Each person has his own character. And the characters of men and women are generally different. What positive human qualities are inherent in women and men? How do the same qualities manifest themselves in representatives of the strong and weak half of humanity?
Man, as a creature of nature, is represented as a special, multifaceted being. He is able to think, analyze, feel, act and various actions, bringing benefit and harm to both himself and the world around him. 
His behavior is influenced by concepts such as morality and ethics. All this creates the character of homo sapiens, makes a person human.
What is character
A person’s character is a set of stable mental processes (properties) that influence his behavior and are manifested in his actions. Each of us has our own set of qualities that drive different actions.
Some character traits depend on the type nervous system, others are formed under the influence of the environment.
Each person has his own set of qualities, the list of which includes positive and negative traits. They are formed under the influence of surrounding people and life circumstances. 
Depending on the state of the environment, society and the degree of its influence on the individual, good and bad character traits may prevail in people.
The presence and superiority of certain qualities in human character depends on many indicators: temperament, family, faith, geography of residence and, of course, gender.
A man and a woman are different not only in external data, but also in their behavior patterns, which are influenced by their intrinsic motivation. The description of the “correct” qualities of both sexes shows the similarities and differences in their characters.
Positive human qualities
The division into negative and positive qualities of a person occurs under the influence of public assessment. People themselves determine: “what is good and what is bad.”
What brings benefits, material and spiritual benefits, pleasure and joy, pleasant emotions, is considered good.
A person whose character contains many positive qualities is a role model. However, it is known that " bad people can not be". This means that the division into “+” and “-” qualities is conditional. Everything depends on the system of relations between the individual and society.
In accordance with these indicators, 4 groups of character traits can be distinguished(since we are talking about positive qualities, in each group only they will be indicated and their list can be continued) :
- Attitude to society, to the team: sociability, collectivism, sensitivity, responsiveness, respect for people, kindness, goodwill.
- Attitude to activity: hard work, conscientiousness, diligence, discipline, responsibility, perseverance in achieving goals.
- Attitude towards yourself: self-esteem, modesty, pride, self-criticism, honesty.
- Attitude to things: thrift, accuracy, generosity, selflessness.
Each person has certain traits that predominate, which makes him different from others. The personal merits of some people make others admire them and follow their example.
Manifestation of character traits in men and women
| Women | Men |
| Sociability | |
|
|
| Responsiveness | |
| easily agree to a request for help and provide it to the best of their ability and ability | responsiveness is combined with rationalism: how to help with maximum benefit for the one receiving help. |
| Kindness | |
|
selective, well thought out, rational; |
| Caring for others | |
| is present in everyone without exception and finds manifestation in children, men, parents, and in housework | sincere empathy and care for relatives and strangers; manifested in earning money and providing for the family. |
| Determination | |
| often commit aimless actions, but they always know what they want, but more on an intuitive level | The ability to clearly imagine and formulate goals, determine ways to achieve them and achieve implementation |
| Discipline | |
| are distinguished by good performance and discipline at any age | a quality characteristic of most adult men, but not boys |
| Hard work | |
| “bee”, “spinning like a squirrel in a wheel”, can simultaneously perform various tasks (especially around the house) | most are hardworking, but focused on solving one practical problem |
| Accuracy | |
| An important quality that everyone has | the majority are not careful in dressing or eating, as they consider this to be of secondary importance: “tanks are not afraid of dirt” |
| Thrift - Generosity | |
| spenders with money, but thrifty with things; generosity manifests itself in emotions and feelings | they know the value of the money they earn, so they try to be thrifty; generosity is balanced and rational. A generous man is always adored by women |
| Loyalty | |
| Typical for most loving ladies. In women, fidelity is correlated with devotion | men are polygamous, so being faithful to one woman is nonsense for some of them. However, many of them are monogamous |
Thus, the same character traits can manifest themselves differently in men and women. But among the set of qualities there are those that relate only to the weaker half and those that courageous people possess.
The main features of women
- Female intuition. A woman’s feelings, her understanding and analysis pass through her heart, which reverently perceives the surroundings and evaluates them. She often avoids doing certain things without thinking about anything. Something just stops her, as if she is saving her for her children, her husband, her parents, for whom she is support and support.
- Patience. A woman is able to withstand any pain, physical and moral, moral humiliation and the whims of a man. In family life, women's patience and wisdom are especially important, as they save the marriage.
- Tenderness, softness, sensuality, love are mandatory feminine qualities. They are inherent in every representative of the fairer sex. They force men to do things and support them in difficult times.
- Empathy- a quality that does not allow a woman to pass by and not support someone in need of help, which leads to sincere compassion.
- Romance. Every woman who dreams of a “prince on a white horse” and “has her head in the clouds” with “rose-colored glasses” has this trait.
