Character(Greek - sign, distinctive property, distinctive feature, feature, sign or seal) - a structure of persistent, relatively permanent mental properties that determine the characteristics of relationships and behavior of an individual.
When they talk about character, they usually mean just such a set of properties and qualities of a person that leave a certain stamp on all its manifestations and actions. Character traits constitute those essential properties of a person that determine a particular way of behavior or way of life. The statics of character are determined by the type of nervous activity, and its dynamics are determined by the environment.
Character is also understood as:
- a system of stable motives and modes of behavior that form a behavioral type of personality;
- a measure of balance between the internal and external worlds, the characteristics of an individual’s adaptation to the reality around him;
- a clear definition of the typical behavior of each person.
In the system of personality relationships, there are four groups of character traits that form symptom complexes:
- a person’s attitude towards other people, the team, society (sociability, sensitivity and responsiveness, respect for others - people, collectivism and the opposite traits - isolation, callousness, callousness, rudeness, contempt for people, individualism);
- traits that show a person’s attitude to work, his business (hard work, a penchant for creativity, conscientiousness in work, a responsible attitude to work, initiative, perseverance and the opposite traits - laziness, a tendency to routine work, dishonesty, irresponsible attitude to work, passivity) ;
- traits that show how a person relates to himself (self-esteem, correctly understood pride and the self-criticism associated with it, modesty and its opposite traits - conceit, sometimes turning into arrogance, vanity, arrogance, resentment, shyness, egocentrism as a tendency to consider center of events
- yourself and your experiences, egoism - the tendency to care primarily about your personal good);
- traits that characterize a person’s attitude towards things (neatness or sloppiness, careful or careless handling of things).
One of the most famous theories of character is the theory proposed by the German psychologist E. Kretschmer. According to this theory, character depends on physique.
Kretschmer described three body types and three corresponding character types:
Asthenics(from Greek - weak) - people are thin, with long faces. long arms and legs, flat (ore cell and weak muscles. The corresponding type of character is schizothymics- people are closed, serious, stubborn, difficult to adapt to new conditions. In case of mental disorders, they are prone to schizophrenia;
Athletics(from Greek - characteristic of wrestlers) - people are tall, broad-shouldered, with a powerful chest, strong skeleton and well-developed muscles. The corresponding character type is ixothymics- people are calm, unimpressive, practical, domineering, restrained in gestures and facial expressions; They do not like change and do not adapt well to it. In case of mental disorders, they are prone to epilepsy;
Picnics(from Greek - dense. thick) - people of average height, overweight or prone to obesity, with a short neck, large head and a wide face with small features. The corresponding type of character is cyclothymics - people are sociable, sociable, emotional, easily adapting to new conditions. With mental disorders, they are prone to manic-depressive psychosis.
General concept of character and its manifestations
In concept character(from the Greek character - “seal”, “minting”), means a set of stable individual characteristics that develop and manifest themselves in activity and communication, determining typical modes of behavior for it.
When determining the character of a person, they do not say that such and such a person showed courage, truthfulness, frankness, that this person is courageous, truthful, frank, i.e. the named qualities are the properties of a given person, his character traits that can manifest themselves under appropriate circumstances. Knowing a Person's Character allows you to predict with a significant degree of probability and thereby correct expected actions and actions. It is often said about a person with character: “He had to do exactly this, he could not have done otherwise - that’s his character.”
However, not all human features can be considered characteristic, but only significant and stable ones. If a person, for example, is not polite enough in a stressful situation, this does not mean that rudeness and lack of restraint are a property of his character. Sometimes, even very cheerful people can feel sad, but this will not make them whiners and pessimists.
Speaking as a lifetime person, character is determined and formed throughout a person’s life. The way of life includes the way of thoughts, feelings, motives, actions in their unity. Therefore, as a certain way of life of a person is formed, the person himself is formed. A big role here is played by social conditions and specific life circumstances in which a person’s life path takes place, based on his natural properties and as a result of his actions and actions. However, the actual formation of character occurs in groups of different levels of development (groups of friends, class, sports team, etc.). Depending on which group is the reference group for the individual and what values it supports and cultivates in its environment, the corresponding character traits will develop in its members. Character traits will also depend on the individual’s position in the group, on how he integrates into it. In a team as a group of a high level of development, the most favorable opportunities are created for the development of the best character traits. This process is mutual, and thanks to the development of the individual, the team itself develops.
Character content, reflecting social influences, influences, constitutes the life orientation of the individual, i.e. her material and spiritual needs, interests, beliefs, ideals, etc. The orientation of the individual determines the goals, life plan of a person, and the degree of his life activity. The character of a person presupposes the presence of something significant for him in the world, in life, something on which the motives of his actions, the goals of his actions, the tasks that he sets for himself depend.
