Trait - it is a stable form of behavior in connection with specific, typical situations for this type of behavior. One can talk about any trait as a stable characteristic of a person if the probability of its manifestation in a certain situation is high enough. However, the probability means that this feature is not always manifested, otherwise it would just be a matter of mechanical behavior. A character trait includes a certain way of thinking, understanding. In the most general form, character traits can be divided into main, leading, setting the general direction for the development of the entire complex of its manifestations, and secondary, determined by the main ones.

Volitional character traits of a person. The group of volitional traits includes those character traits that are associated with manifestations of a person's will. On the one hand, this includes such character traits as purposefulness, perseverance, determination, confidence, perseverance, the desire to solve problems and overcome obstacles - all these qualities relate to the character of a person with a strong will. On the other hand, character traits corresponding to people with a weak will are also included here. This is spinelessness, compliance, lack of life goals, lack of will, unpredictability, inconsistency, etc.

Business personality traits. Business character traits are manifested in the area where human activity is carried out. This can be an attitude to work, to one's duties, to business or any other type of activity. These character traits can also be attributed to two poles: positive and negative. The positive pole of business traits will correspond to diligence, responsibility, conscientiousness, accuracy, dedication, etc. The negative pole includes: laziness, negligence, irresponsibility, dishonesty, slovenliness, etc.

Communicative traits of a person's character. Communicative character traits are those features of a person that are manifested in relationships with other people. The range of this type of human character traits is extremely wide. These are all the properties that are revealed when people communicate with each other. These are honesty and adherence to principles, kindness and disinterestedness, responsiveness and gentleness, sociability and attentiveness, modesty and restraint, calmness and rationality. At the same time, these are deceit and anger, callousness and selfishness, isolation and resentment, aggression and neglect, impulsiveness and cunning, vindictiveness and contempt. All this is manifested through the expression of emotions, through communication with others.

E. Kretschmer singled out and described the three most common types of body structure or human constitution, each of which he associated with character types:

1. Asthenic type characterizes a small thickness of the body in profile with an average or above average growth. Asthenik is usually a thin and thin person, who, due to his thinness, seems to be somewhat taller than he really is. The asthenic has thin skin of the face and body, narrow shoulders, thin arms, an elongated and flat chest with underdeveloped muscles and weak fat accumulations. This is basically the characteristic of asthenic men. Women of this type, in addition, are often small.

2. Athletic type characterized by a strongly developed skeleton and muscles. Such a person is usually medium or tall, with broad shoulders, a powerful chest. He has a thick, high head.

3. picnic type differs in highly developed internal cavities of the body (head, chest, abdomen), a tendency to obesity with underdeveloped muscles and musculoskeletal system. Such a man of average height with a short neck sitting between his shoulders.

Asthenic and athletic types are distinguished by aristocracy, subtlety of feelings, alienation, coldness, selfishness, dominance, dryness, lack of emotions.

The picnic type is characterized by gaiety, talkativeness, carelessness, sincerity, energy, easy perception of life.

Character types. As shown above, there are a large number of character traits, each of which, to one degree or another, may or may not be present in a person. In connection with such a variety, it is clear that it is rather difficult to single out the types of characters, since they are completely different for different people. Nevertheless, in psychology there are various typologies of characters, which are based on one fact: the totality of traits that is included in the structure of a person’s character is not random. All traits of a person's character form quite definite combinations, which just the same make it possible to single out the types of people's characters.

One example of the classification of characters by type is their division into extroverts and introverts. The basis of such a classification of types of characters is the predominance of external or internal interests in a person's life. Extraversion and introversion how types of characters are manifested through the openness or isolation of a person in relation to the world around him and the people around him.

Personality type: extrovert. The extrovert character type corresponds to sociable people, who clearly show interest in the outside world, in everything that happens around them. Usually these people are active, energetic, inquisitive. They live by what surrounds them, their world is connected with what is around them. The life of people with this type of character is determined by their external interests, by the events that take place in the outside world. For an extrovert, the external world is above his internal subjective state.

Personality type: introvert. The introvert type of character is characteristic of closed people, whose attention is directed to themselves, to their own inner mental experiences. Such a person usually sooner or later becomes the sole center of his own interests. People with an introverted type of character put their individual inner world above what is happening in the world around them. Often they manifest such character traits as alienation, detachment, anxiety. At the same time, they are usually independent and practical individuals, whose life is based on the dynamics of their own internal mental state.

As mentioned above, there are many other options for distinguishing different types of characters. There is no single strict classification here - the variety of character traits, the formation of which begins from early childhood, is too great.

The second typology, the founder of which is K. Jung, connects characters with the orientation of the personality and identifies a number of psycho-sociotypes. Psychosociotype, from the point of view of C. Jung, is an innate mental structure that determines a specific type of information exchange of a person with the environment.

K. Jung identifies four types of character:

1. Extraverted - introverted;

2. Rationalistic - irrationalistic;

3. Thinking (logic) - emotional;

4. Sensing (sensory) - intuitive.

Each of these four types can be combined with any other to form new types of character.

