Stage 2 · Lesson 1 of 7
Strengths, skills and talents
These words get mixed up. A skill is something you learned, like Python, Excel or public speaking, and you can learn more of them. A character strength is a way of being that shows up across situations: curiosity, kindness, persistence, fairness, humour.
A talent is something that came easily to you early on. A useful working definition of a strength is something you do well that also gives you energy. That second part matters: the activities that make you lose track of time are clues.
Strengths and skills combine, so a curious person who learns data analysis is different from a careful person who learns the same thing.
Common traplisting only skills on a CV and never noticing the strengths that make you good at them.
A question to check yourself and an AI practice session come when you add the roadmap to your account. Add it
Resources for this stage
Start with
- ToolFreeVIA Character Strengths Survey
VIA Institute on Character
The free 24-strength survey: a starting hypothesis to test against your own stories
Practise
Also worth your time
Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).