Cariño, Kristoffer A.

ZPD 111
LM8A
WHAT IS PERSONALITY?

Personality refers to individual differences in characteristic patterns of thinking, feeling

and behaving. The study of personality focuses on two broad areas: One is understanding

individual differences in particular personality characteristics, such as sociability or irritability.

The other is understanding how the various parts of a person come together as a whole.1

WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF PERSONALITY?

The following are the three componentes of personality according to Sigmund Freud:

 Id. It is the only component of personality that is present from birth. This aspect of

personality is entirely unconscious and includes the instinctive and primitive behaviors. Also, it is

the source of all psychic energy, making it the primary component of personality.

 Ego. It is the component of personality that is responsible for dealing with reality. It

develops from the id and ensures that the impulses of the id can be expressed in a manner

acceptable in the real world. Furthermore, it functions in both the conscious, preconscious, and

unconscious mind.

 Superego. It is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards

and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society – our sense of right and wrong. It also

provides for making judgments. It usually begins to emerge at around age five.2

WHAT ARE THE FACTORS OF PERSONALITY?

The following are different factors of personality:

1
http://www.apa.org/topics/personality/
2
https://www.verywell.com/the-id-ego-and-superego-2795951
  Openness to experience: (inventive/curious vs. consistent/cautious). Appreciation for art,

emotion, adventure, unusual ideas, curiosity, and variety of experience. Openness reflects the

degree of intellectual curiosity, creativity and a preference for novelty and variety a person has. It

is also described as the extent to which a person is imaginative or independent and depicts a

personal preference for a variety of activities over a strict routine. High openness can be perceived

as unpredictability or lack of focus, and more likely to engage in risky behaviour or drug taking.

Moreover, individuals with high openness are said to pursue self-actualization specifically by

seeking out intense, euphoric experiences. Conversely, those with low openness seek to gain

fulfillment through perseverance and are characterized as pragmatic and data-driven—sometimes

even perceived to be dogmatic and closed-minded. Some disagreement remains about how to

interpret and contextualize the openness factor.

 Conscientiousness: (efficient/organized vs. easy-going/careless). A tendency to be

organized and dependable, show self-discipline, act dutifully, aim for achievement, and prefer

planned rather than spontaneous behavior. High conscientiousness is often perceived as

stubbornness and obsession. Low conscientiousness is associated with flexibility and spontaneity,

but can also appear as sloppiness and lack of reliability.

 Extraversion: (outgoing/energetic vs. solitary/reserved). Energy, positive emotions,

surgency, assertiveness, sociability and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others,

and talkativeness. High extraversion is often perceived as attention-seeking, and domineering.

Low extraversion causes a reserved, reflective personality, which can be perceived as aloof or self-

absorbed.

 Agreeableness: (friendly/compassionate vs. challenging/detached). A tendency to be

compassionate and cooperative rather than suspicious and antagonistic towards others. It is also a
measure of one's trusting and helpful nature, and whether a person is generally well-tempered or

not. High agreeableness is often seen as naive or submissive. Low agreeableness personalities are

often competitive or challenging people, which can be seen as argumentativeness or

untrustworthiness.

 Neuroticism: (sensitive/nervous vs. secure/confident). The tendency to experience

unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression, and vulnerability. Neuroticism also

refers to the degree of emotional stability and impulse control and is sometimes referred to by its

low pole, "emotional stability". A high need for stability manifests itself as a stable and calm

personality, but can be seen as uninspiring and unconcerned. A low need for stability causes a

reactive and excitable personality, often very dynamic individuals, but they can be perceived as

unstable or insecure.3

WHY IS THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT IMPORTANT?

Every day in my life I wonder about how people act so different (negatively) and at the

same time cautious about my actions. I don’t believe in the saying “You don’t have to please

everybody.” It is because you can’t stop people from giving you negative feedbacks if you keep

on doing whatever you like – especially if it is not good or contrary to norms. You can adjust by

improving your personality and more things will go better; not only that you will become a better

person but also, negative feedbacks from other people will reduce or if you’re lucky – there will

none finally.

That is why the study of personality development is important. It will help yourself and

other people, too. Imagine living a life that no one is adjusting because of your attitude because of

3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Five_personality_traits
your good personality, not only that it brings peace and harmony but also luck will come in your

way because of good karma.

So, I hope that everyone in this class will not view this subject petty. Thus, all lessons that

will be discussed should be taken seriously and applied in our daily life. For the betterment of

thyself and the world!