Human character traits: what they are and how to evaluate them

List of qualities

Personality structure includes temperament, volitional qualities, abilities, character, emotions, social attitudes and motivation. And also separately the following qualities:

Independence;
Intellectual self-improvement;
Communication skills;
Kindness;
Hard work;
Honesty;
Determination;
Responsibility;
Respect;
Confidence;
Discipline;
Humanity;
Mercy;
Curiosity;
Objectivity.

A person’s personal qualities consist of internal perception and external manifestations. External manifestation includes a list of indicators:

innate or acquired artistry;
attractive appearance and sense of style;
oratory skills and clear pronunciation of speech;
a competent and sophisticated approach to non-verbal communication.

The main qualities of a person (her inner world) can be classified according to a number of characteristics:

a comprehensive assessment of the situation and the absence of conflicting perceptions of information;
an inherent love for people;
open-minded thinking;
positive form of perception;
wise judgment.

The level of these indicators determines the individual characteristics of the individual being studied.

What are the negative character traits?

The study of personality is integral to the analysis of negative traits; their list is quite extensive; let’s look at the most common ones:

aggressiveness – a person actively defends himself, while often provoking others into conflicts;

Gambling is the desire to achieve what you want without taking into account the risks. Often leads to situations that pose a threat to life, health, and financial well-being;

apathy is a feature of temperament. The presence of this trait leads to the inability to achieve the set goal; the person is indifferent to everything that happens to him;

irresponsibility – unwillingness to make important decisions, refusal to take responsibility for one’s actions, refusal to realize the consequences of what has been done;

ruthlessness - lack of sympathy for others, inability to sympathize, inhumane actions, in pathology leading to the death of living beings;

lust for power - the desire to control all people with whom a person interacts, to subordinate them to one’s will;

suggestibility - easily submits to behavior imposed from the outside, without evaluating the result of one’s actions. However, too low suggestibility can cause poor learning;

stupidity - the inability to draw logical conclusions even from the simplest situations, lack of sound criticism;

rudeness - unwillingness to adhere to polite behavior accepted in society, deliberately expressing negativity, provoking a scandal;

greed - can manifest itself in pathological hoarding, reluctance to share things or finances even with loved ones;

cruelty - causing pain, discomfort to people, animals for personal satisfaction

The impact can be psychological, emotional, physical;

addiction - obtaining benefits, pleasure from the effects of substances, interaction with certain people, situations, which can harm physical and emotional health, financial well-being;

envy is a tendency to compare one’s own values and the values of other people and experiencing negative emotions, worries, and desires to have something like others;

spoiledness - the desire to get what you want without taking into account opportunities, circumstances, here and now;

laziness – lack of desire to do anything, strain, move, think;

deceit - characterized by a conscious desire to create in others the wrong impression of facts and events in order to obtain personal benefits;

hypocrisy - pretense, assurances of goodwill, love, friendship, but at the same time thinking differently;

vindictiveness - a desire to do something in revenge, a tendency to focus attention on conflicts, prolong them, punish offenders;

narcissism – praise of oneself, one’s merits, actions, disdain in relationships with other people;

touchiness - a reaction to situations that do not meet expectations, the opinion that the world should revolve around them, and people must fulfill their desires and act accordingly;

irritability is an excessive manifestation of emotions, the strength of which does not correspond to the situation. Can be caused by external factors or internal;

cowardice - the inability to resist, the desire to leave, escape from people and situations, the presence of various fears;

selfishness is the desire not to take into account the opinions of other people, to live for the sake of one’s own comfort.

Negative character traits of a person - a list.

What are the types of temperament?

Character is determined by the prevailing traits, which in turn influence behavior and actions. They can be considered in a system of relationships to work, other people, things, and oneself.

