Features of behavior, communication, attitudes towards people, objects, work, things show the character traits that an individual possesses. According to their totality, an opinion about a person is determined. Such clichés as "the soul of the company", "bore", "pessimist", "cynic" are the result of an assessment of a person's character traits. Understanding how character is structured helps in building relationships. And this applies to both their own qualities and others.

Human character traits: classification.

2. Other people

• Closeness-sociability. It shows the openness of a person, his looseness, how easy it is for him to make acquaintances, how he feels in a new company, team.
• truthfulness-falsity. Pathological liars lie even in trifles, hide the truth, easily betray. There are people who embellish reality, most often they do it because reality seems boring or not bright enough to them.
• Independence-conformity. This quality shows how a person. Whether he relies on his experience, knowledge, opinion, or follows someone's lead and it is easy to suppress him.
• Rudeness-politeness. Anger, inner feelings make a person rude. Such people are rude in lines public transport disrespectful to subordinates. Politeness, although it refers to positive character traits, can have a selfish background. It can also be an attempt to avoid confrontation.

3 things

• neatness-slovenliness. Creative mess or meticulous cleanliness in the house can show how neat a person is. You can also characterize it by its appearance. Sloppy people often arouse antipathy, and there are not always those who want to see a broad soul behind external absurdity.
• thrift-negligence. You can evaluate a person by his attitude to the accumulated property, borrowed items. Although this trait of a person ended up in the material group, it can also manifest itself in relation to people.
• greed-generosity. To be called generous, it is not necessary to be a philanthropist or give the last. At the same time, excessive generosity is sometimes a sign of irresponsibility or an attempt to "buy" someone else's favor. Greed is expressed not only in relation to other people, but also to oneself, when a person, out of fear of being left without money, saves even on trifles.

4. Self

• exactingness. When this personality trait is clearly expressed, two extremes appear. A person who is demanding of himself is often just as strict with others. He lives by the principle "I could, so others can." He may not be tolerant of other people's weaknesses, not realizing that each is individual. The second extreme is built on uncertainty. A person tortures himself, considering himself insufficiently perfect. A striking example is workaholism.
• Self-criticism. A person who knows how to criticize himself has a healthy. Understanding, accepting and analyzing your achievements and defeats helps in the formation of a strong personality. When the balance is disturbed, either self-blame is observed.
• Modesty. It must be understood that modesty and - different concepts. The first is based on the value system instilled during education. The second is a call to development. In a normal state, modesty is manifested in moderation, calmness, knowledge of the measure in words, expression of emotions, financial spending, etc.
• Egoism and egocentrism. Similar concepts, but the feature here is egoism, but egocentrism is a way of thinking. think only of themselves, but use others for their own purposes. Egocentrics are often misanthropes and do not need others, believing that no one is worthy of them.
• Self-esteem. Shows how a person feels internally. Outwardly, it is expressed in a high assessment of their rights and social value.

Assessment of personality and types of characters.

In addition to the main character traits that are formed in the system of relations, psychologists also distinguish other areas:

• Intellectual. Resourcefulness, curiosity, frivolity, practicality.
• Emotional. Passion, sentimentality, impressionability, irascibility, cheerfulness.
• Strong-willed. Courage, perseverance, determination.
• Moral. Fairness, responsiveness, .

There are motivational traits-goals that drive a personality, determine its guidelines. As well as instrumental traits-methods, they show exactly what methods the desired will be achieved. So, for example, a girl may appear when she persistently and proactively seeks her lover.

Gordon Allport put forward a theory about what character traits are. The psychologist divided them into the following types:

• dominant. They determine the behavior of the individual as a whole, regardless of the sphere, and at the same time influence other qualities or even overlap them. For example, kindness or greed.
• Ordinary. They are also expressed in all . These include, for example, humanity.
• Minor. They do not particularly affect anything, often stemming from other traits. For example, diligence.

There are typical and individual personality traits. Typical ones are easy to group, noticing one of the dominant qualities or a few minor ones, you can “draw” a personal portrait as a whole, determine the type of character. This helps to predict actions, better understand a person. So, for example, if an individual has responsiveness, then most likely he will come to the rescue in a difficult situation, support, listen.

Positive and negative character traits.