Recently, a typology of character has become widespread, linking its features with accentuation - the excessive severity of individual character traits and aggregates. (K. Leonhard, A. E. Lichko and others)

Character(Greek - sign, distinctive property, distinctive feature, feature, sign or seal) - the structure of persistent, relatively constant mental properties that determine the characteristics of the relationship and behavior of the individual.

When they talk about character, they usually mean by this just such a set of properties and qualities of a personality that impose a certain imprint on all its manifestations and deeds. Character traits are those essential properties of a person that determine a particular way of behavior, way of life. The static character is determined by the type of nervous activity, and its dynamics is determined by the environment.

Character is understood as:

• a system of stable motives and ways of behavior that form a behavioral type of personality;
• a measure of the balance of the inner and outer worlds, the features of an individual's adaptation to the reality around him;
• distinctly expressed certainty of the typical behavior of each person.

In the system of personality relations, four groups of character traits are distinguished, forming symptom complexes:

• the attitude of a person towards other people, a team, society (sociability, sensitivity and responsiveness, respect for others - people, collectivism and opposite traits - isolation, callousness, callousness, rudeness, contempt for people, individualism);
• traits that show a person’s attitude to work, their work (hard work, a penchant for creativity, conscientiousness in work, a responsible attitude to business, initiative, perseverance and their opposite traits - laziness, a tendency to routine work, dishonesty, irresponsible attitude to work, passivity) ;
• traits that show how a person relates to himself (self-esteem, correctly understood pride and self-criticism associated with it, modesty and its opposite traits - self-conceit, sometimes turning into arrogance, vanity, arrogance, touchiness, shyness, egocentrism as a tendency to consider center of events
• oneself and one's experiences, selfishness - the tendency to care primarily about one's own personal welfare);
• traits that characterize a person's attitude to things (neatness or carelessness, careful or careless handling of things).

One of the most famous character theories is the theory proposed by the German psychologist E. Kretschmer. According to this theory, character depends on physique.

Kretschmer described three body types and their corresponding three types of character:

Asthenics(from Greek - weak) - people are thin, with an elongated face. long arms and legs, flat (ore cell and weak muscles. The corresponding type of character is schizothymic- people are closed, serious, stubborn, difficult to adapt to new conditions. With mental disorders, they are prone to schizophrenia;

Athletics(from Greek - peculiar to wrestlers) - people are tall, broad-shouldered, with a powerful chest, a strong skeleton and well-developed muscles. Corresponding character type - xotimics- people are calm, unimpressive, practical, domineering, restrained in gestures and facial expressions; They do not like change and do not adapt well to it. With mental disorders, they are prone to epilepsy;

Picnics(from Greek - dense. thick) - people of medium height, overweight or prone to obesity, with a short neck, a large head and a broad face with small features. Corresponding character tin - cyclothymics - people are sociable, contact, emotional, easily adapting to new conditions. With mental disorders, they are prone to manic-depressive psychosis.

General concept of character and its manifestations

In concept character(from the Greek character - “seal”, “chasing”), means a set of stable individual characteristics that develop and manifest themselves in activity and communication, causing typical behaviors for it.

When they determine the character of a person, they do not say that such and such a person showed courage, truthfulness, frankness, that this person is courageous, truthful, frank, i.e. the named qualities are the properties of a given person, traits of his character, which can manifest themselves under appropriate circumstances. Knowledge of a person's character allows you to predict with a significant degree of probability and thereby correct the expected actions and deeds. It is not uncommon to say of a man of character: "He had to do it this way, he could not have done otherwise - that's his character."

However, not all human features can be considered characteristic, but only essential and stable ones. If a person, for example, is not polite enough in a stressful situation, then this does not mean that rudeness and incontinence are a property of his character. Sometimes, even very cheerful people can experience a feeling of sadness, but this does not make them whiners and pessimists.

Speaking like a lifetime human, character is determined and formed throughout a person's life. The way of life includes the way of thoughts, feelings, impulses, actions in their unity. Therefore, as a certain way of life of a person is formed, the person himself is formed. An important role here is played by social conditions and specific life circumstances in which a person’s life path passes, based on his natural properties and as a result of his deeds and deeds. However, the direct formation of character occurs in groups of different levels of development (, a friendly company, a class, a sports team, etc.). Depending on which group is the reference group for the individual and what values ​​it supports and cultivates in its environment, the corresponding character traits will develop among its members. Character traits will also depend on the position of the individual in the group, on how he integrates in it. In a team as a group of a high level of development, the most favorable opportunities are created for the development of the best character traits. This process is mutual, and thanks to the development of the individual, the team itself develops.

Character content, reflecting social influences, influences, constitutes the life orientation of the individual, i.e. her material and spiritual needs, interests, beliefs, ideals, etc. The orientation of the personality determines the goals, the life plan of a person, the degree of his life activity. The character of a person implies the presence of something significant for him in the world, in life, something on which the motives of his actions depend, the goals of his actions, the tasks that he sets himself.