Crucial to understanding character is the relationship between what is socially and personally significant for a person. Every society has its own most important and essential tasks. It is on them that the character of people is formed and tested. Therefore, the concept of “character” refers to a greater extent to the relationship of these objectively existing tasks. Therefore, character is not just any manifestation of firmness, perseverance, etc. (formal persistence may simply be stubbornness), but a focus on socially significant activities. It is the orientation of the individual that underlies unity, integrity, and strength of character. Possessing goals in life is the main condition for the formation of character. A spineless person is characterized by the absence or scattering of goals. However, the character and direction of a person are not the same thing. Both a decent, highly moral person and a person with low, unscrupulous thoughts can be good-natured and cheerful. The orientation of the individual leaves an imprint on all human behavior. And although behavior is determined not by one impulse, but by an integral system of relationships, in this system something always comes to the fore, dominating it, giving a person’s character a unique flavor.
In a formed character, the leading component is a belief system. Conviction determines the long-term direction of a person’s behavior, his inflexibility in achieving his goals, confidence in the justice and importance of the work he is doing. Character traits are closely related to a person’s interests, provided that these interests are stable and deep. Superficiality and instability of interests are often associated with great imitation, with a lack of independence and integrity of a person’s personality. And, conversely, the depth and content of interests indicate the purposefulness and perseverance of the individual. Similarity of interests does not imply similar character traits. Thus, among rationalizers one can find cheerful and sad people, modest and obsessive people, egoists and altruists.
Indicative for understanding character can also be a person’s attachments and interests associated with his leisure time. They reveal new features, facets of character: for example, L. N. Tolstoy was fond of playing chess, I. P. Pavlov - towns, D. I. Mendeleev - reading adventure novels. Whether a person’s spiritual and material needs and interests dominate is determined not only by the thoughts and feelings of the individual, but also by the direction of his activity. No less important is the correspondence of a person’s actions to the goals set, since a person is characterized not only by what he does, but also by how he does it. Character can only be understood as a certain unity of direction and course of action.
People with similar orientations can take completely different paths to achieving goals, using their own special techniques and methods to achieve this. This dissimilarity also determines the specific character of the individual. Character traits, having a certain motivating force, are clearly manifested in the situation of choosing actions or methods of behavior. From this point of view, the degree of expression of an individual’s achievement motivation—his need to achieve success—can be considered as a character trait. Depending on this, some people are characterized by a choice of actions that ensure success (showing initiative, competitive activity, risk-taking, etc.), while others are more likely to simply avoid failures (deviation from risk and responsibility, avoidance manifestations of activity, initiative, etc.).
Teaching about character - characterology has a long history of development. The most important problems of characterology for centuries have been the establishment of character types and their definition by their manifestations in order to predict human behavior in various situations. Since character is the lifetime formation of a personality, most of its existing classifications are based on grounds that are external, indirect factors in personality development.
One of the most ancient attempts to predict human behavior is to explain his character by his date of birth. Various ways of predicting the fate and character of a person are called horoscopes.
No less popular are attempts to connect a person’s character with his name.
A significant influence on the development of characterology was exerted by physiognomy(from the Greek Physis - “nature”, gnomon - “knowing”) - the doctrine of the connection between the external appearance of a person and his belonging to a certain type of personality, thanks to which the psychological characteristics of this type can be established by external signs.
Palmistry has no less famous and rich history than the physiognomic direction in characterology. Palmistry(from the Greek Cheir - “hand” and manteia - “fortune-telling”, “prophecy”) - a system for predicting a person’s character traits and his fate based on the skin texture of the palms.
Until recently, scientific psychology invariably rejected palmistry, but the study of the embryonic development of finger patterns in connection with heredity gave impetus to the emergence of a new branch of knowledge - dermatoglyphics.
Graphology, a science that considers handwriting as a type of expressive movements that reflect the psychological properties of the writer, can be considered more valuable in diagnostic terms compared to, say, physiognomy.
At the same time, unity and versatility of character do not exclude the fact that in different situations the same person exhibits different and even opposite properties. A person can be at the same time very gentle and very demanding, soft and compliant and at the same time firm to the point of inflexibility. And the unity of his character can not only be preserved, despite this, but it is precisely in this that it manifests itself.
The relationship between character and temperament
Character are often compared with, and in some cases these concepts are replaced with each other.
In science, among the dominant views on the relationship between character and temperament, four main ones can be distinguished:
- identification of character and temperament (E. Kretschmer, A. Ruzhitsky);
- contrasting character and temperament, emphasizing the antagonism between them (P. Viktorv, V. Virenius);
- recognition of temperament as an element of character, its core, an unchangeable part (S. L. Rubinstein, S. Gorodetsky);
- recognition of temperament as the natural basis of character (L. S. Vygotsky, B. G. Ananyev).
