Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Welcome to the Present Authoring: Virtues component of the Self-Authoring suite. This exercise has been designed to
allow you to do an in-depth analysis of some of the positive aspects or virtues of your personality.
On many pages, you will not be able to successfully click Next or Previous unless you have provided a minimum of
necessary text. If you do not, you will receive an error message, and the text box in question will be highlighted in red.
Text boxes also have a maximum length. Pay attention, as you write, to the numbers above the text boxes. Numbers
like [180 / 1000] indicate that you have typed 180 characters out of a maximum allowable of 1000. When you go over
the maximum, the numbers above the text box become red. Clicking Next, Previous, or Save will result in an error
message and you will not be able to proceed to the Next or Previous page. To resolve this, edit your text until the
number of characters is less than or equal to the maximum. These limitations have been established so that you do
not get stalled at any point in the process.
We do encourage you to write in some detail, however, subject to those limitations. Our research indicates that better
results are obtained as the amount written by participants increases.
There is a progress bar in the top right portion of the screen, which displays the percentage of the exercise that you
have already completed. If you hover over the bar with the mouse, you can see approximately how much time it will
still take to complete the exercise.
You may use the Index to jump to any page you have already completed. Clicking the link will open the index.
Clicking it again will close it. Remember to click Save to save any work on the current page before using the index to
jump to another page.
After you have completed the exercise, you will be taken to a Summary page. You can use that page to email yourself
a copy of your writing.
Background Knowledge
To complete the following exercise, there are a number of things that are useful to know (you may have encountered
this information previously if you have completed the faults analysis exercise, but it might be worthwhile to review it):
Everybody's personality is composed of two higher-order traits. The first higher-order trait is known as plasticity, and
can be thought of as the tendency to be flexible, exploratory, curious and quick to adapt. The second higher-order trait
is known as stability, and can be thought of as the tendency to be structured, organized, emotionally stable and
focused.
Plasticity
Plasticity, the first higher-order trait, can be further broken down into two sub-traits: Extraversion (the tendency to be
enthusiastic and dominant) and Openness (the tendency to be open-minded and intelligent).
Stability
Stability, the second higher-order trait, can be further broken down into three sub-traits: Conscientiousness (the
tendency to be orderly and industrious), Emotional Stability (lack of negative emotional volatility and the tendency to
withdraw), and Agreeableness (politeness and compassion, as opposed to belligerence or aggression).
There are advantages and disadvantages to each trait, particularly at the extremes. Extremely sociable, extraverted
people can be dominant and impulsive, while introverted, quiet people can easily become isolated and depressed.
Extremely open people can be scattered and overwhelmed by their own thoughts and ideas, while closed-minded
people may become narrow and inflexible. Exceptionally conscientious people can be obsessive about order,
judgmental and rigid, while their more carefree counterparts may be messy, undisciplined and careless. People very
high in emotional stability may engage in risky, dangerous behavior, while those who are more neurotic can become
so preoccupied by anxiety and pain that they are unable to function. Finally, extremely agreeable people may never
stand up for themselves, while those who are too assertive can be aggressive, callous and bullying.
Change
Personality is reasonably stable over the lifespan, and is also powerfully influenced by hereditary or genetic factors.
Despite this, personality can broaden or even transform. As people age, for example, they tend to become more
agreeable, conscientious and emotionally stable.
Changing personality means changing habits of action, presumption and perception. Personality change requires the
formulation of clear future goals, as well as discipline and practice. People who are too agreeable can learn to stand
up for themselves. Disorderly people can become more conscientious. Introverted people can become socially skilled.
People who experience paralyzing levels of negative emotion can learn to explore.
Extraversion/Introversion
Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at
least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to
specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.
Can be the life of the party
Feel comfortable around people
Easily start conversations
Talk to a lot of different people at social occasions
Don't mind being the center of attention
Make friends easily
Can take charge and lead
Know how to captivate people
Feel at ease with people
Am skilled in handling social situations
Am often happy
Make other people laugh and have fun
Am enthusiastic about new opportunities
Am fun to be around
Like to invite people out or at home to socialize
Can listen well
Do not dominate conversations
Am rarely or never too loud
Do not spend my money on a whim
Do not party or socialize excessively
Do not attract undue attention to myself
Do not always talk about myself
Am not grandiose or arrogant
Am comfortable alone
Enjoy time in natural surroundings
Do not always need to seek excitement or novelty
Am rarely impulsive
Do not always have to be the center of attention
Let other people have the spotlight
Think before I act
Openness/Traditionalism
Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at
least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to
specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.
Am full of ideas
Am quick to understand things
Can handle a lot of information
Carry the conversation to a higher level
Catch on to things quickly
Have a rich vocabulary
Am philosophically inclined
Have a vivid imagination
Am a creative person
Have excellent ideas
Am always learning new things
Spend time reflecting on things
Am entrepreneurial
Have a lot of insight into myself and others
Can always see new possibility in things
Believe that the tried and true way is the right way
Am a very sensible person
Never follow fads
Respect authority
See the value in tradition and custom
Do not believe in change for the sake of change
Am seldom or never bothered by strange thoughts or feelings
Am stable in my moral beliefs
Try not to introduce unnecessary change into my life
Am concerned that my parents or relatives approve of my decisions
Do not upset my parents or other cultural authorities with doubts and questions
Am a down-to-earth person
Am not flighty or unpredictable
Am seldom attracted by foolish, new-age ideas
Am resistant to radical, dangerous thoughts
Conscientiousness/Carelessness
Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at
least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to
specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.
