PERSONALITY- Nature, Significance and Characteristics.pdf

PERSONALITY:NATURE, SIGNIFICANCE, AND CHARACTERISTICS According to Carl Gustav Jung (1934), “Personality is the supreme realization of the innate idiosyncrasy of a living being. It is an act of high courage flung in the face of life, the absolute affirmation of all that constitutes the individual,...

PERSONALITY:NATURE, SIGNIFICANCE, AND CHARACTERISTICS According to Carl Gustav Jung (1934), “Personality is the supreme realization of the innate idiosyncrasy of a living being. It is an act of high courage flung in the face of life, the absolute affirmation of all that constitutes the individual, the most successful adaptation to the universal condition of existence coupled with the greatest possible freedom for self-determination.” PERSONALITY What is Personality? -encompasses not just the physical being of an individual but it also includes the intellectual, moral, spiritual, emotional and psychological state as well. -is not just a mask that we wear according to our need. It is rather the very “essence” of our totality as an individual. It is a reflection of our childhood, our aspirations, our experiences, and our mind. -comes from the Latin word “persona” that means “mask”. It is what people project and display which includes the inner areas of psychological experience which we collectively call as our “self” - made up of characteristic patterns of thought, feelings and behavior that make an individual distinct from the others. It arises from within the individual and remains fairly consistent throughout one’s life. -it is a dynamic organization inside the person, of psychophysical systems that create a person’s characteristic patterns of behavior, thoughts and feelings which convey a sense of consistency, internal causality and personal distinctiveness.” -Carver and Scheier (2000) -is generally a summation of “overt and covert” behavior. Those are characteristics that may either be seen or unseen. Overt behavior encompasses traits that are observable and readily perceived through an individual’s sense. Our ready impressions on a person exemplify how we view an individual through his overt attributes Covert behavior, on the other hand, includes those traits that are hidden deeply with an individual. Those that he keeps to himself for some reason. -is a product of both “biological make-up and environmental influence” We are not just a result of our parents’ genes but the traits we have inherited from them are actually enhanced or curtailed by the environment to which we were basically raised. Fundamental Characteristics of Personality Personality is not just determined at a glance. There is a set of criteria that will set the standard to determine whether such indeed are the attributes of a certain individual. 1. Psychological and Physiological - A psychological construct that is influenced by biological processes and needs 2. Consistency - A generally recognizable order and regularity of behavior 3. Impact Behavior and actions - Does not just influence how we move and respond to our environment. It also causes us to act in certain ways. 4.Multiple expressions - Is displayed in more than just behavior. It can also be seen in thoughts, feelings, close relationships and other social interactions