Based on the materialistic understanding of human phenomena, it should be noted that what character and temperament have in common is dependence on the physiological characteristics of a person, and above all on the type of nervous system. The formation of character significantly depends on the properties of temperament, which is more closely related to the properties of the nervous system. In addition, character traits arise when temperament is already sufficiently developed. Character develops on the basis of temperament. Temperament determines character traits such as balanced or unbalanced behavior, ease or difficulty of entering a new situation, mobility or inertness of reaction, etc. However, temperament does not determine character. People with the same temperamental properties can have completely different characters. Features of temperament can promote or counteract the formation of certain character traits. Thus, it is more difficult for a melancholic person to develop courage and determination than for a choleric person. It is more difficult for a choleric person to develop restraint and phlegmatic behavior; a phlegmatic person needs to spend more effort to become sociable than a sanguine person, etc.
However, as B.G. Ananiev believed, if education consisted only of improving and strengthening natural properties, this would lead to a monstrous uniformity of development. The properties of temperament may, to some extent, even come into conflict with character. In P. I. Tchaikovsky, the tendency to melancholic experiences was overcome by one of the main features of his character - his ability to work. “You always need to work,” he said, “and every honest artist cannot sit with his hands folded, under the pretext that he is not in the mood... If you wait for favor and do not try to meet him, then you can easily fall into laziness and apathy . Dislikes very rarely happen to me. I attribute this to the fact that I am gifted with patience, and I train myself never to give in to reluctance. I learned to conquer myself.”
In a person with a formed character, temperament ceases to be an independent form of personality manifestation, but becomes its dynamic side, consisting in a certain speed of mental processes and personality manifestations, a certain characteristic of expressive movements and actions of the individual. Here it should be noted the influence exerted on the formation of character by a dynamic stereotype, i.e. a system of conditioned reflexes that form in response to a steadily repeating system of stimuli. The formation of dynamic stereotypes in a person in various repeated situations is influenced by his attitude to the situation, as a result of which excitation, inhibition, mobility of nervous processes, and, consequently, the general functional state of the nervous system can change. It is also necessary to note the decisive role in the formation of dynamic stereotypes of the second signaling system, through which social influences are carried out.
Ultimately, the traits of temperament and character are organically connected and interact with each other in a single, holistic appearance of a person, forming an inseparable alloy - an integral characteristic of his individuality.
Character has long been identified with a person’s will; the expression “a person of character” was considered as a synonym for the expression “a strong-willed person.” Will is associated primarily with strength of character, its firmness, determination, and perseverance. When they say that a person has a strong character, they seem to want to emphasize his determination, his strong-willed qualities. In this sense, a person’s character is best demonstrated in overcoming difficulties, in struggle, i.e. in those conditions where human will is most manifested. But character is not limited to strength; it has content, determining how the will will function under various conditions. On the one hand, character is formed in volitional actions and is manifested in them: volitional actions in situations that are significant for the individual pass into a person’s character, becoming fixed in him as his relatively stable properties; these properties, in turn, determine human behavior and his volitional actions. The strong-willed character is distinguished by certainty, constancy and independence, firmness in achieving the intended goal. On the other hand, there are often cases when a weak-willed person was called “spineless.” From a psychological point of view, this is not entirely true - and a weak-willed person has certain character traits, such as, for example, timidity, indecisiveness, etc. The use of the concept “characterless” means the unpredictability of a person’s behavior, indicates that he lacks his own direction, an internal core that would determine his behavior. His actions are caused by external influences and do not depend on himself.
The originality of character is also reflected in the peculiarities of the flow of a person’s feelings. K. D. Ushinsky pointed out this: “nothing, neither words, nor thoughts, nor even our actions express ourselves and our attitude to the world as clearly and truly as our feelings: in them one can hear the character of not a separate thought, not a separate decision, but the entire content of our soul and its structure.” The connection between feelings and character traits of a person is also reciprocal. On the one hand, the level of development of moral, aesthetic, and intellectual feelings depends on the nature of a person’s activity and communication and on the character traits formed on this basis. On the other hand, these feelings themselves become characteristic, stable personality traits, thus constituting a person’s character. The level of development of a sense of duty, a sense of humor and other complex feelings is a rather indicative characteristic of a person.
The relationship between a person’s intellectual traits is especially important for characterological manifestations. Depth and sharpness of thought, unusualness in posing a question and its solution, intellectual initiative, confidence and independence of thinking - all this constitutes the originality of the mind as one of the aspects of character. However, how a person uses his mental abilities will depend significantly on character. It is not uncommon to encounter people who have high intellectual abilities, but who do not provide anything valuable precisely because of their characterological characteristics. An example of this is the numerous literary images of superfluous people (Pechorin, Rudin, Beltov, etc.). As I. S. Turgenev said well through the mouth of one of the characters in the novel about Rudin: “Perhaps there is genius in him, but there is no nature.” Thus, a person’s real achievements depend not on abstract mental capabilities alone, but on a specific combination of his characteristics and characterological properties.
