody and exhibit their character strengths as they educate clients on strengths and support clients in cultivating their character strengths for boosting well-being and handling adversity.

Character Strengths Principles

In order to operationalize this definition and its many elements, we next offer a framework of six core principles for strengths-based practitioners to understand and deepen their work. A related, practical corollary accompanies each principle. These are adapted from Niemiec (2018) .

Character Strengths Are Capacities

Character strengths are viewed as capacities for thinking, feeling, and behaving ( Park et al., 2004 ; Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). In practical terms, we can think creatively and fairly and have grateful and prudent thoughts; we can feel love, kindness, hope, and humility in our body; and we can behave in ways that are brave, zestful, honest, and forgiving ( Niemiec, 2018 ).

A corollary to this principle is that character strengths can be developed and improved. New research on personality traits shows that personality is more malleable than originally thought ( Blackie et al., 2014 ; Hudson and Fraley, 2015 ; Roberts et al., 2017 ), and that the change is not necessarily slow and gradual, which was another previously held assumption. Personality traits can shift for a number of reasons, including normative changes based on our genetics and predictable changes in social role (e.g., getting married, having a child), as well as nonnormative changes. Nonnormative changes include less common but deliberately chosen changes in one’s social role (e.g., joining the military) and atypical life events (e.g., going through a trauma; Borghans et al., 2008 ). In a study of the latter, the character strengths of gratitude, hope, kindness, leadership, love, spirituality, and teamwork all increased in a United States sample (but not a European sample) 2 months after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City ( Peterson and Seligman, 2003 ). Ten months later these character strengths were still elevated but to a lesser degree.

Deliberate interventions focused on improving a part of our personality such as our character strengths also affect personality change. Intervention studies show that such intentional changes can have a positive impact ( Yeager et al., 2014 ; Hudson and Fraley, 2015 ; Roberts et al., 2017 ). Practitioners can help clients tap into their character strengths capacities.

Character and Character Strengths Are Dimensional

Character strengths are expressed in degrees – we have degrees of creativity, honesty, zest, and so on. As opposed to a categorical or diagnostic approach where one has a disorder, condition, or not, these strengths are measured and expressed as “continuous traits,” in that any character strength can show up across a wide continuum of more and less ( Miller, 2013 ). For practitioners, it’s important to reflect on dimensionality so that clients are not lost in all-or-none labels and placed in the creativity box or the teamwork box or as being empty in the self-regulation or humility boxes.

A corollary is that character strengths can be overused and underused along a dimension of character strengths expression. Any of the 24 character strengths can, in a given situation, be brought forth “too much” (overuse) or “too little” (underuse) which are viewed as strengths expressions or lack thereof that has a negative impact on oneself or others ( Niemiec, 2019a ). Too much curiosity is nosiness and too little can be apathetic, while an overplay of prudence is stuffiness and an underuse of it can be reckless.

Character Is Plural

As Chris Peterson (2006) often explained, the character is plural. This means people are not simply kind or humble, brave or hopeful, or honest. Rather, people display a variation, multiplicity, and uniqueness in their character strengths profile that informs the rich tapestry of an individual’s character.

A practical corollary is that character strengths are not expressed in isolation but in combinations or constellations ( Peterson, 2006 ; Biswas-Diener et al., 2011 ; Niemiec, 2018 ). It’s likely that as situations become increasingly complex or challenging, the array of character strengths being expressed increases. For example, a person making a career transition may find themselves leaning strongly on a panoply of character strengths, whereas a person who is doing their standard job on autopilot is likely to be expressing fewer character strengths and with less intensity.

This can also be framed using the relational concept that character strengths are interdependent – they “inter-are” ( Niemiec, 2012 ), to echo the Buddhist concept of interbeing ( Nhat Hanh, 1993 ). The character strengths all relate to one another ( McGrath, 2013 ) to some degree and these interactions might enable or hinder the expression of one another ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ).

All 24 Matter

An important pursuit in the creation of the VIA Classification was that whichever character strengths and virtues were included that they be ubiquitous across people, universal to the human experience ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). Research was conducted on these strengths among people in remote cultures ( Biswas-Diener, 2006 ) and surveys across nations ( Park et al., 2006 ; McGrath, 2015 ) that support this principle. The character strengths, although varying in degrees, are part of being human.

A practical corollary to “all 24 matter” is that the importance of any given strength will vary by the situation or the intended consequence. For example, hope and zest are the character strengths found repeatedly to have the strongest links with happiness ( Park et al., 2004 ; Proctor et al., 2009 ), with some causal evidence ( Proyer et al., 2013b ). In terms of a different outcome or consequence, achievement, it’s likely that perseverance is going to matter in a significant way ( Lounsbury et al., 2009 ; Wagner et al., 2019 ). While all 24 matter, how they matter will vary by person and situation.

There Are Many Kinds of Strengths

The category of character strengths is not the only type of strength human beings express. Strengths categories can be and should be differentiated. This principle is important for the science of strengths to grow. A number of distinct types of strengths can be identified – talents (abilities or intelligences), skills (competencies), interests (passions), values, and resources.

