There are many character flaws that you can include in your writing if you want to design complete, dynamic characters that your readers will love. The first thing to keep in mind is that all characters, with very few exceptions to the rule, should have flaws. Humans are inherently flawed, so when our characters have them, it creates an outlet for sympathy and engagement. This blog provides a list of some flaws that you can use in your writing.
List of Character Flaws
Resentful: bitter about being treated poorly by someone in the past.
Dogmatic: unwilling to accept wrong or stubborn about changing.
Shallow: cares about trivial things; feigns compassion for social gain.
Greedy: cares excessively about material things, particularly money.
Apathetic: has trouble expressing emotion and showing compassion.
Pedantic: overly concerned about small details that most people take for granted.
Arrogant: dismissive of others; cares mostly about themselves, disregarding competing interests.
Pessimistic: always sees the bad in every situation. (This isn’t necessarily a flaw for some characters)
Reticent: usually not inclined to discuss feelings or thoughts openly with other people
Indecisive: bad at making decisions; usually consumed by doubts and worries about the consequences.
Impatient: demands answers or action immediately when it would often be better to simply wait.
Clumsy: uncoordinated, which can sometimes lead to unwanted accidents.
Dishonest: for one reason or another, inclined to lie; sometimes to hide a dangerous truth or because they enjoy being deceptive.
Argumentative: always ready to pick a fight or disagree just for the sake of it.
Dramatic: can turn every situation into a dire one; usually self-centered, often likes to use dramatization to put the attention on them.
Impulsive: makes rash decisions, which can put them in dangerous or compromising situations.
Controlling: wants to be a leader in all situations; often stems from a fear of losing control, compounding with the idea that they are the best person to lead when they often aren’t.
Prejudiced: victim of cognitive bias involving groups of people; often arises out of ignorance.
Violent: inclined to react to certain situations with violence.
Misanthropic: doesn’t like humans; often coincides with cynicism. These people can’t see the good in anyone, including themselves.
Jealous: someone may be jealous in a romantic relationship for legitimate or illegitimate reasons.
Inattentive: someone may have attention issues, or they may be so in their own head that they find it difficult to listen when they should.
Nihilistic: they don’t believe in anything, which can lead to feelings of despondency and existential dread. Thinking about the lack of meaning in anything can consume their lives.
Mercurial: people can’t understand someone who always switches moods. It can be difficult for someone who is friends with this person to empathize.
Vindictive: someone who seeks revenge is caught up on something in the past that they can’t overcome or most past.
Narcissistic: overly concerned and interested in themselves; always finds a way to make something about them.
Obsessive: someone who is obsessive can often get themselves into challenging situations because they can’t avoid thinking about or chasing what they’re obsessed about.
Ambitious: someone who is overly ambitious is often just power-hungry. They are willing to step over other people to get what they want.
Dismissive: a dismissive person doesn’t care about what anyone else has to say because they assume the person has the worst intentions or is exaggerating the problem.
Socially inept: it can be hard to establish relationships for someone who has difficulty navigating social situations.
Perfectionistic: being a perfectionist often means sacrificing a healthy detachment from one’s work and achievements, leading to exhaustion and aloofness.
Ruthless: a ruthless individual holds others to impossible standards and often alienates others from wanting to be around them.
Sensitive: has difficulty handling criticism, can often exaggerate innocuous comments and dreads confrontation.
Ingratiating: someone who is ingratiating wants to get on everyone’s good, often because they are motivated by greed.
Self-critical: being self-critical can torment a person who can find every reason to think of themselves as the bad guy.
Unreliable: being unreliable makes it hard for anyone with this flaw to have long-term relationships with friends, family, or romantic partners. It can compromise their work life as well.
Condescending: condescension stems from a feeling of superiority, which is usually unfounded. These people are often prone to other narcissistic tendencies.
Agreeable: agreeable people have trouble standing their ground or asserting their boundaries.
Hypochondriatic: being overly concerned with one’s health often comes at the cost of living in the moment and embracing life in all its uncertainty.
Traumatized: having trauma can inhibit functioning in a variety of ways. While trauma should be treated in therapy, it can often make it hard for people with it to overcome certain emotional barriers.
Restless: being restless and having lots of energy can be beneficial, but in situations in which being calm is more favorable, restless individuals have a hard time coping.
Passive-aggressive: someone who resorts to this style of communication doesn’t respect other people’s needs and emotional boundaries. Fortunately, passive-aggression is a learned behavior that can be unlearned.
Idealistic: idealism comes at the cost of having to reckon with a world or situation that doesn’t conform to your standards or desires.
Overcommitted: loyalty can be a virtue unless that person is sacrificing their well-being or livelihood in the process. Being too committed to something reflects the same dogmatic harms associated with obsessiveness.
Incredulous: skepticism is one thing, but when you aren’t willing to change your views or at least consider the facts at hand, it's a detriment to personal development.
Self-sacrificing: sacrificing oneself for a worthy cause can be admirable unless this person is all too willing to abdicate individuality and healthy self-esteem.
Strict: again, having high standards is okay if you’re reasonably understanding, but being strict also implies being intolerant of people who do not meet your expectations, thus destroying any chance of a friendship or any type of healthy relationship.
Needy: you can’t always rely on others to satisfy your needs. A needy person can’t fend for themselves in a world that has no inherent sympathy for anyone struggling.
Defiant: there are situations in which complying with the norm and going with the status quo can prove advantageous; defiant people aren’t likely to yield even when it would be better.
Short-sighted: sometimes, stepping back to plan for the long term helps you better prepare for its possibilities. When you’re short-sighted, you’re often too fixated on the now, which can end up leading you down some difficult paths.
Why Your Characters Need Flaws
Character flaws are just like regular human flaws. We all have them, we can’t be perfect. Characters with flaws are simply more realistic. It’s easier for readers to sympathize with and invest in characters who they see themselves in. Also, character flaws will lead to conflicts that will force them to confront their flaws and hopefully allow them to consider changing or improving some aspect of their lives or themselves.
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