Character Structure
In general All character traits can be divided into basic, leading, setting the general direction for the development of the entire complex of its manifestations, and secondary, determined by the main. So, if we consider such traits as indecisiveness, timidity and altruism, then with the predominance of the former, a person, first of all, is constantly afraid that “something might not work out” and all attempts to help his neighbor usually end in internal experiences and searches for justification. If the leading trait is the second one - altruism, then the person does not outwardly show any hesitation, immediately goes to help, controlling his behavior with his intellect, but at the same time he may sometimes have doubts about the correctness of the actions taken.
Knowledge of leading features allows you to reflect the main essence of character, show its main manifestations. Writers and artists, wanting an idea of the character of the hero, first of all describe his leading, core features. Thus, A.S. Pushkin put into the mouth of Vorotynsky (in the tragedy “Boris Godunov”) an exhaustive description of Shuisky - “a crafty courtier.” Some heroes of literary works reflect certain typical character traits so deeply and correctly that their names become household names (Khlestakov, Oblomov, Manilov, etc.).
Although every character trait reflects one of the manifestations of a person’s attitude to reality, this does not mean that every attitude will be a character trait. Only some relationships become traits depending on the conditions. From the entire set of relationships of the individual to the surrounding reality, character-forming forms of relationships should be distinguished. The most important distinguishing feature of such relationships is the decisive, primary and general vital significance of those objects to which a person belongs. These relationships simultaneously serve as the basis for the classification of the most important character traits.
A person’s character is manifested in a system of relationships:
- In relation to other people (in this case, one can distinguish such character traits as sociability - isolation, truthfulness - deceit, tactfulness - rudeness, etc.).
- In relation to business (responsibility - dishonesty, hard work - laziness, etc.).
- In relation to oneself (modesty - narcissism, self-criticism - self-confidence, pride - humiliation, etc.).
- In relation to property (generosity - greed, frugality - wastefulness, neatness - sloppiness, etc.). It should be noted that this classification is somewhat conventional and there is a close relationship and interpenetration of these aspects of the relationship. So, for example, if a person is rude, then this concerns his relationship with people; but if at the same time he works as a teacher, then here it is already necessary to talk about his attitude to the matter (dishonesty), about his attitude towards himself (narcissism).
Despite the fact that these relationships are the most important from the point of view of character formation, they do not simultaneously and immediately become character traits. There is a certain sequence in the transition of these relationships into character properties, and in this sense it is impossible to put, for example, the attitude towards other people and the attitude towards property, since their very content plays a different role in the real existence of a person. A person’s attitude towards society and people plays a decisive role in the formation of character. The character of a person cannot be revealed and understood outside the team, without taking into account his attachments in the form of camaraderie, friendship, and love.
In the character structure, one can identify traits common to a certain group of people. Even in the most original person you can find some trait (for example, unusualness, unpredictability of behavior), the possession of which allows you to classify him into a group of people with similar behavior. In this case, we should talk about typical character traits. N.D. Levitov believes that a character type is a specific expression in the individual character of traits common to a certain group of people. Indeed, as noted, character is not innate - it is formed in the life and activity of a person as a representative of a certain group, a certain society. Therefore, a person’s character is always a product of society, which explains the similarities and differences in the characters of people belonging to different groups.
Individual character reflects a variety of typical traits: national, professional, age. Thus, people of the same nationality are in living conditions that have developed over many generations and experience the specific features of national life; develop under the influence of the existing national structure and language. Therefore, people of one nationality differ from people of another in their lifestyle, habits, rights, and character. These typical features are often recorded by ordinary consciousness in various attitudes and stereotypes. Most people have a formed image of a representative of one country or another: an American, a Scot, an Italian, a Chinese, etc.
Many people try to work on themselves throughout their lives, eliminating their bad qualities and developing good ones.
Let's look at the positive character traits of a person in the form of a list to make it more clear. what to work on.
What is character and what is it formed from?
Character- this is a set of stable mental traits of a personality that affect any of its activities and behavior.
It determines her attitude towards the world around her and other people, towards activities, towards herself.
9 qualities of a person to whom people are drawn:
Typical and individual
In character, individual and typical traits can be distinguished.
Individual traits are determined by the psychological properties of the individual, his temperament, as well as his attitude to life, which developed during the process of upbringing.
Typical Personality traits are determined primarily by the content of the era in which a person lives, as well as by his place of residence.
That is, the formation of these personality traits is influenced by the individual’s lifestyle.
What are the positive character traits?
Among women
The positive character traits inherent mainly in women and girls include the following:
In men
Positive character traits that apply specifically to men include the following:
Qualities of a real man:
In children
In the process of education and socialization are just beginning to acquire character traits.
