character strength

Via my handy-dandy RSS feed to PsyBlog I learned about the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths (VIA-IS) survey that evaluates individual positive character strengths and virtues. It goes hand in hand with the research I recently did on gratitude and health so I ended up taking it to find out what my most valued character traits were. The survey is basically 240 likert style questions that are used to get an overall appraisal of your character from a list of 24 positive traits. Its quite interesting to do if you have a free 20 minutes. Some results I expected, others surprised me.

My top 5 strengths:

#1)Citizenship, teamwork, and loyalty
You excel as a member of a group. You are a loyal and dedicated teammate, you always do your share, and you work hard for the success of your group.

#2)Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness
You are an honest person, not only by speaking the truth but by living your life in a genuine and authentic way. You are down to earth and without pretense; you are a "real" person.

#3)Gratitude
You are aware of the good things that happen to you, and you never take them for granted. Your friends and family members know that you are a grateful person because you always take the time to express your thanks.

#4)Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

#5)Appreciation of beauty and excellence
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

My weakest characters strengths:

#22)Social intelligence
You are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease.

#23)Industry, diligence, and perseverance
You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you "get it out the door" in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.

#24)Spirituality, sense of purpose, and faith
You have strong and coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe.


To get an idea of how other people responded, check out this post of the top five character strengths.