Talents are hardwired abilities that encompass what we do naturally well; the multiple intelligences of Howard Gardner (1983) represents one set of examples. Skills develop through learning and practice, such as job skill-building with computer programming or presentation skill development or personal skill development around anger management or diversity skills training. The strength category of interests reflects our passions in life, those activities we are drawn to especially during leisure time; such as sport, art, and music. Resources are a strength category that is external to us; examples include having supportive friends, living in a safe neighborhood, and belonging to a spiritual community. Values are what we internally hold dear and reside in our thoughts and feelings; they say nothing about the action we actually take. A value for hard work does not equate to putting that value into action without turning to character strengths of perseverance and zest to transform value into behavior.

A corollary to this principle, we hypothesize, is that character strengths are the central mechanisms that allow these other strength categories to operate. For example, if someone has a talent for playing the guitar, they need to invest in ~10,000 h of deliberate practice over a 10 years period ( Ericsson and Ward, 2007 ) to really develop that talent/intelligence; this requires depths of perseverance, self-regulation, hope, prudence, creativity, and other character strengths to maximize that talent. In this way, character strengths are the driving force for other types of strengths ( Niemiec, 2018 ).

Character Is Being and Doing

The work of character strengths involves being and doing. For “being,” character strengths reflect our identity, self-understanding, and supporting people to be themselves. For “doing,” character strengths are expressed in behaviors/actions. There is support for both approaches in the literature: Research on signature strengths reflects identity – “being” true to one’s best qualities (e.g., Seligman et al., 2005 ). As researcher Rhett Diessner observed: “Traits are ontologically closer to the core of human being than is thinking or reasoning” ( Diessner et al., 2009 , p. 255). At the same time, there is an abundance of research linking character strengths and different types of action and outcomes – which can be viewed as our “doing” – putting one’s best qualities into action (e.g., Gander et al., 2013 ). A practical corollary is a connection with the overarching self-development goals of authenticity and goodness ( Niemiec, 2014 ). Individuals aspiring to be more authentic in life may focus on the “character is being” element (i.e., being authentic), while those striving to do more good in the world may resonate with the “character is doing” element (i.e., doing good).

The Practice of Character Strengths: Soaring, Emerging, or Ripe with Potential?

To build off the preceding principles and elements and definition of a strengths-based approach, and to further our hypotheses and experiences with character strengths-based practice, we administered a second section, 22 question survey using the Survey Monkey platform. The first section asked participants to rate themselves on each of the criteria of the “Checklist for Strengths-Based Practitioners” in Niemiec (2018 ; results are discussed in Table 1 ). The second section of the survey asked a number of questions about character strengths use in practice (results are discussed in Table 2 ). To recruit participants, we targeted audiences likely to be practitioners familiar with character strengths, including a robust Facebook group dedicated to character strengths knowledge and use, a personal invitation during a large, weekly, international, online community event dedicated to the topic of character strengths, and through the second author’s LinkedIn profile. The survey was open for 2 weeks in May 2020. A total of 113 individuals responded to the first section of the survey and 106 individuals completed both sections. Of the 113 respondents, 62 self-identified as therapists, counselors, or coaches. The remainder represented teachers, managers, and other professionals with some aspect of a helping role.

Table 1 . Results from section 1 of the practitioner survey ( N = 113). Each item from the Character Strengths Practitioner checklist in Niemiec (2018) is shown, including those not asked (noted with N/A).

Table 2 . Frequency of responses to character strengths-based questions ( N = 106).

The instructions offered to participants were minimal, focusing on the purpose of the survey as an informal gathering of information; and that the intended use of the results was to explore, in aggregate, how character strengths practices are emerging. Participants were not required to provide a name or e-mail although most did. Due to the mostly “character strengths” context mentioned, it is likely that participants were responding to the strengths-oriented questions with a mindset focused on “character strengths,” however, we did not specifically ask participants which type of strengths (e.g., character strengths, talents, skills, interests, etc.) they used in practice nor did we define these terms, therefore we cannot be certain participants were responding to questions with the 24 character strengths of the VIA Classification in mind. Our intention with the survey was to gather general impressions of practitioners’ experiences with character strengths and to begin to understand potential trends in the utilization of character strengths-based practices with clients and in personal growth. Table 2 shows the questions we asked in part two (with forced-choice format as noted) and the results in percentages.

The survey results reveal the use of character strengths practices to be relatively high, with 60% describing their use as always or frequently. About one-third (34%) view character strengths as foundational to their strengths-based practice while 37% view character strengths as a supplemental approach or adjunctive technique to their work. A small percentage (14%) of practitioners takes a formal approach in mapping out their strengths interventions with clients. This might reflect how character strengths practices are new and/or amorphous for many practitioners who perhaps do not feel equipped to map out formal structured approaches.

A general impression from these results is that character strengths continue to gain traction yet there is substantial opportunity for expansion and deepening: becoming more knowledgeable about the range of practices, and more routine and nuanced with the work. That said, this survey should not be viewed as a reflection of any field or profession as a whole as it was intentionally targeted narrowly – toward those who identify as engaging in strengths-based practices (and most likely, character strengths-based practices in particular). We imagine a normative survey of a particular practitioner profession would yield lower percentages in terms of character strengths engagement and application.