Personality is a balance of positive and negative qualities. In this regard, everything is conditional. For example, it is considered a bad property, but some psychologists argue that it can become an incentive to work on yourself or improve your life. The distortion of positive traits, on the contrary, can lead to their transformation into negative qualities. Persistence develops into obsession, initiative into self-centeredness.

It is necessary to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of character, they often have to be remembered when filling out a resume. They terrify many, because it can be difficult to evaluate oneself. Here's a little cheat sheet:

• Weak. Formality, irritability, shyness, impulsiveness, inability to remain silent or say "no".
• Strong. Perseverance, sociability, patience, punctuality, organization, determination.
• Negative., vindictiveness, cruelty, parasitism.
• Positive. Kindness, sincerity, optimism, openness, peacefulness.

Character traits are formed in childhood, but at the same time they can change, transform depending on life circumstances. It's never too late to change what you don't like about yourself.

Person's character- This is the most common term in psychology in everyday life. "Well, character!" - even a person who is far from psychology speaks about a difficult child. For him, character is a synonym for the word "property", "feature". And this definition of character is not far from the truth.

Translated from Greek, this term means "line", "sign", "sign". For us, character is a set of more or less constant mental characteristics a person that determines his behavior and relations in society. That is, it is a way of life and behavior.

Character traits of a person.

Any character can be described according to its main features, that is, determinants that will help explain the behavior of a particular person in a particular situation. Psychologists identify four defining character traits:

1. Attitude towards other people(politeness, sociability, rudeness, rudeness, contempt, etc.).
2. Attitude towards work(perseverance, conscientiousness, diligence, perseverance, responsibility, passivity, laziness, etc.).
3. Attitude towards yourself(pride, modesty, self-criticism, shyness, arrogance, selfishness, pride, selfishness, etc.).
4. attitude towards things(thrift, accuracy, negligence, carelessness, etc.).

The main features of character in its study are the first two types of traits, that is, the attitude towards people and the attitude towards work. These character traits are called core or central. A simple explanation can be given here: your boss, first of all, cares about how you do your job and get along with colleagues, but he doesn’t give a damn about whether you love yourself and whether you hang your trousers in the closet when you come home from work. The example is, of course, a rough one, but the first two types of traits are the most important for social psychology and social science.

Character and temperament.

Temperament It is the basis for the formation of a person's character. Unlike temperament, character can change over time, but it will still rely on temperament as a base. Simply put, temperament is the foundation on which to build different types character, and then demolish and rebuild something.

Dynamic features of character directly depend on temperament. For example, sanguine and choleric people will always be more sociable than phlegmatic and melancholic people. Some properties of temperament favor the development of certain character traits, and some suppress them.

When raising a child and shaping his character, you need to read the properties of his temperament, because with improper upbringing, negative features of temperament can creep out in the character. For more details, see the Temperament chapter.

character accentuation.

character accentuation- a term that cannot be ignored when considering character traits. This concept in psychology means the effort (emphasis) of certain features to the extreme. In the most negative scenario, accentuation can turn into mental disorder(not to be confused with personality disorder, which is what accentuation essentially is).

Most often, accentuation as a personality disorder is temporary or periodic. An example is the teenage crisis, or premenstrual syndrome, when irritability is accentuated and comes to the fore. Do not take accentuation seriously, you just need to minimize adverse factors who called her.

Unlike temperament, character does not have well-defined types or types. There are concepts by which we can characterize someone, but this will be a characteristic of only one of some traits: a workaholic, a lazy person, an altruist, a greedy person, a sociopath, a merry fellow, etc. Therefore, in order to more or less accurately describe the character of a person, you will need at least four such definitions, each according to a certain type of character traits.

Each of us has positive and negative qualities, the unique combination of which determines the character. The more in a person good traits, the faster he converges with people, the easier it is for him to live.

Naturally, there are no ideal people, but in each nature there is a good and bright beginning. To achieve harmony with yourself and the world around you, it is absolutely necessary to develop positive features character. Their list includes many items, besides, different people their views on this matter, however, there are universal qualities that are equally valued (in society) and make a person better. Let's try to list and characterize some of them.

