Estimated Reading Time: 12–14 minutes

What You Will Learn

• What the 24 VIA Character Strengths are and how they are organized under six core virtues.

• How understanding your strengths can lead to greater happiness, engagement, and purpose.

• The science behind the VIA Classification and how it differs from personality traits.

• Practical ways to discover, develop, and apply your top strengths in daily life.

• How using your strengths can transform self-awareness into self-improvement.

Introduction: Beyond Personality — Toward What’s Best in You

When people think about “personality,” they often think about traits like introversion or openness — characteristics that describe how we typically behave. But there’s another layer to who we are, one that captures our capacity for growth, connection, and moral excellence. This layer is made of our character strengths — the positive qualities that reflect the best parts of our humanity.

Positive psychology pioneers Dr. Martin Seligman and Dr. Christopher Peterson sought to answer a fundamental question: What makes us good? In their landmark project, Character Strengths and Virtues (2004), they developed the VIA Classification of Character Strengths, a system identifying 24 universal strengths that exist across cultures, religions, and time.

These strengths are not about what you can do — they’re about who you are at your best.

The VIA Classification: A Universal Language of Human Goodness

The VIA Classification (Values in Action) organizes the 24 strengths under six core virtues that have appeared in moral philosophy, religious texts, and cultural traditions throughout history. Each strength is a specific way of expressing one of these virtues.

Each strength is morally valued, measurable, and cultivatable — meaning you can recognize, build, and intentionally use it to enhance your life and relationships.

How Character Strengths Differ from Personality Traits

At first glance, character strengths might look similar to personality traits, but they differ in purpose and focus:

In other words, your personality describes you, but your character strengths define how you flourish.

Discovering Your Own Strengths

The VIA Survey, available free at viacharacter.org, helps you identify your signature strengths — the top 5–7 strengths that feel most natural and energizing to use.

Signature strengths are like your psychological fingerprints: uniquely yours, authentic, and deeply connected to your sense of meaning. When you use them intentionally, research shows you experience:

• Higher life satisfaction (Park, Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

• Greater resilience under stress (Proyer et al., 2013)

• Improved relationships (Niemiec, 2018)

• Enhanced performance and engagement (Harzer & Ruch, 2013)

The first step toward transformation is awareness — knowing what your strengths are and how they show up in your daily life.

The Six Virtues and Their Strengths: A Closer Look

Let’s explore what each virtue represents — and how its associated strengths can manifest in everyday behavior.

1. Wisdom: The Virtue of Insight

Wisdom strengths help us gather, integrate, and apply knowledge to life’s challenges. They guide thoughtful decisions and foster perspective.

• Creativity: Seeing new possibilities, thinking outside the box, and solving problems with imagination.

• Curiosity: Seeking novelty, exploring ideas, and maintaining a sense of wonder.

• Judgment (Critical Thinking): Weighing evidence, considering all sides, and thinking things through.

• Love of Learning: Enjoying mastery and new knowledge for its own sake.

• Perspective: Offering wise advice and seeing the big picture.

Applied example: Using curiosity and judgment together can help you approach conflicts with openness rather than defensiveness.

2. Courage: The Virtue of Action

Courage strengths enable us to face fear, overcome obstacles, and act according to our values.

• Bravery: Speaking up or taking action even when it’s risky or unpopular.

• Perseverance: Finishing what you start, staying focused despite setbacks.

• Honesty: Being authentic and true to yourself and others.

• Zest: Approaching life with enthusiasm and energy.

Applied example: When you’re tired but persist with integrity and energy toward your goals, you’re embodying courage.

3. Humanity: The Virtue of Connection

Humanity strengths express care, empathy, and compassion in relationships.

• Love: Valuing close relationships and showing warmth and affection.

• Kindness: Doing favors and good deeds for others without expecting reward.

• Social Intelligence: Understanding your own and others’ emotions and adapting accordingly.

Applied example: Social intelligence helps you navigate a difficult conversation with empathy and calm — strengthening trust and closeness.

4. Justice: The Virtue of Fairness and Community

Justice strengths support cooperation, fairness, and leadership — the glue of strong teams and societies.

• Teamwork: Working well within a group, being loyal and dependable.

• Fairness: Treating everyone by the same standards and avoiding bias.

• Leadership: Organizing group activities and ensuring good relationships.

Applied example: A fair leader who values teamwork helps groups thrive through inclusion and shared purpose.

5. Temperance: The Virtue of Balance

Temperance strengths help us regulate emotions, impulses, and desires — creating inner balance and harmony.

• Forgiveness: Letting go of resentment and giving others a second chance.

• Humility: Letting achievements speak for themselves; being grounded.

• Prudence: Thinking before acting; avoiding unnecessary risks.

• Self-Regulation: Controlling emotions, appetites, and behaviors.

Applied example: Choosing patience over anger during conflict is an act of temperance — one that strengthens relationships and peace of mind.

6. Transcendence: The Virtue of Meaning and Inspiration

Transcendence strengths connect us to something greater than ourselves — a sense of beauty, gratitude, humor, or spirituality that uplifts.

• Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence: Noticing and savoring life’s wonders.

• Gratitude: Feeling and expressing thankfulness.

• Hope: Expecting the best and working to achieve it.

• Humor: Seeing the light side of life and bringing joy to others.

• Spirituality: Holding beliefs that provide purpose and comfort.

Applied example: Gratitude and hope together foster resilience, helping you maintain optimism during difficult times.

From Self-Knowledge to Self-Transformation

Knowing your strengths is only the beginning. Transformation happens when you apply them deliberately — in new, meaningful, and balanced ways.

