Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification

For decades, psychology has expertly mapped human weakness and disorder, but what about the other half of the human condition? 'Character Strengths and Virtues' represents a landmark achievement from the leaders of the positive psychology movement, offering the first comprehensive, scientifically-grounded classification of human goodness. Moving beyond armchair philosophy, Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman identify 24 distinct character strengths—such as courage, kindness, creativity, and hope—and group them under six universal virtues found across cultures and throughout history: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Each strength is thoroughly explored, providing its definition, theoretical background, measurement strategies, correlates, and developmental trajectory. This book is not just a classification; it is a foundational text for a new science of human flourishing, providing the vocabulary and tools for researchers, clinicians, educators, and anyone interested in understanding, measuring, and cultivating the best in themselves and others.

What it argues

Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification

Key ideas it contributes

• Enabling Conditions — Contextual factors and settings, such as family support, safe neighborhoods, educational opportunities, and supportive mentors, that create an environment conducive to the development and display of character strengths.
• Creativity — Thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things; includes artistic achievement but is not limited to it.
• Curiosity — Taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake; finding subjects and topics fascinating; exploring and discovering.
• Open-Mindedness — Thinking things through and examining them from all sides; not jumping to conclusions; being able to change one’s mind in light of evidence; weighing all evidence fairly.
• Love of Learning — Mastering new skills, topics, and bodies of knowledge, whether on one’s own or formally; related to curiosity but goes beyond it to describe the tendency to add systematically to what one knows.
• Perspective — Being able to provide wise counsel to others; having ways of looking at the world that make sense to oneself and to other people.
• Bravery — Not shrinking from threat, challenge, difficulty, or pain; speaking up for what is right even if there is opposition; acting on convictions even if unpopular.
• Persistence — Finishing what one starts; persisting in a course of action in spite of obstacles; taking pleasure in completing tasks.
• Integrity — Speaking the truth but more broadly presenting oneself in a genuine way and acting in a sincere way; being without pretense; taking responsibility for one’s feelings and actions.
• Vitality — Approaching life with excitement and energy; not doing things halfway or halfheartedly; living life as an adventure; feeling alive and activated.
• Love — Valuing close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated; being close to people.
• Kindness — Doing favors and good deeds for others; helping them; taking care of them.
• Social Intelligence — Being aware of the motives and feelings of other people and oneself; knowing what to do to fit into different social situations; knowing what makes other people tick.
• Citizenship — Working well as a member of a group or team; being loyal to the group; doing one’s share.
• Fairness — Treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice; not letting personal feelings bias decisions about others; giving everyone a fair chance.
• Leadership — Encouraging a group of which one is a member to get things done and at the same time maintain good relations within the group; organizing group activities and seeing that they happen.
• Forgiveness and Mercy — Forgiving those who have done wrong; accepting the shortcomings of others; giving people a second chance; not being vengeful.
• Humility and Modesty — Letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves; not seeking the spotlight; not regarding oneself as more special than one is.
• Prudence — Being careful about one’s choices; not taking undue risks; not saying or doing things that might later be regretted.
• Self-Regulation — Regulating what one feels and does; being disciplined; controlling one’s appetites and emotions.
• Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence — Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in various domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.
• Gratitude — Being aware of and thankful for the good things that happen; taking time to express thanks.
• Hope — Expecting the best in the future and working to achieve it; believing that a good future is something that can be brought about.
• Humor — Liking to laugh and tease; bringing smiles to other people; seeing the light side; making (not necessarily telling) jokes.
• Spirituality — Having coherent beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of the universe; knowing where one fits within the larger scheme; having beliefs about the meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort.
• Desirable Life Outcomes — A set of beneficial outcomes that constitute a well-lived life, including subjective well-being (happiness), competence, health, supportive social networks, satisfying work, and healthy communities.