How and when is character formed? Dependence on temperament

According to psychologists, individual characteristics of temperament largely influence the personality. Depending on which of the types prevails in a person and how they combine and interact, it is possible to determine the main qualities of character.

For example, choleric people are characterized by irascibility and imbalance, while sanguine people are restless and active. However, if temperament is given to everyone from birth and is unchanged, then character must be developed and educated.

For example, the innate calmness and equanimity of a phlegmatic person can be manifested both by excessive slowness and by useful and, undoubtedly, positive determination, perseverance and accuracy. Moreover, character is formed already in early childhood, so it is necessary to educate it as early as possible.

Inheritance of character and features of education

It is widely believed that positive and negative traits character can be inherited. Many even give examples of how children and grandchildren show the same qualities as the representatives of the older generation. But, according to psychologists, education still plays a much larger role. After all, it is the family that becomes the place where the first values ​​and principles are instilled.

Adults, by their example, show the child from the very first months of his life how you can and cannot behave, lay the foundations of politeness and decency. Those character traits that are valued by parents become important for their children. It can be diligence, responsibility, or, for example, cheerfulness and friendliness.

Relationship between character and nationality

Many scientists are actively studying the dependence of basic personal qualities on a person's belonging to a particular nation. They succeeded in convincingly substantiating that different countries develop their own types of character.

It is known that the mentality has been formed for more than one century, it largely depends on the characteristics of culture, the history of philosophy and other factors. It can even be about the climate. Yes, representatives northern peoples tends to accumulate energy. Hence some slowness, thoroughness. Inhabitants of warm southern countries On the contrary, they generously waste energy, they are characterized by ardor and temperament. And, for example, the positive character traits inherent in the representatives of the Slavic peoples are generosity, cordiality, a tendency to self-sacrifice.

What is meant by positive traits?

The list of good qualities includes many items. At the same time, this list will be different for everyone. However, no one will argue that the success of a person in his personal life and career, his relationships with friends and relatives, and, in the end, his attitude and perception of himself, directly depend on the character.

Positive personality traits make life easier and happier. Negative ones, on the contrary, harm primarily the individual himself.

It is quite difficult to classify in any way the good qualities of a person, because they are in close relationship with each other. However, in order to make it easier to list and characterize them, we will try to distribute them into several groups. After all, in order to build strong relationships or succeed at work, different personal qualities. In addition, there are also the main character traits, without which a person, in principle, cannot be considered positive. Perhaps you can start with them.

Universal qualities

The list of primary positive qualities can begin with politeness. After all, an ill-mannered, rude, boorish person will not be able to succeed in any area of ​​life. Politeness, based on the elementary rules of etiquette, familiar to everyone since childhood, and respect for others - this is what makes us human.

Honor is one of the qualities that make us a person. This is the true nobility of the soul, the ability to strictly follow one's moral principles, without changing them even in the most difficult life situations, the desire to behave with dignity and always remain human.

Fairness is a manifestation of character helps to be honest with yourself and others. Such a person strives to do the right thing and always remains true to his ideals, openly speaking out for what he considers right.

Reliability is another of the traits necessary for both harmony in your personal life and success in your career. A person with this quality will fulfill a promise, no matter how difficult it may be, will do his job independently of others. You can rely on it in any situation, which is why reliability is so valued.

Courage and bravery, self-confidence - qualities are undoubtedly positive. After all, a coward will not be able to achieve any height and stay on it. And heroes and daredevils remain in our hearts and memory for many centuries.

Positive qualities for relationships with other people

Indicators of character that have a direct impact on our relationships with other people are undoubtedly important for each of us. After all, a person cannot live in isolation from the collective. One of the most important qualities is kindness. Such a person warmly treats others, is always ready to help friends, does not wish harm to anyone.

Closely adjacent to him are attentiveness, responsiveness and the ability to empathize. These good qualities of a person help him to establish harmonious relationship with loved ones. After all, sincere attention to people and the ability to understand their problems is much more expensive than any gifts.

Sincerity and truthfulness are qualities that have been valued at all times worth their weight in gold. A genuine, honest attitude towards others characterizes a person from the very better side.

Friendliness and openness are two more character traits that help to converge with others and find new friends. Such a person quickly establishes relationships and easily maintains them.

