Attracted to the dark side of life, judging by the pleasure he takes in doing wrong.
Purposely engages in acts that will bring harm to others.
Displays instincts that are more identifiable with those that dwell in the jungle than those who live in houses.
Degrades the quality of everything in which he becomes involved, not unlike the spoors emitted by a rotten apple.
If he hurts someone, he will show no misgivings.
He'll use people for his own advantage and think nothing of it.
He is extremely poisonous to others.
He is potentially life-threatening.
Practically everything he does is contrary to what is considered to be public decency.
Collectively, his actions seemed to be aimed at making sure that someone is physically, psychologically, or socially wounded.
Initiates acts that are so abhorrent and of such magnitude that even those who are attracted to evil are dumbstruck.
He has killed and is quite willing to do so again.
Has a predatory nature, in that he will try to seize whatever suits his fancy.
Finds sexual gratification in inflicting pain on others.
Willing to harm anyone who stands in the way of his getting what he wants.
RELIGIOUS
Related Traits: Adoring, cherubic, devoted, devotional, devout, godly, idolatrous, pietistic, reverent, reverential, saintly, venerating, virtuous, worshipful.
As Seen by Others:
Tries to structure his life in accordance with what he believes God expects of him.
There is a light within him.
Elevated by an illustrious spirit of great purity.
So that he might devote his life to prayer, has chosen permanent seclusion from others.
He is convinced that he is in possession of a spiritual truth that lies well outside human reason; it is something he has either gained through intuitive powers or as a result of contemplation.
Invests much of his waking hours in serving and adoring God.
Frequently interrupts his day with prayers.
All of his attention is focused upon the purification of his own soul.
Shows no regard for material matters and, instead, turns his attention toward the purification of his own soul.
His commitment to his religious faith is so overwhelming that he exhibits contempt for all other beliefs.
Will do anything that the leaders of his faith tell him to do.
IRRELIGIOUS
Related Traits:
Agnostic, atheistic, blasphemous, disbelieving, faithless, heathen, heretical, impious, irreverent, profane, sacrilegious, sinful, unbelieving, unchristian, undevout, ungodly, unholy, unreligious, unrighteous, unspiritual.
As Seen by Others:
Shows indifference toward religion.
He is antagonistic toward religion.
Does not believe that man is capable of determining the existence of God.
Unequivocally denies the existence God.
Speaks about God in an irreverent manner.
Always introducing opinions that serve to contradict the doctrine or tenets of a particular religion.
Has a lack of respect for anything considered sacred.
Scornful of "miracles." Argues that people should contemplate improving the world we know something about rather than the soul, which is unknowable.
HONEST
Related Traits:
Aboveboard, artless, blunt, candid, clear-cut, direct, forthright, frank, free-speaking, guileless, indiscreet, ingenuous, open, outspoken, plain-spoken, sincere, square-shooting, straight, straightforward, transparent, truthful, unambiguous, unconcealed, undisguised, unequivocal, upright, veracious.
As Seen by Others:
Refuses to take what doesn't belong to him, no matter how trivial it may be.
What he has, he got without any tricks or sleight-of-hand.
Blunt-spoken; doesn't try to shade the truth.
Never tries to varnish his background or his capabilities.
Doesn't embellish the facts.
He will never deceive you.
You may not want to hear it, but he'll tell you.
Comes right at you; never engages in evasiveness.
He boldly says what others would like to say.
His conversation is not perforated with double meanings.
The truth is usually written on his face before he even says one word.
DISHONEST
Related Traits:
Affected, artificial, artful, calculating, conniving, crafty, crooked, cunning, deceitful, devious, disingenuous, disguised, dissembling, double-crossing, double-faced, duplicitous, evasive, false, foxy, fraudulent, guileful, holier than-thou, hypocritical, insincere, lying, mendacious, phony, sanctimonious, scheming, shady, shifty, side-stepping, sly, stealthy, story-telling, surreptitious, thievish, treacherous, tricky, two-faced, underhanded, venal.
As Seen by Others:
Has a propensity to steal.
Has an addiction to telling lies.
With him, you hardly ever see what you think you see.
With him, everything is a charade.
His promises often wind up being nothing but words.
If it's a choice of being truthful or promoting his own interests, he'll choose the latter.
Learning his true intentions is a game for fools only.
Depending on his smile is like playing liar's poker.
All his stories end up by either making him look good or making you feel sorry for him.
Questioning him is like trying to hit a moving target.
He preaches one thing but does another.
Not above stealing someone's identity, ideas, or friends.
He's quite willing to take credit for what someone else did.
He'll sell his soul to the highest bidder.
Sees principles and allegiances as nothing more than bargaining chips.
Willing to betray a spouse or a friend, maybe even his country.
JUST
Related Traits:
Detached, equitable, even-handed, fair, fair-minded, impartial, neutral, nonpartisan, objective, reasonable, unbiased, uncommitted, indiscriminate.
