APPRECIATION FOR BEAUTY:
You notice and value the world’s beauty and people’s skills. You don’t take things for granted.
Appreciating beauty and excellence is the ability to identify and enjoy that which is admirable in the world. There are three types of goodness in which positive psychology focuses: physical beauty (e.g. a sunset, song, or building); an exceptional skill or talent; and moral goodness (e.g. a character strength).
Appreciation of beauty can generate awe; appreciation of a skill can generate admiration; and appreciation of moral goodness can generate moral elevation. All of these feelings (awe, admiration, and moral elevation) help us forget ourselves and find increased joy and meaning in the world.
LIFE-GIVING & LOVE-OF-LEARNING :
You enjoy doing good deeds for other people. You master new topics on your own. You understand that cultivating knowledge is life-giving.
This character strength is grounded in the belief of a common humanity in which others are worthy of care, attention, affection, and compassion. Those with a love of learning are intrinsically motivated and engaged in a topic regardless of achieving an external standard. They enjoy learning simply for the sake of learning. They don’t need a prize or a high grade as a reward. Their reward is the process of doing the work and improving.
People who love learning experience positive feelings in the process of acquiring skills, building on existing knowledge, or learning something completely new. Over time, individuals with this strength may develop deep and wide knowledge. Their knowledge enables them to make significant contributions to others’ understanding.
DESIRE FOR FREEDOM & HARMONY:
You like exploration and discovery. You ask lots of questions because you want to learn more about anything and everything.
The desire for freedom and harmony in one’s life develops a sense of curiosity, which is a crucial component of one’s character. Our innate urge for discovery and exploration is a key element of our human desire for wisdom and freedom. It’s what keeps us intrigued in the plotlines of movies and books. It’s what pushes us to try new activities or travel to different places. All individuals experience curiosity, but differ in their willingness to experience it – behaviorally, intellectually, and emotionally.
The desire for freedom and harmony is associated with novelty-seeking. Novelty-seekers are more willing to endure risks – such as physical risks of skydiving or social risks of meeting new people – in order to gain the benefits of new experiences. Freedom and harmony are also associated with being receptive to exploring new ideas, feelings, or values – which carry their own inherent risks and rewards.
The Foundation nourishes the intellect, character and social values of each person reaching the mind, heart and will.