Strong personality: traits, examples, theories

“What a pity that I don’t have the same fortitude as him!” - a thought that periodically visits those who cannot cope with any difficulties. It happens that you look at a person and are amazed at his psychological stability, endurance, patience, thinking that Mother Nature has endowed him with incredible strength.

What is the strength of personality? Everyone understands it in their own way: some evaluate strength by actions and actions, some are sure that even movements reveal a strong-willed character, while others identify it with worldly wisdom, the ability to correctly perceive the world around us and adapt to its changes, and all of them are right.

In this article we will tell you what qualities a strong personality has, give some interesting examples and give some tips on how to become a strong person.

Strength = toughness?

A strong personality is, first of all, characterized by a stable psyche in stressful situations. Such a person perceives leaving his comfort zone as an incentive for development, and not as a reason for worry. It is characterized by endurance, durability and maturity. These qualities, according to scientists, are formed in childhood.

Psychologists believe that it is impossible to determine for sure whether a person is persistent or not using any tests. Resilience is only developed by those who have faced obstacles in their lives.

Norman Garmezy, a psychologist at the University of Minnesota, has done a lot of research on this topic. He watched the children, but one boy made a special impression on him: he grew up in a dysfunctional family and always brought a sandwich to school that consisted of only two pieces of bread. But the boy did not want to be pitied or thought badly of his mother so much that he did not show it and always came to school with a smile. Garmezi calls such children successful, because they have a special personality trait - resilience.

Emmy Werner, a specialist in developmental psychology, conducted an experiment that lasted thirty-two years. She observed a group of approximately seven hundred children, from the time their mothers carried them in the womb until they were thirty years old. Emmy studied the influence of stress on the formation of the personality of each of them. Two thirds of those studied grew up in stable conditions, which cannot be said about the rest.

As a result, it turned out that children from the risk zone reacted differently to the stress that was happening in their lives: some began to develop behavioral problems by the age of ten; by the age of majority, many of the children became delinquents and mentally ill, while others grew up confident in life. themselves, caring young people who took advantage of every opportunity to develop.

Children's resilience was explained by the strong support of parents and guardians, but in most cases the development of resilience was directly dependent on the reaction to the environment. Resilient children, from an early age, willingly interacted with the world, showed independence and had a positive outlook on things. They were confident that they were shaping their own lives.

But Emmy Werner has found that resilience can weaken over time if a person is faced with greater stress that outweighs their level of endurance.

George Bonanno, a clinical psychologist at Columbia University, has spent nearly twenty-five years studying resilience. He tried to find out why some people cope with obstacles easily and others don’t. One of the influencing factors, in his opinion, is perception: a person may perceive a stressful situation as a trauma or an opportunity for growth.

For example, the passing of a loved one from life is certainly stressful. But if you find some special meaning in this sad event that will lead to an understanding of illness or religion, then the event will not be so traumatic. By the way, persistent people are more likely than others to talk about religious support.

According to George Bonanno, a positive reaction to what is happening can be learned, but human nature is so amazing that he can achieve the opposite effect with his own hands: strengthen his reaction to stress factors [M. Konnikova, 2016].

Commitment

The tendency to strengthen our personality is not only about working for ourselves or for our own benefit. A true social commitment and sense of community is considered a hallmark. This complete desire for altruism and social service often makes them the basis of inspiration for others. Moreover, often their very presence and languid appearance at certain moments reduce the degree of stress.

For many psychology experts, a strong person is a reflection of a real person, one who looks confidently into the future, without selfishness and is driven by the desire for social good.

What are your personal strengths?

What distinguishes a strong and a weak personality is well described by Amy Morin, a practicing psychotherapist, in her book “13 Things Strong People Don’t Do.”

According to the author, a person can be destroyed by self-pity, to which he succumbs in case of bad luck. Development is also greatly hampered by the desire to keep everything under control, constant soul-searching and reasoning about what a person has never been able to achieve. This focus on the negative aspects takes a lot of energy and reduces productivity.

Often people care about what others think of them, thereby making themselves vulnerable and allowing themselves to be manipulated. It turns out that a person forgets about himself and acts as others would like.

