CONNECTED- NESS: What CONNECTEDNESS Means to Those Who Have It
StrengthsFinder Theme / CliftonStrengths Theme: CONNECTEDNESS
What Is the CONNECTEDNESS Theme
People with Connectedness have a natural way of finding a deeper, richer meaning in life. For them, there is an ornate complexity joining one thing to another—and all things to all other things—in vital but often invisible ways. They notice things. And, it is their instinct to form connections, joining one dot to the next. Those with Connectedness find an effortless and intrinsic beauty in the constantly intertwining, elaborate patterns that make up our world and create our shared reality. Being sensitive to the unceasing interplay of cause and effect, they have a specific vision—a way of experiencing and processing life—that assigns value and significance to exactly everything. Great and small, everything is connected, everything plays a role, everything has a value. Therefore, for them, things happen for reasons. This simply means that nothing is random—that present realities are the result of past circumstances, and that future realities are the result of present actions. In that way, we have a responsibility to one another; our actions ripple out in ways that affect the world near and far, now and in the future. Connectedness is a way for them. A way of seeing. And, to be more direct, a way of being. Seeing the intricate interconnectedness of all there is, or, in a lot of cases, simply being in awe of it all, is their zone. For them, the world is alive and each and every angle of it is an interconnected piece of a living whole. A single story that humanity is co-creating with the entire universe.
Why Should We Care
These people are aware, first and foremost. They have a spectacular intuition and a particular talent for waking others up to the meaningful complexity of the world surrounding us all. In that way, people with Connectedness are disruptors—individuals who seek to open others’ eyes. And, they generally do this peacefully with an extremely high degree of compassion and understanding. As they evolve, their capacity to see where others are coming from is without parallel. They might be able to assess a moral, lesson, or teaching from even a brief interaction. This allows them to “learn from everything” and they cannot help but to share that perspective with others. What is imperceptible to most people is clear as day to them, which means that people with Connectedness make visible the invisible. They remind us that what we do matters and that, in the end, we, ourselves matter.
Ten Things to Know About People with CONNECTEDNESS
1. Healing. People with Connectedness are natural healers—they heal with their voices, with their perspectives, and often times with their work. They often seek to serve the greater good because they see the big picture so clearly.
2. Misunderstood. Connectedness has been described as one of the most difficult perspectives to explain and articulate. Many people with this strength grow up feeling unvalidated, misunderstood, and alone.
3. Patience. Their intuition often exceeds their vocabulary, so what feels obvious to them might seem totally random to someone else. This requires patience on both sides—as, their inability to clearly express what they are noticing does not necessarily mean that they are wrong or off about it.
4. Reading Into Things. They generally dislike being told that they’re “reading into things”.
5. Signs. They might see a certain number everywhere or notice particular songs on the radio, and treat it like a guide. They are wired to notice signs and, because of that, they are generally not afraid to follow their nose, trust their gut, or act on their inner-knowing.
6. Emotions. They might not feel sadness, joy, or any other emotion when others do; however, they might feel something powerfully at a time when others do not. They may have a unique perspective around topics like death, the meaning of life, and spirituality.
7. Novelty Seeking. They are very much at home in states of wonder and astonishment, so don’t be surprised if you find them constantly hungering to explore the inner-world or the inner-workings of the cosmos. Being peacefully flabbergasted may very well be a daily pursuit for them.
8. Conspiracy Theories. The nature of conspiracy theories can be a major comfort for them—an interconnected webwork of people, places, things, and timelines. It is not uncommon for them to spend time looking into various shadowy or fringe topics. It may even be relaxing.
9. Eccentric. They might come across as a little weird at times, as they are prone to bringing an almost otherworldly perspective to virtually every conversation. Or, they might want to illuminate a given chain of events that they noticed, like, “If I hadn’t stopped to tie my shoe, then I wouldn’t have seen the dog walk by with the collar that reminded me of this time in Italy when I met this woman who wore the same perfume as my friend who just so happened to be calling me AT THAT SAME MOMENT. Can you believe it!?! What does it mean?!?”
10. Unconditional Love. Many people with Connectedness have developed capacities to love unconditionally that well exceed the norm. They have a deep capacity to accept others fully and completely.