The Relation of Character Strengths to Past, Present, and Future Life Satisfaction among German-Speaking Women René T. Proyer,* Fabian Gander, Tobias Wyss, and Willibald Ruch University of Zurich, Switzerland Background: Peterson and Seligman (2004) argue that character strengths are fulfilling and contribute to the “good life”. Building upon earlier research, this study tests the relation of strengths to past, present, and future life satisfaction. Methods: A sample of 1,087 women completed the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths and the Temporal Satisfaction with Life Scale in an online study. Results: The results suggest that primarily the strengths curiosity, hope, grati- tude, love, and zest contributed to life satisfaction. Appreciation of beauty and excellence contributed more to past life satisfaction in older than in younger participants. For future life satisfaction religiousness was of importance while it was not for past or present satisfaction. Conclusions: The study underlines the importance of five key strengths that contribute to life satisfaction. It is argued that the study of the relation of character strengths with life satisfaction would greatly benefit from taking a life span perspective into account. Keywords: character strengths, life satisfaction, positive psychology, temporal satisfaction with life INTRODUCTION Positive psychology aims at scientifically studying what is best in people—it has a focus on strengths rather than on weaknesses or deficits (see Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Research shows that positive interventions and variables related to positive psychological functioning are potent for enhanc- ing and fostering subjective and physical well-being (e.g. Brutsche et al., 2008; Chida & Steptoe, 2008; Davidson, Mostofsky, & Whang, 2010; Diener & Chan, 2011; Lyubomirsky, Sheldon, & Schkade, 2005; Mazzuchelli, Kane, & Rees, 2010; Sin & Lyubomirsky, 2009). One of the research directions that positive psychology has revived lately is the study of character strengths * Address for correspondence: René Proyer, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmühlestrasse 14/7, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland. Email: r.proyer@psychologie.uzh.ch APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY: HEALTH AND WELL-BEING, 2011, 3 (3), 370–384 doi:10.1111/j.1758-0854.2011.01060.x © 2011 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being © 2011 The International Association of Applied Psychology. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford OX4 2DQ, UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.