This article originally appeared in Psychology Today.
Character strengths refer to the set of favorable or positively valued aspects of personality. They have been linked to a broad array of life outcomes, such as success at work, academic achievement, and health-related behaviors.
A new study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology suggests that while all character strengths serve an important function, some may be more central to psychological well-being than others — and that zest, hope, and humor are the three strengths most commonly found in well-rounded and psychologically healthy individuals.