Decisive for understanding character is the relationship between socially and personally significant for a person. Every society has its own major and essential tasks. It is on them that the character of people is formed and tested. Therefore, the concept of "character" refers more to the relationship of these objectively existing tasks. Therefore, character is not just any manifestation of firmness, perseverance, etc. (formal persistence can be just stubbornness), but focus on socially significant activities. It is the orientation of the personality that underlies the unity, integrity, strength of character. The possession of life goals is the main condition for the formation of character. A spineless person is characterized by the absence or dispersion of goals. However, the nature and orientation of the personality are not the same thing. Good-natured and cheerful can be both a decent, highly moral person, and a person with low, unscrupulous thoughts. The orientation of the individual leaves an imprint on all human behavior. And although behavior is determined not by one impulse, but by an integral system of relations, in this system something always comes to the fore, dominating it, giving a peculiar flavor to the character of a person.

In the formed character, the leading component is the persuasion system. Conviction determines the long-term direction of a person's behavior, his inflexibility in achieving his goals, confidence in the justice and importance of the work he performs. Character traits are closely related to the interests of a person, provided that these interests are stable and deep. The superficiality and instability of interests are often associated with great imitation, with a lack of independence and integrity of a person's personality. And, conversely, the depth and content of interests testify to the purposefulness and perseverance of the individual. The similarity of interests does not imply similar features of character. So, among rationalizers one can find people cheerful and sad, modest and obsessive, egoists and altruists.

Indicative for the understanding of character can also be the affections and interests of a person related to his leisure. They reveal new features, facets of character: for example, L. N. Tolstoy was fond of playing chess, I. P. Pavlov - towns, D. I. Mendeleev - reading adventure novels. Whether a person's spiritual and material needs and interests dominate is determined not only by the thoughts and feelings of the individual, but also by the direction of his activity. No less important is the correspondence of a person's actions to the set goals, since a person is characterized not only by what she does, but also by how she does it. Character can only be understood as a certain unity of direction and mode of action.

People with a similar orientation can go completely different ways to achieve goals and use their own, special, techniques and methods for this. This dissimilarity also determines the specific character of the individual. Character traits, having a certain motivating force, are clearly manifested in a situation of choosing actions or ways of behaving. From this point of view, as a character trait, one can consider the degree of expression of an individual's achievement motivation - his need to achieve success. Depending on this, some people are characterized by the choice of actions that ensure success (showing initiative, competitive activity, striving for risk, etc.), while others are more likely to simply avoid failures (deviation from risk and responsibility, avoiding manifestations of activity, initiative, etc.).

Teaching about character characterology has a long history of development. The most important problems of characterology for centuries have been the establishment of types of character and their definition by its manifestations in order to predict human behavior in various situations. Since character is a lifetime formation of a personality, most of its existing classifications proceed from grounds that are external, mediated factors in the development of a personality.

One of the most ancient attempts to predict human behavior is the explanation of his character by the date of birth. A variety of ways to predict the fate and character of a person are called horoscopes.

No less popular are attempts to connect the character of a person with his name.

Significant influence on the development of characterology had physiognomy(from the Greek Physis - "nature", gnomon - "knowing") - the doctrine of the relationship between the external appearance of a person and his belonging to a certain type of personality, due to which the psychological characteristics of this type can be established by external signs.

Palmistry has no less famous and rich history than the physiognomic trend in characterology. Palmistry(from the Greek Cheir - "hand" and manteia - "fortune telling", "prophecy") - a system for predicting a person's character traits and his fate according to the skin relief of the palms.

Until recently, scientific psychology has consistently rejected palmistry, but the study of the embryonic development of finger patterns in connection with heredity gave impetus to the emergence of a new branch of knowledge - dermatoglyphics.

More valuable in diagnostic terms than, say, physiognomy can be considered graphology - a science that considers handwriting as a kind of expressive movements that reflect the psychological properties of the writer.

At the same time, the unity, versatility of character do not exclude the fact that in different situations the same person manifests different and even opposite properties. A person can be both very gentle and very demanding, soft and compliant and at the same time firm to the point of inflexibility. And the unity of his character can not only be preserved in spite of this, but it is precisely in this that it manifests itself.

The relationship of character and temperament

Character often compared with, and in some cases, they replace these concepts with each other.

In science, among the dominant views on the relationship between character and temperament, four main ones can be distinguished:

• identification of character and temperament (E. Kretschmer, A. Ruzhitsky);
• opposition of character and temperament, emphasizing the antagonism between them (P. Viktorv, V. Virenius);
• recognition of temperament as an element of character, its core, an invariable part (S. L. Rubinshtein, S. Gorodetsky);
• recognition of temperament as the natural basis of character (L. S. Vygotsky, B. G. Ananiev).

