Alhaitham is a scholar who is fueled by a desire to understand the underlying principles of the world around him.[2] He greatly values the pursuit of knowledge and dislikes meaningless noise and matters that distract or divert him from his chosen pursuits. To this end, while he is unambitious and enjoys leisure, he will do what he deems necessary to maintain a comfortable life.[3] As a result, he is not fond of being a leader, refusing the position of Grand Sage and when thrust upon the position of Acting Grand Sage, expresses an intent to resign as soon as possible.[3][4]

Alhaitham focuses greatly on himself at all times. However, he does not do so out of a disregard for others; instead, it is a result of his rationality. For example, he believes that as it is impossible to save everyone, it is important to focus on one's own well-being first.[4][5] As a result, he frequently squabbles with Kaveh due to their contrasting ideals and personalities. Contrary to what his peers think, Alhaitham does not look down upon anyone and tends to give equal weight to everyone,[6] be they human or god.[7] He also places great importance in the value of humanity and has astute insight into human nature.[4] While he does not keep this a secret, he rarely bothers to correct others' unfavorable assumptions unless it would prove more troublesome to allow them to persist.