Presentation designed by Dr. Andrew Stricker for The Air University and adapted by Dr. Cynthia Calongne for her workshop with the CTU Student Support Community, November 4, 2017. Please realize that the examples relate to the movie Gladiator, which varies from the events in history. The movie Gladiator is a work of fiction and we recommend reading the complex and fascinating history to understand those amazing times and the character of the people who lived during them.

1. CHARACTER STRENGTHS
A Game of Character in
Storytelling
Cynthia Calongne, D.CS, Colorado Technical University
Designed by Andrew Stricker,PhD, The AirUniversity

2. The Science of Strength & Virtuous
Behaviors
“The best moments in our lives are not the passive,
receptive, relaxing times… The best moments
usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched
to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish
something difficult and worthwhile.”
– Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Christopher Peterson Martin Seligman
Positive Psychology
Model based on research
examining strengths and
resiliency

3. Using the theme from the movie Gladiator
And humor from Mr. Bean, the Gladiator
Freak Show. (2011, December). BEAN the Gladiator [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.freakingnews.com/Mr-Bean-The-Gladiator-Pictures-103098.asp

4. Do not my virtues matter if they
drive me to excel?
The Virtues ofCommodus
Ambitious
Resourceful
Courageous
Devoted
Am Inot dutiful?
Wick, D., Franzoni, D., & Lustig, B. (Producers), Scott, R. (Director). (2000). Gladiator [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Pictures.

5. Virtues on front of La Rochelle City Hall, France
Plato’s Four Cardinal Virtues - Shared by Marcus
Aurelius to his son Commodus in the movie Gladiator
Prudence
(Wisdom)
Justice Fortitude Temperance

6. Ambitious
Resourceful
Courageous
Devoted
The Hidden Philosophical Message in 'Gladiator'
Am I not a dutiful & virtuous warrior?
Wick, D., Franzoni, D., & Lustig, B. (Producers), Scott, R. (Director). (2000). Gladiator [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Pictures.

7. What did he do to rule?
The Actions of Commodus
Resourceful
Courageous
Devoted
Ambitious
Wick, D., Franzoni, D., & Lustig, B. (Producers), Scott, R. (Director). (2000). Gladiator [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Pictures.

8. Let’s Play a Strengths & Virtues Game
You are a hero, a knight on a noble quest
Many trials will challenge you
1st What will aid you in your quest?
2nd What do you need to grow stronger?

9. Your Goals & Strengths
As the hero of your story
What matters most to you?
What do you want most out of life?
Your goal is to achieve a virtuous outcome.
How will your strengths aid you in your quest?
Which of the strengths will you seek to grow stronger?

10. Contemporary Model of Virtues & CharacterStrengths
Temperance
Wisdom
Love
Kindnes
sSocial
Intelligence
Zest
Bravery
Honest
yPerseveranc
e
Love of
Learning
Perspective
Judgment
Creativity
Curiosity
Humility
Prudence
Forgiveness
Self-
Regulation
Teamwork
Leadershi
p
Fairness
Appreciation of Beauty
& Excellence
Spirituality
Gratitude
Humor
Hope

11. Rate your character strengths, scale of 1-5
5 is strong, 4 is often, 3 is normal, 2 is less often, 1 is rarely
Creativity – thinking of new ways to do things
Curiosity – want to learn more about everything - discovery
Love of Learning – you love formal & informal learning
Perspective – others view you as wise & turn to you for advice
Love – you value close relations, sharing & caring
Kindness – you are kind & generous with others, good deeds
Rate 1-5 how strongly do you represent these strengths – 5 is strong, 1 is light

12. Rate your character strengths 1-5
5 is always, 4 is strong, 3 is normal, 2 is less often, 1 is rarely
Judgment – Critical thinking, perceptive, analytical
Social Intelligence – sensitive to the motives & feelings of others
Teamwork – you excel in a team, work hard and share
Fairness – treat everyone the same despite personal feelings
Leadership – Motivator, organizer, inspiration, charismatic
Bravery – speak for what’s right, fearless for others, valor
Rate 1-5 how strongly do you represent these strengths – 5 is strong, 1 is light

13. Rate your character strengths 1-5
5 is always, 4 is strong, 3 is normal, 2 is less often, 1 is rarely
Perseverance – persistent, strong work ethic, you deliver
Honesty – authentic, genuine, high integrity, trustworthy
Enthusiasm – zest, vitality, enthusiastic, energetic, on fire, vigor
Appreciation of Beauty – awe & wonder for all forms of beauty
Gratitude – thankful for the good things that happen
Optimism – hope – working toward the best future
Rate 1-5 how strongly do you represent these strengths – 5 is strong, 1 is light

14. Rate your character strengths 1-5
5 is always, 4 is strong, 3 is normal, 2 is less often, 1 is rarely
Humor – keep others smiling, playful, light-hearted
Spirituality – faithful, understand your purpose & life’s meaning
Forgiveness – mercy, belief in 2nd chances, accept shortcomings
Humility – modest, less talk, let your acts speak for you
Prudence – careful, cautious, sensible, steady
Self-control – disciplined, manage impulses & emotions
Rate 1-5 how strongly do you represent these strengths – 5 is strong, 1 is light

15. Character Strengths by the Core Virtues
WISDOM
Creativity
Curiosity
Judgment
Love of Learning
Perspective
TRANSCENDENCE
Appreciation of Beauty
Gratitude
Optimism
Humor
Spirituality
COURAGE
Bravery
Perseverance
Honesty
EnthusiasmHUMANITY
Love
Kindness
Social Intelligence
JUSTICE
Teamwork
Fairness
Leadership
TEMPERANCE
Forgiveness
Humility
Prudence
Self-control
Which strengths do you choose as your top virtues? You are a virtuous knight.