Work

Hard work - laziness. This “duet” can be either a character trait or express an attitude towards a specific job. A constant feeling of laziness may also indicate that a person is simply not interested in the business in which he is busy, but in something else, he will prove himself better. Laziness can be a sign of lack of motivation for life. But excessive hard work also takes on a degree of workaholism, which can also indicate problems in personal relationships and lack of interests.
Responsibility-irresponsibility. One of the most important qualities for an employee. A person who responsibly fulfills his duties and does not let his colleagues down will be a valuable employee.
Conscientiousness-bad faith. Carrying out duties and doing them well are not the same thing. It is important for management that hard work is expressed not only in the mechanical execution of actions, but brings results.
Initiative-passivity. This quality is especially valuable for people who want to move up the career ladder. If an employee does not show initiative, does not generate ideas, or hides behind the backs of his colleagues, he will not develop in his profession.

Take a character test

Other people

Closedness - sociability. It shows a person’s openness, his relaxedness, how easy it is for him to make acquaintances, how he feels in a new company or team.
Truthfulness-deception. Pathological liars lie even in small things, hide the truth, and easily betray. There are people who embellish reality, most often they do this because reality seems boring to them or not bright enough.
Independence-conformity. This quality shows how a person makes decisions. Does he rely on his experience, knowledge, opinion, or does he follow someone else’s lead and is easy to suppress?
Rudeness is politeness. Bitterness and internal experiences make a person cynical and rude. Such people are rude in queues, on public transport, and disrespectful to their subordinates. Politeness, although a positive character trait, can have selfish motives. It may also be an attempt to avoid confrontation.

Things

Neatness-sloppiness. Creative clutter or meticulous cleanliness in the house can show how neat a person is. It can also be characterized by its appearance. Sloppy people often cause antipathy, and there are not always those willing to look at the broad soul behind the external absurdity.
Thrift is negligence. A person can be assessed by his attitude towards accumulated property and borrowed items. Although this human trait appeared in the material group, it can also manifest itself in relation to people.
Greed-generosity. To be called generous, you don’t have to be a philanthropist or give away your 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 towards oneself, when a person, out of fear of being left without money, saves even on small things.

Self

Demandingness. When this personality trait is pronounced, two extremes appear. A person who is demanding of himself is often just as strict with others. He lives by the principle “I could do it, so others can too.” He may not be tolerant of other people's weaknesses, not understanding that each person is individual. The second extreme is built on uncertainty. A person tortures himself, considering himself not perfect enough. A striking example is anorexia and workaholism.
Self-criticism. A person who knows how to criticize himself has healthy self-esteem. Understanding, accepting and analyzing your achievements and defeats helps in developing a strong personality. When the balance is disturbed, either egocentrism or self-criticism is observed.
Modesty. It is necessary to understand that modesty and shyness are different concepts. The first is based on a value system instilled during upbringing. The second is a signal for the development of complexes. In a normal state, modesty is manifested in moderation, calmness, knowing the limits in words, expressing emotions, financial spending, etc.
Egoism and egocentrism. Similar concepts, but the trait here is egoism, while egocentrism is a way of thinking. Egoists think only about themselves, but use others for their own purposes. Egocentric people are often misanthropes and introverts who do not need others and believe that no one is worthy of them.
Self-esteem. Shows how a person feels internally. Outwardly, it is expressed in a high assessment of one’s rights and social value.

Take the test: introvert or extrovert?

Personality is a balance of positive and negative qualities. In this regard, everything is conditional. For example, envy is considered a bad trait, 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.

Strong and weak character traits should be highlighted; you often have to remember them 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: Pride, jealousy, vindictiveness, cruelty, parasitism.
Positive. Kindness, sincerity, optimism, openness, peacefulness.

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

Take a personality type test

The innate qualities of a person shape him as a social being. Behavioral factors, type of activity and social circle are taken into account. The category is divided into 4 concepts: sanguine, melancholic, choleric and phlegmatic.

