NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS

FOOLISH



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HELPFUL TIP:

Characters with this flaw will be extra sensitive to certain emotions, so think about how events in your story might specifically trigger these feelings to generate compelling tension and conflict. Another idea is to give a supporting character a positive attribute that is an opposite of this flaw, which will get under the skin of both characters and cause friction in their relationship.
DEFINITION:
Lacking good reasoning skills that lead to misjudgments

SIMILAR FLAWS:
Absurd, asinine, foolhardy, harebrained, moronic

POSSIBLE CAUSES:
Shortsightedness; an inability to see the consequences of one's actions
The desire to do what one wants, regardless of the consequences
Substance abuse
Mental processing deficiencies
Laziness
Ignorance; lacking knowledge in certain areas
Immaturity

ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES:
Engaging in dangerous activities
Becoming easily confused when decision-making is required
Being easily manipulated or influenced by others
Making off-the-cuff decisions, with very little thought
Overconfidence; not knowing one's limitations
Basing decisions on faulty premises
Believing everything one sees
Believing everything one is told
Becoming easily distracted
Repeating the same mistakes without learning from them
Expressing knowledge about topics that one knows very little about
Arguing one's point without logic or reason
Being reluctant to learn from others or take advice
Seeking to lead despite a lack of experience or qualifications
Doing what one wants even when it doesn't make sense
Ignoring the facts in a given situation
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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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EXAMPLES FROM LITERATURE:
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OVERCOMING THIS TRAIT AS A MAJOR FLAW:
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TRAITS IN SUPPORTING CHARACTERS THAT MAY CAUSE CONFLICT:
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