Based on the materialistic understanding of human phenomena, it should be noted that the common character and temperament is the dependence on the physiological characteristics of a person, and above all on the type of nervous system. The formation of character essentially depends on the properties of temperament, more closely related to the properties of the nervous system. In addition, character traits arise when the temperament is already sufficiently developed. Character develops on the basis, on the basis of temperament. Temperament determines in the character such traits as the balance or imbalance of behavior, the ease or difficulty of entering a new situation, the mobility or inertness of the reaction, etc. However, temperament does not predetermine character. People with the same temperament properties can have a completely different character. Features of temperament can contribute to or counteract the formation of certain character traits. Thus, it is more difficult for a melancholic to form courage and determination in himself than for a choleric. It is more difficult for a choleric person to develop self-restraint, phlegmatic; a phlegmatic person needs to spend more energy to become sociable than a sanguine person, etc.

However, as B. G. Ananiev believed, if education consisted only in improving and strengthening natural properties, this would lead to a monstrous uniformity of development. The properties of temperament can, to some extent, even come into conflict with the character. In P. I. Tchaikovsky, the tendency to melancholy experiences was overcome by one of the main features of his character - his ability to work. “You always need to work,” he said, “and every honest artist cannot sit idly by, under the pretext that he is not located .. If you wait for an arrangement and do not try to meet him, then you can easily fall into laziness and apathy . Disagreements very rarely happen to me. I attribute this to my being endowed with patience, and train myself never to give in to reluctance. I've learned to conquer myself."

In a person with a formed character, temperament ceases to be an independent form of personality manifestation, but becomes its dynamic side, consisting in a certain speed of mental processes and manifestations of personality, a certain characteristic of expressive movements and actions of a person. Here we should also note the influence exerted on the formation of character by a dynamic stereotype, i.e. a system of conditioned reflexes that form in response to a steadily repeating system of stimuli. The formation of dynamic stereotypes in a person in various repetitive situations is influenced by his attitude to the situation, as a result of which excitation, inhibition, mobility of nervous processes can change, and, consequently, the general functional state of the nervous system. It is also necessary to note the decisive role in the formation of dynamic stereotypes of the second signal system, through which social influences are carried out.

Ultimately, the traits of temperament and character are organically linked and interact with each other in a single, holistic image of a person, forming an inseparable alloy - an integral characteristic of his personality.

Character has long been identified with the will of a person, the expression “a person with character” was considered as a synonym for the expression “strong-willed person”. The will is associated primarily with the strength of character, its firmness, determination, perseverance. When they say that a person has a strong character, they thereby seem to want to emphasize his purposefulness, his strong-willed qualities. In this sense, the character of a person is best manifested in overcoming difficulties, in the struggle, i.e. in those conditions where the will of man is manifested to the greatest extent. But character is not exhausted by force, it has content, determining how the will will function under various conditions. On the one hand, in volitional deeds, character develops and manifests itself in them: volitional deeds in situations that are significant for the individual pass into the character of a person, fixing themselves in it as relatively stable properties of it; these properties, in turn, determine the behavior of a person, his volitional actions. Volitional character is distinguished by certainty, constancy and independence, firmness in the implementation of the intended goal. On the other hand, it is not uncommon for a weak-willed person to be called “spineless”. From the point of view of psychology, this is not entirely true - and a weak-willed person has certain character traits, such as fearfulness, indecision, etc. The use of the term “characterless” means the unpredictability of a person’s behavior, indicates that he does not have his own direction, an internal core that would determine his behavior. His actions are caused by external influences and do not depend on himself.

The peculiarity of character is also reflected in the peculiarities of the flow of human feelings. This was pointed out by K. D. Ushinsky: “nothing, neither words, nor thoughts, nor even our actions express ourselves and our attitude to the world so clearly and truly, as our feelings: they hear the character of not a separate thought, not a separate decision, but the entire content of our soul and its structure. The connection between feelings and properties of a person's character is also mutual. On the one hand, the level of development of moral, aesthetic, intellectual feelings depends on the nature of a person's activity and communication and on the character traits formed on this basis. On the other hand, these feelings themselves become characteristic, stable features of the personality, thus constituting the character of a person. The level of development of a sense of duty, a sense of humor and other complex feelings is a fairly indicative characteristic of a person.

Of particular importance for characterological manifestations is the relationship of intellectual personality traits. The depth and sharpness of thought, the unusual posing of the question and its solution, intellectual initiative, confidence and independence of thinking - all this makes up the originality of the mind as one of the sides of character. However, how a person uses his mental faculties will depend significantly on character. Often there are people who have high intellectual data, but do not give anything of value precisely because of their characterological features. Numerous literary images of superfluous people serve as an example of this (Pechorin, Rudin, Beltov, etc.). As I. S. Turgenev well said through the mouth of one of the characters in the novel about Rudin: “There is perhaps genius in him, but no nature.” Thus, the real achievements of a person do not depend on some abstractly taken mental capabilities, but on a specific combination of his features and characterological properties.

character structure

In general form, all character traits can be divided into basic, leading, setting the general direction for the development of the whole complex of its manifestations, and secondary, determined by the main. So, if we consider such traits as indecisiveness, timidity and altruism, then with the predominance of the first, a person, first of all, constantly fears “no matter how something happens” and all attempts to help one’s neighbor usually end in inner feelings and the search for justification. If the leading feature is the second trait - altruism, then the person outwardly shows no hesitation, immediately goes to the rescue, controlling his behavior with the intellect, but at the same time he may sometimes have doubts about the correctness of the actions taken.

