"Character" has become a front-and-center topic in contemporary discourse, but this term does not have a fixed meaning. Character may be simply defined by what someone does not do, but a more active and thorough definition is necessary, one that addresses certain vital questions. Is character a singular characteristic of an individual, or is it composed of different aspects? Does character--however we define it--exist in degrees, or is it simply something one happens to have? How can character be developed? Can it be learned? Relatedly, can it be taught, and who might be the most effective teacher? What roles are played by family, schools, the media, religion, and the larger culture? This groundbreaking handbook of character strengths and virtues is the first progress report from a prestigious group of researchers who have undertaken the systematic classification and measurement of widely valued positive traits. They approach good character in terms of separate strengths-authenticity, persistence, kindness, gratitude, hope, humor, and so on-each of which exists in degrees.

Character Strengths and Virtues classifies twenty-four specific strengths under six broad virtues that consistently emerge across history and culture: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Each strength is thoroughly examined in its own chapter, with special attention to its meaning, explanation, measurement, causes, correlates, consequences, and development across the life span, as well as to strategies for its deliberate cultivation. This book demands the attention of anyone interested in psychology and what it can teach about the good life.

"性格 "已经成为当代话语中的一个前沿话题，但这个词并没有固定的含义。性格可以简单地以某人不做什么来定义，但一个更积极、更彻底的定义是必要的，它可以解决某些重要问题。性格是一个人的单一特征，还是由不同方面组成的？性格--无论我们如何定义它--是有程度的存在，还是仅仅是一个人碰巧拥有的东西？性格如何发展？它可以被学习吗？与此相关的是，它是否可以被教授，谁可能是最有效的老师？家庭、学校、媒体、宗教和更大的文化发挥了什么作用？这本开创性的性格优势和美德手册是由一组著名的研究人员编写的第一份进展报告，他们对广泛重视的积极特征进行了系统的分类和测量。他们从不同的力量--真实、坚持、仁慈、感激、希望、幽默等方面来看待良好的性格，每一种力量都有一定的程度。

性格优势与美德》将二十四种具体的优势归入六大美德之下，这些美德在历史和文化中不断涌现：智慧、勇气、人性、正义、节制和超越。每一种力量都在自己的章节中得到了彻底的研究，特别关注其意义、解释、测量、原因、相关因素、后果和整个生命期的发展，以及有意培养的策略。这本书需要任何对心理学感兴趣的人的关注，以及它对美好生活的教导。