BELIEF: How People With High Belief View Life
StrengthsFinder Theme/CliftonStrengths Theme: BELIEF
What Is the BELIEF Theme
These are the people in our lives who operate from an unshakable space of deep knowing. Those with the strength of Belief have core values, identifiable standards, and clear ideas when it comes to personal ethics, ideals, and universal principles. This does not mean that they are smug or obtrusively virtuous— instead, it simply means that they have an inner GPS that they trust and follow. Even when it’s unpopular, their beliefs carry them. They are often courageous and self-assured people who are able to stand firm and stand up for what they know in their heart and mind to be true. People with Belief have a solid sense of the world—maybe it’s simple, maybe it’s complex—either way, they operate confidently from that place all the time and, generally, don’t make excuses for it. For them, there is such a thing as objective truth and it isn’t like them to overly justify their views, even if pressured or tested. They are unwavering. And, by simply living in this way, they challenge us all to look at ourselves and determine what is at our own core.
Why Should We Care
People with the strength of Belief are trustworthy, first and foremost. Even if we might disagree with them, we can be certain that what we are seeing is what we are getting. There is no front, no façade, no deceit, no ulterior motive. They move about the world with a solid inner-compass—often one that they have built atom by atom, perfecting it with every experience—and, at times, they have an attitude of ‘take it or leave it’, which can be oddly inspiring. When they act, we can be confident that they do so with purpose. When it comes to teams and families, they can help us get unstuck because they naturally remind us of our shared belief and values. In fact, their conviction is so deep and genuine that it is often contagious. When it comes to sharing their beliefs, they have a natural charisma, which can draw people in magnetically. In many cases, others will readily appreciate, accept, or adopt the ideas of a Belief person.
Ten Things to Know About People with BELIEF
1. Enduring. For someone with the strength of Belief, the map of the inner-world is drawn in ink, not pencil. What they believe is not malleable or frail or subject to whim, fad or fashion. What they believe is fixed, lasting, and non-negotiable.
2. Work. To do anything well, it must first matter to them—this is particularly relevant to their working lives. In many cases, they are less concerned with fame and fortune than they are with doing work that is meaningful to them.
3. In vs. Out. Their inner-world plays an indispensable role in their behavior in the outer-world. The two must align: what they believe and what they do. They have a hard time ignoring their inner-voice.
4. Turmoil. Because of how stable they are in their own beliefs, they can act unintentionally as a lightning rod for the dysfunction and hypocrisy of others who, perhaps, are not as solid in their own core values.
5. Community. Often, but not always, these people are tribe/family-oriented, which means that they are loyal; they are also prone to acts of philanthropy as well as totally selfless acts of service. At times they can even appear as martyrs.
6. Expectations. It is easy for people with the strength of Belief to assume that others, too, have the same guiding and steadfast way of being in the world. Left unchecked, they can be easily dismayed, disappointed, and even offended.
7. Spirituality. The basic nature of their view is largely spiritual—not religious—and this means that they may not be able to explain their reasons for things. For this, they are no strangers to altruism and responding “Because it’s right” might be totally acceptable to them no matter the cause.
8. Integrity. In the end, personal integrity is everything. In many cases, they would rather be disliked than compromise their core knowing. They do not mind being misunderstood, if it means doing what they feel and know is right.
9. Non-contradiction. There is a wholeness to their perspective, one in which a web-work of interlacing beliefs come together in ways where the one supports and shores up the other. It is not likely that they hold two conflicting beliefs for long, if at all, ever.
10. Love. To those with Belief, love is likely something that needs to be seen, expressed, and felt in a consistent way. For them, it is essential for the inner to align with the outer—and their inner-world is constant, unwavering, and true. One-time shows of affection, generosity, or connection will not be enough to win them over. They resonate and respond to what, too, is solid.