What is character, strong and weak. I have a weak character

Instructions

Admit to yourself that some qualities are preventing you from achieving your goals. This is a very important step, because if you know what you need to fight against, it will be much easier to change. Make a list of your weaknesses and strengths. You need to develop strong, positive qualities even more, and develop those that you lack.

Start working on adjusting your character. For example, if you consider yourself to be too soft, work on your self-esteem and self-love. If you think you're lazy, you might be lacking motivation. You can combat the inability to defend your point of view by developing oratory skills. If you easily follow the lead of other people to your own detriment, set priorities in life.

Think about why you need a strong character. Surely, there is an area in life that is most important to you right now. Set yourself a small goal to improve your situation. For example, if you want to advance in your job, make it your goal to get leadership on a small project.

Work hard to achieve your goal. Once you've succeeded, map out your next step. Don't stop and don't spray. When you have a clear goal and a clear understanding of what needs to be corrected in yourself to achieve it, success will not be long in coming. Take the initiative into your own hands, because you are protecting your interests.

Get rid of bad habits. This is the best thing you can do for yourself. In the process of fighting them, your will will become stronger. In addition, knowing that you have overcome your weaknesses will give you self-confidence and enthusiasm for new achievements. A good exercise in self-discipline can be regular visits to the fitness club.

Many people have long given up on their lives with its despair and hopelessness. For some, the reason is numerous disappointments, for others it is constant pain. And the result is the same - an unwillingness to see your life from the other side. You want fate to change on its own, without making any effort on your part, but you don’t want to change yourself. But, first of all, you yourself need to change and change internally, change the course of your thoughts. And then change will come.

Instructions

First, realize what is in you and why you need it. Choose what you most want to change. Start with one habit or character trait. After all, changing completely is an impossible task. Having learned to gradually change your consciousness, it will be much easier to change other qualities. You must decide what you want to become.

Analyze your actions that you perform under the influence of an undesirable trait. What emotions do you experience at the same time, what thoughts arise under the influence of these emotions. Find the reason, the root of this behavior. Sometimes, to get rid of it, you just need to see where the problems came from.

Weak character (Weak character) as a personality quality is the inability to refuse, pliability to the influence of others, the manifestation of thoughtless agreement with other people’s opinions, lack of will, infirmity, weak-willedness and slobbering.

One guy came to Moscow to earn extra money, found a job and rented an apartment. After some time, his fellow countryman rang his doorbell and asked for shelter, that is, to allow him to rest for three days. The guy knew about the bad reputation of his uninvited guest, about his constant conflicts with law enforcement agencies, but out of weakness of character he gave in, justifying himself with the thought that he only needed to be patient for three days. The next day, coming home from work, he saw that his rented apartment had turned into a typical “raspberry” for thieves, drug addicts and prostitutes. This time he remained silent. And who to talk to if everyone is insane. The night passed with virtually no sleep. When he left half asleep for work, he left the riotous company asleep. A week passed and he still couldn't muster up the courage to take any decisive action. The thieves carried the stolen items into his apartment and hid them in hiding places. When the police identified them, the guy was tried along with everyone else and not just as an accomplice and accomplice, but as the organizer of a criminal group. The thieves set him up as the leader of the gang. The state lawyer (there was no money for an expensive lawyer), realizing that this was not the leader, but a walking misunderstanding, asked: “How did you get into this situation?” The guy sighed, spread his hands and answered: “I’m weak-willed. I can’t say: “No!”

A person in the context of the personality traits he exhibits is a complex system. When virtues predominate in a system, we say that this is a decent, virtuous person; if vices predominate, we pronounce a verdict - a vicious person. Human character as a system is a combination of interacting personality traits. A bizarre mixture of qualities creates a unique “cocktail” that has a first and last name.

If the elements of the human system of personality traits interact well and do not put a spoke in each other’s wheels, it means that the system is strong, that is, the person has a strong character. If in a system of personality qualities there is war and strife between elements, if there is no talk of interaction between personality qualities, if the system itself is not stable, unstable and is an ear of clay with feet of clay, then we have weakness of character in its purest form. The overwhelming number of people have a system of personality traits of average power.

A powerful system of personality traits or “strength” can represent both Good and Evil. For example, thieves in their region will never choose a wimp, a slobber and a weakling to play the role of an onlooker. According to their concepts, the beholder is a smoothly functioning system that functions with a well-functioning interaction of cunning, cruelty, observation, iron will, resourcefulness, in a word, all the character traits necessary to maintain discipline in the criminal world of the region and protect the common fund.

