When we meet other people, we decide immediately or shortly after if we like them or not. We use terms to describe them in a positive or negative manner.
She is so kind and sweet.
He is arrogant.
We perceive personality traits mostly as positive and desirable or negative and off-putting. But there is a whole spectrum of personality traits that are neither positive nor negative. They are simply neutral.
In this article, we will talk about neutral personality traits, what they are, and why you should cherish and cultivate these aspects in your being.
What Are Neutral Personality Traits?
People with neutral personality traits are those we are ok with. We don’t dislike them, but we don’t fancy them either.
A neutral personality trait is something we notice about someone, but we don’t see it as good or bad. Or it can be both good and bad, depending on the situation and circumstances.
For example, if you describe a person as intense, you don’t give them a positive or negative attribution. That’s just how you perceive them. This trait can be good for some people and bad for others. But the core meaning is neither good nor bad.
What is positive for one person is not necessarily positive for another. For instance, I personally don’t consider being talkative a positive (I hate small talk). But you may not agree with me.
On the other hand, positive personality traits are those we consider beneficial in some way. People with what we consider positive personality traits are people we like. Such traits are, for example, incorruptible and helpful.
Negative personality traits are ones we find destructive, harmful, or unpleasant. Such traits are, for instance, bossy, tactless, and scheming.
23 Neutral Personality Traits To Enhance Your Being
We might think that only positive personality traits should be cultivated, but this is not the case. Personality traits that are considered neutral are important and can be beneficial if we use them properly.
Here is a list of 23 neutral personality traits you should enhance in your being with their explanations:
1. Adventurous
An adventurous person is someone who is willing to take risks and explore unfamiliar situations.
Such a person is open-minded and ready to leave their comfort zone. Their need to experience something new leads them through life.
Being adventurous can often be beneficial and useful. We grow and evolve once we leave our comfort zone and step into the unknown.
2. Dreamy
Someone who has this personality trait is often seen as shy and sensitive. Such people are not aggressive or harsh. They have a calm and kind approach towards other people.
They tend to appear reserved, but when you get to talk to them, you realize how easy-going and friendly they are.
Their inner world is colorful. They are very emotional and often share it with others.
3. Carefree
This personality trait makes people well accepted in social groups and loved by other people.
A carefree person is someone who is relaxed and optimistic. They don’t worry too much and usually talk about positive things. They love to explore things and enjoy life and try to stress as little as possible.
A carefree person can, in some situations, appear frivolous and irresponsible, which is not necessarily true.
4. Stylish
A stylish person pays great attention to how they look. They use clothes to express their state of mind and creativity.
Being stylish is usually considered a positive personality trait. Stylish people appear serious and give off a feeling of power.
On the other hand, people often judge stylish people and accuse them of showing off.
5. Flirtatious
A flirty person is someone who is playful and loves to communicate with other people. They love seducing just for fun, without serious intentions. Flirting usually means showing sexual attraction.
Flirting can sometimes be motivated by the desire to arouse sexual interest and transform a non-sexual connection into a sexual one.
However, people sometimes flirt just to have fun and maybe show off a little bit. Being too flirtatious can often cause other people to get the wrong impression, so you should pay attention to that.
You don’t want to lead anyone on.
6. Conformist
A conformist is someone characterized by discipline and precision. Conformists value accuracy and pay attention to the smallest details, making sure everything is in perfect order.
This personality trait can be of great help in many situations, especially in work or school-related matters. Discipline is a key factor in achieving success, and, most of the time, it’s exactly what people lack.
Being too conformist, on the other hand, can make people rigid and reduce creativity.
7. Protective
When someone cares and provides for others and is loyal to those around them, it means they have a protective personality trait.
Those people are compassionate and caring, and they feel the responsibility to take care of others. They are loyal to people around them, for instance, family members and partners.
Having this personality trait is mostly considered good and beneficial. It’s important to make sure that we also care for ourselves and don’t put other people’s needs first, neglecting our own needs.
8. Witty
Being witty means having the ability to say things that are funny and smart.
Witty people are able to give quick responses, hilarious comebacks, and come up with funny and clever remarks in any conversation. This sense of humor usually indicates a higher level of intelligence.
Wit is mostly considered a positive personality trait, except when someone gets offended by a joke.
9. Talkative
A talkative person loves to talk about the weather, the news, and both big and small things. They are chatty and easily make friends.