Knowledge of leading traits allows you to reflect the main essence of the character, to show its main manifestations. Writers, artists, wanting an idea of ​​the character of the hero, first of all describe his leading, pivotal features. So, A. S. Pushkin put into the mouth of Vorotynsky (in the tragedy “Boris Godunov”) an exhaustive description of Shuisky - “a crafty courtier”. Some heroes of literary works so deeply and truly reflect certain typical character traits that their names become common nouns (Khlestakov, Oblomov, Manilov, etc.).

Although every character trait reflects one of the manifestations of a person's attitude to reality, this does not mean that any attitude will be a character trait. Only some relationships, depending on the conditions, become features. From the totality of the relationship of the individual to the surrounding reality, it is necessary to single out the character-forming forms of relations. The most important distinguishing feature of such relations is the decisive, paramount and general vital importance of those objects to which a person belongs. These relationships simultaneously serve as the basis for the classification of the most important character traits.

The character of a person is manifested in the system of relations:

• In relation to other people (at the same time, such character traits as sociability - isolation, truthfulness - deceit, tact - rudeness, etc. can be distinguished).
• In relation to the case (responsibility - dishonesty, diligence - laziness, etc.).
• In relation to oneself (modesty - narcissism, self-criticism - self-confidence, pride - humiliation, etc.).
• In relation to property (generosity - greed, frugality - extravagance, accuracy - slovenliness, etc.). It should be noted a certain conventionality of this classification and a close relationship, the interpenetration of these aspects of relations. So, for example, if a person shows rudeness, then this concerns his relationship to people; but if at the same time he works as a teacher, then here it is already necessary to talk about his attitude to the matter (bad faith), about his attitude towards himself (narcissism).

Despite the fact that these relationships are the most important from the point of view of character formation, they do not simultaneously and immediately become character traits. There is a certain sequence in the transition of these relations to the properties of character, and in this sense it is impossible to put in one row, say, the attitude towards other people and the attitude towards property, since their very content plays a different role in the real existence of a person. A decisive role in the formation of character is played by the attitude of a person to society, to people. The character of a person cannot be revealed and understood outside the team, without taking into account his attachments in the form of camaraderie, friendship, love.

In the structure of character, one can distinguish traits that are common to a certain group of people. Even the most original person can find some trait (for example, unusual, unpredictable behavior), the possession of which allows him to be attributed to a group of people with similar behavior. In this case, we should talk about typical in character traits. N. D. Levitov believes that the type of character is a specific expression in the individual character of traits common to a certain group of people. Indeed, as noted, character is not innate, it is formed in the life and work of a person as a representative of a certain group, a certain society. Therefore, the character of a person is always a product of society, which explains the similarities and differences in the characters of people belonging to different groups.

Diverse typical features are reflected in the individual character: national, professional, age. Thus, people of the same nationality are in the conditions of life that have developed over many generations, they experience the specific features of national life; develop under the influence of the existing national structure, language. Therefore, people of one nationality differ in their way of life, habits, rights, and character from people of another. These typical features are often fixed by everyday consciousness in various attitudes and stereotypes. Most people have a formed image of a representative of a particular country: an American, a Scot, an Italian, a Chinese, etc.

What are the most significant positive qualities of a person's character for work and a comfortable life in society? How best to describe yourself and what to include in your resume? Let's figure it out. In order to know our virtues in person, we have prepared a list of positive qualities to characterize a person.

Accuracy

It is a desire for order and cleanliness. Accuracy is manifested in external neatness, caring attitude to things, accuracy and thoroughness in business. This trait is more inherent in women, so it is especially important for a man to develop the habit of creating and maintaining cleanliness. Remember: the order in the house is the order in the head.

Thrift

This is a caring attitude to the available benefits, no matter your own or someone else's. We are talking not only about material things, but even about the spiritual forces and vital energy of a person. This quality allows you to optimize the consumption of any resources, to achieve more by saving less.

Unselfishness

This is the lack of desire for profit. Selfish people are driven only by personal gain. Sincere and selfless people do not care about their own benefit, they will help and will not demand anything in return, so they are trusted much more.

Politeness

Respectful attitude towards others. Is always. Even in cases where the situation is not conducive to courteous and tactful treatment. By the way, this quality annoys boors. They want to quarrel, but a polite person does not come into conflict with them. Politeness and cursing for the belt shuts up, and conquers the city!