As Seen by Others:
He won't favor one person or group over another.
If he's in a position where he has to dispense punishment for some misdeed, he'll make sure it matches the offense rather than exceeds it.
Has spoken out against prejudice.
It's his opinion that everyone should get the same chance at whatever prize is being pursued.
He's not influenced by the fact that someone may belong to some kind of minority.
He'll listen to both sides of an argument without taking sides.
UNJUST
Related Traits:
Biased, bigoted, discriminating, factional, inequitable, one-sided, partial, partisan, predisposed, preferential, prejudicial, sectarian, unfair, unreasonable.
As Seen by Others:
He's always taking sides.
He has shown that he is incapable of making the punishment fit the so called crime.
His punishment is too severe for those he does not like, and too lenient for those he favors.
Tends to "categorize" human beings and mentally places his group at the top of the so-called pecking order.
Does not associate with those who are of a different race, religion, nationality, educational background, social level, political persuasion.
He is more likely to exclude people than include them.
TRUSTWORTHY
Related Traits:
Constant, dedicated, dependable, devoted, dutiful, duty-bound, faithful, loyal, reliable, stable, stalwart, staunch, steadfast, steady, true, true-blue, unfailing, unswerving, unwavering.
As Seen by Others:
If he says he'll do something, you can count on it.
Takes his responsibilities seriously.
You'll give up
on yourself before he will.
While everyone else abandons you, he'll stand by you—until he finds out that his faith has been misplaced.
Insists on honoring allegiances or promises until it is no longer honorable to do so.
UNTRUSTWORTHY
Related Traits:
Disloyal, erratic, fair-weathered, faithless, fickle, inconstant, irresponsible, shaky, traitorous, treasonous, undependable, unfaithful, unreliable, unstable, wavering.
As Seen by Others:
Can't depend on him.
Always late.
Don't expect him to stand by you when you need him the most.
His moral commitment is as erratic as fish in a pond.
Tends to shirk his responsibilities if something better comes along.
He may believe what he says today, but don't expect that to be the same come tomorrow.
Likes allegiances or friendships when they're to his advantage.
REMORSEFUL
Related Traits:
Anguished, apologetic, ashamed, chagrined, compunctious, conscience-stricken, contrite, embarrassed, guilt-ridden, guilty, heavy-hearted, humiliated, mortified, penitent, regretful, repentant, rueful, self-reproachful, shamefaced, sheepish, sorry, tormented, woebegone, woeful.
As Seen by Others:
He once did (said) something that he has since always wished he hadn't.
His actions are the sacrifices that beg for atonement.
Moves through his days as if he were pulling a train.
It's hard for him to believe that he could be so hurtful.
Tries to return to someone's good graces.
Shame has hung from his heart for a very long time.
Once, he failed to do something and he wants that moment back.
UNREMORSEFUL
Related Traits: Callous, hardened, impenitent, shameless, unapologetic, unashamed, unembarrassed, unregretful, unrepentant, untroubled.
As Seen by Others:
Everyone else believes he's done (said) something disgraceful, but he doesn't.
He's a person without a conscience.
He's at the point where nothing he does bothers him anymore.
Doesn't know the meaning of sorry.
His attitude is, what's done is done and there's no sense worrying about it.
He's so hard that he's forgotten how to care.
ACTIVE
Related Traits:
Bustling, busy, energetic, enterprising, fast-moving, frenzied, frisky, hard-working, industrious, lively, peppy, perky, productive, prolific, quickmoving, spirited, vigorous, zippy.
As Seen by Others:
He's always on the go, doing something.
Loves to work.
He does nothing slowly.
He won't postpone anything that can be handled today.
Prone to rush ahead, do things in a flash, get a hard start.
For him, sleep is an interruption.
Won't quit until the job's done.
Got more energy than two people put together.
He's always exceeded the results expected of him.
Seems to have a reservoir of energy that never runs dry.
Able to produce a great quantity of work.
Not averse to working through his lunch hour.
INACTIVE
Related Traits:
Comatose, dawdling, dilatory, drowsy, fatigued, feckless, flagging, idle, indolent, inert, languid, languorous, lazy, lethargic, lifeless, listless, loafing, malingering, ne'er-do-well, procrastinating, quiescent, remiss, shiftless, slack, slothful, slow, slow-moving, sluggish, somnolent, soporific, torpid, unenergetic, unproductive, vegetative.
As Seen by Others:
He sort of just pokes along through life, killing time.
Prefers to take things easy rather than do things seriously.
Does as little as possible for as long as possible.
Seems to be in a chronic state of weariness.
Sometimes it's as if he can barely put one foot in front of the other.
More likely to be found asleep than applying himself.
Tends to put things off, half-believing he'll do them later.
He avoids action by pretending to be sick or incapacitated.
His slow approach to everything inconveniences others.
Produces almost nothing useful.
Some people call him a good-for-nothing.
