Hello, dear readers of the blog site. "That's character!" - we are talking about a person who is tough in his judgments, purposeful in life and unbending under the blows of fate.

As a rule, this remark is pronounced with a share of envy and admiration. While "characterless" people do not inspire respect from others.

What is the difference between the first type of people and the second? And is it true that a person can have no character?

What is character

In fact, everyone has character. Translated from the ancient Greek language, this term literally means "sign", " hell», « hallmark».

Extending the definition, it turns out that character is a collection stable personality traits, properties of her psyche, which determine behavior, reactions and other manifestations of a person.

For example, in the same situation, people behave differently: a lonely, small kitten will cause someone pity and a desire to feed and warm. Others will remain indifferent to the defenseless creature.

In the first case, a person is endowed with kindness, kindness, the ability of his distinctive features. In the second case, they are absent.

Each person is endowed with his own unique set of characteristics, therefore no two are exactly the same by the nature of the individual. Even individuals who are very similar at first glance will still find differences between themselves.

Human character traits

Character traits are a huge list of personal qualities, including cruelty, compliance, stubbornness, and irresponsibility, courage and many others.

They may be desirable or positive as well as negative- from which people often want to get rid of (to become bolder, more confident).

The whole set of traits is usually divided into 4 large groups, each of which combines certain properties of the psyche:

  1. Relationship with other people- openness or isolation, arrogance or respect and others.
  2. The relationship of a person with yourself- self-criticism or arrogance, or modesty, etc.).
  3. Attitude to labor activity- accuracy, carelessness, activity - laziness, responsibility - a slipshod approach, etc.).
  4. Attitude to material things- carelessness or negligence.

All these traits are found in different people in different proportions, thus forming different types of character, which will be described below.

Character type

Scientists have not come to a consensus about what types of character there are. Various figures have developed their own classifications, the most popular of which are the following:


Formation of a person's character

Character begins to form from the first days after birth. By the age of 4-5, the general structure of the personality is already visible, and by the age of 10, the character is already fully “staffed”.

What factors will influence on character traits:


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

What are the types of temperament

What is character, we figured it out. These are the personal characteristics of a person, which are formed from birth. Often it confused with temperament although these concepts are not the same.

Temperament is a property of the nervous system: its mobility, responsiveness, stability. This quality of the individual is innate and, unlike character, is not subject to change.

Temperament can be represented as the basis on which character will subsequently be formed, while the first noticeably influences the second. Hippocrates also wrote, psychology adheres to his classification to this day:

  1. - an anxious person who does not cope well with stress due to a mobile nervous system;
  2. - balanced, logical, lively, sociable, optimistic;
  3. - explosive, impulsive, quick-tempered;
  4. - stable, hardy personality type, calm and measured.

strength of character

Here it is appropriate to note what strength of character is. This is the stability of traits, the ability to develop and transform them.

A strong character is also called strong-willed, which implies the ability of a person to "pull himself together", go to the target achieve what you want, maintain discipline, and keep promises to yourself and others.

This power is related to the temperament of the individual. For example, a sanguine person has a stronger character than an anxious melancholic.

Good luck to you! See you soon on the blog pages site

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In the social life of society and in relationships.

Each person has special qualities and individual traits in character. It is impossible to find two absolutely identical men or women. The description of the character of people is built from their actions, which affect their whole life.

Character and dependence on physique

E. Kretschmer, a famous German psychologist, determined that the behavior of a person directly depends on her physique. He compiled a description of the examples fit into three main groups.

  1. Asthenics are people with underdeveloped muscles, rather thin with a small chest. They have an elongated face and long limbs. The psychologist united all such people in the group of schizotimics. Often these are very stubborn people, it is difficult for them to adapt to changing environmental conditions. They are very withdrawn and tend to suffer from schizophrenia with severe mental disorders.
  2. Picnics are people who tend to be overweight. They are characterized by a round face, short neck and small. These people fell into the typological group of cyclothymic character. These are sociable people, very emotional and prone to quick adaptation in unfamiliar conditions. When psychological disorders fall into depression.
  3. Athletics - have an athletic build, large chest and high growth. Athletes Kretschmer related to iksotimiks - unemotional personalities, domineering and not loving change. A severe psychological disorder can easily lead to epilepsy.

