Most research in psychology has long focused on the “negative” aspects of being human. However, with the recent advent of positive psychology founded by Martin Seligman, today the sphere of human potential has been explored through a strengths-based approach, that is, a process oriented to “correction.” of defects” we move to a criterion focused on the reinforcement of resources, according to which all people have strengths, both individual and environmental, often unexploited or unrecognized.
With this Psychology-Online article you will discover the 40 strengths of a person, what personal strengths are, how to recognize them and some descriptive examples to understand them better. Which ones do you identify with?
What are personal strengths
Personal strengths are the character strengthsthe positive qualities, resources, skills and abilities that human beings use daily and whose application allows them to experience gratification and be happy, thus allowing the individual to live a better life dense with meaning.
Some main characteristics of a person’s strengths are:
- They contribute to the satisfaction in various spheres of life and happiness in general, both for others and for themselves.
- It is something that the individual recognizes as part of himself, linked to your own personal identity and which you are intrinsically motivated to exercise frequently, as satisfying in itself. In this article we explain to you.
- They are morally valued in and of themselves, regardless of the beneficial effects they produce, andand manifest through behavior of the individual, in the thoughts, feelings and actions that affect him, also showing a certain degree of generality and stability over time.
How to know your personal strengths
To know what our personal strengths are, it is necessary to take a path of awareness that helps us to identify our qualities and learn to use them in the correct way. However, if we do not perform this task properly, we run the risk of playing a character that does not belong to us.
Therefore, in order to recognize your strengths, it is important to observe and know yourself. In psychology, a strengths-based intervention is based on a process of exploring people’s resources and strengths, involving them in identifying how these factors can help them solve their problems.
The basis of this approach is the conviction that individuals, both individually and in groups, possess numerous untapped resources, upon which they could mobilize energy, thus overcoming the obstacles and difficulties of their lives.
40 personal strengths with examples
Each individual has his or her own authentic strengths and has the capabilities to increase all the other characteristic traits: potentialities are sometimes already expressed, but other times latent, neglected, repressed, and can be developed if trained correctly with adequate strategy and perseverance. .
To help you identify your own strengths, below are 40 examples of a person’s strengths:
- Creativity (originality and ingenuity): When you have something you want in front of you, you are very good at finding new and correct behaviors to achieve it. In this article we explain.
- Curiosity (interest, search for novelties and openness to experiences): You are open to experience and flexible on issues that do not agree with your prejudices.
- Open-mindedness (judgment and critical thinking): you reflect on things and analyze them from all angles; You don’t jump to conclusions without sufficient evidence, and you are capable of changing your mind. Here you can see more information about .
- Love for learning: you enjoy learning new things, you read, visit places and museums. Curiosity and love of learning are personal strengths that are highly valued and useful in the educational, academic and work areas.
- Clairvoyance (wisdom): You grasp the big picture of things and look at them in the right perspective.
- Audacity (courage): You do not cower in the face of threats, challenges, suffering or difficulties.
- Persistence (perseverance and industry)– you complete what you start, even in the case of difficult projects
- Integrity (authenticity and honesty): You are honest and live fully, without forcing, authentically.
- Vitality (enthusiasm, vigor and energy): You approach everything with energy and enthusiasm.
- Love: you are capable of loving and letting yourself be loved; you have intense and deep human relationships.
- Kindness (generosity, caring, compassion, altruistic love, cordiality): you know how to recognize the value of your neighbor.
- Social intelligence (emotional and personal intelligence): you are able to place yourself in contexts that value you; you know how to notice the differences in others and tune in to their feelings.
- Active citizenship (social responsibility, loyalty and group work): You always do your part.
- Impartiality: Feelings do not determine your decisions and you know how to guide yourself.
- Leadership: You are able to organize and carry out activities successfully.
- Forgiveness and mercy: you know how to forgive injustices and give second chances; You are merciful, not vengeful. Forgiveness and compassion are very useful personal strengths in the area of social relationships.
- Humility and modesty: you do not love or try to expose yourself, it is the facts that speak for you; You don’t feel special or pretentious, and you view your aspirations, victories and defeats with relative importance.
- Prudence: you don’t do things you may regret; You are sagacious, thoughtful and resistant to impulses.
- Self-regulation (self-control): you know what is right and you know how to put this awareness into practice; you can control your personal needs, impulses and desires. In this article you can see.
- Ability to appreciate beauty and excellence (awe, wonder and elevation): you know how to appreciate these two realities everywhere, in nature, in art, in science and in the small everyday things.
- Gratitude: You are aware of the positive things that happen to everyone, without taking them for granted, expressing amazement and gratitude.
- Hope (optimism and future-oriented mindset): you hope for the best in the future, you plan and work to realize this expectation.
- Humor (joy): you like to laugh and make people laugh, without taking yourself too seriously, managing to see the comic side of things.
- Spirituality (having a purpose, faith and religiosity): you are endowed with deep and coherent convictions about the purpose and ultimate meaning of the universe; You believe that you have found your place in the world and your life has meaning, precisely because you believe in something greater. Here you will find an interesting article that talks about.
- Resilience: you are able to successfully face adversity or moments of crisis, rising after difficulties; You know how to make an effort despite the inconveniences.
- Assumption of risk: you act, although the consequences are uncertain.
- Search for success: you have a need for achievement that drives you to do more and more, to always have new results.
- Adaptability: You live in the moment and respond willingly to sudden requests, even if they go outside your plans.
- Analytics: You are interested in understanding the veracity of an idea through testing and demonstration; You reason logically and rigorously.
- Communication and relationship propensity: you like to give explanations, speak in public and write; You have a marked aptitude for relationships, and for caring for relationships with significant others.
- Competence: you have a constant need for confrontation, for confrontation with the actions of others.
- Coherence and harmony (tendency to include): you need balance, treat people the same way; the rules must be clear and applied to everyone equally; you support agreement and understanding between people; You want to make others feel part of a group.
- Developer/promoter: You are a person capable of seeing the potential in individuals, helping others to have successful experiences.
- Organization and discipline: you love managing all the variables; You have to live in an orderly, predictable world, where everything is planned.
- Empathy: you are a person capable of feeling the emotions of others; you know how to use the right words in the right tone.
- Concentration/focus: you have to follow a clear destiny, have a goal to achieve.
- Personalization: you are fascinated by the uniqueness of each person.
- Self-esteem: You know that you have potential and you are aware of your abilities and resources.
- Importance/value: You want to be considered important and surrounded by equally professional and admirable people; Work represents a way of life.
- Strategic thinking: you manage to sort out the confusion to find the best path.
Which of these personal and work strengths do you identify with? What are the most important person strengths to you? If you want to know more about this topic, you will find in the following article.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
If you want to read more articles similar to The strengths of a person: list with exampleswe recommend that you enter our category.
Bibliography
- D’Ambrosio, M. (2015). The art of humanistic coaching. Virtue and potenzialità. Los Angeles: La Case Books.
- Laudadio, A., Mancuso, S. (2015). Manual of Positive Psychology. Milan: Franco Angeli.
- Laudadio, A., Nicodemo, F. (et al.) (2017). Thanks for the feedback. The art of giving and receiving feedback to improve individual and group performance. Milan: Franco Angeli.
- Seligman, M.E. (2014). Learn Optimism: Make Life a Wonderful Experience. DEBOLS! LLO.
- Seligman, M.E. (2017). true happiness. B OF BOOKS.