Character is a unique set of qualities that determine the uniqueness and uniqueness of each individual person, his personality and behavior. Understanding the character facilitates the process of communication between people, helps to avoid controversial or conflict situations. The very concept of "character" is of Greek origin and denotes the features of the psycho-emotional manifestation and expression of the individual.

Traits

Each of us, without much thought, can easily and quickly name various character traits. This list can be very long. But in order to determine the characteristic type of a particular individual, one should know not only its main features, but also be able to designate which of them are defining, and which are only complementary. In modern psychology, there are:

• leading features, which in fact are the determinants of character in general;
• secondary features that complement and individualize a particular personality.

Knowledge of the leading features allows you to determine the essence of all morality, its "backbone".

The presence of two identical traits in two people does not indicate the identity of their disposition. So, both have truthfulness and timidity at the same time. If the former has fearfulness leading feature, then, most likely, he will not outwardly express his disapproval of the actions or behavior of others that contradict his inner convictions. He would rather remain silent, in his soul arguing about the wrongness of those around him. And vice versa, if another has a leading quality of truthfulness, and a secondary timidity, then he will not fail to point out to those around him that they are wrong, fearing only in the depths of his soul the consequences of his statements.

Characteristic features are divided into the following major groups in relation to various household aspects:

• attitude towards people around (tact, friendliness, rudeness, sociability, isolation, sincerity, truthfulness, deceit, etc.);
• attitude to work, activity (responsibility, diligence, dishonesty, laziness, irresponsibility, etc.);
• attitude towards oneself (self-criticism, narcissism, modesty, arrogance, self-confidence, pride, vanity, etc.);
• attitude to property and property (generosity, thrift, accuracy, carelessness, carelessness, etc.).

The dominant group is the first (i.e. attitude towards others), since man is a social being, the main features of his behavior are formed and manifested in society. Evaluation of behavior by others affects the formation and understanding of character as a whole.

character structure

In the structure, features of both individual properties and those common to a certain group of people are distinguished: national, age or professional. The way of life and way of life, the peculiarities of everyday life, even the language and national structure, have their influence on the formation of common features for groups and even for entire nations. So, people of one nationality differ from another in their way of life, habits, type of thinking, etc. At the ordinary level, typical common features create certain stereotypes. Most of us have our own idea about the inhabitants of a particular country, about their habits and customs: about Italians, French, Japanese, etc.

All this is true to some extent: character is not an innate or hereditary trait, it formed in the process of personality development as a member of a group or community. This is a product of society, which can explain similar or different features in the mores of people of different groups.

accentuation- this is an increased development of certain traits characteristic of the individual. So, there are extroverts (open and sociable people) and introverts (closed and uncommunicative).

There is the following classification of character according to accentuation, according to which the following types of character are distinguished:

1. Hyperthymic. The defining properties of this type are: talkativeness, sociability, such people have well-developed facial expressions. Along with this, such people are often irritable and frivolous, however, they are very energetic and proactive.
2. distymny. The features that define this species are isolation and pessimism. Such people avoid noisy companies, but highly value friendship, they have a heightened sense of injustice. When making important decisions, they are often slow and clumsy.
3. Cycloid. For this type of accentuation, the defining feature is a frequent change of mood, depending on which they are either closed in on themselves, or, on the contrary, sociable beyond measure.
4. Excitable. A distinctive feature of this type of accentuation is conflict. Such people are difficult to communicate, often authoritarian in the family, and quarrelsome in the team. They are neat and attentive when they are calm, but in a bad mood they are often irritable and quick-tempered.
5. stuck. These are very intractable individuals who love to teach everyone. Often they are the cause of various conflicts. The demands they make on others (as well as on themselves) are very high.
6. Pedantic. The defining feature of this species is an increased (sometimes excessive) attention to detail. Such people do not strive for leadership, they are conscientious, but they like to grumble for any reason.
7. alarming. Individuals with this type are insecure. They tend to avoid conflict situations, and in such cases they seek support from others. Friendliness and self-criticism are also defining features of their character, but the lack of proper willpower often makes them the subject of jokes or ridicule.
8. Demonstrative. Representatives of this type of character easily make contact, can adapt to any situation, are prone to intrigues. One of their defining properties is self-confidence, which often causes disputes and conflicts. People with this character are artistic and courteous, they have non-standard thinking. They can often be boastful, hypocritical and selfish.