- Meekness, the ability to remain silent when there is “thunder and lightning” overhead, the ability to endure the anger and indignation of a man.
- Mysteriousness. Every woman must have a secret that cannot be comprehended by a man. If a woman is an “open book”, she loses interest from the stronger sex.
- Feminine weakness. The powerlessness of the fairer sex is manifested not in what she does, but in what she is capable of. Many women, having a strong character, keep it secret and do not show it to anyone. But at the right moment, perseverance and will manifest themselves, which come as a surprise to others.
The main features of men
- Masculinity, strength, courage, the ability to perform actions - these are purely masculine qualities that make him attractive in the eyes of a woman.
- Perseverance and determination, pragmatism and the ability to achieve one’s own are character traits of a strong-willed person capable of creating. It is a man’s creativity that allows him to create new cities and establish connections.
- Dedication- a quality that moves the stronger sex to exploits and achievements at the cost of their lives.
- Responsibility. Most men do not think about themselves, but about their children, wives, and loved ones. This makes them reliable and able to protect what is truly dear to them.
- Liberty- one of the traits that allows a man to realize himself in life and for which they stand to the last. For each of them, internal and external freedom is important, which gives him many opportunities.
- Bigness of thinking and independence in decision making make a man strong and self-confident, capable of making discoveries and making progress.
- A sharp mind and a special sense of humor- qualities that help others in good time and in difficult times.
Here are the basic qualities characteristic of representatives of different sexes, but there are much more differences.
Video: Exercises to develop good qualities
Features of behavior, communication, attitude towards people, objects, work, things show the character traits that an individual possesses. Based on their totality, an opinion about a person is determined. Such clichés as “the life of the party”, “bore”, “pessimist”, “cynic” become the result of an assessment of a person’s character traits. Understanding how character works helps in building relationships. Moreover, this applies to both your own qualities and those of others.
Human character traits: classification
Types of character are determined by the prevailing traits, which in turn influence behavior and actions. They can be considered in a system of relationships to work, other people, things, and oneself.
Work
- Hard work-laziness. This “duet” can be either a character trait or express an attitude towards a specific job. A constant feeling of laziness may also indicate that a person is simply not interested in the business in which he is busy, but in something else, he will prove himself better. Laziness can be a sign of lack of motivation. But excessive hard work also takes on a degree of workaholism, which can also indicate problems in personal relationships and lack of interests.
- Responsibility-irresponsibility. One of the most important qualities for an employee. A person who responsibly fulfills his duties and does not let his colleagues down will be a valuable employee.
- Conscientiousness-bad faith. Carrying out duties and doing them well are not the same thing. It is important for management that hard work is expressed not only in the mechanical execution of actions, but brings results.
- Initiative-passivity. This quality is especially valuable for people who want to move up the career ladder. If an employee does not show initiative, does not generate ideas, or hides behind the backs of his colleagues, he will not develop in his profession.
Other people
- Reticence-Sociability. It shows a person’s openness, his relaxedness, how easy it is for him to make acquaintances, how he feels in a new company or team.
- Truthfulness-deception. Pathological liars lie even in small things, hide the truth, and easily betray. There are people who embellish reality, most often they do this because reality seems boring to them or not bright enough.
- Independence-conformity. This quality shows how a person makes decisions. Does he rely on his experience, knowledge, opinion, or does he follow someone else’s lead and is easy to suppress?
- Rudeness-politeness. Bitterness and internal experiences make a person cynical and rude. Such people are rude in queues, on public transport, and disrespectful to their subordinates. Politeness, although a positive character trait, can have selfish motives. It may also be an attempt to avoid confrontation.
Things
- Neatness-sloppiness. Creative clutter or meticulous cleanliness in the house can show how neat a person is. It can also be characterized by appearance. Sloppy people often cause antipathy, and there are not always those willing to look at the broad soul behind the external absurdity.
- Thrift-negligence. A person can be assessed by his attitude towards accumulated property and borrowed items. Although this human trait appeared in the material group, it can also manifest itself in relation to people.
- Greed-generosity. To be called generous, you don’t have to be a philanthropist or give away your last. At the same time, excessive generosity is sometimes a sign of irresponsibility or an attempt to “buy” someone else’s favor. Greed is expressed not only in relation to other people, but also towards oneself, when a person, out of fear of being left without money, saves even on small things.
Self
- Demandingness. When this personality trait is pronounced, two extremes appear. A person who is demanding of himself is often just as strict with others. He lives by the principle “I could do it, so others can too.” He may not be tolerant of other people's weaknesses, not understanding that each person is individual. The second extreme is built on uncertainty. A person tortures himself, considering himself not perfect enough. A striking example is anorexia and workaholism.
- Self-criticism. A person who knows how to criticize himself has healthy self-esteem. Understanding, accepting and analyzing your achievements and defeats helps in developing a strong personality. When the balance is disturbed, either egocentrism or self-criticism is observed.