Loyalty

This is devotion, but not only in relation to close people, but also to one's own worldview, ideas and views. This is an important side of the relationship between a man and a woman, because such a negative trait as jealousy is associated with it. Loyalty speaks of the reliability and constancy of a person with this quality.

upbringing

These are good manners and the ability to behave in society. An educated person is polite to others, regardless of their social status. This is knowledge and implementation of the rules of behavior in society, respect for other people's property, nature, society. For an educated person is never ashamed.

Discipline

It is the ability to follow rules and regulations. A disciplined person not only strictly observes the established rules, but also knows how to manage his own time in such a way that it is enough for all important things.

Kindness

This is a kind and caring attitude towards people. Responsiveness and attentiveness towards others, the desire to help and rescue from difficult situations, without expecting anything in return. This quality does not bring immediate benefits, but those around him appreciate it, and the kindness shown is often answered with the same kindness and care.

Friendliness

This is a benevolent attitude towards others. This is not only an opportunity to build friendly relations with any person, but also the ability to behave openly and sympathetically towards people. A friendly person strives for mutual pleasant communication, therefore he has not only true friends, but also a lot of useful acquaintances.

Sociability

It is the ability to make contacts. A person who does not have communication barriers easily enters the team and makes friends. We live in a society, so the ability to communicate with others is useful in any area of ​​life. A person with this quality will never be left alone.

A responsibility

This is the ability of a person to be responsible for what he is entrusted with, the ability to make difficult decisions and evaluate their consequences. Husbands are responsible for wives, mothers for children, employees for professional tasks. A person who is not afraid to take responsibility for anything shows himself as an independent and mature person.

Responsiveness

This is a willingness to help, the ability to disinterestedly respond to a request, to help in a difficult situation. The advantage of this quality is not only in a good attitude towards others, but also in self-perception of being a kind person.

Punctuality

This is compliance with rules and regulations. In life, this quality is more associated with the absence of delays, the ability to complete assignments on time, to comply with agreements. Especially appreciated in industries where "time is money". But do not neglect punctuality in other areas of life - its absence can be perceived as disrespect.

Determination

This is the willingness to make decisions, the ability to carry out the plan, without being shy and not succumbing to fears. Determination is the absence of the so-called paralysis of the will, when doubts interfere with activity. Closely associated with fortitude and courage. They say about decisive people: "He has an inner core."

Self-criticism

This is a sober self-assessment, an adequate perception of one's own views and activities. A self-critical person does not consider his own opinion to be the only true one, he has a sound attitude towards views from the outside. But you need to remember the golden mean, because excessive self-criticism indicates low self-esteem.

Modesty

It is the lack of intention to exalt oneself. It's nice to deal with people who have achieved a lot, and at the same time do not praise themselves at every turn. Modesty is not only the absence of boasting, but also tact in relation to others. This quality can manifest itself both because of respect for other people, and because of shyness.

Courage

It is the ability not to give in to fear. They say that a brave person is not afraid of anything, but the complete absence of fear is not only recklessness, but also a syndrome of some mental abnormalities. Courage is the ability to act in spite of fears. As an example, firefighters may also be afraid of fire, but perform their professional duty without succumbing to fear.

Justice

It is correctness and impartiality. This concept is based on ideas about good and evil, the laws of retribution for good and bad deeds. Evaluating events, a fair person excludes predispositions and sympathies for someone. A person is just when he is objective.

Tolerance

This is tolerance for people. Tolerance does not allow dividing people into representatives of other nations, ethnic groups and religions. A tolerant person does not reject someone else's point of view, and is unlikely to allow himself to be rude to someone. Tolerance is a necessity of the modern world.

industriousness

It is the ability to have a positive attitude towards one's own work. Diligence is not only the willingness to give one's strength and personal time to the labor process, but also the ability to do it with pleasure. A person who systematically shirks from work and is not able to perceive his work with interest is the burden of the entire team.

Respect for others

This is a recognition of the value of other people's views. Respectful attitude towards others says that you see the personality in each person. In labor processes, this quality is mandatory, manifested in distance and subordination.

Confidence

This is a positive assessment of one's own qualities. Confidence is closely related to a person's ability to manage himself in ambiguous situations. A confident person knows his own worth, is not afraid of public speaking, and in a stressful situation knows how to control himself. Looking at such a person, you might think: "He knows what he's doing."

perseverance

This is the ability to go to the goal. This quality is characteristic of strong people who do not succumb to difficulties and failures. Perseverance in achieving goals and implementing plans shows strength of character and unshakable spirit. Persistent individuals achieve heights on their own.

Honesty

This is openness, the inadmissibility of deception in relation to others. This quality speaks of decency, morality and strong character. An honest person always respects the interlocutor, therefore he tells him the truth, sometimes even unpleasant, but necessary.