The following three subsections discuss the practice (“the how”) of character strengths, using a framework of what’s soaring, what’s emerging, and what’s ripe with potential. The purpose of these descriptive labels is to illuminate a range of practices, highlight strong areas, and offer concrete practices for practitioners to consider and for researchers to examine. They are based on an amalgamation of our experiences in practice, educating, and consulting, and conversations with strengths-based practitioners across the globe over a 10-year period, research on strengths practices and character strengths interventions, and the aforementioned survey. Of these, the greatest weight is given to the science of character strengths, followed by our experiences and our discussions with leading practitioners.

Soaring refers to practices that are popular and appear to be well-established among practitioners who work with character strengths. These approaches are research-based and/or solidly grounded conceptually. A soaring practice does not mean it is a foregone conclusion that the activity or approach will be successful for clients, nor that there is a mountain of research. In all cases, the science of character strengths is in need of deeper examination of the many nuances, dynamics, and applications. In some cases, soaring practices are those in which the practice of character strengths precedes the development of an extensive science of character strengths.

Emerging refers to practices that are increasing in popularity among practitioners familiar with character strengths. In such cases, the science is unfolding and does not reach the soaring point because either the science is too sparse or it’s not a tip-of-the-tongue approach for practitioners.

Ripe with potential refers to practices that have substantial promise and could be explored and developed for client benefit. These need scientific investigation. All are practices that strike a chord with practitioners and are being deployed with clients on a case-by-case basis. In some cases, the science might be ahead of the practice in that there is a strong scientific backing for the underlying philosophy/approach outside of the strengths field, however, practitioners are not aware of it or routinely using it.

These three categories – soaring, emerging, and ripe with potential – are not a ranking of priorities in practice nor do they represent a hierarchy of approaches.

Soaring Practices

Prioritize strengths over deficits.

Due to an entrenched negativity bias coupled with consistent research that bad is stronger than good ( Baumeister et al., 2001 ), it is a paradigm shift for practitioners to teach their clients to look for strengths and to reframe struggles. The degree to which practitioners educate on this – and consistently prioritize strengths – varies significantly but it is becoming more common. Numerous studies have found a strengths-focused approach to be superior to a deficit-focused approach. For example, focusing on strengths prior to student exams boosted optimism and buffered negative emotions, distress, and the decline of well-being compared to focusing on weaknesses ( Dolev-Amit et al., 2020 ). Other studies comparing strengths with weaknesses have revealed benefits for the former group for clinical depression outcomes ( Cheavens et al., 2012 ), for personal growth outcomes ( Meyers et al., 2015 ), and for perceived competence and intrinsic motivation ( Hiemstra and Van Yperen, 2015 ). While this does not imply a unilateral superiority of a strengths-focus, nor is it a rationale to ignore deficits, it clearly encourages and challenges practitioners to question their existing deficit-laden approach.

In our practitioner survey, the majority (84%) of respondents said that they assess and explore what is best in the person at least half the time; only 8% said they rarely or never do this. This leads us to the next soaring practice.

Use the VIA Survey

The VIA Survey (also referred to as the VIA Inventory of Strengths) is a psychometrically valid tool used to assess the 24 character strengths. It has undergone extensive revisions over the years based on published analyses ( McGrath and Wallace, 2019 ), as well as a technical manual for development and psychometrics on its various versions ( McGrath, 2017 ). Researchers utilize short forms, virtue measures, reverse-scored items, and direct measures of signature strengths ( McGrath and Wallace, 2019 ). Practitioners use the VIA Survey to start strengths conversations with clients, to build strengths awareness, to combat strengths blindness, to overcome client preoccupation with weaknesses/flaws, to enrich exploration of problems, and to catalyze interventions that foster client goals.

With over 15 million surveys administered and a steady increase each of the last 5 years, the popularity of the measure is clear. Its use in university positive psychology and well-being courses for students is commonplace and is strongly inclining in organizational/business and educational settings and counseling clinics. In our practitioner survey, practitioners administered the VIA Survey to each of their clients by the first meeting less than half the time (see Table 1 for the items and average scores for this practice and for several other practices we assessed using the “Checklist for Strengths-Based Practitioners” in Niemiec, 2018 ). The number of practitioners who administer the VIA Survey in later sessions is unknown.

Explore and Encourage Signature Strengths

Signature strengths are those character strengths highest in an individual’s VIA Survey results and are defined as involving the three E’s – character strengths that are essential or best reflect who the person is at their core; energizing in that expressing the strength is uplifting and elicits an increase in energy levels; and effortless in that the expression is easy and natural ( Niemiec and McGrath, 2019 ).

Despite only having a few sentences in the 800-page VIA Classification text that introduced this consensual nomenclature ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ), the concept, research, and practice of signature strengths has received substantial attention, especially in the science of positive psychology. A meta-analysis was published on the intervention, use a signature strength in a new way ( Schutte and Malouff, 2019 ), which involves subjects identifying one of their highest strengths from their VIA Survey results and then using that signature strength in a new way each day, typically for 1 week. The meta-analysis found that in randomized controlled studies, this intervention boosted happiness, flourishing and strengths use, and decreased depression. The practical way this intervention is framed in studies makes it easy for practitioners to apply it with clients.

In the practitioner survey, 58% said they self-reflect on signature strengths, that they use their own signature strengths during sessions/meetings about 63% of the time, and they prime themselves to their client’s signature strengths before meetings ( Fluckiger et al., 2009 ) ~45% of the time.