A strong personality knows how to recognize the presence of his weaknesses and constantly works on them. In short, these people don't do the following:

don't live in the past;
are not afraid to take risks;
do not feel sorry for themselves;
not amenable to manipulation;
do not try to please anyone;
do not step on the same rake;
are not afraid to be alone;
do not experience negative emotions if they are unlucky in some way;
do not give up after failures;
they don’t think that everyone owes them;
do not hope for quick results;
do not waste energy on what they cannot change;
are not afraid of change [E. Morin, 2019].

There is no universal interpretation of what constitutes a strong personality, but, of course, when we talk about strength of character, we automatically mean self-confidence, the ability to take responsibility and adapt to any changes.

What other traits are inherent in strong people?

Psychologists identify the following signs of strong people:

Self-control: someone who knows how to manage their feelings easily experiences stressful situations and controls the process without succumbing to emotions.
Coolness: The ability to “switch on a cool head” is one of the ways to demonstrate self-control.
Listening: This is an important prerequisite for effective communication. It is especially important to be able to listen when it comes to communicating with those who have a different view of what is happening. This quality helps you look at the situation from a different angle and even open your eyes to some things.
Flexibility: the world is changing so quickly that not everyone can keep up with the changes, and for some, any change is stressful. Those who know how to adapt to the situation achieve great success.
The ability to say “no”: setting your own boundaries is a manifestation of self-respect and healthy self-esteem. People who cannot refuse become victims of manipulators.
Thoughtfulness: A strong personality always uses logic when making decisions. Such people analyze the situation, weigh the pros and cons, and do not give in to emotions [T. Chursina, 2019].
The ability to forgive : resentment is a destructive feeling, it takes away energy and does not allow you to move on. Anyone who knows how to forgive feels much freer and happier.
The ability to admit one's mistakes: blaming others for personal failures is a weak point in personality. Strong people will always analyze, first of all, their actions, and only in extreme cases will they look for reasons in external factors. They easily admit their mistakes and apologize if they were wrong towards others.
The ability to not give up even in the most difficult situations: life is an unpredictable thing. Each of us experiences difficulties from time to time, but only a strong-willed person will not break down and will be able to learn a lesson and even benefit from any situation. Many successful people had difficult childhoods, which strengthened their character.
Courage to take on difficult tasks: the fear of making a mistake is common to everyone, but only some listen to it and remain in the same place, while others willingly take on difficult tasks, which helps them develop and acquire new useful skills.
No need for constant approval: the one who strives to be everyone's favorite forgets about his own interests and goals, because... all energy goes into meeting the expectations of others.
Determination: a strong personality will not look for reasons not to do something. She will look for opportunities to achieve her goals. She is not characterized by procrastination and postponing life “for later.”
Ability to stand up for your values: those who follow their beliefs and feelings show respect for themselves. But this does not mean that a strong person steps over the feelings of others, but means that he knows how to stand up for himself [I. Balmanji, 2019].

Of course, this list can be continued indefinitely, because everyone has their own criteria for strength. The main thing that distinguishes strong people from weak ones is the ability to go to the end, no matter what obstacles may be encountered along the way. And in this they are helped by self-confidence, determination and other qualities and skills listed earlier.

What else would you include in the list of characteristic signs of a strong personality?

conclusions

To summarize, this human profile includes several internal characteristics and processes that lack resistance or effective practices. They help maintain internal balance and harmony, both external and external. So let us not hesitate to work for the changes that are so needed in our lives.

If we cannot choose our life circumstances, let us at least try to work on our thoughts and attitudes to improve the reality around us.

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What does Raskolnikov have to do with this?

The issue of classifying individuals into strong and weak was often raised in the works of classics and modern writers. Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky in his work “Crime and Punishment” paid special attention to this and highlighted the current problem of modern society at that time.

Raskolnikov's theory is a theory about a strong personality. The main character of the novel divided humanity into two categories: “trembling creatures” and “those who have the right.” Simply put, in his opinion, some people are the chosen ones: they can do great things, decide destinies and, like Napoleon, commit crimes for the sake of their goal, i.e. the leader's life and ideas cost people's lives; others are created only for procreation.