Therefore, right now there is an opportunity to focus on positive qualities, such as:
- Goodwill. This quality will help you build relationships with others, attract people to you, and will also be useful later in life.
- Politeness. This quality will help the child communicate with both peers and adults.
- Honesty. This quality must be instilled in a child from an early age so that he knows that lying and deceiving is bad.
- Responsiveness. A very useful character trait. A responsive person is always attractive in the eyes of others.
- Hard work. A child must be taught to work, otherwise he will grow up lazy and careless.
- Accuracy. Sloppy people cause some rejection in society.
- Bravery. A child should not be fearful. Therefore, instill in him courage, the ability to perform actions.
- Responsibility. This quality will help him not to shift his affairs and problems onto other people, but to take them upon himself.
It will help him both at school and later in life.
- Determination. Determined people are able to achieve more in life; everything comes easier to them. Therefore, this quality is also positive for the child.
List for resume
This situation has probably happened to you when you came for an interview, received the applicant’s questionnaire, reached the “positive qualities” column and We didn’t know what to write here at all.
What qualities are worth highlighting?
To begin with, we note that the qualities must be useful for the position for which you are applying. And if you do not yet have experience in such work, then you should focus primarily on your prospects and potential.
It is difficult to create a universal list of positive character traits to create the perfect resume. We can only note the main qualities that employers most often pay attention to.
But you should choose them based on each specific company and position.
So, positive characteristics for a resume:
However, it should be noted that it is not enough to simply list these qualities, you should really have them.
Yes, some of them cannot be shown immediately, and they will open only during the work process.
But if you write about self-confidence, but in reality you are talking to an employer hesitant and shy, then this will further distance you from your desired position. There is no point in ascribing to yourself qualities that you do not actually possess.
The presence of positive character traits in a person has a great influence on the quality of his life. That's why it's like that it is important to develop them in yourself.
What are the features of the hyperthymic type of character accentuation? Find out about this from ours.
Your weaknesses and strengths for an interview:
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Psychologists call character a combination of personality traits that determine its behavior. You can make many lists of human character traits. If two people are given the task of characterizing a third person, their lists will differ from each other. People don't think about how character affects their successes or failures. But, considering the individual qualities that make up character, it is easy to understand how they affect the personality as a whole. A person’s character traits develop depending on the type of nervous activity, heredity, and upbringing environment. They are formed throughout life. The predominance of certain traits determines a person’s lifestyle.
Human character traits: list
Many psychologists divide all character traits into 4 main groups:
- Attitude towards others;
- Attitude towards yourself;
- Attitude to material values;
- Attitude to work.
Within each group, many qualities can be identified.
For example, a list of traits of the “attitude towards others” group:
- compassion;
- respect;
- reliability;
- flexibility;
- politeness;
- the ability to forgive;
- generosity;
- Gratitude;
- hospitality;
- justice;
- meekness;
- obedience;
- loyalty;
- sincerity;
- tolerance;
- truthfulness.
Character traits: list of the “attitude towards oneself” group:
- Caution;
- Contentment (understanding that true happiness does not depend on material conditions);
- Creation;
- Determination;
- Courage;
- Attentiveness;
- Endurance;
- Faith;
- Honor;
- Initiative;
- Self-control.
“Attitude towards material values” can be characterized by the following qualities:
- Thrift;
- Organization;
- Generosity;
- Wisdom.
“Attitude to work” demonstrates the following character traits:
- Hard work;
- Enthusiasm;
- Initiative;
- Punctuality;
Psychologists also classify character traits according to volitional, emotional and intellectual characteristics. Personality properties appear in combinations. For example, kindness, generosity and hospitality are usually characteristic of the same person. When characterizing a person, others highlight leading features or a set of features. By saying, “He's a kind and sincere guy,” or “She's lazy and disorganized,” people make a point. This doesn't mean that a lazy girl can't be kind and honest. It’s just that these traits do not predominate in her behavior.
Positive and negative character traits
For harmonious interaction in all four areas (with society, material values, work and oneself), a person must demonstrate his best qualities and minimize his worst. It is traditional to highlight “pros” and “cons” in personality characteristics. Every positive trait has its opposite. Even children easily name antonyms: “good - evil”, “hardworking - lazy”, etc. It is difficult to define uniquely positive character traits. For example, for the professions of a teacher, salesperson, doctor, and waiter, such traits as goodwill, politeness, and tolerance are important. These qualities are not essential for the work of a programmer, accountant, or draftsman, who more require organization, punctuality, and responsibility.
