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Character strengths and engagement
The Psychological Services Group (PSG) stated in the previous episode of this series that we could enhance our resilience and well-being by developing our character strengths. The term "character strengths" is developed by a renowned psychologist, Dr Martin Seligman, in 1998. He suggested that people could explore and nurture the greatest strengths within oneself to lead a richer and happier life and contribute to society。
Character strengths can be defined as positive traits reflected in an individual's thoughts, feelings and behaviour. Through large-scale researches, Dr Seligman and a psychologist, Dr Chris Peterson, identified 24 character strengths that appear to be universal across cultures and history. They are classified under six virtues as shown in the table.
| Virtues | Character Strengths | Functions |
| Wisdom and Knowledge | Creativity, Curiosity, Judgement, Love of Learning, Perspective | Allows us to acquire and use information to pursue a better life |
| Courage | Bravery, Persistence, Honesty, Zest | Entails the exercise of will to accomplish goals in face of difficulties or crisis |
| Humanity | Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence | Manifested in caring relationships with unconditional love and support |
| Transcendence | Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Humour, Spirituality | Allows us to forge connections to the larger universe, and provides meaning in life |
| Justice | Teamwork, Fairness, Leadership | Drives us to serve the common good of society and value the principle of fairness |
| Moderation | Forgiveness, Modesty, Prudence, Self-Control | Protects us from excessive hatred, arrogance, and destabilising emotional extremes of all sorts |
It is believed that officers who can demonstrate or exercise their character strengths in life are more confident about their "authentic self", more able to meet challenges at work and more stress resilient. Thus, they can attain a deeper and more sustainable sense of fulfillment and happiness.
The PSG will share with readers in the coming episodes each of the 24 character strengths and give suggestions on how you can apply your character strengths in daily life. The articles will also be uploaded to POINT and the PSG website for reference. Please stay tuned.