Trait conflict

Trait conflict describes a situation where a character (e.g. a Sim, pet, Plumbot, Servo) cannot have a particular trait, because they already have another trait that conflicts with it. Traits that conflict are often considered "opposites" of each other, such as the evil trait conflicting with the good trait.

Trait conflict can also be used to describe a situation where two characters have traits that oppose one another. If one character exhibits actions or behaviors based on a conflicted trait, a character with an opposing trait may react negatively to it, harming the relationship between the two characters.

The Sims 3
If an incompatible trait is learned, relationship will be decreased slightly. Using a social whose trait prevents the social from working, for example a joke about work on a workaholic or "Talk about Computers" on a technophobe, will learn the trait and may decrease the relationship if that trait has a conflict. The "Observant" lifetime reward can cause conflicting traits to be learned when the Sim starts to socialize with that Sim. Vampires' ability to read minds may cause them to learn conflicting traits faster.

If a Sim has more than one trait that results in a conflict and they share traits as well, both positive and negative interactions will occur.

Traits with no conflicts

 * Adventurous
 * Ambitious
 * Angler
 * Bookworm
 * Born salesperson
 * Diva
 * Dramatic
 * Eccentric
 * Frugal
 * Gatherer
 * Genius
 * Great kisser
 * Green thumb
 * Handy
 * Insane
 * Irresistible
 * Kleptomaniac


 * Loves the cold
 * Loves the heat
 * Mooch
 * Natural cook
 * Neurotic
 * Never nude
 * Night owl
 * Over-emotional
 * Perfectionist
 * Photographer's eye
 * Star quality
 * Unstable
 * Vegetarian
 * Vehicle enthusiast
 * Virtuoso
 * Workaholic

Traits with one conflict

 * Absent-minded (Perceptive)
 * Artistic (Can't stand art)
 * Athletic (Couch potato)
 * Bot fan (Technophobe)
 * Brooding (Excitable)
 * Childish (Dislikes children)
 * Clumsy (Natural born performer)
 * Commitment issues (Hopeless romantic)
 * Computer Whiz (Technophobe)
 * Daredevil (Coward)
 * Disciplined (Couch potato)
 * Eco-friendly (Hates the outdoors)
 * Evil (Good)
 * Family-oriented (Dislikes children)
 * Friendly (Mean spirited)
 * Good (Evil)
 * Good sense of humor (No sense of humor)
 * Heavy sleeper (Light sleeper)
 * Hopeless romantic (Commitment issues)
 * Hot-headed (Grumpy)


 * Hydrophobic (Loves to swim)
 * Inappropriate (Proper)
 * Light sleeper (Heavy sleeper)
 * Loves the outdoors (Hates the outdoors)
 * Loves to swim (Hydrophobic)
 * Lucky (Unlucky)
 * Mean spirited (Friendly)
 * Neat (Slob)
 * No sense of humor (Good sense of humor)
 * Nurturing (Dislikes children)
 * Perceptive (Absent-minded)
 * Rebellious (Schmoozer)
 * Sailor (Hates the outdoors)
 * Savvy sculptor (Can't stand art)
 * Schmoozer (Rebellious)
 * Snob (Easily Impressed)
 * Socially awkward (Charismatic)
 * Supernatural skeptic (Supernatural fan)
 * Unflirty (Flirty)
 * Unlucky (Lucky)

Traits with two conflicts

 * Avant garde (Can't stand art, Easily impressed)
 * Brave (Coward, Loser)
 * Charismatic (Loser, Socially awkward)
 * Excitable (Grumpy, Brooding)
 * Flirty (Unflirty, Shy)
 * Grumpy (Excitable, Hot-headed)
 * Loner (Party Animal, Social butterfly)


 * Loser (Brave, Charismatic)
 * Natural born performer (Coward, Clumsy)
 * Party animal (Loner, Shy)
 * Proper (Slob, Inappropriate)
 * Slob (Neat, Proper)
 * Social butterfly (Loner, Shy)
 * Supernatural fan (Coward, Supernatural skeptic)

Traits with three conflicts

 * Animal lover (Dog person, Cat person, Equestrian)
 * Cat person (Animal lover, Dog person, Equestrian)
 * Couch potato (Athletic, Technophobe, Disciplined)
 * Dislikes children (Family oriented, Childish, Nurturing)
 * Dog person (Animal lover, Cat person, Equestrian)


 * Easily impressed (Can't stand art, Snob, Avant garde)
 * Equestrian (Animal lover, Cat person, Dog person)
 * Hates the outdoors (Loves the outdoors, Eco-friendly, Sailor)
 * Shy (Flirty, Party animal, Social butterfly)
 * Technophobe (Computer whiz, Couch potato, Bot fan)

Traits with four conflicts

 * Can't stand art (Artistic, Easily impressed, Savvy sculptor, Avant garde)
 * Coward (Brave, Daredevil, Natural born performer, Supernatural fan)

The Sims Medieval
Relationship is no longer decreased when an incompatible trait is learned. On the other hand, learning the shared trait will no longer increase relationship either. Social effectiveness from traits are same as The Sims 3.

The Sims 4
Trait conflict returns in The Sims 4. Like The Sims Medieval, there are no relationship changes from learning about a trait conflict or compatibility. However, Sims with conflicting traits will have a harder time getting along. Freegan from The Sims 4: Eco Lifestyle and lazy from the base game are currently the traits with the most conflicts in the series, with five conflicting traits each.

Traits with no conflicts

 * Art lover
 * Bookworm
 * Bro
 * Cat lover
 * Child of the islands
 * Child of the ocean
 * Creative
 * Dance machine
 * Dog lover
 * Erratic


 * Geek
 * Genius
 * Green fiend
 * Jealous
 * Music lover
 * Perfectionist
 * Recycle disciple
 * Self-absorbed
 * Self-assured
 * Vegetarian

Traits with one conflict

 * Active (Lazy)
 * Adventurous (Lazy)
 * Clumsy (Maker)
 * Goofball (Snob)
 * Insider (Loner)
 * Kleptomaniac (Good)


 * Loves outdoors (Squeamish)
 * Materialistic (Freegan)
 * Noncommittal (Family-oriented)
 * Paranoid (Outgoing)
 * Romantic (Unflirty)
 * Unflirty (Romantic)

Traits with two conflicts

 * Ambitious (Freegan, Lazy)
 * Cheerful (Gloomy, Hot-headed)
 * Evil (Childish, Good)
 * Family-oriented (Hates children, Noncommittal)
 * Foodie (Freegan, Glutton)
 * Gloomy (Cheerful, Hot-headed)
 * Glutton (Foodie, Squeamish)
 * Hates children (Childish, Family-oriented)


 * Hot-headed (Cheerful, Gloomy)
 * Loner (Insider, Outgoing)
 * Maker (Clumsy, Lazy)
 * Mean (Good, Proper)
 * Neat (Lazy, Slob)
 * Outgoing (Loner, Paranoid)
 * Proper (Mean, Slob)

Traits with three conflicts

 * Childish (Evil, Hates children, Snob)
 * Good (Evil, Kleptomaniac, Mean)
 * Slob (Neat, Proper, Squeamish)
 * Snob (Childish, Freegan, Goofball)

Traits with four conflicts

 * Squeamish (Freegan, Glutton, Loves outdoors, Slob)

Traits with five conflicts

 * Freegan (Ambitious, Foodie, Materialistic, Snob, Squeamish)
 * Lazy (Active, Adventurous, Ambitious, Maker, Neat)