A sanguine person is a strong and balanced person who easily adapts to a new environment and overcomes obstacles. Sociability, responsiveness, openness, cheerfulness and leadership are the main personality traits.
A melancholic person is a weak and sedentary person. Under the influence of strong stimuli, behavioral disturbances occur, manifested by a passive attitude towards any activity. Isolation, pessimism, anxiety, tendency to reason and resentment are characteristic features of melancholic people.
Cholerics are strong, unbalanced, energetic personality traits. They are quick-tempered and unrestrained. Touchiness, impulsiveness, emotionality and instability are clear indicators of a restless temperament.
A phlegmatic person is a balanced, inert and slow person, not prone to change. Personal indicators show how to easily overcome negative factors. Reliability, goodwill, peacefulness and prudence are the hallmarks of calm people.

Character is a set of individual traits that manifest themselves in different types of activity, communication and relationships with people. The development of personal qualities is formed against the background of life processes and the type of activity of people. To more accurately assess the character of people, behavioral factors in specific circumstances should be studied in detail.

Types of character:

cycloid – mood swings;
hyperthymic accentuation consists of high activity and failure to complete tasks;
asthenic – capricious and depressive personal qualities;
sensitive – timid personality;
hysterical - the makings of leadership and vanity;
dysthymic – focused on the negative side of current events.

Adjusting behavioral factors associated with overcoming internal and external discomfort makes it possible to determine personal qualities: the level of effort and plans for taking actions, concentration in a given direction. Will manifests itself in the following properties:

willpower - the level of effort to achieve the desired result;
perseverance – the ability to mobilize to overcome troubles;
endurance - the ability to limit feelings, thinking and actions.

Courage, self-control, commitment are the personal qualities of strong-willed people. They are classified into simple and complex acts. In a simple case, incentives to action flow into execution automatically. Complex acts are carried out on the basis of motivation, drawing up a plan and taking into account the consequences.

They can be either desirable or positive, or negative - which people often want to get rid of (become bolder, more confident).

The entire set of traits is usually divided into 4 large groups, each of which combines certain mental properties:

Relationships with other people - openness or closedness, kindness or cruelty, arrogance or respect, and others.
A person’s relationship with himself – self-criticism or arrogance, vanity or modesty, etc.).
Attitude to work activity – neatness, carelessness, activity – laziness, responsibility – “careless” approach, etc.).
The attitude towards material things is care or negligence.

We figured out what character is. These are personal characteristics of a person that are formed from birth. It is often confused with temperament, although these concepts are far from the same thing.

Temperament can be thought of as the basis on which character will subsequently be formed, with the former significantly influencing the latter. Hippocrates wrote about the types of temperament; psychology adheres to his classification to this day:

melancholic – an anxious person who does not cope well with stress due to a mobile nervous system;
sanguine – balanced, logical, lively, sociable, optimistic;
choleric – explosive, impulsive, hot-tempered;
phlegmatic (who is this?) – a stable, hardy personality type, calm and measured.

What employee qualities does an employer need?

Qualities That Any Employer Will Love
Almost all people who write their resume for the first time focus on skills related to the job they want to get. That is why most of all they try to show how competent they are in what they have to do.

Of course, you can also indicate such data in your resume, but as practice shows, most employers pay attention to completely different qualities

They do this because they understand that no matter how well a person studies, without practice his knowledge means nothing. That is why it is easier for them to hire a person who shows initiative and is ready to learn something new than someone who is trying to prove his superiority without confirming it with any actions.

Qualities that will appeal to any employer:

Initiative
Performance
Attentiveness
Responsibility
Accuracy
Punctuality
Discipline
Hard work

Yes, and remember that a resume is, first of all, a correct presentation, so if you want the right opinion to be formed about you, then try not to over-praise yourself. Under no circumstances should you devote half of your resume to your positive qualities. It will be quite enough if you name 5-7 pieces and, of course, do not forget to mention the negative traits of your character. After all, no matter how sad it is to admit it, every person has his own disadvantages. Therefore, if you don’t say anything about them, the employer will think that you are trying to look better than you really are.