There is a special concept of “professional character traits.” A clearly expressed quality suitable for a particular job helps a person achieve great professional success. At the same time, character is formed throughout life. The profession leaves its mark on the personality. Therefore, when they say “he is an exemplary policeman,” everyone understands that we are talking about a disciplined, courageous, fair person. The expression “teacher from God” means a kind, wise, tolerant person. A person who dreams of a good career must develop the best qualities of his profession.
Good character traits can also be controversial in the everyday sense. Being generous is good, but if, because of generosity, a person gives away necessary property, his family and himself suffer. Obedience, for which a child is praised at home and in kindergarten, can be detrimental to him and form a weak-willed, passive personality.
People understand negative character traits much easier. We can say that these qualities are universal. Anger, envy, deceit, laziness, and greed are included in the list of mortal sins of Christians. But such properties are perceived negatively by people of all faiths. Muslims consider hypocrisy to be the worst sin. Hypocrites are equally disliked in all countries and among all peoples. Negative character traits of a person, if they appear in combination, make the person very unattractive to others. Negative characters are quarrelsome neighbors, quarrelsome colleagues, evil relatives. These are people who have taken the negative aspects of their nature to the extreme.
Every person is to a certain extent deceitful, envious, and quick-tempered, but reasonable people try not to demonstrate their negative qualities to others. Negative aspects of character can be corrected. If others often say: “You are too rude,” “It’s difficult to communicate with you because of your arrogance,” you need to draw conclusions and start working on yourself. Psychologists advise writing down the negative qualities of your character on a piece of paper and working with each one individually. For example, you can remember among your friends a person who behaves exactly the opposite of you - not rude, but correct, not quick-tempered, but patient. You need to imagine yourself in a certain situation in the place of this person. At the same time, it is important to conjure up a real picture and real emotions. Such psycho-emotional training helps to reconfigure behavior and develop the desired quality in oneself.
Adaptation of character to society
Any culture, people and civilizations have certain frameworks of behavior. A person cannot exist outside of society. From childhood, a child has to adapt to the requirements of the environment - family, kindergarten, school. An adult is influenced by many social forces, from spouses to politics, religion, social class. A person’s character inevitably adapts to the demands of society. At the same time, many natural inclinations of the individual are put under pressure.
History knows many examples when brilliantly gifted people came into conflict with their environment due to the inability to lead the lifestyle that their nature required. At the same time, social norms allow a person to lead a safe life in the society around him. Such social character traits as loyalty, tolerance, and politeness allow painless contact with others. Rejection of social norms, primarily laws and morals, creates an asocial personality.
In modern psychology there is a term “national character traits”. Each nation develops certain common, typical behavior patterns among its representatives. For example:
- The peoples of Northern Europe and Americans are self-confident, honest, practical, persistent, and freedom-loving. The conservatism and subtle humor of the British, the punctuality of the Germans, and the taciturnity of the Scandinavians are well known.
- Residents of Southern Europe and Latin America are energetic, temperamental, emotional, cheerful, and sensual. A romantic Italian, a passionate Spanish woman, a charming French woman, restless Brazilians - there is a lot of reality in these stereotypes;
- Representatives of Eastern Europe (Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Poles, Czechs) love constancy, are magnanimous, generous, selfless, sympathetic, prone to repentance and forgiveness. The widespread stereotype of the “mysterious Russian soul” has many foundations.
- The peoples of the East are much more respectful of parents and, in general, elders than Europeans. Eastern societies, much more than European ones, are characterized by hospitality, family honor, dignity, modesty, goodwill, and tolerance.
Traits of a social nature are inextricably linked with religious norms. The standards of Christian morality include the following qualities:
- Lack of envy;
- Chastity;
- Meekness;
- Generosity;
- Sociability;
- Compassion.
The influence of religious culture in the history of society is very strong. Even modern atheists in European countries consider the main Christian value - love for people - to be the best personal characteristic.
Islamic society creates the following traits in people:
- Respect for elders;
- Hospitality;
- Modesty;
- Courage;
- Humility.
Characteristics of men and women
A person’s gender plays a huge role in character formation. Not only gender characteristics develop certain qualities, but also public opinion. Standard character traits of a man:
- Leadership;
- Ability to protect;
- Inner strength;
- Reliability;
- Loyalty;
Women are guided more by intuition and feelings than by reason; they are more talkative, gentle in communication, and cunning. Of course, in most cases, women and men correspond to their gender characteristics. But it has not yet been studied in detail what influences the formation of gender traits more - nature or nurture. Often men and women have to fulfill the role that society imposes on them. For example, medieval society ordered a woman to be modest and obedient to her parents and husband. Modernity requires more independence from women.
The world is full of men and women who do not fit the accepted characteristics. Many girls have leadership and organizational skills. And, conversely, a large number of men are delicate, non-aggressive and emotional.
At what age is character formed?