Do not forget about such qualities as hospitality and generosity. Such a person shares his time, things and good mood with loved ones. Offers shelter and food without asking for anything in return. Welcomes guests into her home in a way that makes them feel important and significant.

Many more can be added to these qualities. Here are just a few: loyalty, tolerance, generosity, devotion, tact, and many others. The possession of these qualities makes a person attractive in the eyes of others.

Qualities that affect success in life and career

The list of positive traits that have a significant impact on success, including in the business sphere, can be opened by such a quality as determination. A person who possesses it knows how to make plans and translate them into reality. He is not distracted by minor details and confidently goes to the goal.

Activity is also positive quality character, irreplaceable in the business sphere. No wonder they say that water does not flow under a lying stone. Active person will not wait for favors from providence, but builds his own destiny with his own hands, not being afraid of mistakes and failures.

Accuracy and conscientiousness are two more character traits that have a noticeable impact on success in business life and not only. This is the ability to accurately and diligently complete the task, not forgetting the smallest details. Neat people are attentive not only to their appearance, but also to official duties, performing them conscientiously.

A positive person, if we talk about a career, is not only executive, but also proactive. This quality implies the ability to contribute to the common cause and show oneself from the best side, without waiting for instructions from the authorities, to look for new non-standard ways to solve certain problems.

The modern world requires considerable organizational skills from a person. And this is useful not only for people in leadership positions. The ability to captivate with one's idea, organize the workflow, inspire and encourage action is valued in any situation and in every team.

Flexibility also characterizes a person the most in the best way. We are talking about the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, to respect the decisions of superiors. However, in any situation, you should not compromise with your own conscience.

Character traits that improve the quality of life

Gratitude and contentment are qualities that allow a person to be grateful to life for everything that happens to him. This is the ability to enjoy every gift of fate, regardless of what it brought. Such a person is not afraid to show close people how he appreciates them, he thanks every new day and has every chance to achieve harmony and become happy.

The ability to judge yourself and your actions is a quality inherent in a truly strong person. Only with the help of an unbiased assessment can you avoid mistakes and achieve success in life.

The ability to forgive is a trait that is not so common today, but is necessary for a fulfilling life. Such people do not hide and do not remember grievances, they just let them go. The ability to sincerely forgive and not hold evil is a quality inherent in a happy person.

Good quality and gender

Positive and negative qualities largely depend on gender. After all, the requirements for men and women are sometimes radically different, as well as their inherent types of character.

Reliability, self-confidence, determination are expected from representatives of the strong half of humanity. A real man is ready to support and help with the solution of any difficulties, you can always rely on him, he is brave and hardy.

But a typical female character, examples of which can be found not only in life, but also in films or books, is usually portrayed as completely different. For girls, such qualities as tenderness, patience, kindness, caring and the like are much more valuable.

A real woman is, first of all, the continuer of the family, the guardian of the family, a loving mother and wife. Moreover, some qualities that are positive for girls become completely unacceptable if they are possessed by a man and vice versa. For example, meekness adorns a woman, but not a man. And excessive perseverance or desperate courage will be to face young man, but hardly useful to a girl.

How to develop and nurture good qualities?

As mentioned above, it is necessary to educate your personality from the very beginning. early childhood- first parents do it, later - school. But even in adulthood, you can and even need to develop your good qualities. After all true strength character lies not only in what is laid down from childhood, but to a much greater extent in what is acquired through long-term self-improvement. How can this be achieved?

First of all, you need to soberly assess yourself and determine which positive and negative character traits prevail. This is necessary in order to find out in which direction to move, what to develop, and what to eradicate.

After a person chooses those qualities that, in his opinion, need to be educated in character, it is necessary to answer another important question: “What is this for?”. Perhaps he lacks the determination and activity to properly prove himself at work, or he is not brave enough, and this interferes with his personal life.

Positive example plays an important role in character development. Therefore, at the next stage, it would be a good idea to choose a well-known historical or fictional person who has the necessary qualities and imagine yourself in their place, to suggest how this person would behave in a given situation.

And, of course, practice is paramount. It is impossible to cultivate any trait in yourself, whether it be determination, courage or accuracy, without showing it. In other words, you need to gradually accustom yourself to behave in a new way. And even though this manifests itself at first only in small things, later the acquired habit will become an element of character.