Here is a description given by a German psychologist. Now boldly approach the mirror and draw conclusions whether this theory applies to you or not.

The influence of temperament on character

Temperament - the characteristic vital energy of a person, which establishes an attitude towards life. It is often difficult to find a person in whom only one temperamental indicator is pronounced. As a rule, people have mixed temperaments, but knowing them, one can easily make a description of a person’s character, examples are given below:

  • Sanguine is a mobile person, who is characterized by regular mood swings. He reacts very quickly to all the events in his life. Failures and negative moments are perceived easily, without depression and frustration. Such a person has developed facial expressions, and he also completely devotes himself to work, if he is interested in it.
  • Choleric is a very bright and excited person, who reacts vividly to life events. It can quickly get angry and at the same time feel a breakdown. Such a person quickly lights up with new ideas, but just as easily loses interest.
  • A melancholic is a person who takes everything to heart. At the same time, he is very impressionable, it is easy to bring him to tears.
  • Phlegmatic - a person who is stingy with emotions. The whole life of such a person is balanced and full of stability. Such people are valued in many firms, as they are distinguished by perseverance and high work capacity.

Formation of personality character

The description of the character of people was made by many psychologists. But when is this very character formed and can it be changed? Character manifests itself at a very early age. By the age of five, a child has established characteristics that are almost impossible to change.

In the lower grades, the opinion of parents and teachers remains a priority, but after 14 years there is a whole psychological explosion. A teenager clearly demonstrates his opinion about life, forming character. Clearly, the formation is influenced by the media. During this period, it is easy to impose the wrong political views and grow a supporter of some movement. By the age of 20, the human personality is formed, the turning point begins at the age of 50. There is a rearrangement of priorities, the so-called wisdom appears.

Appearance and character of a person

And the character of a person is an important stylistic device for writers. This gives us a complete picture of the hero. We see its positive and negative features, a negative or positive character is formed.

Description of the nature of people is very important for solving serial crimes - experts start from the repetitive actions characteristic of a maniac. This creates an accurate portrait of the individual and even the possibility of predicting the actions of the offender.

If it is important to make a detailed description of a person, character traits are a significant indicator. Especially in such areas as politics, journalism. You need to be able to characterize a person’s abilities by appearance, because a real character does not always appear immediately.

Hello dear guests! Today we will analyze the most important human qualities, which characterize it both with good and bad sides. In general, in our time (which is now), young people think little about what properties a person can and should have in life. There are many of them, it’s impossible to list them all, but it would not hurt everyone to know the main ones.
After reading the definitions of human qualities, some of you have already managed to characterize yourself and perhaps see these qualities in yourself.