16. Character Strengths
Serve out of respect
for human dignity
Never use people as a means
for achieving an end
Be of good character
Integrity
Service
Driven by Moral
Virtues
Wisdom
Justice
Fortitude
Temperance
Aim for virtuous outcomes
Excellence
Wick, D., Franzoni, D., & Lustig, B. (Producers), Scott, R. (Director). (2000). Gladiator [Motion picture]. United States: DreamWorks Pictures.

17. The Scholarship of Moral Virtues in Practice
Behavioral &
Leadership
Sciences
Social-
Cognitive
Sciences
Moral & Identity
Development
Touchstone: the Stoic Philosophical Framework

18. Aristotle’s Reasoning AboutVirtues
The formulation:
The acquisition:
Intellectual virtue comes from teaching,
but moral virtue
comes from habit.
The two are acquired differently. Intellectual virtue
can be acquired by reading a book; moral virtue can
be acquired only through practice.
A certain type of situation elicits certain responses in us (actions and passions)
Based on how we respond, we form a habit . It could be either virtuous or vicious.
Vices are acquired by bad habits, just as virtues are acquired by good habits
We become virtuous by acting
virtuously We become vicious by
acting viciously

19. Discipline in the Practice of Moral Virtues: The StoicView
A common definition: stoa poikilê unmovable portico
An ancient Greek school of philosophy founded at
Athens by Zeno of Citium. The school taught that virtue,
the highest good, is based on knowledge, and that the
wise live in harmony with the divine Reason (also
identified with Fate and Providence) that governs nature,
and are indifferent to the vicissitudes of fortune. Stoics
believe the philosophy is a “way of life.” In contemporary
thought Stoicism is viewed as a form of psychological
discipline.
Zeno
(344-262 BCE)
Seneca
(4 BCE-65 CE)
Epictetus
(c.55-135)
Aurelius
(121-180)
“unmovable porch”

20. Stoicism and the Military Mind

21. Embracing & Overcoming Flaws
In fiction
A character’s flaws make them interesting!
What slows you down in life?
How will you overcome it?
What will you do to grow stronger?

22. The Flow Model

23. The universe is
change; our life is
what our thoughts
make it.
- MarcusAurelius
*adapted from Malinowski, 2013,
Liverpool Mindfulness Model
*
Discipline of the Mind
Daimo
n

24. Habits of Mind Related to MoralVirtues
Managing impulsivity
Listening with empathy and understanding
Thinking flexibly, questioning and considering
diverse perspectives, learning continuously
*adapted from Costa & Kallick, 2000, Habits of Mind
*
Temperance
Wisdom
Justice
Fortitude Persistence, taking responsible risks

25. A Larger Perspective
Integrity
Act
Service
Outcome
Excellence
Character System *
Agent (Identity) MoralCognition-Reason
Performance
Moral Mental Health
Moral Critical Social
Engagement
*adapted from Nucci,2016

26. A LifeView*
*adapted from Santrock, 2007, 2017
Chronosystem
Microsystem
Mesosystem
Exosystem
Macrosystem Time
(Life events & Zeitgeist)
Culture
Gemeinschaft
(Family &
Community)
Gessellschaft
(Civic Society)
"The prime
principle in man's
constitution is the
social."
- MarcusAurelius
Social Concsciousness

27. Questions?
“Always do right…this will gratify some and astonish
the rest” – Mark Twain
“make your exit with grace — the same grace shown to you.”
Live a life well-lived and share your strengths

28. A Life Well Lived
The 13th Warrior [McTiernan, Crichton, & Dowd, 1999]
‘Lo, there do I see my father.
‘Lo, there do I see my mother,
and my sisters, and my brothers.
‘Lo, there do I see the line of my people,
back to the beginning.
‘Lo, they do call to me.
They bid me to take my place among them
in the halls of Valhalla
where the brave
may live
forever.
McTiernan, J., Crichton, M., Dowd, N. (Producers). (1999). The 13th warrior [Motion picture]. United States: Touchstone Pictures.

29. Further Reading
Nucci, L. (2016). Character: A Multi-faceted Developmental System. Paper
prepared for the Workshop on Approaches to the Development of Character,
July 26, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,
Washington, DC. Available: http://
sites.nationalacademies.org/cs/groups/dbassesite/documents/webpage/dbasse_
173496.pdf [December 2016].
Peterson, C., and Seligman, M.E.P. (2004). Character Strengths and Virtues:
A Handbook and Classification. New York: Oxford University Press and
Washington, DC: American PsychologicalAssociation.
Roeser, R., Vago, D., Pinela, C., Morris, L., Taylor, C., and Harrison, J. (2014).
Contemplative education: Cultivating ethical development through
mindfulness training. In L. Nucci, D. Narvaez, and T. Krettenauer (Eds.),
Handbook of Moral and Character Education (2nd ed.) (pp. 234-247). New
York: Routledge.