Engage in Strengths-Spotting

Operationalized as the SEA model ( Niemiec, 2018 ), the steps of character strengths-spotting involve the practitioner spotting/labeling the strengths they see in action, explaining with rational/behavioral evidence how they saw the strengths expressed, and offering appreciation – pointing out the perceived value of the strength from a perspective of emotionality, meaning, linkage with goals/outcomes.

The spotting of character strengths in oneself or others is easy to hold as an assumption that it’s useful and practical and neglect its scientific investigation. In addition, many character strengths intervention studies embed strengths-spotting in the intervention in that the subjects identify their top strengths from a list, use their top five strengths on the VIA Survey, or consider a strength they value and want to expand upon and thereby the aspect of character strengths-spotting is not examined separately. That said, a couple of recent studies have looked at strengths-spotting itself and found benefits relating to positive affect, classroom engagement, and need satisfaction ( Quinlan et al., 2019 ); and in an analysis of behaviors associated with strengths-spotted (written about), a variety of valued outcomes were found including empathy, spontaneous affection, helpfulness, friendship, letting go, and speaking positively ( Haslip et al., 2019 ).

While practitioners might not use character strengths-spotting in every meeting, we view this as a soaring approach that has taken hold. In many cases, it is the first step practitioners use when sharing about character strengths with clients or encouraging them to take action. More than half (52%) of the practitioners surveyed use at least one type of strengths-spotting intervention with clients.

Draw the Well-Being/Happiness Link With Character Strengths

One of the character strengths outcomes most investigated has been well-being, in which various measures of flourishing and related concepts such as thriving, life satisfaction, emotional happiness, and elements of flourishing (e.g., positive relationships, accomplishment, meaning) have been positively correlated with character strengths. From early studies ( Peterson et al., 2005 ), to recent studies ( Wagner et al., 2019 ), to cross-cultural work ( Shimai et al., 2006 ), to direct causal work ( Proyer et al., 2013a ) and multiple intervention studies (e.g., Gander et al., 2013 ), the alignment of well-being and/or happiness indicators and character strengths is one of the most consistent positive findings in the field of positive psychology.

While broad character strengths work can increase one’s well-being and decrease ill-being, many practitioners narrow in on what some researchers have dubbed “the happiness strengths” ( Littman-Ovadia et al., 2016 ). So-named because of their consistent link with happiness across several studies, cultures, and populations (e.g., Park et al., 2004 ), the five strengths are zest, hope, love, gratitude, and curiosity. Many practitioners appreciate the single-intervention simplicity and straightforward approach of targeting one of these character strengths in clients. Niemiec (2018) offers evidence-based interventions for each, referred to as activate your zest, best possible self, loving-kindness meditation with strengths, gratitude letter/visit, and boosting curiosity through novelty. Caveats accompany this approach such as that there are many ways to happiness through strengths (not just targeting one or more of these five); that if a client is not high in them it does not mean they cannot boost happiness; and that being high in them is not a happiness guarantee.

Emerging Practices

Draw the adversity/resilience link with character strengths.

While we’d like to say this is soaring in popularity, it is clear practitioners focusing on character strengths in the first couple decades of the VIA Classification have veered toward well-being, sometimes exclusively when discussing strengths. Theories have been developed that character strengths are at the core of both positivity/opportunity and adversity/suffering. Numerous character strengths functions on the adversity/suffering side include the buffering, reappraisal, and resilience functions ( Niemiec, 2020 ). There are studies looking at character strengths across various forms of adversity, such as stress ( Harzer and Ruch, 2015 ), war and terrorism ( Shoshani and Slone, 2016 ), natural disaster ( Duan and Guo, 2015 ), at-risk/vulnerable populations ( Duan and Wang, 2018 ), traumatic brain injury ( Andrewes et al., 2014 ), suicidal inpatients ( Huffman et al., 2014 ), psychopathology ( Freidlin et al., 2017 ), addictions ( Logan et al., 2010 ), aggression ( Park and Peterson, 2008 ), and intellectual/developmental disability ( Niemiec et al., 2017 ). Several of these studies support and discuss character strengths resilience; one study in particular found character strengths predict resilience over different positive phenomena such as self-efficacy, self-esteem, positive affect, social support, optimism, and life satisfaction ( Martínez-Martí and Ruch, 2016 ). Niemiec (2020) documents studies linking each of the 24 character strengths with resilience.

When Possible in Practice, Default on the Science

This approach involves having and integrating a solid grounding in character strengths science when introducing character strengths to a client. This foundation extends to practitioners favoring a mindset that they first turn to the scientific findings on character strengths when offering an intervention. In many instances, we have observed well-intentioned practitioners make something up and then link it back to “positive psychology research” explaining the activity as “based on evidence.” In this emerging scientific field, we suggest a more conservative approach: start with the science and then allow the practice to unfold from there. For example, start with intervention studies that have found using signature strengths to be superior to controls; use that as the practical strategy. If that is not an optimal avenue for your client, you might then turn to theoretical articles, correlation studies, or one activity within an evidence-based program. To flesh out this approach, Niemiec (2018) offered seven, non-sequential categories to guide practitioners in applying strengths, based on evidence; these were later discussed in Ruch et al. (2020) as pathways to justify a strengths-based intervention. A summary of these can be found in Table 3 .