- Modesty. It is necessary to understand that modesty and shyness are different concepts. The first is based on a value system instilled during upbringing. The second is a signal for the development of complexes. In a normal state, modesty is manifested in moderation, calmness, knowing the limits in words, expressing emotions, financial spending, etc.
- Selfishness and egocentrism. Similar concepts, but the trait here is egoism, while egocentrism is a way of thinking. Egoists think only about themselves, but use others for their own purposes. Egocentric people are often misanthropes and introverts who do not need others and believe that no one is worthy of them.
- Self-esteem. Shows how a person feels internally. Outwardly, it is expressed in a high assessment of one’s rights and social value.
Personality assessment and types of characters
In addition to the main character traits that are formed in the system of relationships, psychologists also identify other areas:
- Intelligent. Resourcefulness, curiosity, frivolity, practicality.
- Emotional. Passion, sentimentality, impressionability, hot temper, cheerfulness.
- Strong-willed. Courage, perseverance, determination.
- Moral. Justice, responsiveness, kindness.
There are motivational traits-goals that drive a personality and determine its guidelines. As well as instrumental features-methods, they show by what methods the desired will be achieved. So, for example, a girl may exhibit masculine character traits when she persistently and proactively pursues her lover.
Gordon Allport put forward a theory about what character traits there are. The psychologist divided them into the following types:
- Dominant. They determine the behavior of the individual as a whole, regardless of the sphere, and at the same time influence other qualities or even overlap them. For example, kindness or greed.
- Regular. They are also expressed in all areas of life. These include, for example, humanity.
- Secondary. They do not particularly influence anything, and are often derived from other traits. For example, diligence.
There are typical and individual personality traits. It’s easy to group typical ones; by noticing one of the dominant qualities or several minor ones, you can “draw” a personal portrait as a whole, and determine the type of character. This helps to predict actions and better understand a person. So, for example, if an individual is responsive, then most likely he will come to the rescue in difficult situation, will support, listen.
Character: types of positive and negative traits
Personality is a balance of positive and negative qualities. In this regard, everything is conditional. For example, envy is considered a bad trait, but some psychologists argue that it can become an incentive to work on yourself or improve your life. The distortion of positive traits, on the contrary, can lead to their transformation into negative qualities. Persistence develops into obsession, initiative into self-centeredness.
Strong and weak character traits should be highlighted; you often have to remember them when filling out a resume. They terrify many, because it can be difficult to evaluate oneself. Here's a little cheat sheet:
- Weak. Formality, irritability, shyness, impulsiveness, inability to remain silent or say “no.”
- Strong. Perseverance, sociability, patience, punctuality, organization, determination.
- Negative. Pride, jealousy, vindictiveness, cruelty, parasitism.
- Positive. Kindness, sincerity, optimism, openness, peacefulness.
Character traits are formed in childhood, but at the same time they can change and transform depending on life circumstances. It's never too late to change what you don't like about yourself.
Character(Greek - sign, distinctive property, distinctive feature, feature, sign or seal) - a structure of persistent, relatively permanent mental properties that determine the characteristics of relationships and behavior of an individual.
When they talk about character, they usually mean just such a set of properties and qualities of a person that leave a certain stamp on all its manifestations and actions. Character traits constitute those essential properties of a person that determine a particular way of behavior or way of life. The statics of character are determined by the type of nervous activity, and its dynamics are determined by the environment.
Character is also understood as:
- a system of stable motives and modes of behavior that form a behavioral type of personality;
- a measure of balance of internal and external worlds, features of an individual’s adaptation to the reality around him;
- a clear definition of the typical behavior of each person.
In the system of personality relationships, there are four groups of character traits that form symptom complexes:
- a person’s attitude towards other people, the team, society (sociability, sensitivity and responsiveness, respect for others - people, collectivism and the opposite traits - isolation, callousness, callousness, rudeness, contempt for people, individualism);
- traits that show a person’s attitude to work, his business (hard work, a penchant for creativity, conscientiousness in work, a responsible attitude to work, initiative, perseverance and the 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 the self-criticism associated with it, modesty and its opposite traits - conceit, sometimes turning into arrogance, vanity, arrogance, resentment, shyness, egocentrism as a tendency to consider center of events
- yourself and your experiences, egoism - the tendency to care primarily about your personal good);
- traits that characterize a person’s attitude towards things (neatness or sloppiness, careful or careless handling of things).
One of the most famous theories of character is the theory proposed by the German psychologist E. Kretschmer. According to this theory, character depends on physique.
