On this page: Capricorn Personality Overview * All Things Associated with Capricorn * Famous Capricorns
Capricorn Traits: active, ambitious, anxious, cautious, classy, dependable, diplomatic, emotionally reserved, hardworking, humorous, intellectual, patient, pessimistic, prudent, self-conscious, self-disciplined, serious, shrewd, stoic, successful, wise
Capricorn Personality Overview
Capricorns Are Self-Disciplined, Hardworking, Reliable, and Honorable
From early childhood, most Capricorns are self-disciplined, serious, determined, mature, and able to persevere in the face of adversity. Capricorns tend to work hard and rise in their chosen fields to achieve high status and success. As a result, they often end up in positions of power, earning the respect of others rather than simply asking for it.
Most Capricorns keep their promises and fulfill their obligations. They are less likely to stand people up or waste their time than those of other signs, and they have little tolerance for unreliability in others.
Capricorns have good memories, both for those who have helped them and those who have harmed them. Being honorable by nature, most will repay a debt or a good deed with something equivalent or better, and some will repay a bad deed with revenge.
Capricorns Have a Good Sense of Humor
One of Capricorn’s more appealing traits is an excellent sense of humor, which tends to be wry or dark. When Capricorns are unhappy, their wit can become sarcastic and cruel (particularly when targeting someone who has hurt them), but most of the time they are inclined to be diplomatic, preferring to avoid unnecessary conflict.
The Capricorn Personality Tends to Be Cautious, Self-Conscious, and Somewhat Anxious and Pessimistic
Capricorns don’t show their emotions easily for fear of being vulnerable, which can make them seem detached or even cold. They are actually quite sensitive with those they care about, though they can be ruthless in business.
When Capricorns are feeling anxious or low, others rarely know it. Capricorns don’t usually seek help for their problems, choosing to suffer in silence instead. They find it hard to open up to other people, which makes it difficult for them to establish deep relationships, though when they do they tend to be very loyal and trustworthy friends.
Capricorns can be over-conventional, afraid to break with tradition or try new things because they are more comfortable with what has proven reliable over time, and this wariness may extend to new relationships as well. They are slow to trust, and most are self-conscious and have a deep fear of public humiliation.
Capricorns loathe embarrassing public scenes and prefer rational discourse to emotional outpourings. They behave in a dignified manner, not giving offense unnecessarily, and they loathe drama, particularly in public places.
Capricorns often suffer from low self-esteem because they are hard on themselves. Their tendency toward negative thinking and self-criticism can become full-blown depression if they’re not careful. To guard against the tendency to spiral downward into melancholy, they need to be kinder to themselves and not expect perfection all the time.
Capricorns are also prone to anxiety. This trait, combined with a tendency toward cleanliness, can manifest as a germ phobia in some cases. Obsessions and compulsions are also common with this sign.
Capricorns Are Pragmatic and Shrewd
Capricorns make prudent investments and they are good at earning money from a variety of sources. Unless their ascendants are in more extravagant signs, they maintain a balanced budget, save money, and invest wisely because they don’t feel safe until they’ve accumulated a large nest egg and have lots of possessions. These tendencies, combined with the Capricorn work ethic, make them excellent business partners and providers.
Capricorns are drawn to the fine things in life, and they are good at gathering assets that are likely to increase in value. However, taken to the extreme, their practicality with money can tip over into self-deprivation and miserliness.
The Typical Capricorn Stays Fit and Active
Capricorns usually stay in good shape because most have the motivation and willpower required to maintain an exercise routine, and they are not inclined to overindulge. Capricorns tend to favor solo fitness activities such as running or skiing, or those that can be done with small groups of friends such as hiking (though Capricorns with more extroverted rising signs such as Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, or Aquarius are more likely to play team sports). Regular exercise helps to stave off the negative feelings that tend to afflict this sign.