Positive psychology researcher Dr. Ryan Niemiec (2018) describes three key pathways to strength transformation:

1. Awareness – Recognize your strengths through reflection, feedback, or the VIA Survey.

2. Exploration – Observe how your strengths appear in your behavior and relationships.

3. Application – Use your strengths in new ways, at the right time, and in the right amount.

1. Awareness: Naming Your Strengths

Naming your strengths gives you a language for your best self. For example, someone who always seeks to understand others may realize that “social intelligence” and “kindness” are their top strengths.

Keep a strengths journal for one week: each day, write down one situation where you used a strength, even in a small way. You’ll begin to see patterns and opportunities to use them more intentionally.

2. Exploration: Reflecting on Patterns

Ask yourself:

• When do I feel most alive and authentic?

• Which strengths do I rely on too much (overuse)?

• Which ones might I be neglecting (underuse)?

For instance, overusing prudence may lead to perfectionism; underusing zest might make life feel dull. Balance is key.

3. Application: Using Strengths in New Ways

Research shows that using your top strengths in new ways for one week significantly boosts happiness and decreases depression (Seligman et al., 2005).

Examples:

• Use creativity to solve a household problem differently.

• Express gratitude by writing a thank-you note.

• Show bravery by speaking up in a meeting.

• Practice self-regulation by pausing before reacting.

These small, intentional acts gradually reshape habits, outlook, and relationships — leading from trait awareness to personal transformation.

The Science of Strengths in Well-Being

Character strengths are not just nice ideas — they’re evidence-based pathways to well-being.
Here’s what research reveals:

• Engagement: Using signature strengths daily increases flow and engagement (Hone et al., 2015).

• Meaning: Strengths like gratitude, hope, and spirituality are closely tied to meaning and purpose (Martínez-Martí & Ruch, 2017).

• Achievement: Applying perseverance and self-regulation enhances academic and professional success (Lounsbury et al., 2009).

• Relationships: Love and kindness predict deeper, more fulfilling relationships (Park et al., 2004).

• Resilience: Strengths use protects against burnout and stress (Harzer & Ruch, 2015).

In short, strengths are the psychological “muscles” that support a flourishing life.

Building a Strengths-Based Mindset

Shifting from deficit thinking (“What’s wrong with me?”) to strengths thinking (“What’s right with me?”) changes how you see yourself and others.

Here are some practices to cultivate that mindset:

1. Strengths Spotting in Others

Notice and name strengths in people around you — colleagues, friends, family.
Say, “I appreciate your perseverance on that project” or “Your humor lightened everyone’s mood.”
Strengths language builds positive culture.

2. Reframing Challenges

When facing a setback, ask, “Which strength can I use here?”
Instead of focusing on weakness, this approach directs your energy toward constructive action.

3. Strengths Alignment

Try to align your work, goals, and relationships with your signature strengths.
When your daily activities reflect who you are at your best, motivation and fulfillment naturally rise.

Common Misconceptions About Strengths

1. “Strengths mean ignoring weaknesses.”
   False — strengths complement skill-building, not replace it. Knowing your strengths helps you manage weaknesses strategically.

2. “People have only one or two real strengths.”
   In fact, everyone has all 24 to varying degrees. Even lesser-used strengths can be developed.

3. “Character strengths are personality traits with new names.”
   Personality describes tendencies; strengths are moral capacities that can grow through effort and reflection.

Practical Exercises for Daily Life

Here are a few simple ways to integrate strengths into your routines:

From Individual Growth to Collective Flourishing

Character strengths are not only personal tools — they shape communities, workplaces, and families.

• In teams: Strengths awareness fosters collaboration, mutual respect, and innovation.

• In leadership: Strengths-based leaders empower others to contribute their best.

• In education: Teaching strengths builds student engagement and resilience.

• In families: Recognizing each member’s strengths creates connection and gratitude.

As Dr. Ryan Niemiec notes, “When we use our strengths, we not only become more of who we are — we help others become more of who they can be.”

Conclusion: The Journey from Knowing to Becoming

Understanding your 24 VIA Character Strengths is more than a self-discovery exercise. It’s an invitation — to live with purpose, to grow with awareness, and to connect with others through what is best in you.

Transformation begins the moment you stop asking “Who am I?” and start asking “Who can I become — if I live my strengths fully?”

So take the VIA Survey, reflect on your results, and begin using your signature strengths in small, daily ways. Over time, those micro-acts of strength turn traits into transformation — one authentic choice at a time.

References

• Harzer, C., & Ruch, W. (2013). The application of signature character strengths and positive experiences at work. Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(3), 965–983.

• Lounsbury, J. W., Fisher, L. A., Levy, J. J., & Welsh, D. P. (2009). An investigation of character strengths in relation to the academic success of college students. Individual Differences Research, 7(1), 52–69.

• Martínez-Martí, M. L., & Ruch, W. (2017). Character strengths and well-being across the life span: Data from a representative sample of German-speaking adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1156.

• Niemiec, R. M. (2018). Character Strengths Interventions: A Field Guide for Practitioners. Boston, MA: Hogrefe Publishing.

• Park, N., Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Strengths of character and well-being. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 23(5), 603–619.

• Peterson, C., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. New York: Oxford University Press.

• Proyer, R. T., Gander, F., Wellenzohn, S., & Ruch, W. (2013). What good are character strengths beyond subjective well-being? Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 5(2), 188–206.

• Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421.

• VIA Institute on Character. (2025). https://www.viacharacter.org