Kretschmer described three body types and three corresponding character types:
Asthenics(from Greek - weak) - people are thin, with long faces. long arms and legs, flat (ore cell and weak muscles. The corresponding type of character is schizothymics- people are closed, serious, stubborn, difficult to adapt to new conditions. In case of mental disorders, they are prone to schizophrenia;
Athletics(from Greek - characteristic of wrestlers) - people are tall, broad-shouldered, with a powerful chest, strong skeleton and well-developed muscles. The corresponding character type is ixothymics- people are calm, unimpressive, practical, domineering, restrained in gestures and facial expressions; They do not like change and do not adapt well to it. In case of mental disorders, they are prone to epilepsy;
Picnics(from Greek - dense. thick) - people of average height, overweight or prone to obesity, with a short neck, large head and a wide face with small features. The corresponding type of character is cyclothymics - people are sociable, sociable, 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”, “minting”), means a set of stable individual characteristics that develop and manifest themselves in activity and communication, determining typical modes of behavior for it.
When determining 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. named qualities - properties this person, traits of his character that may appear under appropriate circumstances. Knowing a Person's Character allows you to predict with a significant degree of probability and thereby correct expected actions and actions. It is often said about a person with character: “He had to do exactly this, he could not have done otherwise - that’s his character.”
However, not all human features can be considered characteristic, but only significant and stable ones. If a person, for example, is not polite enough in a stressful situation, this does not mean that rudeness and lack of restraint are a property of his character. Sometimes, even very cheerful people can feel sad, but this will not make them whiners and pessimists.
Speaking as a lifetime person, character is determined and formed throughout a person’s life. The way of life includes the way of thoughts, feelings, motives, actions in their unity. Therefore, as a certain way of life of a person is formed, the person himself is formed. A big role here is played by social conditions and specific life circumstances in which a person’s life path takes place, based on his natural properties and as a result of his actions and actions. However, the actual formation of character occurs in groups of different levels of development (groups of friends, class, 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 in its members. Character traits will also depend on the individual’s position in the group, on how he integrates into 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 individual determines the goals, life plan of a person, and the degree of his life activity. The character of a person presupposes the presence of something significant for him in the world, in life, something on which the motives of his actions, the goals of his actions, the tasks that he sets for himself depend.
Crucial to understanding character is the relationship between what is socially and personally significant for a person. Every society has its own most important and essential tasks. It is on them that the character of people is formed and tested. Therefore, the concept of “character” refers to a greater extent to the relationship of these objectively existing tasks. Therefore, character is not just any manifestation of firmness, perseverance, etc. (formal persistence may simply be stubbornness), but a focus on socially significant activities. It is the orientation of the individual that underlies unity, integrity, and strength of character. Possessing goals in life is the main condition for the formation of character. A spineless person is characterized by the absence or scattering of goals. However, the character and direction of a person are not the same thing. Both a decent, highly moral person and a person with low, unscrupulous thoughts can be good-natured and cheerful. 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 relationships, in this system something always comes to the fore, dominating it, giving a person’s character a unique flavor.
In a formed character, the leading component is a belief 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 is doing. Character traits are closely related to a person’s interests, provided that these interests are stable and deep. 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 indicate the purposefulness and perseverance of the individual. Similarity of interests does not imply similar character traits. Thus, among rationalizers one can find cheerful and sad people, modest and obsessive people, egoists and altruists.
Indicative for understanding character can also be a person’s attachments and interests associated with his leisure time. 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 goals set, since a person is characterized not only by what he does, but also by how he does it. Character can only be understood as a certain unity of direction and course of action.
People with similar orientations can take completely different paths to achieving goals, using their own special techniques and methods to achieve this. This dissimilarity also determines the specific character of the individual. Character traits, having a certain motivating force, are clearly manifested in the situation of choosing actions or methods of behavior. From this point of view, the degree of expression of an individual’s achievement motivation—his need to achieve success—can be considered as a character trait. Depending on this, some people are characterized by a choice of actions that ensure success (showing initiative, competitive activity, risk-taking, etc.), while others are more likely to simply avoid failures (deviation from risk and responsibility, avoidance manifestations of activity, initiative, etc.).
Teaching about character - characterology has a long history of development. The most important problems of characterology over the centuries have been the establishment of character types and their definition by their manifestations in order to predict human behavior in different situations. Since character is the lifetime formation of a personality, most of its existing classifications are based on grounds that are external, indirect factors in personality development.
One of the most ancient attempts to predict human behavior is to explain his character by his date of birth. Various ways of predicting the fate and character of a person are called horoscopes.
No less popular are attempts to connect a person’s character with his name.
A significant influence on the development of characterology was exerted by physiognomy(from the Greek Physis - “nature”, gnomon - “knowing”) - the doctrine of the connection between the external appearance of a person and his belonging to a certain type of personality, thanks to which external signs can be established psychological characteristics this type.
No less famous and rich history Palmistry has a different direction than the physiognomic direction 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 based on the skin texture of the palms.