Table 3 . Research-based framework to guide practitioners in applying character strengths.

Overuse, Underuse, and Optimal Use of Character Strengths

An exciting area for practitioners is examining character strengths overuse and underuse. New empirical work using the Overuse, Underuse, and Optimal-Use of Character Strengths Survey ( Freidlin et al., 2017 ) has begun to discover overuse/underuse patterns related to diagnostic conditions, such as for social anxiety disorder ( Freidlin et al., 2017 ) and obsessive-compulsive disorder ( Littman-Ovadia and Freidlin, 2019 ). Central arguments, theory, concepts, research, practical strategies, and language for overuse and underuse have been articulated ( Niemiec, 2019a ).

Practitioners help clients identify the character strengths that are out of balance in challenging situations and relationship conflicts and discuss client strategies for finding balance – or to arrive at the golden mean for a particular situation – the right combination of strengths, expressed with the right intensity, and in the right situation. That said, there are currently no intervention studies that have tested the overuse of character strengths, which indicates that this intriguing dynamic has much to be explored.

The Integration of Mindfulness and Character Strengths

The integration of these popular areas is of significant interest to practitioners. The weaving of character strengths to improve meditation and mindful living practices is referred to as “strong mindfulness” ( Niemiec et al., 2012 ) while the using of mindfulness and mindful living to bring balance, savvy, and enhancement to character strengths is referred to as “mindful strengths use” ( Niemiec, 2012 ). The 8-week program that guides participants through the boosting and integration of each is called mindfulness-based strengths practice (MBSP; Niemiec, 2014 ). Several theoretical, applied, and intervention studies offer a good evidence-base for MBSP. Intervention studies have shown benefits for well-being, engagement, meaning, health, and student retention ( Wingert et al., 2020 ). Additional studies have found MBSP to be superior to the most widespread mindfulness program [mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)] for boosting work task performance, workplace satisfaction, and the strength of humor ( Hofmann et al., 2019 ; Pang and Ruch, 2019a ).

In the practitioner survey, the integration of mindfulness and character strengths was more common in personal practice than in application with clients.

Use the Character Strengths Model: Aware, Explore, Apply

The most straightforward character strengths process is the three-phase model, Aware-Explore-Apply ( Niemiec, 2014 ) which entails: first, raising awareness of a character strength the client was previously unaware of or had limited use of; next, co-exploring the character strength with questions, activities, reflections, and challenges; and finally, moving into the application as the client chooses concrete goals and next steps for putting the character strength into action. These phases have been studied and revealed positive results, including a boost to thrive and decrease in negative emotions ( Bu and Duan, 2018 ) and increases in strengths use and well-being ( Dubreuil et al., 2016 ). This model can be applied in any field in which working on character strengths is part of the focus.

Keep a Personal Character Strengths Practice

As with teaching other practices, it’s important the practitioner first applies the practice to themselves (e.g., for mindfulness, see Dunn et al., 2012 ). This facilitates the “know thyself” and “practice what you preach” adages common in areas of self-development, and it enhances the understanding, depth, and facility when later working with a client’s character strengths. There are many ways to set up a practice with character strengths (which can, in turn, be taught to clients). Four main practice pathways from Niemiec (2018) include:

• Formal : having a regular practice with strengths, often the same time each day or week, e.g., practicing gratitude every evening by counting three good things that happened at the end of each day; or having a strengths appreciation conversation with one’s relationship partner every Sunday morning.

• Informal : using character strengths when needed such as at times of stress, e.g., when one’s body feels tight from stress, one pauses to breathe and consider which of their character strengths they could immediately bring forward.

• In-the-moment : looking to daily routines and areas of life taken for granted for character strengths to be discovered, e.g., while reflecting/journaling, a person realizes they have already been using their appreciation of beauty, prudence, and curiosity as they take their dog for a walk.

• Cued : use of the external environment to cue or remind the individual to use their character strengths, e.g., the individual arranges that every time they hear a bell in their environment, they will pause and consider how they can use one of their signature strengths.

Target Specific Strengths

A number of strength practitioners focus on one particular character strength in their practice with clients (37%). There is an extensive literature on each of the 24 strengths ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ) so focusing on a specific character strength can have a scientific foundation. The practitioner should be familiar with intervention studies supporting the targeted strength, such as for the strength of hope, being familiar with interventions such as teaching clients about agency and pathways thinking ( Snyder, 2000 ). This is an emerging approach that offers practitioners a simple inroad into helping clients, although it’s important to point out it can be narrow and limiting if one or two-character strengths are the sole focus or the only tools in the practitioner’s armamentarium.

Ripe with Potential Practices

These are areas that are strong conceptually yet empirical research is scant. In workshops and trainings for practitioners, these are usually received with significant enthusiasm and curiosity. Several of these areas reflect character strengths dynamics. This is not an exhaustive list and is meant to offer initial ideas for researchers to investigate and for practitioners to work with and offer observations to researchers. Further exploration and examples for each can be found in Niemiec (2018) .