Self-esteem

This is self-respect and a high assessment of one's qualities, an understanding of value and significance. A person with this quality is unlikely to decide on a low deed, deceit, or even ordinary abuse in a public place. This is below his dignity. For such a person, it is not even the opinion of others that is important, but their own assessment of their actions.

Sense of humor

This is the ability to perceive the situation from the comic side. Even better is to find this comic side in everything. It’s more fun to live like this, and it’s pleasant for people to communicate with such a person. A sense of humor is an indicator of a person's mental health. It is not known whether laughter increases life expectancy, but it can definitely save you from unnecessary sorrows.

Generosity

This is the willingness to share with others, absolutely not wanting to receive something in return. Generous people, for example, can do charity work - help those in need, donate funds to special funds. Even the most selfless people appreciate this quality, because it shows the breadth of the soul.

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, motives, 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.

Character 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: diligence, 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 (a 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 annoying 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.

The concept of character

Usually, when they try to evaluate or characterize a particular person, they talk about his character (from the Greek snaga^er - printing, chasing). In psychology, the concept of "character" means a set of individual mental properties that develop in activity and manifest themselves in the ways of activity and forms of behavior typical for a given person.

The main feature of character as a mental phenomenon is that character always manifests itself in activity, in relation to a person to the surrounding reality and people. For example, the main character traits can be found in the characteristics of the activity that a person prefers to engage in. Some people prefer the most complex and difficult activities, it is a pleasure for them to seek and overcome obstacles; others choose simpler pursuits. For some, it is important with what results they performed this or that work, whether they managed to surpass others, while for others it may be indifferent, and they are content with the fact that they did the job no worse than others, having achieved mediocre quality. Therefore, when a person’s character is determined, they do not say that such and such a person showed courage, truthfulness, frankness, but that this person is brave, truthful, frank, i.e., the named characteristics of a person’s actions are attributed to the person himself. However, not all human features can be considered characteristic, but only essential and stable ones. For example, even very cheerful people can experience a feeling of sadness, but this does not make them whiners and pessimists.

character structure

To determine the structure or structure of a person's character means to single out the main components or properties in the character and establish the specific features due to them in their relationship and interaction.

In the structure of the existing character, we must single out two sides: content and form. The content includes features that express the orientation of the personality (sustainable needs, attitudes, interests, inclinations, ideals, goals), a system of relations to the surrounding reality and representing individually peculiar ways of implementing these relations. In the content of the character, one or the other component can come to the fore, depending on the way of life, educational influences and the requirements of the surrounding reality. This or that orientation of the personality leaves an imprint on all human behavior, although it is determined by an integral system of relations.

In different forms of character, ways of manifesting relationships, fixed emotional-volitional characteristics of behavior, temperament are expressed. People differ from each other in habits, behavior. Intellectual, volitional and emotional character traits are related to form.

“In the system of personality, four groups of character traits are distinguished, forming symptom complexes. Snmptomocomilexes are systems of interrelated mental properties.

1. Features that characterize a person's attitude to other people, to a team, to society (sociability, sensitivity, responsiveness, respect for other people and their opposite features - isolation, callousness, callousness, rudeness, contempt for people).

2. Features that show a person’s attitude to his day (hard work, a penchant for creativity, conscientiousness, responsibility, initiative, perseverance and their opposite features - laziness, a tendency to routine work, dishonesty, irresponsibility, passivity).

3. Features that show how a person relates to himself (self-esteem, pride, self-criticism, modesty and their opposite - self-conceit, arrogance, vanity, arrogance, touchiness, shyness, selfishness, self-centeredness).

4. Features that characterize a person's attitude to things

(neatness or carelessness, careful or careless handling of things) ".

“Depending on this or that structure of character, a person exhibits certain traits of behavior. The number of these traits is great. But it is possible to identify the main groups or types of character traits. These include:

a) moral (sensitivity, attentiveness, delicacy);

b) strong-willed (temper, passion, tenderness);

c) emotional (decisiveness, perseverance, firmness).

More clearly, one can define the main synthetic properties of a positive nature. “Among them are the following:

Moral upbringing of character. It characterizes a person in terms of direction and form of behavior.

Completeness of character. It testifies to the versatility of aspirations and hobbies of a person, a variety of activities, such people are distinguished by inner wealth and activity.

Wholeness of character. This is the unity of a person's mental make-up, the consistency of his relationship to various aspects of reality, the absence of contradictions in aspirations and interests, the unity of word and deed.

Character definition. It is expressed in the stability of behavior, which in all cases corresponds to established beliefs, moral and political ideas and concepts, the main direction that makes up the meaning of life and activity of the individual. You can tell in advance about such a person how he will behave in certain conditions of life.

Strength of character. This is the energy with which a person pursues the goals set for himself, this is the ability to get carried away passionately and develop a great effort of strength when meeting with difficulties and obstacles, this is the ability to overcome them.

Strength of character. It manifests itself in the sequence of actions and perseverance of a person, in the conscious upholding of views and decisions.

