POSITIVE TRAIT THESAURUS

PRIVATE



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HELPFUL TIP:

Characters with this positive attribute will be extra sensitive to certain emotions, so think about how events might specifically trigger feelings in a way that elevates or lowers their moods or causes moral dilemmas to form—whichever best fits your story goals. Try giving a supporting character a negative trait that acts as an opposite of this attribute, causing frustration, disillusionment, or even emotional volatility that leads to poor decisions and mistakes.
DEFINITION:
Having strong personal boundaries; preferring to keep one's affairs to oneself

POSSIBLE CAUSES:
Growing up with little privacy (having many siblings, sharing rooms with others, etc.)
Fear of rejection and being hurt
Being the victim of trauma or abuse in the past
Growing up isolated in some way (living in a monastery, etc.)
Having one's secrets exposed, resulting in embarrassment or humiliation
Trusting the wrong person and being hurt by them
Being exposed to the dark side of people and how information is misused
Living with people who tended to over share
A fear of being judged

ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES:
Not offering up personal information
Closing curtains and locking doors in an effort to be truly alone
Deflecting questions; steering conversations to less personal topics
Keeping one's fears and desires to oneself
Avoiding gatherings and community events
Being a quiet neighbor
Reluctance letting others into one's home
Deleting one's browser history
Following the rules to keep from calling attention to oneself or standing out as odd
Keeping things light and fun in social settings
Isolation
Pretending that one's interests are boring so others won't ask questions
Being a strong listener
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ASSOCIATED THOUGHTS:
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ASSOCIATED EMOTIONS:
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POSITIVE ASPECTS:
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NEGATIVE ASPECTS:
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EXAMPLE FROM FILM:
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CHALLENGING SCENARIOS FOR CHARACTERS WITH THIS TRAIT:
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TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:
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