They are able to connect with people in every situation. They are considered friendly, and this personality trait is often seen as positive.
But there are people who don’t like chit-chat and small talk, and they will not enjoy being in the presence of someone who talks all the time. It’s really true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.
10. Conservative
A conservative person is someone who values tradition and respects it. They choose to follow established rules and sometimes reject behavior that does not conform to social norms.
This personality trait can be both good and bad.
In many situations, being conservative will make someone belong to a certain social group. People are more likely to accept individuals who are traditional and follow the rules.
But sometimes, being too conservative prevents people from evolving and changing for the better.
11. Calm
Calmness is something many want to achieve but don’t succeed at. Calm people have a healthy way of coping with everyday stress and problems and remain relaxed.
They are not anxious and don’t worry too much. They deal with issues in a timely manner but do not waste time and energy imagining the worst-case scenario.
This personality trait is usually seen as very beneficial. But sometimes, calm people can seem apathetic or passive.
12. Skeptical
Skeptical people are those who are always in search of proof before assuming or believing something. This is the opposite of believers, who are led by faith.
Skeptical people have a doubting attitude and always analyze information in-depth to uncover the ultimate truth.
Being skeptical can be both a good and bad personality trait. We should always have a healthy dose of skepticism.
13. Introverted
Introverts are people who enjoy their own company and are often focused on their inner world more than the world around them.
These people prefer to hang out in smaller groups and sometimes have a hard time meeting new people. Introverts are often considered shy, which is not always the case.
This personality trait is sometimes considered negative, but this should not be so. As a matter of fact, going inwards can increase creativity, imagination, and is good for self-introspection.
14. Private
A private person values their privacy more than anything. They tend to keep their inner world protected and don’t share it with everyone else.
They don’t reveal their thoughts or feelings to others, except for a small group of close people they trust. They are usually introverted and quiet.
Being a private person is mostly a good personality trait. We should protect what is most valuable and keep it away from the world.
But if we become too private, people will assume we’re hiding something.
15. Straightforward
Straightforward people are honest and direct. They tell the truth, no matter how unpleasant it can be.
They don’t care about being liked by others. Their main goal is to remain authentic and true to themselves.
Even though we say that we value honesty, honest people are often misunderstood. The truth is not always easy to accept, and people who tell it how it is often come across as rude and harsh.
16. Perceptive
Perception is the ability to understand things in-depth and figure out patterns. Perceptive people are often very intelligent and can see details others don’t.
People who are perceptive take information and observe it without the need to evaluate or judge. That makes them relaxed and spontaneous.
They observe everything but don’t make judgments or have strict plans on how to act.
17. Self-conscious
Being self-conscious is the ability to see yourself objectively from different angles.
A self-conscious person has heightened self-awareness and is able to see the smallest aspects of themself. This is usually a positive personality trait because self-conscious people don’t seek approval from others.
Strong self-consciousness can sometimes make people overly preoccupied and worried about how others perceive them.
18. Serious
The first thing that probably comes to mind is someone who has a serious face, doesn’t tell jokes, and is kinda boring. But a serious personality trait is more than that.
A serious person maintains a sober demeanor and is thoughtful. This type of person takes everything they do seriously and tries their best to achieve the best results.
That is a positive trait, but if too serious, they can miss out on having fun.
19. Intense
People who are considered to have this personality trait are passionate individuals. They feel deeply, and their emotions are strong and intense. It is visible through everything they do and say.
They cannot and don’t want to hide how they feel.
Everything they do, they do with great devotion and passion. This is an amazing quality that helps build a path to success. Being passionate about your work is one of the most important things if you want to become successful.
However, they can be a bit dramatic sometimes, which is why they are not everybody’s cup of tea.
20. Creative
Being able to express your being through creativity is one of the highest forms of intelligence. Creative people are intuitive souls. They have receptive natures and feel the energy around them.
They then use the energies they receive and channel them to birth new ideas. Being creative is an amazing quality that can help in solving problems and finding solutions.
Creative people can sometimes be a bit eccentric and have problems dealing with reality and the world around them.
21. Unusual
Unusual people are not afraid to stand out from the crowd. They don’t follow the rules and norms but instead explore new things and try to discover new ways of expressing themselves.
Such people are unique and often start new trends and ideas.
Being unusual takes a certain strength because weird people who don’t fit standard societal norms are often judged and misunderstood. They don’t have the support of the crowd.