Also, do not forget that a resume is an official document, so when compiling it, it is not advisable to use slang words and humorous phrases. You should talk about yourself rather discreetly, but at the same time show that you are quite sociable and easy to make contact with. Believe me, if you take into account all these nuances, you will be able to pleasantly surprise the strictest boss with your resume.

Structure of individual qualities

To more accurately determine the quality of a person’s personality, one should highlight its biological structure. It consists of 4 levels:

Temperament, which includes characteristics of genetic predisposition (nervous system).
The degree of unique mental processes that allows one to determine a person's personal qualities. The level of individual perception, imagination, manifestation of volitional signs, feelings and attention influences the achievement of results.
The experiences of people, characterized by knowledge, abilities, capabilities and habits.
Indicators of social orientation, including the subject’s attitude to the external environment. The development of personal qualities acts as a guiding and regulating factor of behavior - interests and views, beliefs and attitudes (state of consciousness based on previous experience, regulating the attitude and behavior of people), moral norms.

The above categories are closely related to the needs and character, abilities and egocentrism of people. The set of general indicators influences the creation of an individual personality shell.

Individual psychological qualities of a person contribute to the achievement of success and excellence in a certain activity. They are determined by the social and historical practice of the individual, the results of the interactions of biological and mental indicators.

There are different levels of ability:

giftedness;
talent;
genius.

The development of the algorithm of personal qualities and abilities of people is characterized by the ability to learn new things in the mental sphere. Special features are manifested in a specific type of activity (musical, artistic, pedagogical, etc.).

Self

In psychology, there are three leading groups of character traits, which together constitute it.

This group includes both positive and negative characteristics that show the individual’s attitude towards himself and his self-awareness.

Character traits with a “plus” sign are inner dignity, honor, pride, self-criticism, appropriate modesty, adequate self-esteem.

Traits with a minus sign are vanity, inflated self-esteem and self-esteem, pride (not to be confused with pride), touchiness, shyness (not to be confused with modesty).

Characteristics that show the basis of a person’s relationships with other people - in the family, in a team, in a circle of friends.

Character traits with a “plus” sign are responsiveness, respect, communication, sensitivity, willingness to help, ability to work in a team, decency.

Traits with a minus sign are callousness, contempt for others, snobbery, rudeness, neglect, isolation, callousness, individualism.

This group combines character traits related to their business, profession, and work in general.

Character traits with a “plus” sign are hard work, activity, responsibility, creativity, a penchant for creativity, initiative.

Traits with a minus sign are laziness, procrastination, irresponsible attitude to business, lack of initiative, passivity.

Based on a sample of these characteristics, you can create a portrait of a person.

Honesty is a positive side of character

One of the best human virtues is such a quality as honesty. It is highly valued by others and helps to reflect the most important requirement of morality. An honest person will be better valued, respected, pleasant to work with, communicate with, because he does not lie, is not a hypocrite, and does not betray. Honesty includes traits such as:

loyalty;
truthfulness;
sincerity.

An honest person respects himself and others, is committed to his accepted obligations, and is convinced that he is doing the right thing by telling the truth to others. First of all, honesty is sincerity towards oneself; such people are self-confident, invariably live in accordance with their conscience, have a strong character, self-confidence, and respect others. An honest person is open to others and does not allow deception in communicating with others. This is one of the best qualities that speaks of decency and morality. Most people prefer to communicate, work, make friends, and choose honest individuals as life partners. Sometimes you can hear an unpleasant truth from an honest person, but this is much better than hearing a pleasant lie. However, honesty is not an innate quality, but acquired during upbringing. It is necessary to form it from early childhood; responsibility for this lies with the child’s family.

Features of human character formation

For a long time, philosophers believed that character is an innate human trait. That is, he is born with a certain set of qualities that do not change during the formation process. Today this view is not supported. It has been proven that character is formed throughout life and depends on upbringing, environment, entry into a certain social group, professional activity, etc.

For the first time, the idea of a significant influence on the character of external factors was expressed by the scientist D. Locke, who argued that psychophysical properties and upbringing influence the formation of character equally.