Rodion Raskolnikov, a poor student dreaming of a great future, decided to prove that he was one of the chosen ones by killing an old woman, thinking that he would not face any remorse and was easily capable of committing a crime. As a result, the hero, after committing an act, plunges into terrible torment and admits that he killed not the old woman, but himself. And only admitting his guilt and turning to God gives him peace of mind.

The writer, using the example of Raskolnikov, wanted to show how social inequality pushed people to such illegal acts, and that it is not the right to kill that makes a person strong, but his ability to remain kind and merciful despite various circumstances [V. Kiroptin, 1986].

Special professional qualities

Each of these properties is considered in accordance with professional significance. For example, driving is contraindicated for a person who is unable to distinguish colors (color blindness). A person with low numerical ability will not be hired as a leading economist.

It is also necessary to list the following personality qualities, without which mastering a profession will in principle be impossible:

Properties of an individual-typological nature (endurance, physical strength, lability of the nervous system) - in other words, stress resistance.
Analytical properties that allow you to acquire unique abilities over time. Example: “technical hearing” is the ability to understand the cause of a mechanism malfunction without instruments, only relying on experience.
Attentiveness directly depends on a person’s interest and desire to have up-to-date information about reality and to adequately evaluate it.
Psychomotor skills are the special properties and perceptions of a person that guide him when choosing a course of action to achieve his goals. It also includes the speed of analysis and the ability to quickly analyze a situation and make decisions. As practice shows, this skill can be trained well.
Mnemonic qualities. Associated with memory. Professional memory is also freely trained.
Imaginative features - the ability to imagine and complex thought processes
Strong-willed qualities - they are not required for every profession, but they are always necessary to overcome difficulties in the process of work.

Now let's look at examples

If earlier, when speaking about strength, we meant, first of all, physical data, but now this concept is much broader. In ancient times, to be considered such, a person only had to kill a mammoth, but now this quality is measured by mental, intellectual and other abilities that make many people not just strong, but unique and great personalities.

Let's get acquainted with examples of strong people who have already made history or are just starting their journey, motivating others to succeed.

Peter I

Peter I is an outstanding ruler who made a significant contribution to the development of the state. He was his father's fourteenth child and his mother's first-born. Peter I's father passed away when the future tsar was not even four years old.

As Tsar, Peter I set himself the goal of raising Russia to the level of successful countries. The ruler divided the country into ten provinces, subordinated the church to the state, founded an army and navy, and also reformed the sphere of education and culture: new educational institutions began to open, and the opportunity to study abroad became available. Thanks to the innovations of Peter I, Russia became an empire, and the ruler received the title of “Great Emperor”.

Some interesting facts: Peter I was a little over two meters tall, but at the same time he had small feet. To correct for this difference, he wore shoes several sizes larger. The emperor was against drunkenness and fought against it with the help of a cast iron medal: it was hung on those who abused alcohol so that it was impossible to remove it, and you had to wear it for seven days. Peter I was versed in various crafts; he mastered the skills of a mason, carpenter, etc.

The king had a stern character, the formation of which was probably influenced by a tragic situation in childhood: in front of the eyes of a little boy, rebels dealt with his relatives. The personality of Peter I still arouses interest, but the fact that he determined the course of Russia's development for many years to come made him one of the great personalities who gave strength to the state.

Yuri Gagarin

Could one day a boy from a simple family have thought that he would become the first person to conquer space? Probably not.

Yuri Gagarin lived in the village of Klushino. In 1941, little Yura was preparing to go to school, but instead of happy days at his desk, he was forced to fight for life, coming face to face with the war. The Germans kicked his family out of their house, where they later set up a workshop. He lived in a dugout with his family for a year and a half without the opportunity to stand up to his full height and move freely.

Despite all the troubles, Yuri Gagarin was able to succeed in his studies, graduated from college, an industrial technical school and entered a sports flying club, where he made his first flight. Once he was almost expelled from school due to the fact that he could not land the plane correctly. In the end, it turned out that his short stature was to blame. The problem was solved by placing a thick pad on the chair.

