Why virtues?
Peterson and Seligman asked a radical question in 2004: do universally valued character qualities exist across all human cultures? Their answer, after analyzing philosophical, religious, and cultural texts ranging from Confucius to Aristotle, from the Upanishads to the Quran, from Judaism to Japanese Bushido, was: yes. These qualities exist, and they cluster around 6 core virtues.
This is not an arbitrary list. It is the result of a comparative analysis conducted across thousands of years of human thought, in radically different geographic and cultural contexts.
The method: cross-cultural universality
The inclusion criterion
To be retained as a universal virtue, a quality had to appear independently valued in at least:
- Ancient philosophical texts (Greek, Chinese, Indian, Arabic)
- Major religious traditions (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism)
- Contemporary non-Western cultures
- Modern empirical research in psychology
The fact that a quality is valued in cultures that have never been in contact suggests that it responds to deep evolutionary needs of the human species.
What it is not
The 6 VIA virtues are not a normative moral system telling you how to live. They are a descriptive framework mapping how humans, universally, define good character.
Virtue 1 — Wisdom
Associated strengths: Creativity, Curiosity, Judgment, Love of Learning, Perspective
Wisdom is the virtue of knowledge acquired and used in service of the good. It is not limited to the accumulation of information — it involves knowing what to do with what you know, and being able to transmit it to others.
What sets it apart
Wisdom is the only virtue with an inherent temporal dimension: it builds over time through experience and reflection. No one is born wise — wisdom is cultivated by developing strengths like curiosity (acquiring) and perspective (applying).
Across different traditions
- Greek philosophy: Sophia (theoretical wisdom) and Phronesis (practical wisdom) in Aristotle
- Confucianism: Zhi (moral knowledge) as the foundation of all other virtues
- Buddhism: Prajna (wisdom) as one of the pillars of the Noble Path
- Judeo-Christian tradition: divine wisdom as the supreme gift
What science says
Longitudinal studies show that people high in VIA Wisdom demonstrate better decision-making under pressure, greater emotional regulation capacity, and a tendency to help others find their own solutions rather than imposing theirs.
Virtue 2 — Courage
Associated strengths: Bravery, Perseverance, Honesty, Zest
Courage is the virtue of right action in the face of opposition. It is not the absence of fear — courageous people feel fear like everyone else — but the capacity to act despite it when values are at stake.
What sets it apart
Courage is unique among the virtues because it always requires a context of risk or adversity. There is no courage without the possibility of flight. It is the strength that chooses to stay.
Forms of courage often overlooked
- Intellectual courage: defending an unpopular but true idea
- Emotional courage: remaining vulnerable in a relationship, saying "I love you" first
- Moral courage: speaking up against injustice when the group looks away
- Existential courage: continuing to live with meaning in the face of mortality
Across different traditions
- Bushido code (Japan): Gi (justice) and Yu (courage) as the warrior's virtues
- Chivalric tradition: bravery in service of values, not mere combat
- Stoic philosophy: courage as one of the four cardinal virtues
Virtue 3 — Humanity
Associated strengths: Love, Kindness, Social Intelligence
Humanity is the virtue of positive interpersonal relations. It concerns our capacity to care for others, to help them, and to connect deeply with them.
What sets it apart
Humanity is the most relational of the virtues. It can only be exercised in the presence of others. It includes care both given and received — it is not a one-directional flow of good deeds but a capacity for genuine reciprocity.
The universality of care
Every human culture values care for other group members. What varies is the definition of the "group" (extended family, clan, nation, all of humanity) — but the principle of care is universal.
Across different traditions
- African Ubuntu: "I am because we are" — identity through relationship
- Buddhist/Jain Ahimsa: non-violence and benevolence toward all beings
- Christian Agape: unconditional love as ethical commandment
- Confucian Ren: benevolence as the foundation of all social relationships
Virtue 4 — Justice
Associated strengths: Teamwork, Fairness, Leadership
Justice is the virtue of fair community life. It concerns rights, responsibilities, and relationships in groups larger than family or close friends.
What sets it apart
Justice extends beyond the intimate circle to apply to the collective. A person can be loving (Humanity) without being just (Justice) — if their benevolence is reserved for their in-group and does not extend to strangers.
The fundamental tension
Justice involves a constant tension between loyalty (to the group) and fairness (to all). Humanity's great ethical struggles — slavery, discrimination, civil rights — have been battles over this tension.
Across different traditions
- Greek Dike: justice as cosmic harmony
- Egyptian Ma'at: order, truth, and justice as foundations of civilization
- Jewish Tzedakah: justice and charity as obligation, not mere goodness
- Indian Dharma: righteous duty according to one's position in life
Virtue 5 — Temperance
Associated strengths: Forgiveness, Humility, Prudence, Self-Regulation
Temperance is the virtue of self-mastery and moderation. It protects against excess — not by suppressing desires, but by regulating them intelligently.
What sets it apart
Temperance is the least "spectacular" virtue — it is invisible when it works well. We notice its absence: impulsivity, arrogance, grudges, reckless risk-taking. It is the virtue that allows all the others to last.
A modern reading
Temperance is not asceticism or the refusal of pleasure. It is the capacity to distinguish what serves our values from what diverts us — and to choose with consistency.
Across different traditions
- Greek Sophrosyne: moderation and prudence as the key to balance
- Taoist Wu Wei: acting without excess, in harmony with the natural flow of things
- Buddhist Sila: moral discipline as the foundation of practice
- Intemperance as sin: in Abrahamic traditions, the 7 deadly sins are all forms of intemperance
Virtue 6 — Transcendence
Associated strengths: Appreciation of Beauty, Gratitude, Hope, Humor, Spirituality
Transcendence is the virtue of connections to something greater than oneself. It provides meaning, perspective, and existential grounding.
What sets it apart
Transcendence is the only virtue that points beyond the relational and social. It concerns the individual's relationship to the cosmos, the sacred, or simply to what goes beyond the everyday. It is the virtue of the "why."
The forms of transcendence
Transcendence is not limited to religion. It includes:
- Deep aesthetic experience (art, nature, music)
- Gratitude as a conscious practice
- Hope grounded in values
- Humor as existential perspective
- Any form of connection to something greater (nature, humanity, the universe)
Across different traditions
- Sufi mysticism: dissolution of the self in the divine as the path of transcendence
- Buddhist awakening: enlightenment as the experience of transcending ego
- Kantian sublime: encounter with what exceeds our comprehension as a formative experience
- Maslow's peak experiences: moments of transcendence as the summit of self-actualization
How the virtues complement each other
The 6 virtues are not independent. They form a system:
- Wisdom provides direction
- Courage enables action in that direction despite obstacles
- Humanity ensures that action serves others, not only oneself
- Justice extends that concern to the whole community
- Temperance keeps everything in balance, without excess
- Transcendence provides the meaning that makes it all significant
Your virtue profile
When you know your signature strengths, you can identify which virtue(s) dominate your character. This is not a hierarchy — each person has a unique profile. But knowing your "virtue center of gravity" helps you understand your deepest motivations and the way you engage with the world.