NEGATIVE TRAIT THESAURUS

MORBID



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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:
Having a bleak or gruesome outlook or an unhealthy interest in death

SIMILAR FLAWS:
Bleak, depressing

POSSIBLE CAUSES:
Depression
Being raised in an environment where death and disease was a matter of course
Having a deep (or dark) interest in the unknown or one's own mortality
Having experienced more than one's share of death and loss
Curiosity about the afterlife

ASSOCIATED BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES:
Asking questions or making death-related observations that cause others discomfort
A lack of fear regarding death
Closely examining a person or animal in a stage of illness, pain, or death
Maintaining strong eye contact when most would avert their gaze from something unpleasant
Reaching out to touch or handle the dead or dying
Excitement at viewing some aspect of death
Isolation
Having few friendships
A negative or bleak outlook
Difficulty relating to other people
Collecting items that symbolize death in some way (books on illnesses, pinned insects, etc.)
Discussing death or pain in a matter-of-fact way
Expressing interest in the afterlife and/or reincarnation
Expecting or hoping for bad things to happen
Staring into the eyes of something dying or dead
Wondering what happens after death
Researching death and different cultural beliefs surrounding it
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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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