Personality

Personality is the combination of thoughts, emotions and behaviors that makes a person unique. It is the result of both nature (innate traits) and nurture (environmental factors). Personality develops throughout life and is relatively stable over time.

There are many different theories of personality, but most psychologists believe that it is made up of five main components: self-concept, motivation, values, emotions and social skills. Each one of these contributes to a person’s overall personality.

Self-concept is how you see yourself. It includes your beliefs about your abilities, as well as your physical and personal attributes. Motivation refers to what drives you to do things – it can be internal (such as a need for achievement or power) or external (like money or approval from others). Values are the principles that guide your behavior – they may be religious, moral or simply what you believe in. Emotions play a role in personality by influencing how you react to situations – they can range from positive (happy, content) to negative (angry, sad). Social skills involve being able to interact effectively with others and build relationships.

Personality varies from person to person – there is no “normal” personality type. However, some people do tend to fall into certain categories based on their predominant traits. For example, someone who scores high on measures of extraversion is likely to be sociable and outgoing, while someone who scores high on measures of neuroticism may be more prone to anxiety and depression. There are also different types of personalities based on whether someone has a more optimistic or pessimistic outlook on life.

While personality plays a big role in shaping who we are, it is important to remember that it is not set in stone – we all have the ability to change our personalities if we want to.