Until recently, scientific psychology has invariably rejected palmistry, but the study embryonic development finger patterns in connection with heredity gave impetus to the emergence of a new branch of knowledge - dermatoglyphics.
Graphology, a science that considers handwriting as a type of expressive movements that reflect the psychological properties of the writer, can be considered more valuable in diagnostic terms compared to, say, physiognomy.
At the same time, unity and versatility of character do not exclude the fact that in different situations the same person exhibits different and even opposite properties. A person can be at the same time 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, despite this, but it is precisely in this that it manifests itself.
The relationship between character and temperament
Character are often compared with, and in some cases these concepts are replaced 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);
- contrasting character and temperament, emphasizing the antagonism between them (P. Viktorv, V. Virenius);
- recognition of temperament as an element of character, its core, an unchangeable part (S. L. Rubinstein, S. Gorodetsky);
- recognition of temperament as the natural basis of character (L. S. Vygotsky, B. G. Ananyev).
Based on the materialistic understanding of human phenomena, it should be noted that what character and temperament have in common is dependence on the physiological characteristics of a person, and above all on the type of nervous system. The formation of character significantly depends on the properties of temperament, which is more closely related to the properties of the nervous system. In addition, character traits arise when temperament is already sufficiently developed. Character develops on the basis of temperament. Temperament determines character traits such as balanced or unbalanced behavior, ease or difficulty of entering a new situation, mobility or inertness of reaction, etc. However, temperament does not determine character. People with the same temperamental properties can have completely different characters. Features of temperament can promote or counteract the formation of certain character traits. Thus, it is more difficult for a melancholic person to develop courage and determination than for a choleric person. It is more difficult for a choleric person to develop restraint and phlegmatic behavior; a phlegmatic person needs to spend more effort to become sociable than a sanguine person, etc.
However, as B.G. Ananiev believed, if education consisted only of improving and strengthening natural properties, this would lead to a monstrous uniformity of development. The properties of temperament may, to some extent, even come into conflict with character. In P. I. Tchaikovsky, the tendency to melancholic 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 with his hands folded, under the pretext that he is not in the mood... If you wait for favor and do not try to meet him, then you can easily fall into laziness and apathy . Dislikes very rarely happen to me. I attribute this to the fact that I am gifted with patience, and I train myself never to give in to reluctance. I 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 personality manifestations, a certain characteristic of expressive movements and actions of the individual. Here it should be noted 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 repeated situations is influenced by his attitude to the situation, as a result of which excitation, inhibition, mobility of nervous processes, and, consequently, the general functional state of the nervous system can change. It is also necessary to note the decisive role in the formation of dynamic stereotypes of the second signaling system, through which social influences are carried out.
Ultimately, the traits of temperament and character are organically connected and interact with each other in a single, holistic appearance of a person, forming an inseparable alloy - an integral characteristic of his individuality.
Character for a long time identified with the will of a person, the expression “a person of character” was considered as a synonym for the expression “a strong-willed person.” Will is associated primarily with strength of character, its firmness, determination, and perseverance. When they say that a person has a strong character, they seem to want to emphasize his determination, his strong-willed qualities. In this sense, a person’s character is best demonstrated in overcoming difficulties, in struggle, i.e. in those conditions where human will is most manifested. But character is not limited to strength; it has content, determining how the will will function under various conditions. On the one hand, character is formed in volitional actions and is manifested in them: volitional actions in situations that are significant for the individual pass into a person’s character, becoming fixed in him as his relatively stable properties; these properties, in turn, determine human behavior and his volitional actions. The strong-willed character is distinguished by certainty, constancy and independence, firmness in achieving the intended goal. On the other hand, there are often cases when a weak-willed person was called “spineless.” From a psychological point of view, this is not entirely true - and a weak-willed person has certain character traits, such as, for example, timidity, indecisiveness, etc. The use of the concept “characterless” means the unpredictability of a person’s behavior, indicates that he lacks 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 originality of character is also reflected in the peculiarities of the flow of a person’s feelings. K. D. Ushinsky pointed out this: “nothing, neither words, nor thoughts, nor even our actions express ourselves and our attitude to the world as clearly and truly as our feelings: in them one can 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 character traits of a person is also reciprocal. On the one hand, the level of development of moral, aesthetic, and 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 personality traits, thus constituting a person’s character. The level of development of a sense of duty, a sense of humor and other complex feelings is a rather indicative characteristic of a person.
