# 5 Most Important Human Qualities? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 6, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082 "2002-10-06T18:02:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Molly\_Coddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@Molly\_Coddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molly_Coddle)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/1 "2002-10-06T18:02:57Z")
What do you think are the five most important qualities for a human being to have? (i.e. understanding, sympathy, good judgement…) ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/2 "2002-10-06T18:12:46Z")
Compassion Intelligence Patience Discipline Optimism ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/3 "2002-10-06T18:18:53Z")
Intilectual curiosity Sense of humor Compassion Ability to learn from mistakes Willingness to make mistakes ---
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/4 "2002-10-06T18:19:28Z")
**Openmindedness** - this speaks for itself, in that you’ll make a lot more friends and a lot fewer enemies if you are willing to understand them. **A willingness to learn** - ties in with the first one, but deserves a slot of its own - ignorance causes all to go tumbling down, so to speak. **Willingness to accept the consequences of one’s actions** - it’s a good deterrent to performing misdeeds if you have to answer for them. **An inviolable sense of right and wrong** - to have morals would be useless if those morals can be set aside at whim. **A sense of humor** - life is too short to take too seriously. Laugh, you’ll live longer. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/5 "2002-10-06T18:43:56Z")
Ooooh, this thread is making me feel good. So far from your lists, I am… Compassionate Intelligent (or at least, I’m told I am) Relatively optomistic Intellectually curious Have a sense of humor Able to learn from my mistakes Willing to make mistakes Open-minded Willing to learn Willing to accept the consequences of my actions …and more to follow as more people respond with their ideal traits. Hey, maybe I’m not so bad after all! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Lorenzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4da419/32.png) [@Lorenzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorenzo)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/6 "2002-10-06T20:41:10Z")
Probably not top five, but worthy Discernment Wisdom Forgiveness Altruism Treating others as we would like to be treated ---
**Author:** ![samarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4da419/32.png) [@samarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samarm)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/7 "2002-10-06T20:54:44Z")
“Altruism” - I had to look that one up in the dictionary, Lorenzo. You learn something new everyday! My top five: Compassion Humility Love Ambition Sense of fun ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2002, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/8 "2002-10-06T20:57:50Z")
Let us not forget: abillity to change their environment: ie, ability to brew beer, and to cultivate and smoke dope ability to pass on abstract thought to strangers; ie, ability to produce pornography ---
**Author:** ![Savaka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/858c86/32.png) [@Savaka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savaka)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/9 "2002-10-07T00:04:37Z")
**Lorenzo** , what’s the difference between “Discernment” and “Wisdom”? ---
**Author:** ![jacksen9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce73a5/32.png) [@jacksen9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacksen9)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/10 "2002-10-07T00:42:02Z")
> [@](#): > > what’s the difference between “Discernment” and “Wisdom”? Only the discerning recognize the difference.😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lodrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c4cdca/32.png) [@Lodrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lodrain)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/11 "2002-10-07T02:20:34Z")
You don’t have to be one to be the other; I may be discerning, which to me is a fancy, but not derogatory word for ‘picky’, but I’m certainly not wise. Likewise, a person can be wise and not picky, perhaps as a quality of his wisdom. A wise man may accept what is given to him without argument, knowing from experience that it is disadvantageous to argue, while I whine and nitpick, not having this seed of knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_of\_Graymatter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/74df32/32.png) [@Baron\_of\_Graymatter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_of_Graymatter)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/12 "2002-10-07T03:19:02Z")
Honor - To alway do what you see as the right thing, no matter the cost to yourself. To take responsibility for your actions. Courage - Both physical and moral. To face physical danger when necessary. To take a stand when you are in the right, and to change when you are in the wrong. Curiosity - The unquenchable thirst to find out Why… Generosity - The desire to help others. Sense of Humor - For when all the above fail ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/13 "2002-10-07T04:30:10Z")
Good topic. Compassion- For any and all things. Having respect for everything from black bears to cedar bushes. Ambition- This is the basis for all our discoveries and inventions. Having an idea and then acting on it. Knowledge- Having information and understanding. The opposite of ignorance. Being well versed and knowing what you are talking about. This includes Wisdom. Morals/Ethics- Having a code to live by. A sense of what should and shouldn’t be done. Courage, honour, etc all fit in here. An Open Mind- This kind of fits into Ambition and Knowledge but is slightly different. It is the ability to have ideas and learn. ---
**Author:** ![Wearia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Wearia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wearia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/14 "2002-10-07T04:32:30Z")
Oops… forgot Humor- Happiness and optimism. Seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. Without this we all would have done ourselves in a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![jvzuuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47774/32.png) [@jvzuuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jvzuuk)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/15 "2002-10-07T05:06:53Z")
Compassion Courage Self-confidence Intelligence Sense of humor ---
**Author:** ![El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@El\_Elvis\_Rojo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Elvis_Rojo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/16 "2002-10-07T09:29:09Z")
Compassion Understanding Chivalry Sense of Humor Pez ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2002, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/5-most-important-human-qualities/131082/17 "2002-10-07T09:51:50Z")
EMPATHY has to be top of the list IMHO. If you can manage to see yourself in someone else’s ‘shoes’, it tends to engender a bit of wisdom, compassion and understanding. And humour. If you can’t laugh about how silly you look wearing someone else’s footwear, especially if you’re a bloke with size 12 feet in a pair of sexy stiletto’s, you’re doomed. 😃 While courage and intelligence are noble traits, I don’t believe they are things that one can adopt or nurture. Either you ARE courageous and intellligent, or you missed out when Og was handing out the ‘diplomas’. Some of us are cowardly idiots, but we still manage to be honourable folk regardless.