Any mother who has raised several children will say that all her babies were completely different from infancy. Even infants react differently to food, bathing, and play. There are temperamental, noisy babies, and there are quiet and inactive ones. Heredity plays a role here, as well as natural temperament, which depends on physique, health and upbringing conditions.
A child's character traits develop under the influence, first of all, of the family. Responsible, loving parents already at the age of three or four years see what type of temperament the child has by nature: choleric, sanguine, phlegmatic, or melancholic. Depending on innate qualities, a positive, socially acceptable character can be formed. If there is no love and attention for children in a family, they are less likely to grow up friendly and hardworking. On the other hand, the examples of many outstanding politicians, writers, and artists who grew up in disadvantaged conditions confirm the importance of innate character traits and self-education.
Was last modified: August 2nd, 2016 by Elena Pogodaeva
Throughout his life, each person exhibits his own individual characteristics, which are reflected not only in his behavior or the specifics of communication, but also determine his attitude towards activities, himself and other people. All these features that manifest themselves in life, both in scientific use and in everyday life, are called character.
Definition of "character"
In psychology, character is understood as a certain set of human traits that are clearly expressed and relatively stable. Character traits always leave an imprint on a person’s behavior and also influence his actions.
In psychological dictionaries you can find a fairly large number of definitions of character, but they all boil down to the fact that character is the totality of the most persistent individual psychological characteristics of a person, which always manifest themselves in their activities and social behavior, as well as in the system of relationships:
- to the team;
- to other people;
- to work;
- to the surrounding reality (to the world);
- to myself.
The term itself character» ( in the lane from Greek character – coinage or seal) was introduced by the ancient Greek philosopher and naturalist, student Plato and Aristotle's closest friend Theophrastus. And here it is worth paying special attention to the translation of the word – minting or printing. Indeed, character appears as a kind of pattern on a person’s personality, thereby creating a unique seal that distinguishes its owner from other individuals. Such a design, just like the coat of arms or emblem on the personal seal of the medieval nobility, is drawn on a certain basis using specific signs and letters. The basis for engraving an individual personality is temperament, and a unique design is based on bright and individual character traits .
Character traits as a tool for psychological assessment and understanding of a person
In psychology, character traits are understood as individual, rather complex characteristics that are the most indicative for a person and make it possible with a high degree of probability to predict his behavior in a specific situation. That is, knowing that a particular person has certain traits, one can predict his subsequent actions and possible actions in a given case. For example, if a person has a pronounced trait of responsiveness, then there is a high probability that at a difficult moment in life he will come to the rescue.
A trait is one of the most important and essential parts of a person, his stable quality and established way of interacting with the surrounding reality. A character trait crystallizes a personality and reflects its integrity. A person’s character trait is a real way to solve many life situations (both active and communicative) and therefore they need to be considered from the point of view of the future. So, character traits are a forecast of a person’s actions and deeds, since they are persistent and make a person’s behavior predictable and more obvious. Because every personality is unique, there is a huge variety of unique character traits.
Each person acquires special character traits throughout his life in society, and all individual signs (traits) cannot be considered characterological. These will only be those who, regardless of life situation and circumstances, will always manifest themselves in an identical way of behavior and the same attitude in the surrounding reality.
Thus, in order to evaluate a personality psychologist (characterize it) as an individual, it is necessary to determine not the entire sum of a person’s individual qualities, but to highlight those traits and qualities of character that are distinctive from other people. Despite the fact that these features are individual and different, they must constitute a structural integrity.
A person’s character traits are a priority when studying his personality, as well as for understanding and predicting his actions, actions and behavior. Indeed, we perceive and understand any type of human activity as a manifestation of certain traits of his character. But, characterizing a person as a social being, it becomes important not so much the manifestation of traits in activity, but what exactly this activity is aimed at (as well as what the human will serves). In this case, one should pay attention to the content side of character, and more specifically, to those character traits of a person that make up the general structure of his mental make-up. They are expressed in: integrity-contradiction, unity-fragmentation, static-dynamism, breadth-narrowness, strength-weakness.
List of human character traits
Human character- this is not only a certain set of certain traits (or a random set of them), but a very complex mental formation that represents a certain system. This system consists of many of the most stable qualities of a person, as well as its properties, manifested in various systems of human relations (to work, to one’s business, to the world around us, to things, to oneself and to other people). In these relationships, the structure of character, its content and individuality of originality find its expression. Below, in the table, the main character traits (groups of them) are described, which find their manifestation in various systems of human relations.
Persistent character traits (symptom complexes) manifested in personal relationships
In addition to the traits that manifest themselves in the system of relationships, psychologists have identified human character traits that can be attributed to the cognitive and emotional-volitional sphere. So character traits are divided into:
- cognitive (or intellectual) - curiosity, theoreticality, criticality, resourcefulness, analyticalness, thoughtfulness, practicality, flexibility, frivolity;
- emotional (impressionability, passion, emotionality, cheerfulness, sentimentality, etc.);
- strong-willed traits (persistence, determination, independence, etc.);
- moral traits (kindness, honesty, justice, humanity, cruelty, responsiveness, patriotism, etc.).
