Our psychological and emotional well being largely depend on the quality of our relationships. Since we are social beings, the connections that we make with other people play a significant role in our mental health. So the main question is, how can we build positive relationships with others? Let’s talk about an evidence based method that can be used by everyone, which is character strength.
Character strengths can generally be described as positive characteristics or qualities of individuals which help them bring of their best in life. According to the Michelangelo phenomenon, People in close relationships influence and shape each other, bringing one another closer to his or her ideal self.
So, in line with this phenomenon, recognizing and appreciating one another’s character strengths become highly important to build and sustain positive relationships. So, what we know from research is that people who recognize and appreciate one another’s positive characteristics, have higher relationship satisfaction.
So let’s start with an activity. Before we start, I’d like to remind you that you can practice this activity with your sibling or your colleague or your best friend. As you see, it’s not only limited to romantic relationships. It actually applies to all kinds of close relationships. So, first of all, start with identifying three of your partner’s most prominent strengths.
After that, write down a recent incident in which your partner expressed each of these strengths. You can also reflect on how you saw the strength expressed. Finally, please express your appreciation. This part is really important to make your partner feel seen and valued by you. So you might consider sharing with your partner what you wrote, explaining why their character strength use is important to you and valued by you.
For example, maybe it makes you feel more emotionally close to them. Maybe you feel more satisfied and happier in the relationship. So by recognizing the positive qualities in others and giving appreciative feedback to them, your social connections can get stronger.