In 1961, he was included in a group of six candidates for space flight. Yuri Alekseevich successfully passed all the tests and training, leaving no doubt that he should be the chosen one.

Yuri Gagarin died in a plane crash, the cause of which is still controversial. In his note, which he wrote to his wife before flying into space, there was the following: “Once in childhood I read the words of Valery Chkalov: “If there is to be, then to be the first.” So I’m trying to be that and will be until the end.” The spouse received the note only after the pilot’s death [Anews.com, 2020].

Elon Musk

This name is probably on everyone’s lips, but few people know that in childhood, today’s American entrepreneur, engineer and billionaire was a withdrawn child and was even subjected to violence from his peers, and once, after another beating, he had to repair a broken nose.

Elon's parents divorced, and the boy decided to live with his father, who had a difficult character. As a child, Elon Musk helped his father at work, which was related to construction. At the age of ten, Musk was given a computer, and at the age of twelve he sold his first program, a video game, for five hundred dollars. In 1995, he entered Stanford, which he left exactly two days later to start his first company.

Today, Elon Musk is the founder of several companies, such as X.com and PayPal (personal money transfers), SpaceX (development of launch vehicles), Tesla (production of electric vehicles), etc. He was awarded the title of the best entrepreneur of the year and included in the list of the most influential people of the twenty-first century, and was also awarded the Heinlein Prize for achievements in the commercialization of space [Biography.com, 2021].

Some more inspiring stories

Nick Vujicic has no arms since birth, and a small foot with two toes protrudes directly from his thigh. Despite his rare disease, Nick leads a full life that can be the envy of those who are completely healthy. He swims, surfs, plays football and golf. Moreover, he graduated from college and received a diploma in two specializations.

Nick Vujicic gives lectures where, by his example, he motivates people not to give up and believe in themselves. By the way, he is married and has four children who were born absolutely healthy. Isn't this happiness?

Jessica Cox is not just a female pilot, but a pilot without arms. She has a birth defect. The most interesting thing is that during pregnancy, all tests for Jessica’s mother indicated that the baby was developing without pathologies.

Despite her peculiarity, the girl drives a car and combs her own hair, she does all this with the help of her legs. She also trained as a psychologist, dances, and has a double black belt in taekwondo.

To train as a pilot, the girl took a three-year course in airplane driving, where she was taught by three instructors. This is what willpower and determination mean!

Andrea Bocelli is a singer from Italy who is known throughout the world. Andrea's talent for music manifested itself in childhood, but, unfortunately, he experienced vision problems due to glaucoma, and being hit on the head by a ball while playing football completely made the boy blind.

Despite this, he received a musical education and was able to attract attention: he was invited to various performances. Andrea Bocelli was one of the first who was able to combine opera music with pop style.

As you can see, personal strength, first of all, manifests itself in indomitability in the face of difficulties, perseverance of character, powerful self-motivation and fortitude. Such different stories, but they all prove that each of us is the creator of our own destiny.

