Character Strengths Affirmations Practice

November 24, 2024

We spend much of our lives trying to solve problems in specific areas of our life: getting ahead professionally, improving one's relationships, and so on.

While clearly important, one's "fundamentals" or "character" have a huge impact on success in these domains; "character is destiny", as the saying goes. This is one of the main reasons religious practice has enduring popularity: it constitutes dedicated time to focus on character improvement.

What should we study during this time? We could study to be better Christians or Jews; while fine options, organized religion has too many negative associations for many.

My search for a non-religious character improvement practice led me to a subfield of academic psychology known as "positive psychology", which studies how to help mentally healthy people live more fulfilling lives (the rest of psychology deals with helping less-mentally healthy individuals regain their mental health). This field has arrived at a list of 24 "character strengths", grouped into six categories, that lead to living a fulfilling life. Here are ChatGPT's descriptions of the six categories and 24 individual strenghts:

Group 1: Wisdom and Knowledge

This group includes strengths that involve acquiring and using knowledge effectively.

  1. Creativity – Thinking of novel and productive ways to approach tasks and solve problems.
  2. Curiosity – Seeking out new experiences, ideas, and learning with openness and interest.
  3. Judgment – Thinking things through and examining situations from all angles with a balanced view.
  4. Love of Learning – Embracing opportunities to acquire new knowledge or skills.
  5. Perspective – Offering wise advice and seeing the bigger picture in situations.

Group 2: Courage

Courage encompasses strengths that allow individuals to overcome fear and adversity.

  1. Bravery – Acting on convictions and standing up for what's right, despite risks or challenges.
  2. Perseverance – Finishing what is started with diligence and determination, even when difficult.
  3. Honesty – Being truthful, authentic, and acting in line with one's values.
  4. Zest – Approaching life with excitement and energy, enjoying each activity fully.

Group 3: Humanity

Humanity consists of strengths related to relationships and caring for others.

  1. Love – Valuing close relationships with others and showing warmth, empathy, and care.
  2. Kindness – Helping and doing favors for others, motivated by genuine concern.
  3. Social Intelligence – Being aware of the motives and feelings of oneself and others and responding appropriately.

Group 4: Justice

Justice involves strengths that contribute to healthy community and group dynamics.

  1. Teamwork – Excelling in collaborative roles and valuing group success over individual gain.
  2. Fairness – Treating all people equally, without prejudice or favoritism.
  3. Leadership – Encouraging a group to achieve goals while maintaining positive relationships.

Group 5: Temperance

Temperance is about exercising self-control and moderation to protect against excess.

  1. Forgiveness – Letting go of resentment and offering second chances to those who have wronged you.
  2. Humility – Not seeking the spotlight and being aware of one's limitations.
  3. Prudence – Making careful, thoughtful choices and avoiding unnecessary risks.
  4. Self-Regulation – Exercising control over one's emotions, impulses, and behaviors.

Group 6: Transcendence

Transcendence encompasses strengths that connect individuals to the larger universe and provide meaning.

  1. Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence – Noticing and valuing beauty, skill, and excellence in various domains.
  2. Gratitude – Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen.
  3. Hope – Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it.
  4. Humor – Seeing the lighter side of life, often in ways that bring smiles to others.
  5. Spirituality – Having a sense of purpose and connection to something greater than oneself.

The claim is that each of these is "universally recognized": taking the last two of these I've studied, Fairness and Self-Regulation, this means that someone showing exceptionally fair and equal treatment of those around him, or someone showing exceptional control over one's impulses and emotions, would be lauded for these character strengths in most of the world's cultures.

My practice

  1. Each day, I pick one of these mostly at random (I actually balance the strengths so that I'm equally likely to choose a strength from any of the six categories).
  2. I then use LLM-based tools to generate "affirmations" related to the character strength.
  3. I copy these down by hand, and then reflect on them for a few minutes.

Today, for example, the character strength I'm reviewing is "Hope" (part of "Transcendence"); the five affirmations that I've written by hand to reinforce this character strength are:

  1. I am optimistic about what tomorrow brings and work diligently toward my goals.
  2. Every challenge is an opportunity for growth, and I embrace it with hope.
  3. I focus on solutions and remain hopeful in all circumstances.
  4. My positive attitude attracts positive results.
  5. Each day is a new chance to move closer to my dreams.

Conclusion and next steps

This practice has made me reflect deeply and holistically on what it means to be a good person and consistently pushes me to be better.

If you're interested in participating in this practice, I'm happy to send you affirmations on a daily basis. I would like to grow an online community of individuals who participate; when a few of you join (as of this writing it's just me) I will create a Discord for us to keep in touch. I look forward to this practice enriching other people's lives as it has enriched my own.