An individual's personality is the complex of
mental characteristics that makes them unique from other people. It includes
all of the patterns of thought and emotions that cause us to do and say things
in particular ways. At a basic level, personality is expressed through our
temperament or emotional tone. However, personality also colors our values,
beliefs, and expectations. There are many potential factors that are involved
in shaping a personality. These factors are usually seen as coming from heredity
and the environment. Research by psychologists over the last several decades
has increasingly pointed to hereditary factors being more important, especially
for basic personality traits such as emotional tone. However, the acquisition
of values, beliefs, and expectations seem to be due more to socialization and
unique experiences, especially during childhood.
There
are many potential environmental influences that help to shape personality.
Child rearing practices are especially critical. In the dominant culture of
North America, children are usually raised in ways that encourage them to
become self-reliant and independent. Children are often allowed to act somewhat
like equals to their parents. For instance, they are included in making
decisions about what type of food and entertainment the family will have on a
night out. Children are given allowances and small jobs around the house to
teach them how to be responsible for themselves. In contrast, children in China
are usually encouraged to think and act as a member of their family and to
suppress their own wishes when they are in conflict with the needs of the
family. Independence and self-reliance are viewed as an indication of family
failure and are discouraged. It is not surprising that Chinese children
traditionally have not been allowed to act as equals to their parents.
Despite
significant differences in child rearing practices around the world, there are
some similarities. Boys and girls are socialized differently to some extent in
all societies. They receive different messages from their parents and other
adults as to what is appropriate for them to do in life. They are encouraged to
prepare for their future in jobs fitting their gender. Boys are more often
allowed freedom to experiment and to participate in physically risky
activities. Girls are encouraged to learn how to do domestic tasks and to
participate in child rearing by baby-sitting. If children do not follow these
traditional paths, they are often labeled as marginal or even deviant. Girls
may be called "tomboys" and boys may be ridiculed for not being
sufficiently masculine.
There
are always unique situations and interpersonal events that help to shape our
personalities. Such things as having alcoholic parents, being seriously injured
in a car accident or being raped can leave mental scars that make us fearful
and less trusting. If you are an only child, you don't have to learn how to
compromise as much as children who have several siblings. Chance meetings and
actions may have a major impact on the rest of our lives and affect our
personalities. For instance, being accepted for admission to a prestigious
university or being in the right place at the right time to meet the person who
will become your spouse or life partner can significantly alter the course of
the rest of your life. Similarly, being drafted into the military during
wartime, learning that you were adopted, or personally witnessing a tragic
event, such as the destruction of the World Trade Center towers in New York,
can change your basic perspective.
In
the early 1950's, David Riesman proposed that there are three common types of
modal personality that occur around the world. He called them tradition
oriented, inner-directed, and other directed personalities.
Tradition-oriented personality
This
is one that places a strong emphasis on doing things the same way that they
have always been done. Individuals with this sort of personality are less
likely to try new things and to seek new experiences.
Inner-directed personalities
They
are guilt oriented. That is to say, their behavior is strongly controlled by
their conscience. As a result, there is little need for police to make sure
that they obey the law. These individuals monitor themselves. If they break the
law, they are likely to turn themselves in for punishment.
Other-directed personalities
They
have more ambiguous feelings about right and wrong. When they deviate from a
societal norm, they usually don't feel guilty. However, if they are caught in
the act or exposed publicly, they are likely to feel shame.
….
There was local say nokuro?