It is important to equally cultivate different traits in yourself, paying attention to all facets of your personality. Only then will development be harmonious and complete. However, educating yourself, you need to remember about moderation. After all, some positive character traits can easily become negative.

One can often observe how, for example, caution borders on cowardice, frugality on stinginess, and excessive gaiety on frivolity. Moreover, almost any life situation one can look from different sides and see how closely good and evil, good and bad, both in man and in the whole world, coexist.

Do not forget that there are no completely ideal people, but you still need to try so that the positive character traits prevail over the negative ones. The desire for excellence, constant self-development, the desire to help those in need - this is what makes a person truly positive. And you will see how the people around you who are nearby become kinder.

Personality traits (personality traits, personality traits) - traits and characteristics of a person that describe his internal (or, more precisely, deep) features. What you need to know about the peculiarities of his behavior, communication and response to certain situations, not specifically now, but during long-term contacts with a person.

Personal traits include deep features that have both a biological and a social nature, and determine more superficial, situational manifestations.

Conscientiousness, as a personality trait, in a particular situation will manifest itself as a willingness to bring the matter to the end.

Positive personality traits are often referred to as: personality traits.

What personality traits can be classified as personality traits? It is easier to note that it does not apply to personality traits. Characteristics that describe the following are not personality traits:

1. Subjective attitude to personality (Unusual, Surprising, Unpleasant).
2. The physical qualities of a person (dexterous, beautiful).
3. Social characteristics and "titles" (Experienced, Wise, Foreman, Saint, Enlightened).
4. A temporary, unstable state of a person, such as situational (Tired) or mood-dependent (Dejected or Radiating happiness). Unlike a position that can be quickly chosen, a personality trait does not change quickly. A personality trait is an unchanging circumstance that can only be reckoned with, used or overcome. Something like the weather outside the window: we cannot change it, but if it rains there, we can take an umbrella and go where we need to go.

Is it possible to bring full list personality trait? - It is impossible to create a complete, “correct” list of personality traits: on the one hand, it is endless (limited only by the capabilities of the language and the imagination of its owner), on the other hand, this list is created for the specific needs of a particular study and therefore is always arbitrary.

In an attempt to achieve a comprehensive description of personality, R. Cattell began by collecting all the names of personality traits found either in dictionaries such as those compiled by G. Allport and H. Odbert, or in psychiatric and psychological literature. The resulting list of names (4500 characteristics) was reduced to 171 personality traits by combining explicit synonyms.

Further, whether some situational feature of a person is her chosen position or a stable trait, it is not always possible to say. Position, this is a certain way of thinking and attitude chosen by a person, then personality traits are stable personality traits. Unlike a position that can be quickly chosen, a personality trait does not change quickly.

If a person behaves like a Victim, is this a trait or a situational choice? To answer this question, you need to observe a person in different situations. Many of the personality traits can be simultaneously attributed to traits and positions, while noting the “overweight” of one or the other, characteristic of a particular culture of a given time. For example, today it is more often the position than the personality trait of an adult. Few people can definitely say that he has a stable characteristic of always taking care of himself and always only at his own expense. More often a person in a given situation quickly chooses this way of life, and in another situation he can make a different decision. However, we can also say that some people adhere to the position of the Consumer, having made a conscious choice and made it their stable habit. And in this sense - a personality trait.

The most common list of personality traits used in classic psychological tests: MMPI, Cattell's test and others. According to Kettel, these are, first of all: "isolation - sociability", intelligence, "emotional instability - emotional stability", "subordination - dominance", "restraint - expressiveness", "low normative behavior - high normative behavior", "timidity - courage "," Rigidity - sensitivity", " gullibility - suspicion", "practicality - daydreaming", "straightforwardness - diplomacy", "calmness - anxiety", "conservatism - radicalism", "conformity - nonconformism", "low self-control - high self-control ”, “relaxation - tension”, “adequate self-esteem - inadequate self-esteem" (primary test factors), as well as "anxiety", "extroversion - introversion", "sensitivity" and "conformity" (secondary factors of the test).

It seems that the list of personality traits that are relevant in life is easy to continue: these are adequacy, suggestibility, good breeding, sincerity, perfectionism, restraint, and many others.

