What are Character Strength's good for? (Essay Sample)

What Are Character Strengths Good For?
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What Are Character Strengths Good For?
Character strengths are qualities people have that allow them to derive greater satisfaction and pleasure from life. Studies have shown that people with more character strengths have greater resilience. These individuals also tend to post no history of psychological illness. Character strengths play a crucial role in people’s lives. Thus, psychologists, educators, and on-job therapists have dedicated their lives to helping others build character. In this paper, the author reflects on the work of Gander et al. (2022) to answer the question; What are character strengths good for?
In their paper, Gander et al. (2022) use a daily diary approach to record the character strengths of different participants. The study subjects recorded their character strengths and how they applied them over two weeks. The scholars use the 24 character strengths to ascertain which parts are essential to each character strength. They find that some functions are relevant for most strengths, and some are specific to particular strengths (Gander et al., 2022).
Gander et al. (2022) state that there are several functions associated with character strengths. Although previous studies have shown that these functions are limited, Gander et al. (2022) oppose this finding. The number and range of functions found in their research show that some character strengths are similar, and some are unique. For example, humanity and understanding appear in most character strengths. Therefore, although one might not associate humor with humanity, Gander et al. (2022) prove otherwise. Pleasure is also one of the most prevalent parts. Thus, character strengths are not only good for achievement. They also help us find joy in life. For instance, a person with social intelligence can mingle and manipulate people easily. The ability to do this gives the person pleasure. The same applies to creativity. When artists get praise for their work, they derive pleasure from being acknowledged.
The work of Gander et al. (2022) also shows that character strengths are teachable. Many character strengths share the same functions. Thus, people can learn to use the same character strengths by breaking down their functions. Studies have also shown that people who use their character strengths often get greater satisfaction from life. These people are also less likely to report psychological illnesses (Waters et al., 2022). Therefore, character strengths are good because they build resilience in people.
Finally, Gander et al. (2022) note that character strengths are helpful for within-person relationships and interpersonal relationships. Thus, character strengths help build a person and allows them to interact with others. In life, people face two challenges, being the best version of themselves and being the best version of themselves to others. Almost every human being strain to realize their ambition. At the same time, they want to remain useful, interactive, and one with society (Park & Peterson, 2009). Some