Character Strengths (VIA Classification)

What Are Character Strengths?

The Values in Action (VIA) Classification of Character Strengths is the positive psychology counterpart to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). While the DSM catalogs what can go wrong with people, the VIA catalogs what is right — the positive traits that define human excellence across all cultures.

Developed by Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson, the VIA Classification identifies 24 character strengths organized under six broad virtues that appear consistently across world cultures, religions, and philosophical traditions: Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence.

The 24 Character Strengths

Wisdom and Knowledge

• Creativity — Thinking of novel and productive ways to do things
• Curiosity — Taking interest in ongoing experience and exploring new things
• Judgment/Critical Thinking — Thinking things through and examining from all angles
• Love of Learning — Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge
• Perspective/Wisdom — Being able to provide wise counsel to others

Courage

• Bravery — Not shrinking from threat, challenge, or pain
• Perseverance — Finishing what you start despite obstacles
• Honesty — Speaking the truth and presenting yourself genuinely
• Zest — Approaching life with excitement and energy

Humanity

• Love — Valuing close relationships with others
• Kindness — Doing favors and good deeds for others
• Social Intelligence — Being aware of the motives and feelings of others

Justice

• Teamwork — Working well as a member of a group
• Fairness — Treating all people according to notions of equity and justice
• Leadership — Encouraging a group to get things done while maintaining good relations

Temperance

• Forgiveness — Forgiving those who have done wrong
• Humility — Letting accomplishments speak for themselves
• Prudence — Being careful about choices; not taking undue risks
• Self-Regulation — Regulating what you feel and do

Transcendence

• Appreciation of Beauty — Noticing excellence, beauty, and skill in all domains
• Gratitude — Being aware of and thankful for the good things
• Hope — Expecting the best and working to achieve it
• Humor — Liking to laugh and bringing lightness to situations
• Spirituality — Having coherent beliefs about a higher purpose and meaning

Signature Strengths

Your signature strengths are your top 5-7 strengths — the ones that feel most authentic, energizing, and natural. Research shows that using your signature strengths in new ways each day for just one week significantly increases happiness and decreases depression for up to six months (Seligman et al., 2005).

Strengths-Based Living

The strengths approach differs from the deficit approach. Instead of asking "What's wrong with me and how do I fix it?", it asks "What's strong with me and how do I use it more?" Both questions have value, but decades of psychology overemphasized the first. The VIA rebalances the equation.

In practical terms, strengths-based living means redesigning your work, relationships, and routines to deploy your signature strengths more frequently. A person whose top strength is curiosity might redesign their job to include more research and exploration. A person whose top strength is kindness might volunteer or mentor others.