It is difficult to make a coherent system of personality traits, primarily due to the fact that personality traits are connected with each other not only linearly, but also hierarchically. For example, behavioral habits such as "Nodding", "Hooting" and "Flashing eyes" are components of the ability to give signs of listening - skills and habits more high level. In turn, the signs of listening, together with adjustments in the body, adjustments in the dictionary, are components of the ability to listen. In turn, the ability to listen together, the ability to speak with clear theses, the skill of operating with facts and specifics, and the habit of summing up are components of thoughtful communication, which in turn is part of effective communication. Effective communication enters, as an element, into effective leadership, and so on.

​From the point of view of the needs of practice, the list of personality traits can be significantly narrowed by highlighting the root, fundamental, proper personality traits. These are considered to be

This is a set of individual mental properties of a person, which are formed in activity and manifested in behavior.
The main feature and difference of character from concepts synonymous with it in that character always manifested in activities, in relation to and behavior of a person.
We judge a person's character based on his actions and deeds. For example, we say that a person responsible, purposeful, determined, if, for example, his attitude and behavior in work, the team corresponds to these manifestations.
form only stable and stable characteristics for this person For example, even very cheerful people can experience a feeling of sadness, but this does not make them whiners and pessimists.

character building

The formation of character occurs under the influence of various social groups: family, school, group of friends, institute, work team.

The very first influence on a child is exerted by parents and family, and therefore it is very important what foundations are laid for a small child.
Throughout life, character changes. The development of character is influenced by life circumstances, lifestyle, development of views and values ​​of a person.

Character traits- These are the mental properties of a person that determine his behavior in typical circumstances.
There are different classifications of character traits.

In one of the classifications, character traits are associated with mental processes and allocate volitional, emotional and intellectual traits.
– Volitional character traits: determination, perseverance, self-control, independence, activity, organization, etc.
–Emotional character traits: impulsiveness, impressionability, ardor, inertia, indifference, responsiveness, etc.
–Intellectual Traits: thoughtfulness, ingenuity, resourcefulness, curiosity, etc.

In another classification, character traits are distinguished by the nature of a person's attitude to activity, to other people, to himself and to things.
–In relation to a person to other people: sociability, kindness, responsiveness, respect, etc.
–In relation to work: diligence, responsibility, initiative, perseverance, etc.
–Man's relation to himself: self-respect, self-criticism, conceit, egocentrism, etc.
–In relation to man to things: neatness, frugality, carelessness, etc.

Character and temperament

Temperament and character are interrelated in the structure of personality, but they also have a number of fundamental differences:

–character has a social nature (it is formed during life), temperament has a biological nature (it is laid down at birth).
- character changes, temperament remains stable

Temperament influences the development of individual character traits. Some properties of temperament contribute to the formation of certain character traits, while others counteract. For example, a phlegmatic temperament does not contribute to the formation of irascibility and irritability.

The dynamic features of the manifestation of character also depend on temperament. For example, irascibility will be more pronounced in a choleric person than in a sanguine person.

And, in turn, depending on a number of character traits, a person can restrain manifestations of temperament that are undesirable under the given circumstances. For example, restraint and tact can restrain manifestations of choleric temperament.

Character types

There are a number of theories that offer a description of the types of characters.
E. Kretschmer described 3 types of character, depending on the type of physique of a person. Types of characters according to Kretschmer: schizotimic (asthenic), ixothymic (athletic), cyclothymic (picnic)

German psychologist Carl Leonhard described 12 character types of accentuated personalities. Accentuation is a pointed character trait that is between the norm and pathology (psychopathy).

Later his ideas were developed A.E.Lichko, but his typology of characters refers more and more to the pathology of characters.

Erich Fromm– famous representative Neo-Freudianism brought out the following main types social characters: "masochist-sadist", "destroyer", "conformist-machine".

Carl Jung- a Swiss psychologist and psychiatrist - proposed his theory of personality types, depending on the allocation of a person's dominant mental function (thinking / feeling, intuition / sensation) and focus on the external or internal world (extrovertive and introvertive types).

Subsequently, the ideas of Carl Jung were developed Isabelle Myers Briggs. She proposed a theory of types, in which she described 16 personality types - 16 types of human characters.