Weakness of character is a disappointing verdict on the entire system of manifested personality qualities. Weakness of character is “atherosclerosis” of the circulatory system of personality traits, where connections between elements are disturbed, where even manifested character traits become a pitiful imitation of their fellows. When we say: “a weak-willed person,” we mean a bitter-astringent cocktail of weakness, self-doubt, inconstancy, irresponsibility, cowardice, instability, suggestibility, monstrous inconsistency and lack of commitment.

Some people, when they see an abyss, think of an abyss, while others imagine a bridge across it. The weak character is complex and not purposeful. She is able to show her best qualities only in protected conditions. She prefers inaction or the path of least resistance to activity and risk-taking. It is exploited as they wish by manipulators and scammers of all stripes. As they say, they “carry water” on it, sit on its neck and dangle its legs. Unable to say “No” to those around them, weak-willed people, as a rule, act on someone else’s instructions, contrary to their own interests. At the same time, behind an imaginary weakness of character there may be hidden simple laziness and a desire to arouse the sympathy and compassion of others. Here, the desire of compassionate people to help is used with all their might.

Weakness of character is a rusty anchor on the path to success. If, thanks to previously accumulated piety, a weak-willed person is lucky and achieves success, there will always be hunters to take advantage of the instability and weakness of his system of personality traits. The bosses will saddle him with responsibilities that are not inherent to him, plug “holes” in production, send him on long business trips and give him leave in December, in a word, they will squeeze out all the juice, while disrespecting and pushing him around. Business partners will seek additional advantages for themselves at the expense of a weak-willed colleague. It's a pleasure to sign contracts with him. If, by the will of fate, a weak-willed person finds himself in a commanding position, his subordinates will have a blast at his weaknesses.

F. La Rochefoucauld, whose opinion is worth listening to, believed that: “Weakness of character is the only flaw that cannot be corrected.” Weakness is, first of all, sharply low self-esteem, the inability to say “No” and a pronounced lack of self-confidence. Even betrayal may not be the result of a carefully thought-out plan, but a manifestation of simple weakness of character. Where there is weakness of character, there is no truthfulness and honesty, there kindness, loyalty and a sense of duty are at risk. Nicolas Chamfort pronounced a merciless verdict on weak character: “Whoever has a weak character is not a person, but a thing.”

However, some people with weak character are not upset and even try to joke:

Weak character is a harsh sentence.
Being soft-hearted in this day and age is no good.
I am still reproached for this to this day.
before it's too late to suggest change.

Calm and smiling in appearance.
The boss is tired of mocking and scolding.
Out of frustration he is in intensive care
because I failed to get angry.

My wife doesn't want to talk to me.
Like, I can’t stay, I can’t get drunk.
She doesn’t need me to be “positive” like that.
I would object, but I cannot disagree.

MENSBY

4.8

Those who have enough strength of character achieve dreams and real success, while weaklings remain on the sidelines. Only a firm and strong character helps you achieve your goals in life. How to develop stronger character and stronger moral discipline?

Character, from the Greek word "χαρακτήρα", was originally a term that referred to the marks imprinted on coins. Nowadays, character refers to the collection of all the qualities such as courage, truthfulness, loyalty and integrity that a person possesses. Character is perhaps the most important thing a person can have, as it defines the very essence of people. Developing stronger character means making yourself a more productive person within a particular area of ​​interest or a particular profession. This article contains tips on how to develop stronger character and stronger moral discipline.

1. Know what makes character strong. Strength of character consists of the qualities that allow you to control your instincts and desires, control yourself, and have the ability to hold yourself back from the many temptations that you constantly encounter in everyday life. Moreover, strength of character is freedom from prejudice and stereotypes, and includes the ability to show and feel tolerance, love and respect for other people. .

2. Understand why strong character is important to you and especially to those around you:

Grit allows you the freedom to pursue your goals while building your resilience to failure. She helps you achieve your goals.
Having a strong character allows you to analyze and examine the reasons for failures, instead of simply complaining about them like other people do.
Strong character gives you the courage to admit your shortcomings, frivolity and weaknesses.
It allows you to withstand any changes in the situation and continue to move forward, regardless of obstacles.

3. Empathize. The most important step in developing strong character is to learn to empathize with other people, especially those weaker than you, and to love other people as you love yourself. This skill can cost you dearly, as you will have to carefully examine your motives in order to be able to empathize selflessly. Empathy differs from sympathy in that empathy requires your direct participation in the lives of others (enter the person's life and help them clear the path), while empathy involves an emotional but passive response without active participation and dedication.

