Introducing Psychology

by Carol Ciccarelli

  Humanity

  Humanity is another category of strengths. Love, Kindness, and Social Intelligence fall with the category of Humanity and all affect our relationships with others.

  The next Character Strength identified is Kindness. Those with a highly developed sense of Kindness gain pleasure from doing nice things for others. Seeing joy and creating joy are part of the good things in life. This Character Strength is very important for the developing and strengthening of interpersonal relationships. Kindness is most evident in one on one relationships but can reveal itself in larger applications as well. Believing other people are worthy of attention and feeling good is an aspect of the strength. Important to Kindness is that it is not done out of a sense of obligation. This strength can be described sometimes as altruism, as often it exhibits itself in actions that do not immediately benefit the individual. There are three important traits of Kindness in individuals. The first trait is helpful in identifying the need for kindness and that is sympathy or empathy. This first noticing of others and caring for them is the first step. The second trait of Kindness is moral reasoning. This involves a person’s own belief about their morals, which leads to the third trait, social responsibility. To boost Kindness small acts can be very beneficial. For instance, letting somebody have a seat on the bus or skip the grocery store line can help strengthen Kindness in a personality and improve well-being. Love is the Character Strength that leads people to value close interpersonal relationships. Love is one of the most studied of the Character Strengths and has been categorized into four distinct types. The first type had been discussed earlier, altruistic Love. Characterized by acts of Kindness and a feeling of belonging and connectedness, altruistic Love is a very generalized feeling. Friendship Love, or affectionate Love, is the close feeling developed after years of a close relationship. This is the type of love between very close friends or people who have worked together closely for a long time. This is a very focused Love on a specific relationship with one person. The third type of Love is romantic. Romantic Love is characterized by intimacy and physical passion. This is the type of love experienced by spouses or those in a loving relationship. Though Love has been differentiated does not mean each type is independent of the others. In fact, the fourth type of Love is, in a sense, the combination of the previously mentioned types. Consummate Love is the presence of the strongest sense of Love in a relationship. This type of Love is characterized by intimacy and passion as well as commitment to one another and a greater cause. There are, of course, negative aspects of Love but Positive psychologist focus on strengths and flourishing. To exercise Love and improve that particular Character Strength individuals are encouraged to ask question about the people we live and work with. Gaining an understanding and appreciation for those around us improve Love as a Strength and enhance our well-being. Another recommended exercise is to do and experience things with people there is already an established relationship with. Social Intelligence is the Character Strength with exclusively interpersonal relationships. Sympathy and empathy are strong in individuals with a highly developed Social Intelligence. This strength allows us to be aware of other people‘s motivations and emotions. This awareness of others leads to an understanding of behaviors in social settings. Those are the two important aspects of Social Intelligence, the awareness of other people’s emotions and the knowledge of the correct response or action. Developing this Character Strength can lead to a marked increase in close relationships which are essential to a person’s well-being and flourishing in life. To strengthen Social Intelligence it is often recommended to practice identifying emotions in other people. This will lead to greater awareness and understanding, developing sympathy and empathy lead to greater Social Intelligence. Another practice to increase Social Intelligence is the journaling of interactions with others and writing alternate endings.

  Justice

  Leadership, Teamwork, and Fairness are categorized under Justice, all influencing what a person believes is right.

  The next Character Strength is Fairness. This strength has a strong influence in how a person interacts with other people. Fairness seeks to remove bias in decision making in order to be equitable. Often times this strength shows itself in dispute resolution but is part of many aspects of life. The moral right is important to someone with a strong sense of Fairness. This strength has a large impact on our outlook on life and can greatly affect well-being. Since this strength is a judgment of values, building it is of great importance. Self-reporting is used heavily when trying to strengthen an individual’s Fairness. Noticing when value judgments are placed and forcing empathy are some practices. Leadership is another strength according to the Well-Being theory. Leadership influences our ability to connect with others and operate in a group. A strong sense of Leadership can also increase organization and quality of interactions in groups. Positive psychologists divide Leadership into two categories. The first category of Leadership is Transactional. This type of Leadership facilitates the smooth operation of systems. This is often done through clear communication and organizational systems. These types of Transactional leaders allow a group to work together and accomplish goals. The other type of leader is the Transformational leader. This type of leader allows for groups to operate at a very high level and develop cultures of success. While there may be two types of Leadership, those with this Character Strength exhibit similar motivation. Seeking positions or opportunities to lead groups is a characteristic of Leadership. Though some Character Strengths may seem more important than others, this is a distinction that Positive psychology does not make. Each of the twenty-four Strengths is equally important to a person flourishing in their life. Teamwork is another Character Strength identified and studied Positive psychology. This strength allows a person to derive joy from being part of a group. Strength in Teamwork will also allow a person to operate ideally in groups and build relationships as well. Integral to Teamwork is that a person feels a part of a group, a belonging to a certain community. This belonging to the community also builds a sense of responsibility toward that group. This is the group where they feel most closely aligned with goals and so another important aspect of Teamwork is loyalty to the team. Trust in the population and the process of the group is another central component of Teamwork. People a strong sense of Teamwork often develop pride in their group, sometimes called patriotism. To develop a strengthen Teamwork as a Character Strength it is often recommended to find and join a group which a person is already closely aligned with. By developing Teamwork with groups with whom one already feels connected it will allow the strength to show during times of working with other sorts of groups. Volunteering will also help develop a sense of responsibility to within a group and build Teamwork.