Modern science (last century) supports this hypothesis.

According to researchers, personality formation is influenced by:

labor education;
personal example;
physical education;
self-development;
moral and ethical education;
correct formation of habits.

cultural values, ideology cultivated in society;
personal example of people respected for a particular person;
public opinion and common judgments in society;
literature, television, cinema, theater.

A mature, thinking person can also correct his character. Thus, character formation occurs throughout life.

Three main factors influence its changes:

physiological (gender, temperament);
social (education, culture, family, school, team);
personal (self-development, self-education).

The first stage of character development is early infancy. At this level, it is very important to give the child love, care, and a lot of attention, since it is here that the emotional component is formed for the rest of his life.

Further personality development occurs in early preschool age. The child studies and copies the behavior patterns of adults nearby. Direct teaching with appropriate emotional reinforcement (praise) is important. It is at this age that such traits as kindness, responsiveness, and hard work are formed.

At primary school age, the main role is played by the assessment of the child’s actions and actions by adults, the concepts of “good” and “bad” are instilled. Character traits related to work appear: responsibility, punctuality.

Adolescents are actively developing moral and ethical standards and their volitional sphere. By the end of school, the character, as a rule, has already been formed; then it is only corrected.

What factors will influence character traits:

genetic predisposition - there is an opinion that some traits are inherited from our parents;
society - parents and other significant adults (relatives, neighbors, teachers), friends, classmates;

Child

life circumstances are situations that a child faces. For example, the financial situation of the family, events of various modalities also influence the future character. If the same child experiences the death of a loved one or, conversely, something bright and positive, these two factors will leave different imprints on his personality.

Initially, the baby looks at how his parents treat him. Further, it is with this attitude that he will go into the big world. That is, if he was loved, surrounded with warmth and care, talked about his value, then this is exactly how he will feel among others - significant, important, valuable. This is how he will treat people. And vice versa.

How is character formed?

From the moment a child is born, his character begins to form. The main stage of its development occurs between the ages of two and ten years. This period in a child’s life is very important for developing the basic qualities of human character. This is the time when children gain experience, absorb everything that happens around them, and actively communicate with their peers.

kindness and self-love;
sociability and isolation;
humanity and indifference;
perseverance and laziness;
neatness and untidiness;
stubbornness and cowardice.

Why does a person need to be evaluated by others?

The question arises: why does a person need to be assessed by others? Psychologists explain it this way: the assessment of others evokes a certain range of feelings in a person:

With a positive assessment, a person feels confident, significant, needed, and useful. Roughly speaking, the individual understands that other people need him and that he is useful to them.
With a negative assessment, a person experiences oppression, helplessness, humiliation, and his own uselessness.

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Character from a psychological point of view

I think many people know that the word “character” is translated from ancient Greek as “sign” or “seal”. But in psychology, character is understood not as one quality that leaves an imprint on a person’s behavior, but as a complex of traits. They do not exist on their own, but appear exclusively in different areas of activity.

You can often hear the statement that character is given from birth. What to do if a person was born this way? This is actually a myth. Character traits are formed throughout life from early childhood. The content and combination of these traits are influenced by the social environment, life circumstances, culture and traditions of society.

Congenital mental characteristics or temperament also influence character, but this influence is not absolute, but is mediated by the interaction of a person and society. Human nature is, as it were, polished by society. Therefore, with age, character can change - some features become brighter, more distinct, while others seem to be muffled, going into the shadows.

A person whose character traits manifest themselves clearly and leave an imprint on his entire behavior is said to have a strong character. Weakness of character is manifested in inconstancy and instability of personal qualities that make up the character. For example, when at home a person manifests himself as a narcissistic tyrant, and at work as a coward and sycophant.

Thus, character is a multi-colored mosaic, the individual elements of which create a unique personality image. When talking about the formation and development of character, we mean its individual traits that are important and significant for a person’s existence in society. And in each society in different historical eras these can be completely different personality traits.