Arguments from literature

(56 words) In D.I. Fonvizin’s comedy “The Minor,” Starodum can serve as an example of fortitude. The hero meets a young officer who seems decent. However, war was soon declared, the protagonist’s friend evaded the defense of the Motherland and succeeded in the rear. Starodum went to the battlefield, was wounded and outflanked. But this incident did not break him and did not deprive him of faith in the triumph of truth.
(48 words) Erast, the hero of the story by N.M. Karamzin "Poor Liza", turned out to be a weak person, could not match the love of the peasant woman Liza. The young man, having seduced the girl and got his, squanders his fortune and decides to find himself a profitable match. Erast deceived Lisa and married someone else, and she drowned herself, so the hero’s powerlessness was punished by eternal pangs of conscience.
(54 words) Chatsky, hero of the comedy A.S. Griboyedov “Woe from Wit” is a truly strong man, he had the courage to go not only against one influential person, Famusov, but also against a crowd of his supporters. Chatsky preached truth, freedom, opposed veneration and lies. Everyone turned their backs on him, but Alexander still did not give up, isn’t this strength of spirit?
(59 words) In the novel in verse “Eugene Onegin” by A.S. Pushkin, the strength of the spirit is concentrated in Tatyana. Having fallen in love with Onegin, she was ready to do anything for him. The girl was not even afraid to confess, but this was unacceptable in the 19th century. The strength of spirit, the power of love overcame all obstacles, except one - the lack of reciprocal feelings. Tatyana remained unhappy, but she has a core and the truth is on her side.
(47 words) Mtsyri, the main character of the poem of the same name by M.Yu. Lermontov, yearned for his native Caucasus and freedom all his life. The hero had a goal: to live for real, at least for a moment, outside the monastery. And Mtsyri fled and tried to return to his native place. It didn’t work out for him, but this thirst for freedom reveals the strength of spirit in the hero.
(48 words) Pechorin, the main character of the novel by M.Yu. Lermontov’s “Hero of Our Time” is a strong-willed man. For example, when Grushnitsky started an unfair duel against him, Grigory was not afraid, but calmly brought the game to the end, punishing the scoundrel with death. This act is not at all merciful, but strong, because otherwise the hero himself would have died.
(52 words) The main character of the story M.E. Saltykov-Shchedrin's "The Wise Minnow" is completely devoid of any spiritual strength, he was afraid of dangers all his life, and therefore did not live, but only existed in a hole without friends, love, simple joys. Because of his weakness, everything passed by the gudgeon, although his existence was long, but absolutely empty. Without strength of spirit there is no life.
(36 words) In the story by A.P. Chekhov's “Death of an Official”, the executor Chervyakov sneezed on General Bryzzhalov and was so frightened by the consequences of this accident that, in the end, he died of horror. Fear has deprived the hero of common sense, this is what weakness of spirit leads to.
(41 words) Andrei Sokolov, the main character of the story by M.A. Sholokhov’s “The Fate of Man” can be called a strong personality. He went to war because his homeland was in danger, he went through all its horrors, then captivity and a concentration camp. Sokolov is a real hero, although he himself never understood his strength.
(60 words) Vasily Terkin, the hero of the poem of the same name by A.T. Tvardovsky, fortitude is combined with humor and ease, as if it costs nothing for a fighter to do things that few modern people can repeat without fear and posturing. For example, the chapter “Duel” tells about the hero’s confrontation with a German: the enemy is fattened, better prepared, but Vasily won, and this victory occurred solely on moral and volitional qualities, because of fortitude.

How to become a strong personality

More and more people are saying that you need to be strong. This has been talked about since school, because even students are often given the task of writing an essay on the topic of a strong personality.

So, what does inner strength give:

Anyone who has a strong-willed character easily overcomes any difficulties and endures psychological trauma.
Resilient people achieve their goals faster.
Strong personalities have fortitude, do not become victims of manipulators and do not allow themselves to be offended.
Such people have a more stable psyche and easily adapt to any changes.
They always attract the attention of employers and move up the career ladder faster.

And this is only a small part of what inner strength gives a person. If you read our article and realized that not all traits of a strong personality apply to you, do not be discouraged. Firstly, your strength already lies in the fact that you have recognized your weaknesses, and secondly, there are many techniques that will help you build character on your own.

Here are some tips on how to become a strong person:

Determine your “inhibiting” qualities: maybe you are afraid to tell the truth and rarely refuse anyone? Or are you too shy and find it difficult to fight back against bullies? Analyze your behavior in various situations (especially those where you failed) and think about what exactly prevented you from achieving the desired result.
Make your shortcomings your advantage: if you are too anxious and suspicious, that’s good! You will not make mistakes that are typical of those who are used to acting without looking. Take on work that requires special care and preliminary analysis; this is where you will achieve the greatest success.
Form your point of view: all great people have their own opinion and are not afraid to express it, even if it contradicts everyone's beliefs. You yourself know that truth is born in a dispute, so analyze whether all the attitudes are really yours or whether some were imposed on you. Support your opinion with arguments when you enter into a conversation with your opponent, this will add confidence to you.
Set goals for yourself: life without goals is existence. You must know what you really want to achieve, and then you will have the strength and energy to achieve the desired result.
Don't be afraid of failures: unpleasant situations happen in everyone's life from time to time, and that's normal. The one who does nothing makes no mistakes, and if there are mistakes, it means there is room for improvement. Do you agree?
Strengthen your strengths: it is a mistake to believe that you only need to work on your weaknesses. Analyze what you can do best, and improve in this, achieve success in an area close to your spirit - this will increase your self-esteem. If Elon Musk had focused on his shyness and introversion instead of studying programming, it is unlikely that he would be the person he is today.
Analyze your surroundings: be more often in the company of strong personalities, communicate with those who are stronger than you in some ways, and take their example.
Get rid of negative thinking: a positive assessment of the present helps shape a happy future. Notice the good things around you - this will fill you with energy and always be in a great mood.
Play sports: moral and physical strength are closely interconnected. Sport fosters the will to win, makes a person resilient and purposeful.
Broaden your horizons: when they talk about personal strength, they mean not only endurance and strong-willed character, but also high intellectual abilities. Develop yourself, read more books, study your rights, don’t be afraid to try yourself in different fields of activity. Believe me, self-education can be fun, effective and not take up much time. Take our online program “Best Self-Education Techniques” and see for yourself!
Manage your emotions: Weak people tend to succumb to anger and worry. Authoritative individuals maintain a cool head and restraint even in the most unusual situations.
Train willpower: strong people are able to refuse various temptations in order to achieve their goal and perfectly understand the meaning of the word “must” if circumstances force them to do something that they may not really want.
Learn to refuse: those who do not know how to say “no” often become victims of manipulators. It is easy to manage such people and impose your point of view on them. Do not be afraid to refuse if the request contradicts your beliefs, and its implementation threatens a serious loss of your own resources.
Be inspired by the examples of great people: everyone who has made a certain contribution to the development of science, the country, and humanity is undoubtedly a strong individual. Get to know their biography, watch a documentary instead of mindlessly watching another TV series.
Work on all areas of life: a person is strong and full of energy when all his needs are satisfied. Don’t forget about hobbies, health and family, completely devoting yourself to work. One day there will come a time when you won’t have enough strength to do what you love, because there will simply be nowhere to draw it from.

A strong personality is formed through daily work on oneself. Yes, nature gives us certain character traits at birth; each of us has strengths and weaknesses, which means that everyone has an equal chance of becoming someone whose strong-willed character and fortitude will lead to cherished goals, despite obstacles.

Ability to read people

Strong character is the ability not to be offended, and for this you need to correctly read people's intentions. To truly understand them you need only two things:

Listen and don’t think too much. Conducting internal dialogues, searching for hidden meaning behind a banal smile or an open door in front of you is often misleading. It may simply be politeness, which is perceived as sympathy.
Observe. Often a person gives signals, intentionally or unconsciously, which, if ignored, lead to misunderstandings. For example, a guy constantly says that he would really like to meet and postpones the meeting every time. This indicates that there is not much desire in him. Or a girl who constantly showers her with praise, flirts and at the same time asks to replace her at work, to perform some duties for her, is actually a skilled manipulator.

Summarize

The realities of today's life are such that, willy-nilly, a person has to cultivate a strong personality. This is understandable: someone who has a strong character, perseverance and knows how to stand up for themselves, achieves results more easily and adapts to circumstances faster than someone who constantly complains about life, shifting responsibility for their actions to others, and is subject to the fear of any changes.

Man by nature is a unique creation. Each of us has our own pros and cons, character traits, beliefs. You should not think that strong people do not have shortcomings; they also have weaknesses, but they know how to work on them.

Remember, everything is under your control. You can overcome any obstacles, make your most cherished dreams come true, the main thing is to work on yourself every day, improve your advantages, turn disadvantages into advantages, respect yourself and your opinion and not be afraid to move forward. A tree does not become strong immediately; it, too, was once a thin stem with a weak root system, like the rest of us. We are not born with inner strength. We ourselves generate this strength within ourselves.

Good luck!

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Key words: 1 Communication, 1 Self-knowledge

The ability to assert your boundaries and say no

A person may have personal boundaries that he defends. They can be physical or psychological. You should not be afraid to show them, this will help people not to cross them. Some openness will be beneficial.