In modern psychology, there are many classifications.

Types of temperament

Temperament has a huge influence on the formation of one or another type of character, which has been noted since the time of the Ancient World. So, even Hippocrates divided all temperaments into four main types:

1. - a cheerful, cheerful, balanced person, soberly assessing the situation and acting deliberately.
2. Choleric- a person who quickly reacts to external events, often he can be unreasonably harsh and inclined to commit rash acts. As a rule, choleric people are quick-tempered and unbalanced.
3. - a person who is distinguished by emotional stability and endurance. It is almost impossible to bring him out of a state of peace of mind and peace.
4. melancholic- an individual with increased nervous sensitivity, nervous stress and shock are categorically contraindicated for people of this type.

It should be noted, however, that in the so-called pure form, these types of temperaments are extremely rare. As a rule, temperament is mixed (one type may have some features of both phlegmatic and sanguine, both choleric and melancholic).

The relationship between temperament and character of a person

Often the words "character" and "temperament" are compared with each other, often they replace each other.

In psychology, there are four fundamental views on the relationship between them:

1. the unity of temperament and character, their identification (according to the teachings of E. Kretschmer and A. Ruzhitsky);
2. opposition of temperament and character, their antagonism (the teachings of P. Viktorov, V. Virenius);
3. recognition of a person's temperament as the core or element of his character (according to S. Rubinshtein, S. Gorodetsky);
4. recognition of temperament as the natural basis of the whole character (according to L. Vygotsky, B. Ananiev).

Both types of temperament and types of human character depend on the characteristics of his physiology and on the type of nervous system. The character of a person is formed when his temperament is quite developed. Temperament is the basis of character, but does not predetermine it. People with the same type of temperament may have different character traits. The type of temperament can influence the assistance or obstruction for the formation of certain character traits. For example, it is much more difficult for a phlegmatic person to cultivate sociability in himself than a sanguine person, and a choleric person needs much more effort to become balanced than a phlegmatic person, etc.

The character and temperament of a person are closely interconnected with each other, together they make up the individuality of a person, the basis and description of his behavior.

Every person is unique. He has his own unique appearance, interests, upbringing, predisposition to actions and character. Such traits may be similar in different people, but the totality of features will never be repeated. All this affects the feelings of a person that arises when interacting with society. Understanding yourself can help.

Character - a set of unique stable personality traits that reflect people's attitude to the world through their behavior and actions.

An outstanding German psychiatrist divides into 12 types. Let's consider them in more detail.

extroverted. People with such are sociable and open, have many friends and acquaintances, are attentive listeners, but are frivolous and verbose, prone to gossip.

introverted- the opposite of extroverts, the peculiarity lies in isolation, the desire for reflection, adherence to principles.

emotive- a kind person who knows how to empathize, but tends to keep grievances within himself and has a small social circle.

Demonstrative type - people are polite, artistic, interact with others without problems. However, they can be hypocritical, selfish, boastful, lazy, they will gladly accept power and praise.

Exalted. This is possessed by very sociable, disinterested and emotional people. The disadvantage lies in the tendency to hype and amorousness.

Pedantic personalities strictly observe all the rules, are accurate and reliable, conflict-free, but intrusive and always dissatisfied with something.

alarming type - people are timid, unsociable, self-critical, with low self-esteem. Their positive features are friendliness, diligence.

Characters of people stuck types are typical for moderately sociable, fair, ambitious and striving for leadership individuals. Their disadvantage is tediousness, resentment, vindictiveness and jealousy.

Characters of people with hyperthymic type are optimistic, actively interact with others, sociable, have lively facial expressions. Their flaw is frivolity, irritability, irresponsibility, a tendency to conflict.

Personalities distimic type - on the contrary, uncommunicative, friendly, serious and conscientious. The disadvantages include passivity, pessimism, slowness in movements.

To cycloid include people with frequent changes in mood and ways of communicating.

