This post explains how to use the results of the survey of your character strengths.

You may like to have your character strengths survey results to hand while thinking about these questions. Head over to the VIA Survey website to recap your strengths, or take the test if you haven't done so already. This previous post explains the background.

What can I do with my list of strengths?

One common exercise is a discussion of your signature strengths with another person. Talk with someone you trust about which strengths strike you as more authentically associated with yourself. One thing you might discuss or have a think about is:

How do I know when to use which strength?

Sometimes it's possible to be too courageous, too curious or even too kind. The trick is determining when to use which strength. Try to think of situations in which you've used your strengths successfully and times when you've used them unsuccessfully. Is there any pattern? If there is, what is this telling you? Schwartz and Sharpe (2005) argue that practical wisdom can only be reached through practice. There's no substitute for exercising your strengths in the right way, and understanding why.

What if I'm uncomfortable discussing my strengths?

Negative points are easier to spot in others as well as in ourselves. As a result some people find it difficult to talk, or even just think about their strengths. It may also be partly cultural: Americans tend to be more comfortable discussing positivity, whereas other cultures like the British can be turned off by all this 'happy-clappy' positivity.

That's fine, so instead of focusing on the top 5 character strengths, concentrate on the bottom of the list. These are your least strong strengths - I hesitate to say weaknesses because the survey isn't concerned with rooting out weakness, it's solely concerned with strengths. Still, those 'strengths' are at the bottom of the list for a reason.

Weakness can also be found in strengths if those strengths aren't used in a balanced way. For example some people take critical thinking to extreme and end up highly cynical, finding it hard to see anything positive in the world. Similarly prudence is a highly admirable character strength, but too much prudence can lead to a boring and isolated life. Recognising the dangers inherent in some strengths can also be beneficial.

Are some character strengths more likely to be seen together in one person?

The strengths can be described on two dimensions: first on whether they are self or other-focused strengths, and second on whether they are strengths of mind or strengths of heart. Self-focused strengths include curiosity, self-regulation and zest, while other-focused strengths include modesty, kindness and forgiveness. Strengths of mind include open-mindedness, self-regulation and modesty, while strengths of heart include gratitude, hope and zest.

People are more likely to have signature strengths that are close on these two dimensions. For example people whose strength is perspective are also likely to have a love of learning. Similarly someone whose strength is kindness is also likely to be particularly forgiving. Do your strengths cluster together in this way, or are they more disparate?

[Your task is slightly hampered here by not being able to see all the strengths laid out along the dimensions - unfortunately I don't have access to a copy I can use here. You'll have to use your ingenuity to work out which strengths are closely related.]

Aren't the answers I have given in the survey subject to a social desirability bias?

Yes, but that doesn't mean they're meaningless. All the questions in the VIA survey ask about positive traits, so there is clearly a bias in the way (most) people will respond. Naturally people tend to see themselves in a relatively positive light and so will tend to answer in the affirmative for most questions. For example, it's an extremely rare person that says they have no morals or no curiosity at all.

The point with this survey is that as long as the response to every question isn't exactly the same, then it will reveal something about your character. That variability between 'very much like me' and 'most of the time' reveals something. Using this variability the survey can work out which traits are most applicable and which least.

More generally, though, why should we only believe others when talking about their deficiencies, but not when point out their strengths?

Give me more ways to think about my strengths!

Certainly. You can think about your strengths in relation to all the major areas of your life:

* Do your signature strengths match up with those used in your job. If not, could you adjust your job so that they do? Or perhaps even change your job?

* How do your strengths fit with those closest to you, e.g. your partner?

* Which strengths give you the most energy when you use them? How could you use them more? How could you use them differently - say in a different context or with different people?

* What hobbies/interests do you have and how do your strengths contribute? Are there other interests you could develop on the basis of your strengths?

Your experience?

As ever, do comment below if you found this exercise useful (or otherwise) and also if you found new and interesting ways of thinking about your strengths.

