Which Character Strengths Lead to Highest Life Satisfaction?
Does the way we think about the world and ourselves have an impact on our life satisfaction? A Forbes article by psychologist Mark Travers, Ph.D. examines which character strengths best set us up for success and healthy living.
A 2021 study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology suggests that of 24 core character strengths, “zest, hope, and humor are the three strengths most commonly found in well-rounded and psychologically healthy individuals.”
According to the article, these findings back up “other research showing the character strength of zest, or the ability to approach life situations with excitement and energy (and not halfheartedly), to have the strongest ties to overall life satisfaction.” Curiosity and kindness also ranked high on the list.
A team of researchers led by Fabian Gander of the University of Zurich examined “17 of life’s most important functional areas”:
- Wisdom – acquiring new knowledge and using the knowledge you possess
- Courage – using willpower to overcome fear and obstacles in order to reach your goal
- Humanity – having compassionate, connected interactions with others
- Justice – working toward your community’s welfare
- Temperance – keeping excessive behavior in check
- Transcendence – being connected to something larger than yourself and finding meaning
- Meaning – using your potential for a higher cause
- Engagement – being absorbed in or losing yourself in an activity
- Pleasure – experiencing happiness or enjoyment
- Health – feeling healthy and fit
- Optimism – feeling positive or hopeful about what’s ahead
- Accomplishment – making headway toward a goal
- Mastery – effectively coping with challenges
- Positive Thinking – being able to reframe your thoughts about yourself or the world so you can view them through a more positive lens
- Independence – feeling free
- Understanding – making sense of yourself, others, or the world, enabling you to feel more competent or in control
- Self-efficacy – feeling like you have agency, an ability to make things happen
They then analyzed 24 unique character strengths, ranking them by which best enabled people to reach goals in those important areas:
- Zest
- Hope
- Humor
- Curiosity
- Kindness
- Learning
- Perseverance
- Social Intelligence
- Creativity
- Appreciation of beauty and excellence
- Gratitude
- Love
- Perspective
- Self-regulation
- Teamwork
- Judgment
- Leadership
- Honesty
- Bravery
- Fairness
- Spirituality
- Forgiveness
- Humility
- Prudence
The author notes that the character strengths at the bottom of the list are still important, but not as widely applicable as those at the top of the list.
You can read the full article here.
Or read the study for yourself here.
Travers, Mark. “ Zest, Hope, And Humor Are The Most Important Character Strengths, Suggests New Psychological Research.” Forbes.com, 30 May 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/traversmark/2021/05/30/zest-hope-and-humor-are-the-most-important-character-strengths-suggests-new-psychological-research/.
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