Capricorns are also very active when it comes to getting things done, and they have little tolerance for lazy people. They engage in productive activities in their spare time and most devote themselves intensely to their hobbies. Capricorns don’t sit in front of the TV for hours on end unless they can do something useful while they’re watching or the program is educational. They like to be busy and usefully occupied.
Many Capricorns have musical talents and if they take up an instrument, they tend to practice regularly, so they often become proficient with one or more instruments.
Many Capricorns Become More Youthful as They Grow Older
Capricorns are the old souls of the zodiac. When young, they seem more mature and serious than their peers and tend to view children their own age as immature and seek out older companions who are more on their level.
Capricorn children are usually good at amusing themselves and not bothering others. Some get picked on at school because they earn good grades or are shy and withdrawn. However, Capricorns with their ascendants or moons in fire or air signs tend to be more extroverted.
Most Capricorns go through more than the usual amount of hardship, but the bulk of this hard karma tends to occur in the first half of life, as if they want to get it all over with at once so that they can move on to better times later on.
Many Capricorns look younger than their biological ages as they grow older and become more youthful and laid back when they reach middle age and beyond, reversing typical ageing trends as they move from a serious, cautious youth to a more open-minded, playful, easy going old age.
The Atypical Capricorn
The sun sign isn’t the only element that influences personality. Aspects and planetary placements, particularly the moon sign and rising sign (ascendant), are also important. For example, a Capricorn with Gemini rising will be far more chatty and open, though less reliable, and with Leo rising, a Capricorn will be more assertive and prone to risk taking but less humble and sensible with money.
There are many websites that offer free chart calculation to determine other planetary placements and aspects. Learning these other planetary placements is recommended, as it provides a more comprehensive personality profile.
Capricorn Associations
Ruling Planet: Saturn
Symbol: the goat
Element: earth
Quality: cardinal
Metal: lead
Gemstones: jet, jade, hematite, obsidian, onyx, turquoise stone (December), garnet (January)
Parts of the Body: bones, knees, joints, skin, teeth
Number: 8
Places Associated with Capricorn: Lithuania, India, Bulgaria, Mexico, Afghanistan, Oxford, Brussels, Boston, Chicago, Montreal
Animals: vulture, mule, stag, raven, goat, eel
Trees: yew, willow, cypress, elm, holly, hemlock, birch, pine, poplar
Plants and Herbs: deadly nightshade, comfrey, hemlock, barley, burdock
Foods: barley, onion, spinach, beet
Colors: black, gray
Other Capricorn Associations: antiques, prestige, the ruling classes/royal families, clocks, designer labels, vintage wines, watches, clipboards, governments, chiefs, party leaders, national traditions, tennis, running/jogging, heavy industry, engineering, science, music
Famous Capricorns
- A. Milne
- Al Capone
- Albert Schweitzer
- Alexander Hamilton
- Andre Michelin
- Andreas Vesalius
- Andrew Johnson
- Anne Bronte
- Anthony Hopkins
- Anton Chekhov
- Anwar Sadat
- April Winchell
- Aristotle Onassis
- Ava Gardner
- Barry Goldwater
- Benedict Arnold
- Benjamin Franklin
- Benjamin Rush
- Betsy Ross
- Betty Bumpers
- Betty White
- Bradley Cooper
- Carla Bruni
- Carlos Castaneda
- Cary Grant
- Cassius Clay
- Charles Babbage
- Charles Goodyear
- Christy Turlington
- Cody Simpson
- Conrad Hilton
- Corey Haim
- Crystal Gayle
- Danny Kaye
- Dave Foley
- David Bowie
- David Caruso
- David Sedaris
- Denzel Washington
- Dian Fossey
- Diane Keaton
- Diane Sawyer
- Dolly Parton
- Donald Trump Jr.
