13 special personality traits of people who see the best in others

Seeing the best in others is one of those win-win situations.

Because it helps the person you bestow this gift upon, but it also helps you.

That kind of framework of seeing the world brings us greater well-being and stronger relationships.

Here are the special personality traits of people who are able to see the best in others.

1) They’re curious

If you want to get to the heart of what makes someone tick, you have to be interested in them. 

It’s very easy to take others at face value. We all too often make snap judgments, and they’re not always right.

Curiosity allows us to push past assumptions and dig deeper.

We’re driven by an inquisitiveness to know more. That’s when we see the complexities of what makes us human.

Of course, to do this, we must keep an open mind.

2) They’re open-minded

Judgment comes without us giving it very much thought at all.

How long do you think it takes us to make a decision about someone when we meet them for the first time?

A few minutes? A few seconds?

Research suggests it is even less than that. It may take as little as one-tenth of a second to form a first impression.

Once we have that first impression, confirmation bias generally means that we spend the remainder of our time together trying to reaffirm our initial hunch.

Staying as open-minded as possible helps us to override our natural tendency to judge.

We can allow someone to show us who they are, without making snap decisions or casting assertions.

3) They’re positive

Let’s face it, if you want to see the best in others, you’ve got to have a positive mindset in general.

Because doing so teaches you to focus on the bright side of life.

Rather than jump to a doom and gloom way of thinking, you make a conscious choice to put a positive frame on things.

It’s been proven that positivity brings with it a whole host of benefits, from better stress management to a stronger immune system.

This crucial trait is what helps people who see the best in others to believe in the inherent goodness of their fellow man.

4) They’re realistic

Yes, they are positive and strive to see the best. But importantly they are also grounded and realistic too.

And that offers them something very important:

They don’t burden people with unrealistic expectations.

Because fall outs, frustrations, and disappointment always ensue whenever we expect too much from others.

We have silent expectations that don’t get met, and we blame people for that.

In order to see the best in others, we cannot demand too much from them.

That’s not the same as having low standards. Of course, we should never put up with poor behavior. Boundaries are essential.

But it’s about taking full responsibility for ourselves rather than believing that someone else should be responsible for our happiness and fulfillment.

Being able to take this approach demands plenty of the following trait on our list.

5) They’re self-aware

The more we understand ourselves the better our relationships get too.

Self-awareness encourages us to analytically see the grey area of human behavior, instead of approaching things as black or white. 

We see our own flaws and imperfections and can reflect on them. We can also apply this more complex thinking to others too.

People with self-awareness are also more aware of their own blindspots, biases, and prejudices which can silently creep in.

So when they find themselves harshly judging, they can stop to contemplate where that is really coming from, and if it’s unfair.

Because the reality is, that what we think about others is more of a reflection of us than it is them.

6) They’re emotionally intelligent

Self-awareness is one of the components of developing strong emotional intelligence.

Unlike your IQ, your EQ is focused on how smart you are when it comes to feelings.

It’s the ability to ​​understand yourself emotionally and then apply that to the world around you.

It’s so important to our relationships as it helps to build trust and rapport, and can make you seem more approachable.

When you have a high EQ you are far more likely to truly listen to what others have to say and take on board others points of view.

You’re also more likely to think about what they’ve said before responding.

Essentially it makes you more considered in your approach to others.

7) They’re empathetic

Empathy takes it one step further.

We not only understand other people, but we can picture ourselves in their position.

Understandably when we can feel what someone else might feel, we end up being more compassionate and sympathetic toward them.

We’re less likely to judge anyone because we know that we shouldn’t do so until we have walked a mile in their shoes.

8) They’re enthusiastic

Enthusiasm brings passion and energy.

That’s contagious.

It’s so much easier to have a positive approach to someone when you have natural vibrancy and enthusiasm for life.

It’s a vital ingredient for a happy charged life.

And the reality is the better we feel about ourselves and our own lives, the more likely it is that we will see the best in others too.

9) They’re grateful

Showing appreciation in life has magical effects.

First off it improves our own well-being by encouraging us to hone in on everything we have going for us and that’s already going right.

But it also strengthens our relationships with others too.

People who see the best in others actively give recognition. This helps them remember and focus more intently on all that’s great about them.

It’s so easy to overlook the positives (both in our lives and in the people around us).

Those who intentionally stop to recognize what makes someone special are bound to see it more easily.

Seeing the best in others then becomes a habit as gratitude rewires the brain for positivity.

10) They’re patient

As we noted earlier, it’s very challenging to see the best in others when we are excessively demanding of them.

Patience allows us to chill out and manage our expectations.

When someone has disappointed us, we take a far more resilient approach to it.

Patience allows you to roll with setbacks and frustrations rather than blow a fuse.

At the end of the day, we’re all a work in progress.

We’re not going to get it right every time, and having patience towards others allows us to better accept that.

Which leads me nicely onto our next point…

11) They are forgiving

To err is human, right?

And as the Alexander Pope quote goes, to forgive is divine.

When we get hung up on people’s past mistakes, we cast a shadow on them that lingers.

It may even start to define the way we see them.

Sometimes people mess up, but that doesn’t make them inherently bad.

Letting shit go allows you to move past other people’s slip-ups to seek out the positives.

12) They’re humble

Arrogance leads us to look down on others.

We’ll never see the best in someone if deep down we believe we are fundamentally better than them.

When you take a humble approach you are constantly looking for ways other people can teach you things.

Your natural stance is one where people have value to offer you. You are therefore better at uncovering any skills and talents that they may have to share.

Rather than make assumptions, you can stay open to what you could learn from them.

13) They observant

To see the best, you’ve got to pay attention.

As we’ve already seen, that demands looking past the obvious and searching for what may be more hidden.

Being sharp-eyed and alert helps you do just that.

People who see the best in others notice things that some people may not spot because they have their eyes peeled.