Especially great importance for characterological manifestations there is a relationship between intellectual personality traits. Depth and sharpness of thought, unusualness in posing a question and its solution, intellectual initiative, confidence and independence of thinking - all this constitutes the originality of the mind as one of the aspects of character. However, how a person uses his mental abilities will depend significantly on character. It is not uncommon to encounter people who have high intellectual abilities, but who do not provide anything valuable precisely because of their characterological characteristics. An example of this is the numerous literary images of superfluous people (Pechorin, Rudin, Beltov, etc.). As I. S. Turgenev said well through the mouth of one of the characters in the novel about Rudin: “Perhaps there is genius in him, but there is no nature.” Thus, a person’s real achievements depend not on abstract mental capabilities alone, but on a specific combination of his characteristics and characterological properties.
Character Structure
In general All character traits can be divided into basic, leading, setting the general direction for the development of the entire 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 former, a person, first of all, is constantly afraid that “something might not work out” and all attempts to help his neighbor usually end in internal experiences and searches for justification. If the leading trait is the second one - altruism, then the person does not outwardly show any hesitation, immediately goes to help, controlling his behavior with his intellect, but at the same time he may sometimes have doubts about the correctness of the actions taken.
Knowledge of leading features allows you to reflect the main essence of character, show its main manifestations. Writers and artists, wanting an idea of the character of the hero, first of all describe his leading, core features. Thus, A.S. Pushkin put into the mouth of Vorotynsky (in the tragedy “Boris Godunov”) an exhaustive description of Shuisky - “a crafty courtier.” Some heroes literary works They reflect certain typical character traits so deeply and correctly that their names become household names (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 every attitude will be a character trait. Only some relationships become traits depending on the conditions. From the entire set of relationships of the individual to the surrounding reality, character-forming forms of relationships should be distinguished. The most important distinctive feature Such relationships are decisive, primary and general vital significance of those objects to which a person belongs. These relationships simultaneously serve as the basis for the classification of the most important character traits.
A person’s character is manifested in a system of relationships:
- In relation to other people (in this case, one can distinguish such character traits as sociability - isolation, truthfulness - deceit, tactfulness - rudeness, etc.).
- In relation to business (responsibility - dishonesty, hard work - laziness, etc.).
- In relation to oneself (modesty - narcissism, self-criticism - self-confidence, pride - humiliation, etc.).
- In relation to property (generosity - greed, frugality - wastefulness, neatness - sloppiness, etc.). It should be noted that this classification is somewhat conventional and there is a close relationship and interpenetration of these aspects of the relationship. So, for example, if a person is rude, then this concerns his relationship with 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 (dishonesty), 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 relationships into character properties, and in this sense it is impossible to put, for example, 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 person’s attitude towards society and people plays a decisive role in the formation of character. 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, and love.
In the character structure, one can identify traits common to a certain group of people. Even in the most original person you can find some trait (for example, unusualness, unpredictability of behavior), the possession of which allows you to classify him into a group of people with similar behavior. In this case, we should talk about typical character traits. N.D. Levitov believes that a character type 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 activity of a person as a representative of a certain group, a certain society. Therefore, a person’s character is always a product of society, which explains the similarities and differences in the characters of people belonging to different groups.
Individual character reflects a variety of typical traits: national, professional, age. Thus, people of the same nationality are in living conditions that have developed over many generations and experience specific features national life; develop under the influence of the current national structure, language. Therefore, people of one nationality differ from people of another in their lifestyle, habits, rights, and character. These typical features are often recorded by everyday consciousness in various installations and stereotypes. Most people have a formed image of a representative of one country or another: an American, a Scot, an Italian, a Chinese, etc.
Each person has a unique set of qualities that define his personality. I wonder what character traits there are, what types of qualities there are and how they influence a person’s character?
What are the character traits?
Why bother understanding what character traits exist? In order to be able to determine the type of character of the interlocutor. And knowing what type of character a person has, it is easier to predict his actions, and this will help to avoid various unpleasant situations.
Even without being familiar with the topic, you can name many character traits, but how can you understand which of them are defining for a particular person? In psychology, there are concepts of leading and secondary character traits. That is, not every trait will manifest itself with equal force in a person’s behavior. For example, a truth-loving and fearful person will constantly endure ridicule from others, privately reasoning with himself how wrong they are if his fearfulness is the leading one. But if the love of truth prevails, then he will tell everyone who they really are, deep down fearing the consequences.
Therefore, character traits are classified in relation to various aspects life.
- Attitude towards other people: rudeness, truthfulness, tactfulness, deceit, isolation, sociability, friendliness.
- Attitude to work: conscientiousness, responsibility, hard work, laziness.
- Attitude towards oneself: narcissism, self-criticism, modesty, pride, self-confidence.
- Attitudes towards property: greed, frugality, generosity, wastefulness, sloppiness, neatness.
The main group is the attitude towards other people, because it is in society that the main character traits are formed; without assessing behavior with other people, a person’s character cannot be understood. If a person has overly developed certain character traits, then this is called accentuation.
What kind of character does a person have with accentuation?