4. Seek the truth. Prefer reason to ordinary emotions. A person with a strong character examines all the facts with his head and does not give in to prejudices and emotions. Resolve most questions only through reasoning and avoid the chaos of your feelings, understanding that despite the fact that “there is no dispute about taste,” reason should always win with the help of factual evidence and arguments.

5. Don't be a pessimist or an optimist; be a leader. The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist waits for the end of the storm, and the leader rebuilds the sails and prepares them for any weather.

6. Beware of irrational impulses. Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas believed that there are seven human feelings: love and hate, desire and fear, happiness and sadness, and anger. While not bad in themselves, these emotions often overpower our intellect and cause us to indulge in the wrong things: overeating, being irrationally afraid of something, or letting sadness or anger consume us. In fact, the answer to any question can only be found in the rationality of decisions and in the practice of good habits aimed at freeing oneself from emotions. Excessive and sensual appetites are a sign of weak character, while the ability to withhold rewards and practice self-control indicate strength of character.

7. Be happy with what you have (don't imitate anyone). Appreciate your own strengths. Believing that the grass is always greener somewhere else will ensure you have a miserable life; remember that this is only a projection of your ideas about how other people live. It's better to concentrate on how you live.

8. Dare to take (calculated) risks. If you avoid battles, you deprive yourself of victory and all the benefits that come with them. Don't be cowardly, aloof or shy away from your responsibilities, but be courageous to make your contribution to humanity.

9. Reject any outside advice that contradicts what you have decided for yourself. Every person is driven by their own interests, whether subconsciously or consciously. Don't force anyone to do what you want, but don't allow others to force their opinions on you. Understand and accept the fact that different people will offer you different solutions to the same issue, and that you cannot please everyone. Find the right path and follow it, without turning right or left. Manage yourself and never stray from the right path.

10. Learn to do good and shun/avoid evil. Seek peace and strive for it sincerely. Pursue not personal goals that trample on the needs of other people, but noble and worthy motives that will benefit the whole society. If you pursue your personal goals, you will get involved in conflicts with other people and, in the end, you will definitely fail. If you work for the common good, everyone will benefit and you will be able to satisfy your personal goals at the same time.

11. Learn to control your emotions. Don't let anything other than common sense influence your daily decisions and actions. It may often be difficult, sometimes almost impossible, not to give in to emotions, but you can learn to suppress them and overcome them by relying on prudence and common sense.

12. Be neither wasteful nor stingy, but find a middle ground. The ability to find a middle ground is a sign of a strong character that can withstand extremes.

13. Always remain calm. Calmness is a state that allows you to concentrate and redistribute your divergent thoughts and meditate profitably. Thinking leads to ideas, ideas lead to opportunities, opportunities lead to success. Calmness is the sine qua non of a strong character. Without calmness there is no willpower. Without calm, desires can quickly ignite, turning into an invincible passion and hindering sound thinking. Calmness is not the enemy of emotions, but a regulating force that allows their correct expression.

14. Focus on the positive things in life and don't waste time on the negative things. One day a doctor, to whom a young girl came complaining of a variety of diseases and praying for a cure, told her: “Don’t think about them; this is the most effective of all medicines.” Physical and mental pain can be weakened by one effort of will, directing thoughts in other directions, or strengthened by continuing to think about it.

15. Resist fatalism. Each person bears full responsibility for his own development and destiny. If you accept fatalism, that is, if you believe that fate is somehow predetermined and unchangeable, you will dissuade yourself from any attempt to improve your life and your character. Fate is blind and deaf; she will never hear or see us. It is better to remember that correcting mistakes and changing your own destiny for the better are the right steps towards developing a strong character and improving your life in general. Pursue your own happiness; don't wait for something or someone to bring it to you because it won't happen unless you are persistent.

16. Have patience - to enthusiastically set, pursue and achieve your goals, be they short-term or long-term: that is, to make progress (success). Success is progress, not a final destination. A person with strong character will not give up when he encounters obstacles on his way, but will persevere until the very end and overcome all obstacles. Learn to suspend gratification in life, learn to wait as you progress, and understand that time can be your friend, that it can be used to learn and grow. Also know which battles you should get involved in and when it is better to retreat; sometimes letting go means accepting the gift of life rather than clinging to a sinking ship.

17. Conquer all fears. Indecision is a serious obstacle to success. Do not allow prejudices based on superficial observations into your life, but accept facts that are based solely on common sense. Don't lay your foundation on sand, but rather build on solid rock. By overcoming fear, you will gain the strength of character that will allow you to think, make decisions, and act like a true winner.