Authority - it is the recognized value of organization, collective, theory, etc., based on the trust and respect of the broad masses of working people. In other words, authority is a quality in a person, which is created from the general assessments of society. This is a very important concept that will help you in any situation.
nobility - the ability to sacrifice personal interests for the benefit of others, to act honestly, openly, courageously and not to be humiliated for the sake of personal gain. We can say that nobility is when you do good imperceptibly, not for the sake of awards and recognition. Remember how many people gave their lives in wars for their Motherland, for their people...
Loyalty - it is constancy (constancy, devotion) in relationships, in feelings, attitudes, habits, in education, etc. I think that everything is clear here and this quality does not need more. Although, often due to lack of fidelity arise
Will - this is one of the functions of the human psyche, expressed in power over oneself, control over one's actions, one's behavior; perseverance, perseverance in activity, in overcoming obstacles encountered. That is, the will is a complete work on one's actions, deeds and thoughts. You need to constantly understand what is good in what I did and what is bad in it.
upbringing - this is the ability to keep oneself in society (in front of people). This quality is sorely lacking in today's youth, who are constantly rude and do the wrong thing. By the way, good manners is also politeness and courtesy.
Pride - it is a sense of self-worth, self-respect, satisfaction, which is caused by the consciousness of success or superiority. This is an important trait that every person should have in moderation. It is difficult for a person who is too proud to achieve success in life.
Kindness - This is basically responsiveness, a friendly attitude towards people. This is a very good quality, which is given to all people, but not everyone knows how to use it. Kindness is a sign of strength, not weakness. Agree that a kind person is immediately visible by communication, by eyes, by behavior ...
Friendship - this is a mutual disposition, attachment to each other, based on mutual trust, devotion, common interests, ideas, goals. Friendship is good, especially in difficult times when outside support is needed. A true friend is hard to find, but it is possible, the main thing is not to lose him.
Ideological aspiration - a person's commitment to a certain idea, on the basis of which he performs his actions and to the service of which he devotes his life. It is very good when a person has his own ideas, thoughts. And if he also brings them to life, then it's great. Try to bring even a small, but your own idea to life ...
Responsibility - it is an obligation imposed on or taken by someone to account for any of their actions and to accept responsibility for their possible consequences. Not all people around us have this quality. Check for yourself which of your friends has responsibility, just see for the fulfillment of the things that your friend promises to do. If he says that he will do and does this business, then it will be possible to rely on him in the future. Well, if he does not, then naturally the attitude changes. But I’ll say right away that this is not a matter of minutes, responsibility is checked by no single deed ...
Patriotism - it is love for one's Fatherland, devotion to one's people, readiness for any sacrifices and deeds in the name of the interests of one's Motherland. This is a very important quality, which, in my opinion, every person living in the country should have. This feeling is born in the heart. By the way, many lines were written by Turgenev, Lermontov, Chernyshevsky, Chekhov, Dostoevsky about love for the Motherland.
Selflessness - it is the ability to sacrifice one's own interests for the sake of the interests of others. Not all people have this property, not everyone is able to sacrifice their interests for the sake of others.
Conscience - it is a feeling and consciousness of moral responsibility for one's behavior, and actions in front of oneself, in front of the surrounding people, society. Everyone has this thing, the main thing is to feel it and feel it in time.
Tolerance - it is the ability to tolerate or condescendingly treat other people's habits, customs, views. As you understand, this is the usual patience that must and should be cultivated in oneself. First endure one trick, and after that the second one will be uneasy.
diligence - love for work or zeal for work. First they start with a dream, and only then turn their dream into reality. The main thing is to find your own business and do it ...
Conviction - it is a firm belief in something, firmness of convictions. This quality needs to be constantly worked out in oneself, trained on someone ...
purposefulness - it is the pursuit of a goal. This is taught from childhood, they wish for a birthday ... I wish you all to purchase this necessary thing. For example, if you want to get rid of an object, don't give up on that goal when the going gets tough.
generosity - it is the ability to share with others one's means, property, and the like. This is very cool stuff. It comes from the heart, it is pleasant to receive it and it is pleasant to give it to others.

Well, now let's get acquainted with such qualities of a person, which should be as few as possible in any of us. This makes us very sad when We learn this from our friends...

Envy is a feeling that comes into ours when another person is very successful. Often we begin to compare ourselves (our capabilities) with another person (his capabilities), thereby we begin to envy. But no one thinks about one thing: what did it cost for that person to achieve such results? Only he knows the answer to this question. And we have no right to judge him.
meanness - dishonesty, meanness. I think many of you once met with this concept. Agree it is not very pleasant to do and even more so to learn.
Betrayal - it is a violation of loyalty to someone or something. This is an act that is not appreciated at all, it is better not to possess such a quality. Rather don't use it...
Selfishness - preference for personal interests over public ones, neglect of them, selfishness. This is one of their negative qualities. It is difficult to cure, but easy to acquire. A big example of selfishness is depicted in the film.