Closely interconnected with their temperament (that is, the mental manifestation of the nervous system). It is given to the individual from birth. With a great desire or under the influence of the outside world, the character of people is corrected, and it is almost impossible to change the temperament. In the best case, this will only be possible by 20-25%. It is divided into four categories: choleric, phlegmatic, sanguine, melancholic. In their pure form, they are not found in any person. Usually all groups are combined, but to varying degrees.

Speaking of such a concept as "human character", most of us mean a person's reactions to certain events in his life, as well as the people around him. In fact, this concept is much more complex. Today you will learn about the features of the human character, its main types and features.

Concept, manifestation of character

The concept of "character" in psychological terminology implies (translated from Greek - "seal") a set of personal characteristics of a person that are formed in the process of growing up and are clearly manifested in a person's life (both personal and public). As a result, stable and uniform behavior is formed in certain situations.

In fact, far from all the psychological characteristics of a person can be considered its permanent character traits. A simple and vivid example: a person in a rather stressful situation showed himself to be rude and unrestrained. Does this mean that such behavior is characteristic of him due to such a character? Not at all. Only the regular manifestation of such behavior can speak of a character trait.

The basis of a human character is formed by his nervous activity, or rather its type; the dynamics of its manifestation is the environment.

There are many deep definitions and interpretations of the set of concepts included in the word "character". In plain language, a person's character is most often understood as:

• a system of stable type of behavior that forms the type of personality;
• the line between the inner world of a person and the outer world in which he lives, or the way an individual adapts to the environment;
• a clearly defined system of human behavioral reactions to certain stimuli.

It is worth noting that the character cannot be called finally formed as long as a person lives, grows and develops. The formation of a person's character directly depends on the characteristics of his lifestyle, which includes not only the physical leaving, but also the spiritual: thoughts, feelings, impulses, etc.

The character of a person in its content is a complex relationship between social influence and the orientation of the individual, consisting of spiritual / material needs, beliefs, interests, etc.

Traits

It should be noted that the direct formation of character occurs under the influence of certain social subgroups that include a person (for example, family, friends, work team, etc.). Depending on which of the groups is dominant for a person, such character traits will develop in him. In addition, the position of the individual in the group and the degree of his interaction with it will play a significant role in this process.

In general, several groups of character traits can be distinguished depending on the relationship of a person with the outside world:

1. The relationship of a person to other individuals. It implies the perception by the individual of his own family, colleagues, friends, just strangers. Here there is a human desire for active communication and, accordingly, character traits accompanying this desire, such as respect for others, collectivism, sensitivity, kindness towards others. The opposite manifestation is also possible - the desire for limited communication and, accordingly, the traits associated with it - callousness, restraint, contempt for others, etc.
2. The attitude of a person to his own work, achievements. As in the previous case, a person tends to show radically different emotions in relation to his own work. It all depends on his characteristic features: hard work, creativity, organization, responsibility - with a positive attitude towards his own work and laziness, dishonesty, carelessness, etc. - with a negative / indifferent attitude towards work.
3. Man's attitude towards himself. An important component in the character is the person's own "I". Such character traits as self-esteem, pride (healthy feeling), modesty, or opposite character traits are implied: conceit, arrogance, touchiness, selfishness.
4. Man's relation to things. Everything is simple here: a person either cares about the state of his (and not only) things (neatness, careful handling), or not (sloppiness, negligence, etc.).

The relationship of character and temperament

Many mistakenly believe that a person's temperament is initially akin to character and therefore identify these two concepts. In the scientific community, 4 main views on the interaction of character and temperament are officially accepted:

• Identification (character and temperament are considered equal concepts in meaning).
• Contrasting concepts, emphasizing the fundamental difference between them.
• Recognition of temperament as part of the character, sometimes even its core.
• Recognition of temperament as the actual foundation for character development.

Despite the radically different scientific views on the concept of character and temperament, one can single out their general dependence on the physiological characteristics of a person, namely the characteristics of his nervous system. It is also worth noting that temperament is more firmly connected with the nervous system of the individual, therefore, in fact, it is the basis for character. Temperament has a decisive influence on the formation of such traits as balance, adequate perception of a particular situation, calmness of reaction, etc.

Nevertheless, temperament is not yet a predetermining factor in the formation of character. So, the formation of a radically different character with the same temperament is considered a fairly common occurrence.