Balance of character. This is the most optimal ratio of restraint and activity for activity and communication with people, developed evenness of behavior.

These properties of character are in a complex, sometimes contradictory relationship. All these properties are not a natural gift, but the result of life influences, upbringing and self-education. But self-education is due to the corresponding motivation, which depends on mental processes and states.

So, character is a set of individually peculiar properties of a personality, determined by its relations and manifested in the ways of activity typical for a given personality.

In the character of each person one must see the unity of stable and dynamic properties.

"Character can mask one of the innate manifestations, enhance others, inhibit others due to the formation and strengthening of new reflex connections."

Consequently, from a natural-science point of view, character is an alloy of traits such as nervous activity and life impressions, which are fixed in the form of certain temporary nerve connections in the cerebral cortex.

Character is a consequence of the reflection of the complexity of life experiences, is formed in the process of active interaction between the individual and the environment.

Character finds its expression not only in deeds and actions, but also in speech, facial expressions and pantomime, and also leaves a seal on the external appearance of the individual and is reflected in a typical posture.

Character, reflecting life, in turn affects the way of life.

Character is of great importance not only for the individual, but also for society.

Character is a holistic formation, a system of properties of personalities that are in certain relationships to each other.

“In the structure of character, content and form are distinguished. Content of character reflects the social impact of influence, constitutes the life orientation of the individual, that is, her material and spiritual needs, interests, ideals and social attitudes. In different forms of character, ways of manifesting relationships, fixed emotional-volitional characteristics of behavior, temperament are expressed. People differ from each other in habits, manners of behavior.

The character is influenced by needs, intelligence and abilities, will, emotions, orientation, temperament.

The totality of distinctive essential, typical features forms a type of character that reflects the typical conditions of people's lives.

Character traits

Character is an inseparable whole. But it is impossible to study and understand such a complex whole as character without highlighting individual aspects or typical manifestations (character traits) in it. Common traits of character are manifested in the relationship of the individual to social duties and duty, to people, to himself. The attitude to social duties and duty, first of all, is manifested in the attitude of the individual to social work. In this regard, such character traits as diligence, conscientiousness, perseverance, thrift, and the opposite of them - laziness, negligence, passivity, wastefulness are revealed. A person's attitude to work has a decisive influence on the formation of his other personal qualities. D. I. Pisarev wrote: "Character is tempered by labor, and whoever has never earned his own daily food by his own labor, for the most part remains forever a weak, sluggish and spineless person." Attitude towards people clearly appears in such character traits as sociability, politeness, goodwill, etc. The antipodes of these traits are isolation, tactlessness, hostility. As V. Hugo stated, "every person has three characters: the one that is attributed to him; the one that he attributes to himself; and, finally, the one that is in reality." In order to clarify the essence of his character, it is useful for a person to know the opinion about himself of the team in which he works and spends a significant part of his life. And above all, how orderly his relations with people are, how much people need him, how authoritative he is among them. Attitude towards oneself is manifested in self-assessment of one's actions. Sober self-assessment is one of the conditions for personal development, helping to develop such character traits as modesty, adherence to principles, self-discipline. Negative character traits are increased conceit, arrogance and boasting. A person with these traits is usually quarrelsome in a team, involuntarily creates pre-conflict and conflict situations in it. Another extreme in a person's character is also undesirable: underestimation of one's own merits, timidity in expressing one's positions, in defending one's views. Modesty and self-criticism must be combined with a heightened sense of self-worth, based on the awareness of the real significance of one's personality, on the presence of certain successes in work for the common good. Principle is one of the valuable personal qualities that give the character an active orientation. Volitional character traits. Will is understood as a complex mental process that causes the activity of a person and awakens him to act in a directed way. Will is the ability of a person to overcome obstacles, to achieve the goal. Specifically, she acts in such character traits as purposefulness, determination, perseverance, courage. These character traits can contribute to the achievement of both socially useful and anti-social goals. To do this, it is important to determine what the motive of a person's volitional behavior is. "A brave act, the motive of which is to enslave another person, to seize someone else's property, to promote oneself, and a brave act, the motive of which is to help a common cause, of course, have completely different psychological qualities." According to volitional activity, characters are divided into strong and weak. People with a strong character have stable goals, are proactive, boldly make decisions and implement them, have great endurance, are courageous and courageous. People in whom these qualities are weakly expressed or some of them are absent are classified as weak-character. They are characterized by a passive manifestation of their business and personal qualities. Often such people, having the best intentions, do not achieve significant results in work, study. Many of them sincerely experience their inability to act independently, persistently and decisively.

Volitional qualities can be cultivated in a person. IP Pavlov emphasized that a person is the only system capable of regulating itself within wide limits, that is, it can improve itself .. Weak-willed people with thoughtful pedagogical work with them can become actively active. In this case, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of a person, for example, his temperament. So, it is easier for a choleric person to develop activity and determination than for a melancholic person. A person himself must train his will from a young age, develop such qualities as self-control, activity, courage.