本贴教你如何利用性格优势的测试结果。

当你仔细思考这些问题时，也许你愿意递交你的性格优势测试的结果。回到VIA Survey website回顾下你的性格优势，或者如果你还没有测试过，就请先测试。下面这个之前的帖子会为你解释相关的背景知识。

对于我的性格优势，我能做些什么？

一个常用的练习就是和别人讨论你的性格优势。与你所信赖的人讨论哪种性格优势能够更加的贴切的和你自己相联系。你要讨论或者是要想到的一件事是：

如何知道何时利用何种性格优势？

有时候你会变得过于勇敢，过度好奇甚至太过善良。诀窍就在于决定何时利用何种性格优势。试着去想想你成功利用你性格优势的情境以及你失败的时候。这其中有什么模式吗？如果有，你获得了什么启示？Schwartz and Sharpe (2005) 曾讨论过只有通过练习才能获得实用的智慧。除了通过正确的方式练习你的性格优势，没有其他可替代的方式，并明白其中的原因。

如果在讨论自己性格优势时感到不适该怎么办？

我们很容易发现别人身上的缺点，也同样容易发现自身的不足。因此有些人觉得谈论，甚至思考自身的优势时反倒觉得很困难。这可能跟文化有关系：美国人在讨论积极的事物时更加放松和舒适，然而其他的文化例如英国人就会对所有令人‘开心-愉悦’的积极性感到厌烦和逃避。

不关注前五个性格优势，关注列表的底下几项。这些是你强度最弱的几个优势-我不说弱点是因为这个测试并不是为了发现弱势，它仅仅和优势相关。此外，这些'优势'位于列表底部是有理由的。

如果优势并没有以一种平衡的方式被使用时，优势也会变成弱势。例如有些人将批判的思想极致化，以极其的愤世嫉俗而告终，很难看到这个世界的美好。与此类似的，谨慎也是个极好的性格优势，但是过于谨慎会导致无聊和与世隔绝的生活。明白一些优势固有的危险因素对我们也是有益的。

多种的性格优势更可能在一个人身上集中体现吗？

可以从两个维度来描述这个优势：首先在于它们是自我还是他人-关注的优势，其二在于它们是理性优势还是感性优势。自我关注优势包括好奇心，自我规范和强烈的兴趣，而他人关注优势包括谦虚，善良和宽容。理性优势包括开放的思想，自我规范和谦虚，而感性优势包括感恩，希望和强烈的兴趣。

人们更愿意让自己的优势接近这两个维度。例如一个优势是很有看法与主见的人很可能也爱好学习。同样的一个具有善良的性格优势的人也很可能特别的宽容。你的优势也像这样结合在一起还是彼此不同的呢？
[由于你不能够看出这两个维度的所有优势，所以你的任务会受到一些的阻碍-不幸的是我不能获得我在这用的副本。你只能竭尽自身的独创性去寻找哪些优势是紧密联系的。]

我所给出的关于这个测试的答案受制于社会理想的偏见吗？

是的，但是这并不意味着着它们就没有意义。这个测试的所有答案都是问关于积极特性的，所以在人们反应的方式上都存在一个明确的偏见。人们自然而然的会倾向于去以一个相对积极的角度看待自己，所以也倾向于以肯定的方式来回答大部分的问题。例如，很少有人会说她们没有道德或者完全没有好奇心。

该测试的关键是只要每个问题的答案不是完全一致的，它就能揭示你性格中的一些东西。并在'非常像我 ’和‘大部分像我’之间变化。用这个测试的多变性来解决哪种特征是最适用，哪种特征是最不适用的。
给我更多的方式来思考我的优势！

当然，你可以根据你生活的所有主要领域来思考你的优势：

* 你的性格优势和你工作中所用到的优势一致吗？如果不一致，你可以调整自己的工作以达到一致呢？或者也许可以改变下你的工作？

* 你的优势能和你最亲近的人相适应吗？

* 哪种性格优势在你使用的时候给你最大的能量？你怎样才能最好的利用它们？如何不同的使用它们——在不同的情境或者是和不同的人？

* 你有什么样的兴趣和爱好，你的性格优势于此有关系吗？在你性格的优势基础上还有其他你可以发展的兴趣吗？

你的经验？

如果你觉得这个练习有效的话，请在下面做出评论，如果你发现新的、有意思的方式去思考你的优势也请留下评论告诉我们。