Basic character types

There are many different theories according to which the character of a person can be divided into several types. To your attention are some of the most common in the scientific community.

Character types according to Kretschmer

According to the famous German psychologist Kretschmer, all individuals living on Earth belong to one of three main groups / types of character (the main role in determining a person into one type or another is his physiological data):

• Asthenics. People of thin build with thin long arms and legs, weak chest. Most often, people from this group have poorly developed muscles. Psychologically, this type corresponds to the schizotimic type of character: people with this type of character are characterized by isolation, stubbornness, and poor adaptation to changes in the environment.
• Athletics. People are quite strong, with well-developed muscles. This type corresponds to the ixothymic type of character: people with a similar type of character are characterized by calmness, practicality, restraint, authoritativeness, etc.
• Picnics. People are quite dense or even overweight, the head is large, the neck is short, the face with small features. The corresponding type of character is sociability, emotionality, quick adaptation to new conditions.

Classification of characters according to Carl Gustav Jung

The famous psychiatrist and psychologist from Switzerland created a seemingly simple, but rather deep classification of characters, since we are talking about the interaction of the conscious with the unconscious. So, K.G. Jung identified three main types of character: extrovert, introvert, ambivert.

So, the reactions and activities of an extrovert are more dependent on external impressions from events, people, etc. In an introvert, the opposite is true: he is more guided by his own experiences, sensations, etc.

Extroverts are sociable, pleasant interlocutors, open, cheerful, have a large number of friends. They always try to take everything from life, they care little about their own health

Introverts, on the other hand, are a special type of person who is quite difficult to understand. He is always closed, uncommunicative, tends to analyze everything, rather suspicious, has few friends.

Well, and, finally, an ambivert is a person who has learned, so to speak, all the best from the first two types. This person is a wonderful analyst with a subtle soul, prone to periodic “attacks” of loneliness and at the same time able to “stir up” a large company with his wit, humor and charisma.

Types of characters according to Hippocrates

Hippocrates is considered the founder of one of the key theories of human nature. True, in ancient times, the typology of temperament created by him was understood, rather, as the physical component of a person. And only a couple of centuries ago, the concept of four temperaments developed by him began to be studied from a psychological point of view.

So, there are 4 main types of character / temperament:

• Choleric; a rather passionate, quick-tempered, sometimes aggressive person who finds it rather difficult to control his emotional state and reactions to irritating external factors. The choleric is characterized by frequent outbursts of anger, mood swings and other sudden changes in behavior. Quickly consumes energy, depleting the reserve of forces.
• Sanguine. A very mobile and cheerful person, for whom, like a choleric person, sharp mood swings are characteristic, but at the same time a quick and stable reaction to external factors. Sanguine is a productive and purposeful person.
• Phlegmatic person. The person is very restrained, practically does not show emotions. Slow, has a balanced psyche, persistent and persistent in work.
• Melancholic. A very impressionable and easily hurt person, acutely experiencing his own failures. Reacts quite sharply to external stimuli.

That, perhaps, is all that you should know about the character of a person, his main types, features and manifestation in the world around him. From all of the above, we can draw a simple conclusion: each person is very individual, the personality is complex, multifaceted and unusual.

“How many people - so many characters” - you can often hear. And this is actually true, there are no two absolutely identical people on earth. People have different worldview systems, principles, hobbies and values, react differently to certain external stimuli and events. determines his personal actions, which make up his whole life.

Scientists and psychologists call the character of a person an individual combination of certain personality traits that determine his attitude to the entire environment and are manifested in his actions.

Character(Greek χαρακτηρ - a sign, a distinctive feature, a sign) is a structure of persistent, relatively constant mental properties that determine the characteristics of a person's behavior and relationships.

In the scientific literature on psychology, there are several criteria for determining the types of human character. We will only consider the main ones.

The most popular typology of characters proposed by the famous German psychologist E. Kretschmer, therefore person's character depends on his physique. Kretschmer described the main three body types of a person and their corresponding types of characters:

Jung's character classification

The Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Gustav Jung developed his own, which is based on the dominant mental functions (sensations, intuition, feeling and thinking). He classified all people according to the predominance of the inner or outer world (introvertive and extravertive types).

