CHARACTER STRENGTHS

Character Strengths are the personal traits and qualities that make
up who you are as a person
24 different ones have been identified and are shown below
all of these strengths are in your makeup in different degrees
your top five strengths are called your Signature Strengths
d
 iscover yours by doing the free Youth Survey at www.
viacharacter.org

Use your top five strengths every day to:

look at situations from positions of strength
build your Wellbeing Bank to push through to overcome challenges
be happier to strive, thrive and flourish
make good decisions.
Your positive attitudes will rub off on others.
Acknowledgement and thanks to the VIA Institute.

THE CHARACTER STRENGTHS OF A FLOURISHING LIFE

CREATIVITY

Originality; adaptive; ingenuity.

PERSPECTIVE

Wisdom; providing wise counsel;

taking the big picture view.

ZEST

Vitality; enthusiasm; vigor; energy;

feeling alive and activated.

TEAMWORK

Citizenship; loyalty;
social responsibility.

HUMILITY

Modesty; letting ones

accomplishments speak
for themselves.

GRATITUDE

Thankful for the good;

expressing thanks; feeling blessed.

CURIOSITY

JUDGMENT

Interest; novelty-seeking; exploration;

openness to experience.

Critical thinking; thinking things

through; open-minded.

BRAVERY

PERSEVERANCE

Valor; not shrinking from fear;

speaking up for whats right.

LOVE

Both loving and being loved;

valuing close relations with others.

FAIRNESS

Persistence; industry;
finishing what one starts.

KINDNESS

Generosity; nurturance; care;

compassion; altruism; niceness.

LEADERSHIP

LOVE OF LEARNING

Mastering new skills and topics;

systematically adding to knowledge.

HONESTY

Authenticity; integrity.

SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE

Emotional intelligence; aware of

the motives/feelings of self/others;
knowing what makes other people tick.

FORGIVENESS

Just; not letting feelings bias

decisions about others.

Organizing group activities;

encouraging a group to
get things done.

Mercy; accepting others

shortcomings; giving people
a second chance.

PRUDENCE

SELF-REGULATION

APPRECIATION OF BEAUTY
AND EXCELLENCE

Careful; cautious;
not taking undue risks.

HOPE

Optimism; future-mindedness;
future orientation.

Self-control; disciplined;
managing impulses and emotions.

HUMOUR

Playfulness; lighthearted;
bringing smiles to others.

Awe; wonder; elevation.

SPIRITUALITY

Religiousness; faith;
purpose; meaning.

Used with Permission 2014 VIA Institute on Character All Rights Reserved
Just as we dont realise we are breathing, we often dont realise we are using our character strengths. Martin Seligman.