You learned many words and concepts for the first time, I hope that now you will think more often about your actions and how they will affect others.

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

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

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

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

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

Jung's character classification

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

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

The relationship of human character with temperament

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

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

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

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 type - 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, then 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 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 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 personality manifestations, a certain characteristic of expressive movements and personality actions. 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.

Today we will continue to study the positive traits of a person's character, by developing which we can become a harmonious personality.

Let me remind you once again that one cannot neglect some character traits in favor of others, since in the long run this will only bring harm. In other words, it is necessary to polish all facets of character without exception, and then one or another trait will help us in every situation of life.

By developing only our “favorite” traits, we use a one-sided approach, avoiding work on ourselves and not using the entire arsenal of character traits that we have.

  • Certainty

Set goals in life, no matter the difficulties. Make sure your goals are correct. Ignore distractions. Don't get frustrated if there are a lot of problems to solve.

  • industriousness

Invest your time and energy to complete every task you set. Finish all your projects. Do the job right, not just to. Follow the instructions. Concentrate fully on your work. Don't be lazy.

  • Vigilance

Be aware of what is happening around you so that you can have the right idea. Keep your eyes and ears open. Recognize and heed warning signals. Tell others about the danger. Stay away from dangerous places yourself.

  • Caution

Think before you act. Follow the safety rules. Ask permission. Communicate at the right time.

  • Endurance

Gather inner strength to withstand stress. Do your best. Don't be a "bitch". Do not waste your time, energy and talents on meaningless pursuits. Put your whole soul into what you do.

  • Flexibility

Change plans or ideas if you really need to. Don't be discouraged when plans change. Respect the decisions of your superiors. Don't be stubborn. Look for the good in change. Be flexible, but don't compromise on what's right.

  • Generosity

Manage your resources wisely so you can freely give to those in need. Share with others. Don't expect anything in return for your generosity. Give away your time and talents sometimes. Praise the good things you see in others.

  • Tenderness

Take care of others. Show good manners. Reject violence as a solution to your problems. Look for ways to ease the pain of others. Do not get angry and not others. Be a peacemaker.

  • Joy

Maintain a good attitude even when you face unpleasant conditions. Try to look for the good in everything. Smile at adversity. Don't give in to discouragement. Don't let your emotions control your mind. Take time out, laugh and sing every day.

  • distinction

Understand more deeply the reasons why things happen. Ask questions. Don't judge hastily. Take lessons from your own experience. Don't repeat mistakes. Look for the cause of the problem.

  • Humility

Recognize that achieving your success and results also depends on the investment of others in your life. Praise your parents, teachers, teammates and coaches. Don't think more highly of yourself than you should. Take responsibility for all your actions. Try again after every defeat. Give credit to those who made you.

  • Gratitude

Let others know through your words and actions that you appreciate them. Show your parents and teachers that you appreciate them. Say and write "thank you". Take care of other people's things. Be content with what you have.

  • Honor

Respect leaders and higher authorities. Don't laugh at them. Be considerate of those who lead you. Show loyalty to your superiors. Speak only the truth. Obey not with compulsion, but cheerfully. Make way for the elders. Honor your country.

  • Initiative

Recognize and do what needs to be done before you are asked to do it. Do something before talking about it. Don't put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Contribute to the success of the entire team. Be part of the solution, not the problem. Look for ways to help others.

  • Hospitality

Use food, shelter and fellowship for the benefit of others. Greet guests and visitors. Make others feel important. Cook for guests. Feel free to share your stuff. Don't expect anything in return.

  • Justice

Stand up for what is pure and honest. Respect the rule of law. Stand up for what is right. Never hurt others. Always stay open. Keep your conscience clear.

In the next article, we will finish looking at the positive character traits of a person. Stay with us.