Phasic Strengths

These are strengths of an individual that are not signature strengths, yet the individual brings forth the strength strongly when the situation calls for it ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ). A person who’s not high in zest might bring forth significant energy and enthusiasm when presenting to students. Despite being discussed in the original text of the VIA Classification, including a tentative measurement tool called the Rise to the Occasion Inventory ( Peterson and Seligman, 2004 ), we are not aware of any empirical studies assessing or examining phasic strengths. Some observations have been made about these strengths as situational strengths ( Escandón et al., 2016 ), and some conceptualizing has been done on phasic strengths and stress ( Niemiec, 2019b ). This is where the practice runs ahead of the research as practitioners ask clients about phasic strengths and explore situations in which clients rise to the occasion with character strengths at uncertain and challenging times.

Hot-Buttons

Hot buttons are sensitive areas in which another person’s perceived strengths overuse or underuse triggers discomfort/frustration in the observer. This might stem from the observer’s own character strength beliefs, preferences, or expectations. Hypothetically, the observer’s character strength has been affronted or offended in a way that feels personal and deliberate. This area is ripe for research investigation and for practitioners to explore relational conflicts and troubling interactions clients have.

Receiving Character Strengths

Most of the research and practice on character strengths has focused on inwardly and outwardly expressing one’s character strengths. What about how the character strength is received by the other? First introduced as a character strength name, the “capacity to love and be loved,” Peterson and Seligman (2004) may not have realized they were touching upon an interesting strength dynamic. Pileggi Pawelski and Pawelski (2018) advanced this dynamic by highlighting how gratitude is given and received in couples. We argue that all 24 character strengths have this characteristic, however, research on the topic is sparse. Observationally, how a relationship partner receives humor from their partner’s frequent use of humor might dictate whether the relationship will deepen or be constrained. The expression of forgiveness by someone can be herculean in terms of the emotional toll and therefore how the forgiveness is received by the other can be an important factor in the giver’s healing.

Character Strengths Collisions

A character strengths collision can occur intrapersonally or interpersonally and refers to the dynamic when two character strengths are opposed to one another and are eliciting an internal or external tension/conflict.

Character Strengths Synergies

These are win-win situations in which the character strengths of two or more people combine and are greater than the sum of the parts. Synergies can also occur internally with character strengths expressed together to a positive effect.

The Tempering Effect and Towing Effect

Described in the context of overuse and underuse of character strengths in Niemiec (2019a) , these dynamics occur when one character strength is used to bring balance to another character strength. The tempering effect refers to the use of character strength to help manage a higher strength, for example, using self-regulation to temper one’s curious questioning. The towing effect refers to the use of a higher character strength (e.g., signature strength) to boost or tow-along a lower character strength, for example, the use of one’s top strength of the love of learning to read about and explore new knowledge about how to use one’s lower strength of humility.

The Research on Character Strengths: Soaring, Emerging, or Ripe with Potential?

We use the same framework – soaring, emerging, ripe with potential – for the current status of the research on character strengths. The first author has been tracking the science of character for more than a decade and an exhaustive summarized list of over 700 studies can be found categorized on the VIA Institute website ( VIA Institute, 2021 ). Note that this number does not include the thousands of studies that have amassed on particular character strengths (e.g., creativity, hope, leadership, love), rather it represents studies using a VIA Survey assessment measure (there are 17 validated measures available to any researcher), the VIA Classification, or clusters of specific character strengths (e.g., studies of the character strengths under the transcendence virtue, Huta and Hawley, 2010 ).

As opposed to an exhaustive list of research areas or domains that are soaring, emerging, or ripe with potential, we selected a handful of examples of domain areas for each of the three categories. These examples are offered to catalyze researchers to build off of what is soaring or emerging or to consider pursuing areas that would benefit from growth.

Soaring Research Domains

To be an area of research that is soaring, we considered domain areas that have at least 25 studies that explored the science of character in that domain. The domains of work/organizations and education meet this criterion (see VIA Institute, 2021 ). While still neophyte character strength domains, these areas have examined situations within their respective domain, replicated findings, offered basic and applied research, and deployed a number of character strengths concepts for further research and practice. While we frame these as “soaring,” we want to highlight the observation that there is far more that we do not know about the application of character strengths in work and education than we do know. That said, a strong foundation is being built for not only researchers but also practitioners to explore and advance.

The workplace has been the most thriving domain in the study of character strengths as character strengths relate to a number of positive and ambitious workplace behaviors ( Gander et al., 2012 ). A range of strengths-related outcomes include job performance ( Harzer and Ruch, 2014 ), job satisfaction, work engagement, and work well-being ( Miglianico et al., 2019 ), improved workplace climate ( van Woerkom and Meyers, 2014 ), employee levels of self-efficacy and proactive behavior ( van Woerkom et al., 2016 ), and improved coping with stress at work ( Harzer and Ruch, 2015 ), to name a few. The importance to both managers and employees of character strengths awareness, alignment with work tasks, and appreciation among colleagues is substantial ( Mayerson, 2015 ).