Am always prepared
Have a very long attention span and can work without being distracted
Am exacting in my work
Continue until everything is perfect
Do things according to a plan
Strive for efficiency and economy
Get chores or tasks done right away
Have seen my tendency for hard work pay off
Love order and regularity
Make plans and stick to them
Pay attention to details
Am extremely reliable
Always arrive at appointments early or on time
Am very goal-oriented
Do what I say I am going to do
Have a relaxed, laid-back attitude
Can easily be spontaneous and enjoy the moment
Am not judgemental
Do not set my expectations too high
Am never perfectionistic
Do not feel that I always have to be in control
Do not impose a rigid set of standards on other people
Am not bothered when things don't go according to plan
Live in the moment
Don't get too caught up in my work
Am seldom bothered by disorder
Never do more work than is necessary
Am not too uptight
Know how to go with the flow
Don't waste my time thinking about little details
Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at
least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to
specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.
Am content with my physical appearance, despite its flaws
Am difficult to offend
Am in control of my emotions
Am not afraid of new people or social situations
Am rarely or never stopped from doing what I want by my fears
Am relaxed most of the time
Calm down quickly when I do get upset
Don't get caught up in my problems or blow things out of proportion
Rarely complain or grumble about things
Rarely get irritated or angry
Rarely or never suffer extreme anxiety, even when stressed
Rarely self-conscious, ashamed or embarrassed
Seldom feel depressed or blue
Seldom feel hurt
Seldom get disturbed or upset
Seldom do anything dangerous
Am rarely incautious
Feel enough shame if I do something stupid so I won't do it again
Make safety a top priority
Watch what I eat carefully
Am aware of potential trouble even when other people appear confident
Am protective and careful with little children
Will go to the doctor's office if there seems to be something wrong with me
Am very careful with my sexual behavior
Am a cautious, careful person
Don't rush into things before I feel comfortable
My higher levels of anxiety have kept me safer than some people I know
Am good at identifying the risks in new situations
Stay out of places that might have dangerous people in them
Stick to what I know and am comfortable with
Agreeable/Assertive
Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at
least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to
specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.
Trust people
Am interested in people
Am on good terms with nearly everyone
Feel others' emotions
Have a soft heart
Work very well with other people on teams
Inquire genuinely about others' well-being
Know how to comfort others
Love children
Make people feel at ease
Sympathize with others' feelings
Am a good peacemaker
Take time out for others
Truly care about others
Am a very loyal friend
Will stand up for myself
Am not easily swayed by emotions that might be manipulative
Am good at seeing beneath the surface of false good intentions
Am skeptical
Am not a martyr
Will not forgive easily if betrayed or deceived
Can see when people are playing games
Am not naively innocent
Am aware that malevolence exists in the world
Do not always believe what people promise
Do not trust people too easily
Am very rarely taken advantage of
Will confront people if necessary
Can be demanding when the circumstances warrant
Am cautious of good intentions before proof is offered
HABIT SELECTION
Please look at this listing. Please select a smaller, focused set of traits that you would believe characterize you most
accurately, and that you could continue to employ with positive results in the future. Imagine that you are trying to
capitalize on your strengths. Click the traits that you think are most typical of you, or are most important to you. We
recommend selecting 6 to 9 items, but you may select a greater or lesser number. Remember, however, that you will
be asked to write for about 10 minutes for each virtue you select. When you have selected the most typical or
important ones, click Next. After you have finished this section, you will be asked to write about how this virtue
affected you positively in the past, what you might have done even better, and how you could improve more generally
in the future.
Here is a column containing your most typical or important positive traits or virtues, in no particular order. Please rank
order them from most to least relevant or important:
Describe an Experience
Virtue: [insert prioritized virtue 1 ]
Please write a short story (approximately 1,000 characters) about a time in your life when this positive trait or virtue
contributed to or created a situation that had a positive impact on your life.
Alternative Outcome
Virtue: [insert prioritized virtue 1 ]
Write a short paragraph about what you might have done differently in that situation, so that it might have turned out
even better.
Now that you've thought about how you might have improved things even more for yourself or others in that particular
situation, please think about this virtue in more general terms. How could you work on capitalizing on this positive trait
in general, so that you or others that you care about benefit as much as possible?
Describe an Experience
Alternative Outcome
Guidelines for general improvement
[...]
Conclusion
You have now completed the positive traits or virtues identification section of the self-authoring suite. Everything that
you have written is available in the report. You may find it helpful to review the virtues you have identified, as well as
the ways that you plan on improving or capitalizing on them.
You may also want to consider completing the faults analysis (the remainder of the present authoring section), the
past authoring or autobiography exercise, or the future authoring exercise, which will help you understand what you
want in the future (and how you might get it).
Your Virtues
Extraversion/Introversion
[insert selected]
Openness/Traditionalism
[insert selected]
Conscientiousness/Carelessness
[insert selected]
[insert selected]
Agreeable/Assertive
[insert selected]
Virtues Analyses
Prioritized Virtue 1
An Experience Due to the Positive Trait
A Possible Alternative Outcome
Guidelines for General Improvement
Prioritized Virtue 2
An Experience Due to the Positive Trait
A Possible Alternative Outcome
Guidelines for General Improvement
etc