If his mind ever gets as inactive as his body, he'll be dead.
AGILE
Related Traits:
Acrobatic, adroit, athletic, deft, dexterous, elastic, facile, flexible, graceful, light-footed, limber, lissome, lithe, lithesome, loose, loose-jointed, nimble, sprightly, spry, supple, sure-footed, willowy.
As Seen by Others:
Has the dexterity and lightness of a dancer.
He wields tools effortlessly, as if they were extensions of his arms.
He's poetry in motion.
His limbs appear to be almost rubbery.
His muscular coordination is well above average.
Everything he does seems to be all of one fluid motion.
AWKWARD
Related Traits:
Blundering, bumbling, bungling, clumsy, fumbling, graceless, heavy-footed, heavy-handed, inept, inflexible, klutzy, left-handed, lumbering, maladroit, plodding, rigid, stiff, unathletic, ungainly, unhandy.
As Seen by Others:
When he walks, his arms, legs, and torso seem to contradict one another.
Everything about him is out of sync.
Accident-prone.
Liable to fall over his own feet.
Movements lack elasticity, almost as if someone had shellacked his clothes.
Tends to bobble and drop things.
Prone to bump into things that are stationary.
Uses tools as if each weighed fifty pounds and lacked grip handles.
If something is heard crashing, he comes quickly to mind.
PERSEVERING
Related Traits:
Assiduous, constant, dedicated, determined, dogged, doughty, fixated, fixed, focused, indefatigable, persistent, purposeful, relentless, resolute, sedulous, steady, strong-willed, tenacious, tireless, unchanging, undeviating, unfailing, unfaltering, unflagging, unremitting, unshakable, unswerving, untiring, unwavering, unyielding.
As Seen by Others:
If he sets his sight on a specific goal, he'll keep at it until he gets there.
He's never demoralized by failure.
Danger will probably make him cautious, but it probably won't stop him.
At the core of his persistence springs an innate obstinacy.
He'll be there long after everyone else has given up.
He just keeps hammering away at you.
Tends to forget what his dedication might be doing to others around him because he is so focused.
Never allows his determination to be rechanneled in another direction.
VACILLATING
Related Traits:
Aimless, capricious, changeable, desultory, erratic, faint-hearted, faltering, fickle, flexible, fluctuating, frivolous, hesitant, irresolute, irresponsible, mercurial, purposeless, uncertain, undecided, undirected, unfixed, unstable, wavering.
As Seen by Others:
He might start out with an objective, but he'll wander from the path more than once.
He is consistently plagued by doubt and gnawed by fear.
Tends to takes advice from everyone and to believe everyone is right.
His commitment swings to and fro like a pendulum on a clock.
Making him stay the course is like trying to nail fog to a wall.
He'll suddenly come up with a new plan, then abandon it.
If he was an arrow he would have two heads and be bent in the middle.
With all his hesitation, back-stepping, side-stepping, and flip-flopping, in his wake he leaves the footsteps of a staggering drunk.
DARING
Related Traits:
> Adventurous, audacious, bold, brash, brave, brazen, careless, chance-taking, chivalrous, courageous, dauntless, devil-may-care, fearless, foolhardy, gritty, gutsy, hardy, hasty, heedless, heroic, impatient, impetuous, improvident, imprudent, impulsive, injudicious, intrepid, lionhearted, neglectful, plucky, quixotic, rash, reckless, risk-taking, speculative, spunky, stalwart, stouthearted, undaunted, undismayed, unflinching, unhesitant, unthinking, valiant, valorous, venturesome, venturous.
As Seen by Others:
Tends to do things that leave people gasping.
Acts on the spur of the moment when the challenge is inviting.
He'd rather jump headlong into the unknown than cozy up to the status quo.
Purposely pursues danger, as if it were a narcotic.
Inexplicably, he will endanger himself to protect others.
Will never heed the warnings of others.
Likes using money dangerously.
Inclined to act hastily and not take into consideration what he will need in the future.
Takes the path least traveled—and it does indeed make all the difference to him, and sometimes to others as well.
In the presence of trouble, quickly makes up his mind about what to do and then does it.
Prone to ride after that unreachable star.
Dislikes talking endlessly about alternate options.
Becomes impatient with those who are patient.
CAREFUL
Related Traits:
Afraid, alert, apprehensive, cagey, cautious, chicken-hearted, circumspect, conscientious, conservative, cowardly, craven, deliberate, diligent, discreet, distrustful, faint-hearted, fearful, gritless, guarded, heedful, hesitant, judicious, leery, lily-livered, meticulous, mindful, nonspeculative, painstaking, patient, politic, poltroonish, precise, provident, prudent, pusillanimous, recreant, scared, scrupulous, skittish, spineless, thorough, timid, timorous, unadventurous, unheroic, unhurried, vigilant, wary, watchful, weak, weak-hearted, weak-kneed, yellow.
Creating Characters Page 7