Representative of the humanistic trend in psychology Gordon Allport character traits were combined into three main categories:
- dominant (those that most determine all forms of human behavior, his actions and deeds, such as selfishness or kindness);
- ordinary (which manifest themselves equally in all spheres of life, for example parity and humanity);
- secondary (they do not have the same influences as dominant or ordinary ones, for example it could be diligence or a love of music).
So, the main character traits are manifested in various spheres of mental activity and the system of relationships of the individual. All these relationships are fixed in different methods of action and forms of human behavior that are most familiar to him. Certain natural relationships are always established between existing traits, which make it possible to create a structured character. It, in turn, helps to predict, based on a person’s character trait already known to us, others who are hidden from us, which makes it possible to predict his subsequent actions and actions.
Any structure, including character, has its own hierarchy. Thus, character traits also have a certain hierarchy, so there are main (leading) and secondary traits that are subordinate to the leading ones. It is possible to predict a person’s actions and behavior based not only on the main features, but also on secondary ones (despite the fact that they are less significant and do not appear so clearly).
Typical and individual in character
The bearer of character is always a person, and his traits are manifested in activities, relationships, actions, behavior, methods of action in the family, in a team, at work, among friends, etc. This manifestation always reflects the typical and individual in character, because they exist in organic unity (thus, the typical is always the basis for the individual manifestation of character).
What is meant by typical character? A character is said to be typical when it has a set of essential traits that are common to a particular group of people. This set of traits reflects the general living conditions of a particular group. In addition, these traits must be manifested (to a greater or lesser extent) in each representative of this group. The set of distinctive typical features is a condition for the emergence of a certain one.
What is typical and individual in character is most clearly expressed in a person’s relationships with other people, because interpersonal contacts are always determined by certain social conditions of life, the corresponding level of cultural and historical development of society and the formed spiritual world of the person himself. The attitude towards other people is always evaluative and manifests itself in different ways (approval-condemnation, support-misunderstanding) depending on the existing circumstances. This manifestation is expressed depending on a person’s assessment of the actions and behavior of others, or rather their positive and negative character traits.
Typical human character traits, in terms of their level of intensity, manifest themselves individually in each person. For example, individual traits can reveal themselves so strongly and clearly that they become unique in their own way. It is in this case that the typical in character turns into the individual.
Positive character traits and their manifestation
Both typical and individual in character find their manifestation in systems of personality relationships. This happens due to the presence of certain traits (both positive and negative) in a person’s character. So, for example, in relation to work or one’s business, such positive character traits as hard work, discipline and organization are manifested.
As for interpersonal communication and attitude towards other people, the good character traits are the following: honesty, openness, fairness, integrity, humanity, etc. All these traits allow you to build constructive communication and quickly establish contacts with people around you.
It should be noted that there are a huge variety of individual character traits. But among them, it is necessary to highlight first of all those that have the greatest influence on the formation of a person’s spirituality (it is in this context that the best character trait of a person – humanity) finds its manifestation. These traits are even more important in the process of educating and developing the younger generation, because the same traits are formed differently depending on situations, the presence of other character traits and the orientation of the individual himself.
While highlighting good character traits, one should not forget about their possible distortion, or the presence of obvious negative traits that a person needs to fight. Only in this case will the harmonious and holistic development of the personality be observed.
Negative character traits and their manifestation
In relation to the behavior, actions and activities of other people, a person always forms traits of a certain character - positive and negative. This occurs on the principle of analogy (that is, identification occurs with what is acceptable) and opposition (with what is included in the list of unacceptable and incorrect). The attitude towards oneself can be positive or negative, which primarily depends on the level of development and the ability to adequately evaluate oneself ( that is, from the formed level). A high level of self-awareness is evidenced by the presence of the following positive traits: high demands on oneself, and self-esteem, as well as responsibility. And, conversely, an insufficient level of development of self-awareness is indicated by such negative character traits as self-confidence, selfishness, immodesty, etc.
Negative character traits (in principle, just like positive ones manifest themselves) in the four main systems of human relationships. For example, in the “attitude to work” system, among the negative traits are irresponsibility, carelessness and formality. And among the negative traits that manifest themselves in interpersonal communication, it is worth highlighting isolation, stinginess, boastfulness and disrespect.
It should be noted that negative character traits, which find their manifestation in the system of a person’s relationships with other people, almost always contribute to the emergence of conflicts, misunderstandings and aggression, which subsequently leads to the emergence of destructive forms of communication. That is why every person who wants to live in harmony with others and with himself should think about cultivating positive traits in his character and getting rid of destructive, negative traits.