The most well-known division is into introverts and extroverts, reserved and sociable people, respectively. But there is also such a classification of the types of human character with accentuation.
4 types of character
Figuring out what kind of character a person has is not easy, because there are many classifications. From school we know the concepts of choleric, sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic - these are types of temperament, but they are often confused with types of human character. Temperament really has a huge impact on character. Therefore, in order to understand what types of character there are, it is imperative to take into account a person’s temperament.
Character traits
Character is an inextricable whole. But it is impossible to study and understand such a complex whole as character without identifying individual aspects or typical manifestations (character traits) in it. Common features character are manifested in the individual’s relationship to social responsibilities and duty, to people, to himself. The attitude towards social responsibilities and duty is primarily manifested in the individual’s attitude towards social work. In this regard, such character traits as hard work, conscientiousness, perseverance, frugality, and their opposites - laziness, negligence, passivity, wastefulness are revealed. A person’s attitude towards work has a decisive influence on the formation of his other personal qualities. D.I. Pisarev wrote: “Character is tempered by work, and whoever has never earned his daily living by his own labor, for the most part remains forever a weak, lethargic and spineless person.” Attitude towards people is clearly reflected in such character traits as sociability, politeness, goodwill, etc. The antipodes of these traits are isolation, tactlessness, and hostility. As V. Hugo argued, “every person has three characters: the one that is attributed to him; the one that he ascribes to himself; and, finally, the one that actually exists.” In order to find out the essence of his character, it is useful for a person to know the opinion of the team in which he works and spends a significant part of his life. And first of all, how orderly his relationships 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-esteem is one of the conditions for personal improvement, helping to develop such character traits as modesty, integrity, and self-discipline. Negative character traits are increased conceit, arrogance and boasting. A person possessing these traits is usually difficult to get along with in a team and unwittingly creates pre-conflict and conflict situations. The other extreme in a person’s character is also undesirable: underestimation of one’s 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-esteem, based on the awareness of the real significance of one’s personality, on the presence famous successes in labor at common benefit. Integrity is one of the valuable personal qualities that gives character an active orientation. Strong-willed character traits. By will is meant complex mental process, which causes human activity and awakens him to act purposefully. Will is a person’s ability to overcome obstacles and achieve a goal. Specifically, it appears in such character traits as determination, determination, perseverance, and courage. These character traits can contribute to the achievement of both socially useful and antisocial goals. To do this, it is important to determine what the motive for a person’s volitional behavior is. "A brave act whose motive is to enslave another person, to seize another person's goods, to advance in one's career, and a brave act whose motive is to help common cause, have, of course, 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 who have these qualities weakly expressed or some of them are absent, they are classified as weak-willed. 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 and study. Many of them sincerely experience their inability on their own, act persistently and decisively.
Volitional qualities can be cultivated in a person. I.P. Pavlov emphasized that man is the only system capable of regulating itself within wide limits, that is, it can improve itself. Weak-willed people with thoughtful pedagogical work can become actively involved with them. In this case, one must take into account individual characteristics a person, for example his temperament. Thus, it is easier for a choleric person to develop activity and determination than for a melancholic person. The person himself must young age train your will, develop qualities such as self-control, activity, courage.
The most objective and irrefutable data about a person’s character is provided not by his passport data, not by his external appearance, not by his involuntary actions, but by his conscious behavior. It is by the choice of possible actions that a person chooses in a given situation that his character is assessed. Human character is quite multifaceted. This can be seen already in the process of activity: one does everything quickly, the other slowly and thoroughly, thinks carefully, acting for sure, and the third immediately grabs onto the work without thinking, and only after a certain period of time, without solving the problem at once, looks around and coordinates its actions taking into account the circumstances. These features identified in human behavior are called traits, or aspects, of character. Any trait is some stable stereotype of behavior.
However, character traits cannot be taken out of the typical situations in which they appear; in some situations, even a polite person can be rude. Therefore any A character trait is a stable form of behavior in connection with specific situations typical for a given type of behavior.
According to Yu.M. Orlova, along with situations in which a certain human trait is revealed, its essential characteristic is the probability that this type of behavior will take place in a given situation. A trait can be spoken of as a stable characteristic of a person if the probability of its manifestation in a certain situation is quite high. However, probability means that this trait does not always appear, otherwise it would simply be a matter of mechanical behavior. This understanding of character traits is very similar to the manifestation of a person’s habit: under certain conditions, to act in a certain way. A character trait includes a certain way of thinking and understanding. When committing a characteristic act, volitional mechanisms are activated and feelings are involved. By conditioning a person’s behavior, a character trait in behavior is formed. The formation of character traits cannot be separated from the formation of behavioral motives. Motives of behavior, realized in action, consolidated in it, are fixed in character. Each effective motive that acquires stability, according to S.L. Rubinstein, is potentially a future character trait in its origin and development; in motives, character traits appear for the first time in the form of tendencies, action then leads them to stable properties. The path to the formation of character traits therefore lies through the formation of appropriate motives of behavior and the organization of actions aimed at consolidating them.
