The Psychology of Self-Discovery: Understanding Your Own Personality

Personality refers to the enduring characteristics and behaviour that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life, including major traits, interests, drives, values, self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns. Various theories explain the structure and development of personality in different ways.

What is it that makes you who you are? Many factors contribute to the person you are today, including genetics, your upbringing, and your life experiences.

A number of theories have emerged to explain the aspects of personality. Some are focused on explaining how personality develops, while others are concerned with individual differences in personality.

Today, the Big Five Theory is perhaps the most popular and widely accepted trait theory of personality. The theory proposes that personality is made up of five broad personality dimensions:

• Agreeableness
• Conscientiousness
• Extroversion
• Neuroticism
• Openness

The Big Five personality theory suggests that each personality trait is like a wide sliding scale. So, when it comes to your personality, you could land anywhere on that scale for each trait. For instance, you might be really outgoing, responsible, and easygoing but somewhere in between when it comes to being open-minded and handling stress.

Openness

Openness, which is sometimes called "openness to experience," is all about imagination and insight in the Big Five personality traits. People who score high on openness are the curious cats of the bunch. They're interested in a wide variety of things, always eager to learn new stuff and dive into fresh experiences.

These people tend to be adventurous and creative, always up for trying something new. On the flip side, those who are lower in openness tend to be more into tradition and might find people who are more open a little weird.

Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is all about being thoughtful, having self-control, and being goal-oriented. People high in conscientiousness are like the organized pros. They pay attention to the nitty-gritty details, plan things out, think about how their actions impact others, and make sure to meet deadlines.

On the other hand, folks on the lower end of this scale might not be as structured. They might put things off or even miss deadlines because they're not as focused on organization and planning.

Extraversion

Extraversion (or extroversion) is a personality trait characterized by excitability, sociability, talkativeness, assertiveness, and high amounts of emotional expressiveness.1 People high in extraversion are outgoing and tend to gain energy in social situations and new experiences. Being around others helps them feel energized and excited.

People who are low in this personality trait or introverted tend to be more reserved. They have less energy to expend in social settings, and social events can feel draining. Introverts often require a period of solitude and quiet in order to "recharge."

Agreeableness

This personality trait includes attributes such as trust, altruism, kindness, affection, and other prosocial behaviours.1 People who are high in agreeableness tend to be more cooperative, while those low in this personality trait tend to be more competitive and sometimes even manipulative.

Neuroticism

Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by sadness, moodiness, and emotional instability.1 . People high in this trait often go through mood swings, feel anxious, get easily irritated, and experience bouts of sadness. It's like their emotions are doing the cha-cha. 

On the flip side, those who score low on neuroticism tend to be more emotionally steady and resilient. They handle life's ups and downs with a bit more balance and composure.

Freud's Stages of Human Development

According to Sigmund Freud, children go through a series of psychosexual stages that lead to the development of the adult personality. Freud's stages of human development, which consisted of five psychosexual stages of development, described how personality developed over the course of childhood.

You can read more about Freud's theory here:https://www.verywellmind.com/freuds-stages-of-psychosexual-development-2795962

SIGMUND FREUD'S PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY

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         The Id:

According to Freud, the Id is like the wild child of your personality. It's there from day one, lurking in the shadows of your mind. This part is all about raw, unconscious instincts and desires. It wants what it wants, and it wants it now!
The Id operates on the pleasure principle, which basically means it's all about instant gratification. If it doesn't get what it wants ASAP, well, that's when the anxiety kicks in. Sometimes, the things the Id craves just aren't realistic, and that can lead to some, let's say, socially questionable behavior.
When the Id wants something, it uses a thing called primary process thinking to create mental images of what it desires. It's like making wishful thinking a full-time job.

• The Ego:

  
  

Now, let's talk about the Ego. This part is like the grown-up in the room. It develops from the Id and plays the role of the mediator between our inner desires and the outside world.The Ego has three modes: conscious (when you're fully aware), preconscious (in the background), and unconscious (where all the mysterious stuff happens).

This is the part that has to deal with reality. It follows what's called the reality principle, which means it tries to satisfy the Id's urges in a way that actually makes sense and is socially acceptable. It's like the manager of your mind, evaluating the pros and cons before giving the green light to your impulses.To release the tension built up by those unmet desires, the Ego uses something called secondary process thinking. This involves finding actual objects in the real world to match the mental images the Id created. Think of it as a compromise between your wildest dreams and what's doable.

• The Superego:

Lastly, we've got the Superego. It's like the moral compass that starts forming around age five. This part collects all the values and standards you've learned from your parents and society – basically, your sense of right and wrong.

The Superego's job is to keep you in line. It wants you to be all civilized and act on high moral standards, rather than just giving in to your impulsive Id. It's like the responsible older sibling telling you not to do anything too crazy.

So, there you have it, the basics of the three personalities according to Freud. We've got the wild Id, the practical Ego, and the moral Superego, all trying to coexist in the wonderful world of your mind.

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