The 24 Psychological Strengths According To Martin Seligman
If there is something in which human beings have stood out as a species, it is the ease with which they transform their way of life to adapt to the demands of the environment. This is the only way to explain why a primate that evolved essentially to inhabit warm areas of Africa has been able to spread to almost every corner of the planet in a few thousand years, and has experienced several revolutions at a cultural level capable of completely changing its way of life. just as happened with the appearance of writing and, more recently, the Internet.
Positive Psychology is precisely that domain of behavioral science that is designed to investigate the potential that human beings have to learn, improve their way of living, and give meaning to their projects; Its name expresses that intention to understand the positive that is latent in people, that which only needs the appearance of the appropriate context for it to emerge and that not only generates well-being, but also brings human beings closer to happiness.
But… how to encompass a concept as abstract as the potential for change and personal development of individuals? One of the proposals to achieve this consists of the list of the 24 psychological strengths described by researcher Martin Seligman, one of the key figures of Positive Psychology, which tries to compartmentalize different kinds of personal aptitudes that shape the ability to learn to live through personal development and the search for meaning. Here we will see what they are.
Many people assume that “the psychologist” is a professional who is dedicated to offering therapy for people who are going through a bad time due to mental health problems, but the reality is that this does not have to be the case. In fact, Psychology as a scientific discipline covers a wide variety of topics and adapts to all types of contexts; as many as there are human experiences. That is why the work of a psychologist who treats patients in a hospital does not have to be similar to that of one who works for the marketing department of a multinational company, or that of a sports psychologist hired by a football club.
But there is also another way to distinguish between the different ways of working as a psychologist; Regardless of whether the professional works in a health center, a school or a company, there are also different approaches or perspectives from which to work.
Positive Psychology invites us to focus not on the “lack” of mental health, skills or mental agility, but on that which is positive because it suggests a potential for improvement and is already present in one form or another in the human being For example, let’s think about a person who feels that he does not fit into society and to whom, in reality, what happens is that he does not have the opportunity to interact with people with the same creative and artistic concerns; It may even be that before she was aware of it, she blamed herself for “being different” and letting her imagination run wild in seemingly useless hobbies.
The list of the 24 personal strengths prepared by Martin Seligman is a way of outlining those skills that can be very valuable support points in the process of connecting with our own values and interests to, through the development of these areas of potential, boost our Personal development.
The 24 strengths according to Martin Seligman’s Positive Psychology
This is a summary of the psychological strengths that help to have references about what type of activities and areas of self-knowledge and learning can bring us closer to happiness through personal development.
1. Curiosity
Curiosity makes our mind attracted to questions, even knowing that behind each answer to a question many more open up.
2. Desire to learn
It is not enough to be curious if we do not actively engage in systematic learning strategies If we assume that learning is just something that we must do in schools, we will soon become frustrated due to stagnation and boredom.
To boost our personal development, it is important to be receptive to new experiences and belief systems, even if it is maintaining a critical mindset.
4. Creativity and ingenuity
Being resourceful and intelligent in the practical aspects of everyday life allows us to think beyond social conventions and expectations.
5. Perspective
This form of wisdom allows us to accept that reality is multifaceted, and there is no single way to interpret things.
6. Courage
Courage allows us not to always be paralyzed by fear, something necessary to not live as spectators of our own lives.
7. Perseverance
Discipline is a key ingredient in any moderately ambitious project that we consider; Without it, we will feel stagnant when we find that we are not progressing or learning.
8. Honesty and authenticity
Being honest is essential to establish links that truly connect us with others in a meaningful way.
9. Vitality
Knowing how to put passion into things is key to taking the initiative and not limiting ourselves to reacting (late) to what is happening to us.
10. Ability to love and accept love
It is not only important to know how to love in a non-toxic way; We also have to learn to accept the love they give us, instead of assuming that we don’t deserve it.
11. Kindness
Generosity, the tendency to support those in need and altruism in general are an excellent way to provide well-being to others and, in addition, to give meaning to our existence.
12. Social intelligence
The combination of social intelligence and personal intelligence allows us to identify and understand our own and other people’s emotions, so that it is easier for us to establish strong and stable bonds with others and with our own self-care dynamics.
13. Civility
The current human being is linked to life within complex societies, in which everyone must cooperate to maintain the proper functioning of the parts; The opposite would lead us to be socially alienated, and to unwanted loneliness.
14. Sense of justice
Living according to ethical values linked to the concept of equity and justice allows us to have clear moral guidelines from which to make decisions and contribute to generating a society that works better for everyone.
Know how to lead in key moments allows us to mobilize both our skills and talents and those of the rest of the team achieving results impossible to achieve separately.
16. Ability to forgive
Knowing how to forgive is key to not living permanently anchored in resentment and the desire for revenge against those who were unfair to us.
17. Humility
It consists of not being chained to the need to waste energy offering an idealized image of ourselves or striving to show only what we stand out positively.
18. Prudence
It is important not to take for granted what we really do not know, and to dedicate time for reflection before each important decision.
19. Self-regulation
Self-control is key so as not to always give in to our impulses and our short-term desires.
20. Appreciation of beauty
A good part of happiness and the ability to give meaning to life consists of not overlooking the beautiful experiences that it offers us and with which we can connect through our sensitivity.
21. Gratitude
Getting used to giving thanks for those good things that happen to us helps us appreciate what good things bring us, and reward those who make it possible.
22. Hope
Hope is necessary to not live eternally linked to the certainties of the here and now; to project into the future what motivates and excites us.
23. Sense of humor
Something as simple as learning to laugh connects us to life, even in the face of those experiences that could simply seem ridiculous and absurd, but that actually bring us closer to happiness even though they are very simple.
24. Spirituality
Spirituality leads us to link our actions and our achievements to a sense of the universal “whole”, something important to give meaning to what we do and have a global vision of the legacy we leave to future generations.
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In Adhara Psychology We have been offering our services to adults, adolescents, children and families for more than 12 years; We work through face-to-face sessions and also through online sessions by video call.