Most general properties character are located along the axes: strength - weakness; hardness - softness; integrity - inconsistency; breadth - narrowness. If strength of character is understood as the energy with which a person pursues his goals, his ability to become passionately carried away and develop great tension when encountering difficulties, the ability to overcome them, then weakness of character is associated with the manifestation of cowardice, indecisiveness, “asthenicity” in achieving goals, instability of views, etc. Strength of character means strict consistency, perseverance in achieving goals, defending views, etc., while softness of character is manifested in flexible adaptation to changing conditions, achieving goals through some concessions, and finding reasonable compromises. The integrity or inconsistency of character is determined by the degree of combination of leading and secondary character traits. If the leading and secondary ones are in harmony, if there are no contradictions in aspirations and interests, then such a character is called integral, but if they sharply contrast, then it is contradictory.
At the same time, the unity and versatility of character does not exclude the fact that in different situations the same person exhibits different and even opposing properties. A person can be at the same time very gentle and very demanding, soft, compliant and at the same time firm to the point of inflexibility. And the unity of his character can not only be preserved, despite this, but it is precisely in this that it is manifested.
The relationship between intellectual personality traits is of great importance for characterological manifestations. Depth and sharpness of thought, unusual formulation of the question and its solution. Intellectual initiative, confidence and independent thinking - all this constitutes originality of mind as one of the aspects of character. However, how a person uses his mental abilities will depend significantly on character. It is not uncommon to encounter people who have highly intellectual abilities, but who do not provide anything valuable precisely because of their characterological characteristics.
A person’s real achievements depend not on abstract mental capabilities alone, but on a specific combination of his characteristics and characterological properties.
However, most of the individual manifestations that make up a person’s character are complex and practically cannot be classified into individual properties and states (for example, rancor, suspicion, generosity, etc.). At the same time, individual qualities of the volitional (decisiveness, independence, etc.) and intellectual (depth of mind, criticality, etc.) spheres can be considered as components of a person’s character traits and used for its analysis. All character traits have a natural relationship with each other.
In the most general form, character traits can be divided into basic, leading, setting the general direction for the development of the entire complex of its manifestations, and secondary, determined by the main ones.
Knowledge of the leading traits allows you to reflect the basic essence of character and show its main manifestations.
Although every character trait reflects one of the manifestations of a person’s attitude to reality, this does not mean that every attitude will be a character trait. Only some attitudes, depending on the conditions, become character traits.
From the entire set of relationships of a person to the surrounding reality, it is necessary to highlight the character-forming forms of relationships - the decisive, primary and general vital significance of those objects to which a person belongs. These relationships simultaneously serve as the basis for the classification of the most important character traits. A person’s character is manifested in a system of relationships:
1. In relation to other people (in this case, one can highlight such character traits as sociability - isolation, truthfulness - deceit, tactfulness - rudeness, etc.)
2. In relation to business (responsibility - dishonesty, hard work - laziness, etc.).
3. In relation to oneself (modesty - narcissism, self-criticism - self-confidence, etc.)
4. In relation to property (generosity - greed, frugality - wastefulness, neatness - sloppiness, etc.). It should be noted that this classification is somewhat conventional and there is a close relationship and interpenetration of these aspects of the relationship.
5. 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 relationships into character properties, and in this sense it is impossible to put, for example, the attitude towards other people and the attitude towards property on the same level, because their very content plays a different role in the real existence of a person. A person’s attitude towards society and people plays a decisive role in the formation of character. 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, etc.
A person’s relationships with other people are decisive in relation to activity, generating increased activity, tension, rationalization or, on the contrary, complacency and lack of initiative. The attitude towards other people and towards activity, in turn, determines the person’s attitude towards his own personality, towards himself. A correct, evaluative attitude towards another person is the main condition for self-esteem.
The attitude towards other people is not only an important part of character, but also forms the basis for the formation of the individual’s consciousness, necessarily including the attitude towards oneself as an actor, which depends primarily on the very form of activity. When an activity changes, not only the subject, methods and operations of this activity change, but at the same time a restructuring of the attitude towards oneself as an actor occurs.
A painful condition accompanied by motivational deficiency syndrome, hypochondria, and periodically occurring acute worries about one’s laziness. A character trait that reflects the ease of generating emotions of anger, which often turn into verbal and other types of aggression. Particularly brutal methods of committing crimes, to indicate certain properties of the nature of the crime. Cruelty can be intentional and involuntary, realized in certain actions, verbal behavior (inflicting torture with words) or in the imagination - fantasizing, operating with images of torture, torment of people or animals.