Lecture 3: Character Strengths

The third lecture provided insightful knowledge of one’s character strengths through current psychological definitions and historical interpretations of the construct. It was interesting to see the differentiation between virtues as a singular moral quality and character as the array of traits that represent an individual. My assumption of these concepts is that a person’s character can be comprised of virtuous qualities such as the theological virtues (i.e faith, hope and charity), which are also applicable to me. Differentiation's lie particularly in the prescriptive dichotomy of ‘good and bad’ labels that were historical attributed to these components. Subsequent definitions that encompassed a more socio-cultural and scientific lens, provided a descriptive basis on which to understand personality (Allport, 1937) and individual growth (i.e through self-actualisation).

Self-actualisation

Maslow’s and Roger’s portrayal of self-actualisation reveals that specific virtues and characteristics can lead to personal growth, such as the 15 traits of self-actualizers. In view of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs I can personally agree that self-actualisation can be achieved through meeting the safety and biological needs. Even though I’ve grown up having limited safety in my family environment, the belonging and love (provided by my mother) and esteem needs (status and responsibility of being the first born) transcend most of the other levels. This has undoubtedly contributing towards my self-actualising propensities.

Merging of Seligman and Maslow

In my opinion, the road to authentic happiness  can be defined by the interplay between (Seligman’s) pleasant life, engaged life and meaningful life and (Maslow’s) hierarchy of needs. I have come to this conclusion due the common goal of optimal individual functioning which is also foundational to positive psychology. I can see how this can positively and negatively affect one’s character/personality and overall well-being. Another perspective might even suggest that one’s personality influences the implications of Seligman and Maslow’s concepts. 

VIA Character Strengths

Having completed the the VIA classification of Character Strengths via the authentic happiness website I discovered that my top strength was curiosity and interest in the world, followed by: forgiveness and mercy, gratitude, capacity to love and be loved and social intelligence. These particular qualities vary across the 4 of the 5 major clusters (i.e wisdom and knowledge, humanity, temperance and transcendence) with a greater emphasis on Humanity. Of the 24 strengths my lowest was caution, prudence and discretion which mean that I may have to work on my other Temperance qualities. It was interesting to note the outcomes of this task because I was expecting the strengths that were lower in the list to have been higher up. This is clearly a reflection of my self-perception.  

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Reading Summary 
The Cultivation of Character Strengths:

Park and Peterson (2010) introduce the article with studies and relevance of wisdom in different aspects of academia (e.g psychology, philosophy, education and theology) in order to the good life. The authors specify definitions and studies of wisdom which are derived from these fields. Some of these examples originate from Peterson and Seligman (2004), Aristotle (2000), Sternberg (1985, 1988, and 2004) and others. The discussion amongst these articles theorizes wisdom as an implicit theory, moral virtue, and a storehouse of experiences. Park and Peterson’s rationale for analyzing and encouraging character strengths is prized on the idea of wisdom as the driving force in overcoming challenges and building psychosocial virtues. The positive psychology driven Values in Action (VIA) Project is guided by the 24 proposed Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Character Strengths which are grouped under 6 virtues. The article displays two tables that highlight the criteria for Character strength and the actual VIA 6 cluster (wisdom and knowledge, courage, humanity, justice, temperance and transcendence) and the 24 facets that follow. The authors support these tables with evidentiary literature and studies that encourage character strengths. The ‘Target for Intervention’ section implies that working on a particular strength may alternatively strengthen or affect the others. Table 3 is an elaboration of this idea as all character strengths are assessed according to enabling factors, societal institutions and deliberate interventions that are also supported by empirical research. The authors support this information with the reliability and validity of each component as they conclude with guidelines for cultivating character.    

  

Allport, G. W. (1937). Personality: A psychological interpretation. New York: Holt.

Aristotle. (2000). Nicomachean ethics (R. Crisp, Trans.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University

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Compton, W. C., & Hoffman, E. (2013). Positive Psychology The Science of Happiness and Flourishing. California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character strengths and virtues: A handbook and

classification. New York: Oxford University Press/Washington, DC: American Psychological

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Sternberg, R. J. (1985). Implicit theories of intelligence, creativity, and wisdom. Journal of Personality

and Social Psychology, 49, 607–627.

Sternberg, R. J. (1998). A balance theory of wisdom. Review of General Psychology, 2, 347–365.

  

Sternberg, R. J., & Stemler, S. E. (2004). Wisdom as a moral virtue. In T. A. Thorkildsen &

H. J. Walberg, Nurturing morality (pp. 187–198). New York: Kluwer.