The inability to refuse people indicates low self-esteem. Reliability is never valued; most often such people are taken advantage of and don’t even notice it. We must remember that the opportunity to say “no” is always present. If you want to help and it can be done without harming yourself, then it makes sense to agree. But there is no need to violate your own plans and raise parasites. This should not be confused with selfishness; there is nothing wrong with self-sacrifice and mutual assistance, but everything should be in moderation.

“Russian Bear”: Vasily Alekseev

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Vasily Alekseev can be called the last hero of the Soviet era. He was born in 1942, and since 1966 he has lived almost constantly in the Rostov city of Shakhty. Despite his worldwide fame, Alekseev led a modest life, devoting himself entirely to his favorite activity - weightlifting. The “Russian Bear” (as foreign fans nicknamed him) became the Olympic Champion twice, the World Champion six times, the European Champion six times, and held first place at the USSR championships for seven years. During his sports career, Vasily Alekseev set 80 world records and 81 USSR records. He is also the “eternal” holder of the current world record for the total of three exercises - 645 kg (currently there are no competitions in this discipline). Vasily Alekseev competed with himself, setting new records at the championships over and over again. It was he who opened the era of the “six hundred men”, being the first to conquer the six hundred kilogram peak. From 1989 to 1992, Alekseev coached the national team and the United Weightlifting Team. During his coaching work, not a single member of the team was injured. His training system can be called revolutionary. He criticized lifting extreme weights in training, trying to emphasize strength endurance and combining types of training. So, he loved to take a barbell and go to barbecues, train in the breaks between swimming and rest, lift the barbell in the water, and often work out in the fresh air. Vasily Alekseev died on November 25, 2011 in Munich at the age of 69. One of his loyal fans is Arnold Schwarzenegger.

“Iron Samson”: Alexander Zass

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Alexander Zass remained in history as “Iron Samson”. Fame came to him during the First World War. He escaped from Austrian captivity, carrying a wounded horse from the battlefield. He found his destiny in the Hungarian circus, he designed acts himself, carried a horse or a piano around the arena with a pianist and dancer sitting on the lid; caught with his hands a 90-kilogram cannonball, which was fired from a circus cannon from a distance of 8 meters; he tore a metal beam with assistants sitting at its ends from the floor and held it in his teeth; having threaded the shin of one leg into the loop of a rope fixed under the very dome, he held the platform with the piano and pianist in his teeth; Lying with his bare back on a board with nails, he held a stone weighing 500 kilograms on his chest, which they hit with sledgehammers. "Samson" toured a lot. He was with his performances in Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, England, Ireland. Since 1924, Zass lived permanently in England, where he was awarded the title “The Strongest Man on Earth.” In 1925, the book “The Amazing Samson” was published in London. Told by himself." One of Zass’s merits can be considered the system of isometric exercises he developed aimed at strengthening tendons. Such training allowed him, despite his rather modest dimensions for a strongman, to withstand enormous loads. Unfortunately, in the USSR, until the 80s, practically nothing was known about him - “Samson” was considered “alien” to the Soviet system. Alexander Zass died in 1962. He was buried near London in the small town of Hockley, where his home was.

What personal positive qualities of a person should be included in a resume?

If there are usually no difficulties with listing places of work in a resume, then it is often difficult to name your positive qualities. A person does not know how to evaluate himself objectively, which can be an obstacle. Another reason is that the applicant feels that he needs to be more modest and not paint himself in bright colors. This is a misconception, because your resume is a kind of presentation. Therefore, do not be shy and think carefully about which positive qualities you would most like to include in your resume.

The enumeration should be based on several rules:

be restrained in your presentation;
Don't make an overly long list;
get away from the stereotypes;
choose positive qualities for your resume in accordance with the requirements of the vacancy.

You should not be ironic or make jokes if you are applying for a position that requires a serious approach. You can show your humor only in cases where the proposed work requires exclusively creative qualities. In addition, try to show that you are exactly the person the employer is waiting for. Avoid terms such as communication skills: this is found in almost every resume and has long become a template.

Having trouble describing positive qualities in your resume?

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