Strengths Use and Psychological Richness: A Pathway to Wisdom

Character strengths has been extensively studied in relation to hedonic and eudaimonic well-being, yet its association with psychological richness, defined by diverse, novel, and perspective-changing experiences, remains largely unexplored. This study examines the relationships between character strengths use, psychological richness, and wisdom among Filipino college students. Using self-report measures, we found that character strengths use, especially hope was positively associated with psychological richness, suggesting that leveraging one’s signature strengths or hope might foster a life rich in variety of emotions and experiences. Moreover, psychological richness significantly predicted wisdom, particularly in social advising and acceptance of divergent perspectives. These findings provide the first empirical validation of the theoretical link between psychological richness and wisdom, supporting the notion that diverse and complex life experiences contribute to cognitive and emotional maturity. By identifying strengths use, particularly hope as a pathway to psychological richness, this study offers a novel perspective on well-being beyond socio-economic constraints.