Capricorns are the planners and strategists of the zodiac. They like to plan and rehearse everything in advance and as a result they typically excel at anything they turn their mind to. They tend to be highly practical people who like structure, organization, tradition and stability.
They tend to be very conscious of their social image, which includes being very reserved with people they don't know which gives a false impression of them being loners. They typically have a very small circle of close friends who they let their guard down with.
Sensible
Serious
Practical
Realistic
Intense
Loyal
Responsible
Down to earth
Cautious
Patient
Self disciplined
Dependable
Ambitious
Self motivated
Forceful
Determined
Self sufficient
It's worth noting that most good Capricorn traits and characteristics have an equal and opposite bad trait or characteristic. For example, someone who is highly analytical could be described as either intelligent (good) or unemotional (bad). Someone who is spontaneous (good) is also impulsive (bad).
Stubborn
Uncreative / unimaginative
Materialistic
Self indulging
Possessive (jealous)
Tendency to procrastinate
Inhibited
Conceited
Distrusting
Demanding
Inconsiderate
Controlling
Bossy
Introvert
Pessimistic (tend to dwell on the past)
Planning things in advance
Stability
Security
Routines
Organization
Unnecessary risks
Chaos or unpredictability
One of the fascinating things about astrology is the patterns which exist. Capricorn personality traits certainly aren't random. They come from a combination of the signs ruling planet, element, polarity, house and quality. All of these are also used (consistently) elsewhere within astrology and come together to form the unique package which is the Capricorn personality.
No. The above traits exist if someone has a Capricorn sun sign. However every individual also has other planet placements (Moon, Mars, Venus etc) which modify this behavior. In some cases one or more of the basic personality traits listed above will be modified or even replaced. Only by examining all the planet placements for an individual can we get a complete picture of their unique personality. A skilled astrologer can often calculate these backwards from the ways that the basic sun sign behavior is being modified.
As children we are subjected to many experiences and influences. These can lead to a determined effort to modify our personality and behavior. The traits still exist, but they can be over ridden by free thought. It's fairly common for negative traits to gradually diminish as a person gets older, wiser and more socially adept.