Inward and Outward Strength Expression
Your VIA Strengths Assessment has given you your top strengths!
Strengths are things at which we are naturally good and thrive in using. Strengths have been defined as positive, trait-like capabilities for thinking, feeling, and behaving in ways that benefit oneself and others (Niemiec, 2013).
In general, it is possible to distinguish between inward and outward strength use. Specifically, outward strength use is the extent to which you express a given strength toward others while inward strength use is the extent to which you express this strength towards yourself. For example, a mother may express her strength ‘generosity’ outwardly, to others, by spending much of her time and energy caring for her family. However, she may also express ‘generosity’ inwardly, to herself, by allowing herself to have a weekly massage.
It is important to consider how you express your strengths inwardly versus outwardly due to discrepancies between the inward and outward strength use. For example, a person may be ‘honest’ with other people but dishonest with him/herself; he/she may be dissatisfied at work and unhappy in his/her marriage, but chooses to ignore or suppress these negative thoughts and feelings. Another example might be a person who tends to be very ‘forgiving’ of others for their transgressions, but not at all forgiving of him/herself. By understanding the scope of one’s strength use (that is, the extent to which they use a given strength inwardly and outwardly), one can address such discrepancies to increase strength expression and subsequently well-being.
Step One
Start with your top strength on your VIA strengths assessment.
Step Two - Identify outward use of this strength
How do you typically express this strength (Step 1) in your daily life?
What is it that you say and do to demonstrate this strength in the context of your social relationships?
Write down as many examples that you can think of.
Step 3: Identify inward use of this strength
Now let us consider this social strength in a different context, that is, to what degree do you apply this strength to yourself?
Write down as many examples that you can think of.
Step 4: Compare inward and outward strength expression
Compare your answers to steps 2 and 3: In general, do you express this more outwardly (toward others) than inwardly (toward yourself) or vice versa?
For instance, do you tend to show ‘kindness’ more naturally and more frequently to your friends or family than to yourself?
Indicate any discrepancies between the extent to which you apply this strength to others/yourself in the middle column by simply checking the box to indicate greater inward or outward use.
Step 5: Analyse the reason(s) for the discrepancy
If you checked the ‘Balanced’ box and thus found no discrepancy between your inward and outward strength use, you are doing well to express this strength of yours both to others and yourself. Well done! You may finish the exercise here.
If you identified a discrepancy in the previous step, take a moment to consider possible underlying reasons for this difference. Ask yourself why you tend to apply this strength more to others than yourself (or vice versa). Perhaps this is something that you saw your mother or father do growing up, or maybe you hold a rule or belief about this? For example, if you tend to apply your strength ‘generosity’ more to your children than to yourself, you may recall that as a child, your mother did the very same thing, always putting you and your siblings before herself. Alternatively, you may explain the very same discrepancy by the fact that your mother was not at all generous with you as a child, which has to lead you to overcompensate for this and be very generous with your children. Or perhaps you hold some rule of belief about this strength, such as “I always have to be kind” or “I should always be humble.” Or, perhaps, there are difficult emotions that emerge when you apply a given strength to yourself.
This will help you understand what you can do to dial up your strength where balance needs to be restored.
Step Six - What side needs to be dialled up?
To restore the balance you look at what you can put in place to dial up on the side that is lacking.
What other strengths can you use to do this!
Repeat for your top five strengths!
Example of a personal strength of mine where I have completed this activity, you can download your own worksheet to print and use or draw up your own.
Reference - Activity sourced from positivepsychology.com Tool Kit and adapted.