  Temperance

  Temperance is the category of Strengths that deals with a person’s ability to control their own urges, desires, and corresponding actions. Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, and Self-regulation are all important to monitoring our emotions and dealing with them in a way that leads to flourishing in life.

  While Fairness is a strength that focuses on equality of judgement, Forgiveness is the strength that focuses on failure. Again, this is a strength vital to our interaction with other people. Forgiveness is also important to our ability to monitor and control our own thoughts and emotions. It is important that this strength is not confused with actions that may seem similar. Condoning an action, for example, is not the same as exercising Forgiveness. The distinction here is that if the action is condoned there is no harm done and no need for the strength thus not truly exercising it. Forgetting is similarly different and detrimental to the development of Forgiveness. Another similar action is reconciliation, which also restores the relationship to a state prior to whatever event called for the exercise of Forgiveness. This strength is an exercise in empathy and understanding. Strengthening Forgiveness allows a person to manage their own reactions to relationships with others and is important for building resilience. P
urposely taking a perspective someone disagrees with can build this strength by understanding the motivations of others. Another more powerful exercise of this strength is observing an incident that affected a person adversely and noting the benefits of it. This is often a frustrating exercise but the development of this strength is an essential component to well-being. Another difficult strength to cultivate is Humility. This ability to manage one’s own emotions and keep perspective of accomplishments is imperative to well-being. Humility is closely tied to Honesty in that a person needs to be honest with themselves about their achievements and limitations. Those with a strong sense of Humility often redirect attention away from themselves onto others. A strong exercise in Humility is acknowledge accomplishments of others twice as much as your own. Developing this Character Strength is often associated with a significant betterment of interpersonal relationships. Another Character Strength described in Well-Being theory is Prudence. Prudence is all about an individual’s internal conversation. When exercising Prudence a person carefully considers actions and words and even thoughts. This Character Strength plays a large part in a person’s decision making and goal-setting as well as interpersonal relationships. People who exhibit a strength in Prudence are often thought of as cautions and calculating. The developing of long-term plans strengthens Prudence as well as short-term goal-oriented plans. The exercising of this Strength requires a great deal of self-monitoring since it largely involves the conversations one has with oneself. Thinking more than usual when making decisions or communicating with others is a hallmark of building Prudence. A journal can be used to record small goals set and the outcomes achieved. Referring back to this journal when making other short term or even long term goals is a way to further the growth of Prudence. Another Strength that deals strongly with a person’s internal dialogue is Self-Regulation. This strength helps a person monitor and regulate their emotions and act. This means being in control of emotions and also of how those emotions impact our actions. Self-regulation requires first the awareness of the need for emotions or actions to be monitored and regulated. Once monitored, Self-regulation requires the integration of other strengths to determine the correct course of action. With a strong sense of Self-regulation a person is more likely to stick to diets or not let frustration with a task distract from it. Positive psychologists have determined that Self-regulation can be taught and learned, as well as depleted. This awareness of the use of this particular strength is essential to maintaining its efficacy. Similar to an over-stressed muscle, Self-regulation can suffer from over exertion. Journaling and self-reporting are crucial to the development of Self-regulation. When an individual monitor their own thoughts and emotions they are actively utilizing Self-regulation. This is also a task that can strengthen the Character Strength without over stressing it. The use and exercise of this strength can also lead to greater awareness and understanding of a person’s motivations and barriers to well-being.

  Transcendence

  Finally, Transcendence, the category of Strengths that addresses a person’s feeling of connecting to something greater and having a larger purpose in life. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, and Spirituality all contribute to this category.

  Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence is the first of the Character Strengths. It is characterized by the finding of joy and happiness in things a person finds pretty. This strength also derives pleasure from skilled or delicate work. This strength becomes evident not only in the work of and individual but in the pleasure derived. Specifically, a sense of meaning or belonging to something greater from the experience is a large element in the emotion. Appreciation of Beauty ad Excellence not only derives pleasure from the physical beauty of an object but from a perceived goodness in the experience of it. Those with a high level of this strength maintain an inner dialogue and record of their appreciation. Sometimes recommended to those who wish to strengthen this attribute is the keeping of a journal. Always a key component of Positive psychology is the fact that these traits can be learned and strengthened. Another exercise used to strengthen Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence is to seek out displays of skill or craftsmanship. Associating these pursuits with positive experiences and emotions builds this strength and has positive impacts on a person’s well-being. These Character Strengths are loosely grouped into categories based upon the general aspects of life they affect. This next strength is in the same group as Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Gratitude is the appreciation of positive experiences in life. Simply noticing that a good thing has happened brings pleasure to a person with a strong sense of Gratitude. This Gratitude can be in reaction to an expected benefit or surprise. Additionally, general thankfulness of the ability to be aware of what to be thankful for is an aspect of Gratitude. Typically, Positive psychologists think Gratitude has two stages. The first stage of Gratitude is observing and noting the good things in life. Being aware of these positive experiences and acknowledging they are worthy of being grateful for is the first step in exercising Gratitude. The next step of Gratitude is to realize the source of these positive experiences to be grateful for is not oneself. Developing this sense expands and strengthens our feeling of having a higher meaning. This feeling of purpose and connectedness is important to well-being and cannot be achieved without developing Gratitude. Savoring experiences is a side effect of a powerful sense of Gratitude. Journaling and noting the positive experiences throughout the day is a common exercise for developing this Character Strength. Hope is a Character Strength that speaks to a person’s view of the future. This strength makes one feel in control of their future. Not only in control of the future but also able to influence it in a positive way. This is strongly tied to our need to feel the sense of belonging to a greater purpose of meaning. Those with Hope have positive outlook on the future despite and even in response to a negative situation. Similar to other strengths, awareness is a crucial component to developing Hope. Because of this self-reporting is used as a tool to building Hope in people. Lists and journals goals set and met are among the self-reporting techniques used. Practicing the behavior and speech patterns of hopeful thinking are also effective techniques to developing Hope as a strength. As mentioned before, these strengths are present in everyone but apparent in different levels. They can be worked on and strengthened, though some are more difficult to develop than others. Gratitude and Honesty are two of these very difficult strengths along with Hope to cultivate. Just as all the Character Strengths are connected, developing one will benefit others as well. And they can be developed and strengthened, even Humor. This Character Strength attempts to bring levity to most situations. Making jokes and teasing, laughing with friends and having fun are all expressions of this strength. This builds our sense of connectedness with others and build relationships. Seeing the lighter side of situations develops resiliency and also brings us closer to others. This strength helps people maintain mood and positivity. Furthermore, Humor is a strength that influences others greatly. It is inherently a strength that is shared with other people, spreading the positive effects of this particular Character Strength. Bringing a smile to others is a skill and strength worth building. Reading jokes out loud with others is a simple exercise that can be a positive experience utilizing Humor. Also, the act of remembering a time that Humor was shared is a powerful exercise of this important strength. Though it may seem funny, Humor is a Character Strength defined and researched by Positive psychologists trying to improve the well-being of human life. An important requirement of a fulfilling and meaningful life is the feeling of connection to something greater than one’s self. Spirituality is a Character Strength that leads to a person’s feeling of meaning. The development of a coherent set of beliefs and a feeling of having a higher purpose are aspects of having a strong sense of Spirituality. Those with a highly developed Spirituality also feel as though their actions are motivated by belief. This strength has an impact on interpersonal relationships and also a more general f
eeling of connectedness. It is important to note that Spirituality can express itself through religious practice but is not limited solely to this form of expression. Often, a highly developed sense of Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence can lead to increased Spirituality. An exercise to strengthen Spirituality in everyday life is to schedule time for reflection and create a specific space for the task. This creation and reverence of the task of contemplation will lead to a greater sense of Spirituality and connectedness if life. A more powerful and equally more difficult exercise is the attempt to find meaning in adverse situations experienced in life. This is true with all strengths of course, but perhaps most difficult to achieve with Spirituality.