18. Just as a gardener must clear the ground of weeds to allow his garden to grow, so you should eradicate all weak thoughts that, like weeds, undermine your strength. Beware of over-emotionality and give emotions only their true meaning. When you notice that you are tormented by some overwhelming emotion, immediately occupy yourself with something for fifteen minutes, preferably an hour. Many great warriors have lost their lives because they reacted too boldly to insults and went into battle too early against their offenders, without proper preparation, acting extremely hot-tempered and rash. Learn to overcome such weaknesses over time, remembering that anger is a common vice among people of weak character.

19. Practice calm, discretion, discernment and prudence in business. Develop logical thinking and use it in your work.

20. Be truthful in everything and in all aspects of life. If you are not truthful, you are lying, first of all, to yourself, and this will certainly affect your character.

21. Lastly, be the best you can be wherever you are and always try to do the best you can. Work hard and avoid idleness like the plague. At the same time, learn to appreciate good rest for its ability to restore your strength and inspire you to return to your good deeds every time.

Adviсe

Be disciplined and control yourself. Run away from bad impulses (including habits and actions that you will later regret) - and compulsive behavior that become habits and distort character.

Be a man of your word and avoid the temptation to lie; Honesty maintains strong character. Also learn to make decisions without fear.

Be happy. Happiness is health. Happiness gives you the power to overcome monotony and get rid of boredom in life. It allows you to make the best of any situation. Happiness is a state of mind. According to observations, poor people smile much more often than rich people on Wall Street.

Exercise to build resilience. Mind and body are interconnected. Train your physical toughness to strengthen your mental toughness.

Be a good friend. Commit yourself to your friends and be willing to make sacrifices for them. Never hold a grudge or pay attention to minor incidents. Live in harmony with other people. Don't be selfish: always take other people's interests into account.

When the need arises to analyze and describe a person’s character, his basic qualities are used for this, a special place among which is occupied by strength and its polarity - weakness. Strength of character– this is, first of all, an energetic quality, which includes not only the energy of a person achieving specific goals, but also his ability to develop a certain tension and, if necessary, overcome various obstacles. Strength of character is a kind of indicator of a person’s ability to preserve and defend himself as an individual.

Strength of character as a person’s internal energy

Human character is a complex formation that has many shades and manifestations, polar features and an infinite number of traits. All this diversity finds its expression in the actions and behavior of a person, and it is on their basis that it is necessary to judge the strong or weak character of a person. When we say that a person is endowed with a strong character, it always means that he shows will and character traits that are indicative of this: autonomy, independence, perseverance, consistency, determination and perseverance. And if a person is called spineless, then this means that he does not show these qualities both in communication and in activity, but simply adapts to circumstances and goes with the flow.

Speaking about strength of character (or rather, calling a person weak-willed or with character), people usually evaluate a person’s direction and his will. So, Aristotle also said that a person’s character is what his decision is manifested in. Indeed, when they talk about a person’s strong character or weak character, they primarily highlight will and volitional efforts in mental activity. So no one recognizes the presence of a strong character in a weak-willed person, since this is simply impossible.

The strength of a person’s character is also related to his direction and, most often, is considered a positive quality (although sometimes the character can be so strong that it contributes to the suppression of the personality and the person can become dependent on it - the manifestation of psychopathy and neurotic disorders). The main indicators of character strength are the depth and strength of personality direction. Depth is considered in terms of how principles, motives and life goals influence a person. So, if all these indicators do not penetrate deeply into the personality, but remain only superficial formations, they speak of superficiality of character, which indicates its weakness. The strength of the focus is also determined by the level of a person’s aspirations (or achievements), that is, what he strives for. The strength of human character is also determined by the stability of this orientation. All of the listed indicators (namely stability, strength and depth of focus) are not the only ones that determine the strength of human character, because for its formation and manifestation, strong-willed traits, the stamina of personality and its activity, as well as the organization of the person himself are necessary.

The strength of a person’s character finds its manifestation in his energetic and active actions, in the struggle and perseverance of doing something (when you need to bring it to the end, regardless of difficulties or obstacles), perseverance and focus. A person who has a strong character is not afraid of any difficulties and overcomes various difficulties; he is distinguished by enthusiasm, initiative and innovation. Such a person always tries to follow his beliefs and principles, showing perseverance to achieve his goal. And a person with a weak character mainly demonstrates a discrepancy between words and deeds, inconsistency in behavior and actions, and a fear of failures and difficulties.

How to develop strength of character

Since character is a stable, but at the same time quite dynamic formation, it can be formed throughout a person’s entire life journey. And this also means that strength of character can be cultivated.

