This week's P2 trait is Love. We hope you'll take a few minutes sometime this week and use the links at the bottom of this message to talk to your child about this character trait.
What it is.
The character strength of love represents the way we think, feel, and behave towards the people with whom we have close relationships. When one person loves another person, that person: comforts and makes the other feel safe; sacrifices on the other’s behalf; supports the other during struggles; and places the other’s needs ahead of his/her own. If you love a person, that person makes you feel safe and secure. You can be yourself with that person. You miss that person when they are not around.
Positive psychology looks at love as reciprocal, not one-sided. That means crushes, stalking, and celebrity worship do not fall into this strength. What is contained in this strength are: romantic love and friendship; love between parents and children; and emotional bonds between family members, friends, mentors, teammates, or coworkers.
Why it matters.
Love is imperative to an individual’s happiness and fulfillment in life. Love allows us to be intimate with another person. It allows us to open up to another person and be vulnerable. That openness gives us the ability to learn and grow. Loving another person and sacrificing on his/her behalf produces positive emotions. And, it helps you access strengths – and feelings – you never knew you had.
On a group level, love is vital for the well-being of society. The world is endlessly interconnected. We are all dependent upon each other for survival and happiness. Love produces positive feelings, which help negate loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Without love, we cannot find intimacy nor form strong relationships with our families, friends, or communities. A world without love and connection is a dangerous world..
Practice at home.
To practice this character trait at home, please visit P2 for Families, where you will watch a video together and discuss a quote a three questions. Click the link below appropriate for your child's grade level.