About Character Strengths

Elemental

Universal

Measurable

Trait-like

Ubiquitous

Non-rivalrous

Interdependant

Reliably measurable

Expressed in degrees

Personally fulfilling

Valued across cultures

Unable to be squandered

Not diminishing of others

Stable but can and do change

Sometimes observable in child prodigies

Intrinsically valuable, in an ethical sense

Nurtured by societal norms and institutions

Not a combination of other character strengths

Aligned with positive outcomes for ourselves and others

Dimensional and expressed in degrees across a wide continuum

Not expressed in isolation, but in combinations or constellations

Considered good by the vast majority of cultures and throughout history

Personified (at least in the popular imagination) by people made famous through story and song

Reflect identity, self-understanding and uniqueness and are expressed in behaviors and actions