In many situations, it would be easy to conform to traditional rules, but only eccentric people start necessary change.
22. Outspoken
People with this personality trait are brave and unafraid to speak the truth. They find it important to express their opinions and tell the truth out loud.
They are strong-willed and will always stand up for themselves and protect what is important and valuable to them.
This personality trait often leaves people shocked or even intimidated.
23. Emotional
This personality trait describes people who feel strongly and deeply and are sensitive and compassionate. They express their emotions freely.
They feel the world around them and are empathetic. These people are often very intuitive.
Even though sometimes seen as a weakness, being emotional is a positive personality trait as long as we are able to control how we react to emotional impulses.
120+ Additional Neutral Personality Traits
24. Absentminded
25. Agreeable
26. Aloof
27. Ambitious
28. Amiable
29. Apathetic
30. Artful
31. Ascetic
32. Asocial
33. Authoritarian
34. Average
35. Big-thinking
36. Boyish
37. Bossy
38. Breezy
39. Businesslike
40. Busy
41. Casual
42. Cerebral
43. Charismatic
44. Chummy
45. Circumspect
46. Competitive
47. Complex
48. Complicated
49. Confidential
50. Constant
51. Contradictory
52. Crisp
53. Curious
54. Cute
55. Deceptive
56. Determined
57. Devoted
58. Dogmatic
59. Dominating
60. Driven
61. Driving
62. Droll
63. Dry
64. Earthy
65. Effeminate
66. Enigmatic
67. Even-tempered
68. Escapist
69. Experimental
70. Extraverted
71. Familial
72. Fashioned
73. Folksy
74. Formal
75. Freewheeling
76. Frugal
77. Funny
78. Generous
79. Glamorous
80. Gregarious
81. Guileless
82. Hidebound
83. High-spirited
84. Honest
85. Hurried
86. Hypnotic
87. Iconoclastic
88. Idiosyncratic
89. Immaculate
90. Impassive
91. Impersonal
92. Impressionable
93. Impulsive
94. Inconspicuous
95. Investigative
96. Invisible
97. Irreligious
98. Irreverent
99. Loquacious
100. Maternal
101. Mellow
102. Masculine
103. Meticulous
104. Modern
105. Moralistic
106. Neutral
107. Noncommittal
108. Noncompetitive
109. Nonreligious
110. Obedient
111. Old-fashioned
112. Open-minded
113. Opinionated
114. Ordinary
115. Paternalistic
116. Perfectionist
117. Physical
118. Placid
119. Playful
120. Political
121. Precise
122. Predictable
123. Preoccupied
124. Progressive
125. Proud
126. Pure
127. Questioning
128. Quiet
129. Rash
130. Reserved
131. Restrained
132. Retiring
133. Rough
134. Sarcastic
135. Secretive
136. Self-indulgent
137. Self-reliant
138. Sensual
139. Sentimental
140. Smooth
141. Soft
142. Solemn
143. Solitary
144. Spirited
145. Stern
146. Stolid
147. Strict
148. Stubborn
149. Subjective
150. Subtle
151. Surprising
152. Tough
153. Unaggressive
154. Unambitious
155. Unceremonious
156. Unchanging
157. Undemanding
158. Unfathomable
159. Unhurried
160. Uninhibited
161. Unpatriotic
162. Unpredictable
163. Unsentimental
164. Unsophisticated
165. Whimsical
166. Religious
The Difference Between Character Traits And Personality Traits
We need to make a distinction between personality traits and character traits. These two terms are often misused.
Character is something we are – that’s our core. Personality is what we show to other people and how they perceive us.
Character traits are often not visible to most of the people around us. Only people who know us on a deeper personal level understand who we really are.
Just like personality traits, we have neutral character traits, for example, sarcasm, and also positive and negative character traits. We’ll go through a list of character traits, both positive and negative so you can get a clear picture of what character traits are.
Positive character traits would be:
• Integrity
• Loyalty
• Compassion
• Humility
Negative character traits would be:
• Impatient
• Greedy
• Disrespectful
• Thievish
In Conclusion
Now that we’ve been through numerous neutral personality traits, you may start thinking about neutral traits you notice in yourself.
That is exactly what I would advise you to do!
Take a deep look at yourself. How many neutral personality traits can you recognize? What personality type do you think you have?
Take this as an opportunity to get to know yourself better. That’s the first and most important step on the path to growth and transformation.