How do we rage against the dying of the light? A trans-generational exploration of character strengths

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate character strengths, focussing on their development over time and application from a personal perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was conducted using an autoethnographic, semi-structured interview approach with two participants: the authors themselves.

Findings

This study explored character strengths, their commonalities across generations and how personal experiences shape them. It also highlighted how to encourage others to recognise and use their strengths.

Research limitations/implications

This study also enriches character strengths theory by addressing cultural and generational differences, aligning with positive psychology 3.0 (Lomas et al., 2020). This study also introduces a unique methodological approach to explore character strengths.

Practical implications

This study provides novel insights for personal growth, enhancing psychological evaluations and inter-generational discourse on knowledge transfer through the lens of character strengths. These can be used to develop interventions for a range of populations.

Originality/value

Through this personalised and culturally relevant approach, novel insights into the longitudinal effects of interactions between individual experiences and character strengths were gained. This study emphasised the dynamic nature of strengths and drew parallels to the tenets of Indian psychology, thereby underscoring the significance of strengths as a pivotal next step in the understanding of a person.

Citation

Vyas, M. and Vyas, R. (2023), "How do we rage against the dying of the light? A trans-generational exploration of character strengths", Mental Health and Social Inclusion, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/MHSI-06-2023-0072