The formation of a person’s character depends on many factors, including:

• congenital features;
• education and self-education;
• various types of activities (especially work, learning and play);
• social environment (groups, team, family, friends, etc.);
• personal example;
• personal activity and life position of a person;
• ways of human self-expression (creativity, sports);
• , attitudes, values, habits, and orientation of a person;
• Media, Internet, film industry, etc.;
• level of cultural and educational development of a particular society.

In order to understand how to cultivate strength of character, you need to know that this process can occur in several scenarios:

• from early childhood (this is how Spartans, knights, samurai, etc. were raised);
• during life, when certain difficulties can strengthen and re-educate a person;
• daily painstaking work on oneself (as a result of self-education and self-improvement).

The main ways to develop strength of character:

• working on yourself, your beliefs, principles and developing willpower;
• it is necessary to clearly define life goals and values;
• choose a type of activity where you need to make an effort and overcome your weaknesses (many sports are great for this, especially martial arts);
• formation of adequate self-esteem, as well as the presence of self-confidence, as well as self-esteem;
• personal example (this is a very effective method when there is a real person whose character is the standard, and this person can be either a historical figure or a movie character);
• develop the ability to manage your emotional and motivational sphere (that is, feelings, desires and drives);
• having a positive attitude and good spirits.

In principle, the process of developing character strength is comparable in its characteristics to sports training or physical exercise. Just as in order to achieve results in sports, you need to make an effort and constantly repeat the same exercises until your muscles and body remember everything, it is also necessary to consolidate the traits necessary to develop strength of character.

Strength of Russian character

Each person has his own unique character, which is determined by a peculiar combination of traits and the characteristics of its manifestation. But there is some similarity in the behavior and actions of people belonging to the same ethnic group or nation. In this case, they talk about the manifestation of national character, which in ethnopsychology is understood as a fairly stable set of psychological traits that have developed over the course of history. These traits subsequently determine the typical modes of action, the habitual pattern and manner of behavior of representatives of a particular nation.

National character traits find their manifestation in various systems of relationships (to one’s own ethnic group, to other ethnic groups, to the world, to work, to the social and everyday environment) through stable stereotypes of thinking, forms of emotional response and behavioral characteristics of the ethnic group as a whole. So, national character finds its manifestation in the most typical psychological characteristics for a given ethnic group and is a determinant of the behavior of its representatives.

In order to understand the features of the Russian character and determine where its strength is manifested, it is necessary to analyze the features of the process of formation of the Russian national character. It developed and was formed against the backdrop of many events and was influenced by various conditions and factors, among which were of particular importance:

• geographical location of the territory of the state (the land on which the Russian people lived);
• linguistic and cultural environment;
• climate and natural features;
• religion.

The Russian character, like the ethnic group itself, has existed for more than 1 thousand years, but scientists began to study its characteristics and inherent traits relatively recently. Thus, for the first time interest in the study of Russian character arose in the 30-40s. 19th century. It was at this time that the scientific work of P.I. was published. Kovalevsky’s monograph “Psychology of the Russian Nation,” in which he described the main qualities of the Russian character. The works of N.A. are also devoted to the analysis of Russian character. Berdyaev and N.O. Lossky, and P. Sorokin studied the main features of the Russian character and described its strengths in the last century.

A significant contribution to the study of Russian character was made by the philosopher V.S. Soloviev, who believed that it is possible to understand the unique character of Russians only by studying their value sphere and learning their ideals. When describing the peculiarities of the Russian character, many scientists (both domestic and foreign) noted that it finds its expression not so much in belonging to the nation itself, but in the “special state of soul” of the Russian people.

Many scientists, when studying the character traits of Russians, agreed in the general opinion that the strength of the Russian character was formed due to the presence of the following opposites among representatives of this ethnic group:

• patience-violence:
• obedience-rebellion;
• humility-protest.

Analyzing the Russian character, one should remember the words of N. Berdyaev, who said that the structure of the Russian soul was reflected in the immensity of the Russian land, the absence of its borders and limits. The landscape of the Russian lands, infinity, breadth and their aspiration also had a strong influence. In all this lies the depth and strength of the Russian character.

The fact that the Russian character is distinguished by its strength is due to the influence of rather difficult natural and climatic conditions in many regions of the country. These conditions required the people living on Russian lands to spend significant labor on agricultural work, which formed character traits such as hard work, endurance and patience.

So, the strength of the Russian character is manifested in the ability to work, commitment, focus, responsibility and resilience of the Russian nation. Along with the strength of the Russian character, psychologists also identify the following traits characteristic of this ethnic group: philanthropy, tolerance, sociability, diligence, courage, masculinity, benevolence, sacrifice, responsibility and mercy. But along with positive traits, there are also negative traits of the Russian character: lack of independence, gullibility, talkativeness, negligence.