Novel findings with employees’ top strengths have been conducted and found that signature strengths are connected with positive work experiences, irrespective of which character strengths of the 24 are highest ( Harzer and Ruch, 2013 ). Another study found that workers who used four or more of their signature strengths at work had more positive work experiences and work-as-a-calling than those who used less than four signature strengths ( Harzer and Ruch, 2012 ). A study with work supervisors support found that employees who received supervisor support around character strengths (but not colleague support) increased their character strengths use the following day ( Lavy et al., 2016 ). Different subset categories of character strengths (e.g., lower strengths, happiness strengths) have been examined in the workplace with interesting results. For example, Littman-Ovadia et al. (2016) found that the subsets of signature, lower, and happiness strengths were each associated with positive outcomes, but for work performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and (less) counterproductive work behavior, signature strengths contributed most while for work meaning, engagement, and satisfaction, the happiness strengths contributed most.

The second soaring domain in the science of character strengths is education. Positive education examines character strengths patterns and interventions in children and adolescents within and outside of the school context. Character strengths have been articulated as central to the educational experience of young people and a number of practices for the classroom setting have been discussed ( Linkins et al., 2015 ; Darwish and Niemiec, 2021 ). Character strengths have been outlined as central for boosting 21st-century competencies relating to cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal competencies as identified by the American National Research Council ( Lavy, 2019 ). In addition, systems thinking and systems-wide implementation of character strengths are crucial for this domain ( Darwish and Niemiec, 2021 ).

A wide range of positive classroom outcomes have been found such as positive affect, negative affect, and school achievement ( Weber et al., 2016 ), well-being ( Oppenheimer et al., 2014 ), strengths use, class cohesion, relatedness, and less class friction ( Quinlan et al., 2014 ), as well as social relationships, school performance, and academic motivation ( Grinhauz and Castro Solano, 2014 ).

Intervention studies of programs from different parts of the world have shown positive findings. In the United Kingdom, a study evaluated the impact of a character strengths program on adolescents and found that adolescents who participated in the character strengths exercises had significantly higher life satisfaction than adolescents who did not participate ( Proctor et al., 2011 ). In a Chinese educational context, a strengths training intervention was found to be effective in boosting life satisfaction in the short‐ and long-run ( Duan et al., 2013 ). Some positive education programs which have character strengths as core to the program have found increases in academic scores, social skills, and students’ enjoyment and engagement in school, as well as improve character strengths such as curiosity, love of learning, and creativity ( Seligman et al., 2009 ). In New Zealand, a strengths-spotting intervention of teachers found benefits for improving student outcomes which were explained by better classroom engagement, positive affect, and needs satisfaction ( Quinlan et al., 2019 ). In India, randomized controlled trials involving thousands of girls in poverty found that those who received a curriculum which incorporated character strengths (i.e., identification and use of signature strengths and concrete examples of using other strengths) exhibited significantly greater physical health and psychosocial health benefits in comparison to those girls who received a similar curriculum which did not include character strengths and girls who did not receive any curriculum at all (controls; Leventhal et al., 2016 ). In Australia, while not an intervention study, the integration of character strengths knowledge and activities into an entire school revealed a number of benefits for teachers and students and is documented in White and Waters (2014) .

Emerging Research Domains

For the category of emerging domains, we identified domains with at least 10 peer-reviewed/scholarly articles on character strengths in the domain and were published recently (within the last 5 years) indicating a spike of interest. This points to a new literature beginning to emerge, perhaps reflecting enthusiasm from research groups and scholars claiming an interest in the area. We discuss two domains: health/medicine and mindfulness.

Character strengths have been examined across various dimensions of physical health, including healthy eating, physical fitness, personal hygiene, substance avoidance, and living an active way of life, finding some character strengths more relevant in each area ( Proyer et al., 2013a ). A randomized controlled trial with seriously ill children found that a “granting a wish” intervention reduced nausea and increased life satisfaction, positive emotions, and strengths, compared to a control group ( Chaves et al., 2016 ). Niemiec and Yarova (2019) reviewed the implication of character strengths integration for health across three levels – the individual, the healthcare provider, and the system.

Intervention studies have brought character strengths in as one piece of a healthcare program and received positive feedback from patients as some of the most impactful elements. For example, patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome benefitted from an 8-week phone intervention which included identification and use of a signature strength ( Huffman et al., 2016 ). A number of significant findings surround the integration of character strengths with physicians ( Strecker et al., 2019 ), including the connections with physician work engagement and well-being ( Huber et al., 2019 ), and the mutual impact of signature strengths applications and perceived hospital climate ( Höge et al., 2019 ).

The integration of mindfulness and character strengths was mentioned earlier as an emerging practice. The research has received similar support with ~20 publications since the development of the first positive psychology program to integrate mindfulness with positive qualities in a systematic way – MBSP ( Niemiec, 2014 ). MBSP has received theoretical support for its two-way, mutual integration ( Pang and Ruch, 2019b ) and there are several intervention studies with positive findings (e.g., Wingert et al., 2020 ). A wide range of application areas have been explored with MBSP (e.g., Bretherton and Niemiec, 2020 ), for example, supervision ( Sharp and Rhinehart, 2018 ), early childhood development ( Lottman et al., 2017 ), meaning in life ( Littman-Ovadia and Niemiec, 2017 ), and intellectual/developmental disability ( Shogren et al., 2017 ).

Additional areas that meet or nearly meet the criteria for emerging research domains with character strengths include military, positive psychotherapy, positive parenting, intellectual/developmental disability, workplace/team roles, overuse/underuse/optimal-use, stress management, and positive relationships.