1. An introvert is a closed, inwardly focused thinker, turned into himself, a person fenced off from the whole world around him, carefully analyzing all events, while suspecting everyone of contradictory actions. He has very few friends, because it is very difficult for him to make new contacts, he is closer to loneliness, he does not change his own habits. An introvert is a very suspicious person with an overestimated degree of anxiety, he listens to feelings in himself and values ​​his health.
2. An extrovert is a direct, open person, extremely sociable, active and understandable to everyone, he has many acquaintances and friends, he cannot stand loneliness, has little interest in his own health, loves to travel, tries to make the most of life. He becomes the soul of the company, is the initiator of various meetings and parties, loves to tell jokes, in everyday life he focuses not on subjective opinion, but on circumstances.

The relationship of human character with temperament

Features of different temperaments can help a person to understand character traits if they are pronounced, however, people with pronounced certain temperaments are quite rare, most often mixed temperament in varying degrees of severity. But the predominance of any type of temperament can help determine type of person.

There is a huge amount character type classifications man, even better to say, attempts to systematize all the knowledge and psychology of his behavior, but none of them can be so deep and so effective. Since each person, going through periods of laying down certain characters in his life, collects them all in himself in order to live as an individual for the rest of his life.

If you find it difficult to determine your type of character, then various ones that are designed just for this can help you.

Many people try to work on themselves throughout their lives, eliminating their bad qualities and forming good ones.

Let's look at the positive character traits of a person in the form of a list, so that it is more clear what should be worked on.

What is character and how is it formed?

Character is a set of stable mental traits of a person that have an impact on any of her activities and behavior.

It determines its attitude to the world around and other people, to activities, to itself.

9 qualities of a person to whom people are drawn:

typical and individual

In the character, individual and typical traits can be distinguished.

Individual traits are determined by the psychological properties of the individual, his temperament, as well as the attitude to life that has developed in the process of education.

Typical the personality traits are determined primarily by the content of the era in which a person lives, as well as by his place of residence.

That is, the formation of these personality traits is influenced by the lifestyle of the individual.

What are the positive character traits?

Among women

The positive character traits inherent mainly in women and girls include the following:

In men

The positive character traits that apply specifically to men include the following:

Qualities of a real man:

In children

In the process of education and socialization just starting to take shape.

Therefore, right now there is an opportunity to focus on positive qualities, such as:

1. benevolence. This quality will help build relationships with others, attract people to you, and will also be useful later in life.
2. Politeness. This quality will help the child in communicating with both peers and adults.
3. Honesty. This quality must be instilled in a child from an early age, so that he knows that lying and deceiving is bad.
4. Responsiveness. A very useful character trait. A responsive person is always attractive in the eyes of others.
5. industriousness. A child must be taught to work, otherwise he will grow up lazy and careless.
6. Accuracy. Sloppy people cause some rejection in society.
7. Bravery. The child should not be fearful. Therefore, instill in him courage, the ability to do things.
8. Responsibility. This quality will help him not to shift his affairs and problems to other people, but to take them upon himself.

   It will help him both at school and later in life.

9. Determination. Decisive people are able to achieve more in life, everything is easier for them. Therefore, this quality is also positive for the child.

Resume List

You probably had such a situation when you came for an interview, received an applicant’s questionnaire, reached the “positive qualities” column and didn't know what to write here.

What qualities are worth highlighting?

To begin with, we note that the qualities must be useful for the position you are applying for. And if you do not yet have experience in such work, then you should focus primarily on your prospects and potential.

It is difficult to make a universal list of positive character traits to get the perfect resume. We can only note the main qualities that employers most often pay attention to.

But they should be chosen based on each specific company and position.

So, the positive characteristics for the resume:

However, it should be noted that it is not enough to simply list these qualities, you must really have them.

Yes, some of them cannot be shown right away, and they will open only in the process of work.

But if you write about self-confidence, but in reality you are talking to an employer hesitant and shy, then this will further alienate you from the desired position. It makes no sense to attribute to yourself qualities that you do not actually possess.

The presence of positive character traits in a person has a great impact on the quality of his life. Therefore so it is important to develop them in yourself.

What are the features of the hyperthymic type of character accentuation? Learn about it from ours.

Your strengths and weaknesses for the interview: