Character Strength Test

Inspired by Allison's time-wasting with this questionnaire, I spent a chunk of my time today answering 240 questions to find out what my Character Strengths are. They have 24 different strengths that the rate you on. Here are my top ten:

#1 - Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

#2 - Love of learning
You love learning new things, whether in a class or on your own. You have always loved school, reading, and museums-anywhere and everywhere there is an opportunity to learn.

#3 - Appreciation of beauty and excellence
You notice and appreciate beauty, excellence, and/or skilled performance in all domains of life, from nature to art to mathematics to science to everyday experience.

#4 - Curiosity and interest in the world
You are curious about everything. You are always asking questions, and you find all subjects and topics fascinating. You like exploration and discovery.

#5 - Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

#6 - Capacity to love and be loved
You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.

#7 - Forgiveness and mercy
You forgive those who have done you wrong. You always give people a second chance. Your guiding principle is mercy and not revenge.

#8 - Leadership
You excel at the tasks of leadership: encouraging a group to get things done and preserving harmony within the group by making everyone feel included. You do a good job organizing activities and seeing that they happen.

#9 - Fairness, equity, and justice
Treating all people fairly is one of your abiding principles. You do not let your personal feelings bias your decisions about other people. You give everyone a chance.

#10 - Judgment, critical thinking, and open-mindedness
Thinking things through and examining them from all sides are important aspects of who you are. You do not jump to conclusions, and you rely only on solid evidence to make your decisions. You are able to change your mind.

I feel like this is pretty accurate, though I kind of hate that my number one strength seems kind of frivilous compared to some of the others. Though that's perhaps why it's number one in the first place; when self-reporting, I'm far more confident in saying "yep, I'm funny" than "yep, I'm fair" (or whatever the case may be), because I don't over-think it as much as some of the more serious personality traits. Though I guess my ability to make life fun has been an asset in many aspects of my life, and, I daresay, the lives of those I associate with (yeah..."Modesty and Humility" was way down at #20...).

My #24 (last place) strength: "Bravery and Valor". I'm a total wuss.