- Donna Summer
- Edgar Allen Poe
- Elizabeth Arden
- Elvis Presley
- Eric Trump
- Faye Dunaway
- George Burns
- George Foreman
- Grigori Rasputin
- Gypsy Rose Lee
- Harold Shipman
- Harry Shearer
- Helena Rubinstein
- Henri Matisse
- Henry Miller
- Hermann Goring
- Holly Madison
- Howard Hughes
- Howard Stern
- Humphrey Bogart
- Idi Amin
- Isaac Asimov
- Edgar Hoover
- D. Salinger
- R.R. Tolkien
- Jack London
- Jacques Cartier
- James Earl Jones
- James Watt
- Janis Joplin
- Jared Kushner
- Jared Leto
- Jason Bateman
- Jean Chretien
- Jean Stapleton
- Jeff Bezos
- Jeremy Renner
- Jim Bakker
- Jim Carrey
- Jimmy Page
- Joan Baez
- Joan of Arc
- Joe Frazier
- Johannes Kepler
- John A. MacDonald
- John Carpenter
- John Denver
- John Walsh
- Joseph Smith
- Joseph Stalin
- Jude Law
- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Justin Trudeau
- Karan Brar
- Kate Bosworth
- Kate McKinnon
- Kate Middleton
- Kate Moss
- Kate Spade
- Katey Sagal
- Katie Couric
- Kevin Costner
- Kim Jong-un
- Lady Bird Johnson
- Laila Ali
- Lars Ulrich
- Laura Schlessinger
- Lauren Cohan
- Lebron James
- Liam Hemsworth
- LL Cool J
- Lord Byron
- Loretta Young
- Louis Braille
- Louis Chevrolet
- Louis Pasteur
- Louis Tomlinson
- Malcolm Young
- Mao Tse-Tung
- Mao Zedong
- Marilyn Manson
- Mark Messier
- Marlene Dietrich
- Martin Luther King Jr.
- Mary Higgins Clark
- Mary Tyler Moore
- Matt Lauer
- Maury Povich
- Mel Gibson
- Michelle Obama
- Millard Fillmore
- Moliere
- Muhammad Ali
- Naomi Judd
- Nicolas Cage
- Nicholas Sparks
- Nigella Lawson
- Norman Reedus
- Oliver Hardy
- Orlando Bloom
- Patrick Dempsey
- Paul Cezanne
- Paul Revere
- Paula Deen
- Paula Poundstone
- Pitbull
- Psy
- Queen Silvia of Sweden
- Kelly
- Ralph Fiennes
- Rand Paul
- Regina King
- Richard Nixon
- Ricky Martin
- Robert E. Lee
- Rocky Graziano
- Rod Serling
- Rorion Gracie
- Ross Lynch
- Rowan Atkinson
- Roy Jones Jr.
- Rudyard Kipling
- Rush Limbaugh
- Ryan Seacrest
- Sarah Polley
- Sean Hannity
- Shawn Wayans
- Sienna Miller
- Simone de Beauvoir
- Sir Isaac Newton
- Sissy Spacek
- Soupy Sales
- Stan Lee
- Stephen Hawking
- Stephenie Meyer
- Steve Allen
- Steven Soderbergh
- Susan Sontag
- Swami Vivekananda
- Ted Cruz
- Ted Danson
- Tia Carrere
- Tiger Woods
- Tim Horton
- Tracey Ullman
- Vidal Sassoon
- Woodrow Wilson
- Zayn Malik
- Zooey Deschanel
Learn More
Read about other sun signs: Aries * Taurus * Gemini * Cancer * Leo * Virgo * Libra * Scorpio * Sagittarius * Aquarius * Pisces
Read about moon signs: Aries Moon * Taurus Moon * Gemini Moon * Cancer Moon * Leo Moon * Virgo Moon * Libra Moon * Scorpio Moon * Sagittarius Moon * Capricorn Moon * Aquarius Moon * Pisces Moon
Learn more about astrology: Astrology FAQ
Capricorn image courtesy of Graphics Mouse, www.freedigitalphotos.net.