Resilience is the ability to adapt dynamically to significant adversity. Connections with caring adults and a positive community help build resilience. Early competence and attachment relationships provide children with the resources to deal with adversity as they grow.
A growth mindset (as opposed to a fix mindset) boosts academic performance. Carol Dweck writes: “In a growth mindset students understand that their talents and abilities can be developed through effort, good teaching and persistence.”
Creativity resists any one simple, neat definition. But one workable description is “thinking of novel and productive ways to conceptualize and do things.” Creativity makes people of all ages more open to a variety of experiences. And among adults, it’s moderately associated with higher levels of life satisfaction. Curiosity is taking an interest in ongoing experience for its own sake. Challenging academic environments have been found to accentuate the positive effects of curiosity.
A commonly accepted definition of self-control among social scientists is “voluntary self-governance in the service of personally valued goals and standards.” Self-control is a better predictor of academic performance than IQ among adolescents. It is malleable and can be improved through intervention. Finally, self-control has many benefits, including decreased risk-taking, fewer health problems, and a decreased risk for addiction.
Performance character defines qualities an individual needs to realize his or her potential in academics, extra-curricular activities, the workplace, and other areas of endeavor. These qualities include self-control, creativity and curiosity, motivational mindsets and purpose (rephrase?), and resilience.
Social and emotional abilities encompass skills needed for effective and ethical relationships and work. One study says social and emotional skills include “recognizing and managing emotions, developing caring and concern for others, establishing positive relationships, making responsible decisions, and handling challenging situations constructively and ethically.” Social-emotional and academic learning are interdependent.
Authenticity, honesty
Spirituality in its broader definition means having beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of life that shape conduct and provide comfort. Although spirituality and religiosity are often conflated, research attempting to disentangle the two has found that broader spiritual beliefs were significant predictors of happiness. Youths who participate in religious activities have a significantly lower incidence of risky behaviors and a higher likelihood of positive behaviors.
Modesty/humility means “letting one’s accomplishments speak for themselves, not seeking the spotlight, and not regarding oneself as more special than one is,” according to one research team. Researchers have found that humility is a key attribute of youths who have established a sense of purpose.
What we call moral character provides the foundation for successful interpersonal relationships and ethical behavior. These qualities include modesty/humility, spirituality (broadly defined, as described below), authenticity/honesty/integrity, and a range of social and emotional abilities.