Ripe With Potential Research

For the ripe with potential domain, we selected areas in the science of character strengths that have between zero and three studies and the potential contribution of character strengths is robust and synergistic. We highlight three areas that are ripe for character strengths integration: spirituality, environment/nature connection, and peace/conflict studies. Each has seedlings emerging yet is wide open for extensive scientific investigation and eventually best practices.

The integration of spirituality and character strengths has been piecemeal with spirituality links to particular character strengths such as forgiveness, gratitude, humility, and love. The mutual synergy informed by the latest character strengths concepts, hundreds of studies in character science, character strengths interventions, and new research in spirituality has been largely unexplored. Niemiec et al. (2020) approached these areas by laying out a map of the six existing levels of integration for spirituality within the VIA Classification, and offered models for exploring this integration in the context of the psycho-spiritual journey toward wholeness. They offer two theoretical pathways by which character strengths and spirituality integrate and mutually benefit one another – the grounding path (where strengths offer tangibility and thereby deepen spirituality) and the sanctification path (where spirituality can elevate character strengths) and expound on several integration practices for each pathway that are grounded in science. Another article ( Littman-Ovadia and David, 2020 , this issue) shares how character strengths contribute to non-dual spirituality. Future studies might examine these pathways of integration and the practices therein.

The area of environment/nature connection also represents significant potential for the importance of character strengths. Considering the wide-ranging benefits of character strengths applications, it would seem reasonable to believe there would be a contribution to both pro-environmental behaviors and nature connectedness. One study showed character strengths were connected with sustainable behaviors, defined as actions intended to protect the socio-physical resources of the planet ( Corral-Verdugo et al., 2015 ). Another study examined psychological barriers to environmental self-efficacy and found certain character strengths were strongly related (e.g., zest and leadership) and others were related but less strongly (e.g., kindness, humility, prudence, fairness, and forgiveness; Moeller and Stahlmann, 2019 ). Work on the integration of MBSP and nature connectedness/pro-environmental behaviors is in the beginning stages.

Peace studies (or peace/conflict studies) is the area that surprises us most that there has not been extensive research integrating character strengths to date. Cohrs et al. (2013) offered ways in which positive psychology contributes to peace and point out that character strengths offer strategies for inner peace and peace of mind and might contribute to peace, nonviolence, reduced reactivity, and building a global resilience.

In the literature on peace, a common distinction is made between positive peace and negative peace, where positive peace refers to the creation or building up of harmony and equity while negative peace refers to the decrease or elimination of violence, war, and human conflict ( Christie et al., 2008 ; Neto and Marujo, 2017 ). In addition, there are many types of peace including inner/personal peace, relational peace, intragroup peace, intergroup peace, and international peace. Character strengths would seemingly have a significant place in positive and negative peace across each of these levels. The first author has begun an investigation of the role of character strengths with these levels.

Additional areas we believe are ripe with potential include social/racial justice, positive leadership, addictions and psychopathology, and sport/performance psychology.

The science of well-being, or science of positive psychology, was conceived as a bridge between academic scholarship, practical wisdom, and applied psychology/self-development. It is enveloped with many scholars, researchers, and practitioners eager to advance the field. One of the challenges is the siloed nature of the work. One of our aims with this paper has been to catalyze dialogue for scientists and practitioners by offering definitions, principles, and trending areas to unify disparate scientists and practitioners and spur collaborations.

We suggest the need for more seminal thought leadership papers and basic research in the areas mentioned as ripe with potential, and for researchers to take the next steps in examining the areas in the soaring and emerging domains. From a big-picture vantage point, the work in all these areas is only beginning; there are many nuances and challenges to untangle and discover in advancing the science of character strengths ( Ruch et al., 2020 ).

We encourage practitioners to deepen their study of the principles of character strengths outlined and consistently engage in research-based practices with character strengths, which includes using the science as the default, having your own personal practice with character strengths, and taking action with practices such as strengths-spotting, signature strengths exploration, integration with mindfulness, and adhering to character strengths models such as aware-explore-apply.

We have found – and as noted here the science supports this – character strengths play a substantial role for both the boosting of well-being and the handling of adversity. Each is mountainous areas for researchers and trained practitioners to continue exploring in the pursuit of understanding and benefiting the human condition.

Data Availability Statement

The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation.

Ethics Statement

Ethical review and approval was not required for the study on human participants in accordance with the local legislation and institutional requirements. Written informed consent for participation was not required for this study in accordance with the national legislation and the institutional requirements.

Author Contributions

RN researched, drafted, and revised the paper. RP lead the practitioner survey discussed and revised the paper. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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Keywords: character strengths, VIA classification, VIA Survey, strengths interventions, strengths-based practitioner, strengths-spotting, signature strengths, mindfulness

Citation: Niemiec RM and Pearce R (2021) The Practice of Character Strengths: Unifying Definitions, Principles, and Exploration of What’s Soaring, Emerging, and Ripe With Potential in Science and in Practice. Front. Psychol . 11:590220. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.590220

Received: 31 July 2020; Accepted: 11 December 2020; Published: 27 January 2021.

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*Correspondence: Ryan M. Niemiec, [email protected]

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