UNIT 3: PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

Structure

3.0 Objectives
3.1 Introduction
3.2 What do we mean by the term personality?
3.3 Some key definitionsof personality
3.3.1 Gordon Allport
3.3.2 Sigmund Freud
3.4 Factors that determine personality
3.4.1 Biological Factors
3.4.2 Environmental Factors
3.4.3 Socio Cultural Factors
3.5 The five-factor model
3.6 How can we develop our personality?
3.7 Importance of personality development.
3.8 SWOC analysis
3. 9 Simple tips for personality development
3.10 Let us sum up
3.11 Suggested readings
3.12 Answers

3.0OBJECTIVES

The objective of this unit is to help you

 understand the significance of personality development as an important soft skill not just
in the professional sphere but also in your personal life.
 become aware of the factors that influence your personality
 realise that all of us have inherent strengths and unique qualities which we need to
strengthen and use to our advantage.
 do a SWOC analysis toenhance your personality and to harness challenges as
opportunities.
 work on aspects of your personality which need to be developed for holistic growth.

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 3.1 INTRODUCTION

You must have wondered why some people attract more attention and are more popular amongst
friends and colleagues. Furthermore, why despite similar academic qualifications, some get
selected for jobs easily while others struggle. You must have found some of your friendsto be
more pleasing, positive and easy going and you like to spend time with them while others are
always critical and negative, and you prefer to avoid them. What is that makes people unique and
distinctive? What is it that makes some more interesting and amiable? What makes you pay more
attention to some as compared to others? And why when despite the fact that you and your
siblings have the same upbringing, yet you all are different in several ways.

The difference lies in the personality. Our personalities distinguish us from each other and makes
us distinctive and unique. Those with a more wholesome personality are bound to attract us more
than others. Have you ever thought what exactly is meant by the term ‘Personality’? How do we
define it? What are its components? Is it inherent or can it be cultivated and developed? Were we
born with our personalities or were there factors that influence it? How can we be like those
whom we see as our idols? Is personality development possible and how can we work on it?

Personality ischaracterized by certain distinct attributes which some possess in greater

degreethan others. These attributes may be our character traits, emotions, thoughts, habits,
attitudes, temperament and responses to the environment around us or the situations we find
ourselves in. While some of these qualities are inherent and biologically determined, others are
subconsciously acquired through our early environment and education, there are still several that
we develop and enhance through conscious effort, which is called ‘personality development’. Of
all the soft skills, personality development is perhaps all encompassing. It involves learning how
to communicate better, to have higher levels of emotional intelligence, to be more empathetic, to
be less biased and prejudiced and to have higher order of critical thinking and problem-solving
skills. In short, personality development is not just about how we project ourselves to others but
to be better versions of ourselves.

Check your progress 1

1 Listen to a panel discussion on TV and then analyse which speaker were you listening
to carefully. Make a list of the qualities of that speaker that you paid attention to the
most.

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2 Also make a list of reasons why you did not pay much attention to the other speakers.
What is it about them that you did not particularly like?

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3.2 WHAT DO WE MEAN BY THE TERM ‘PERSONALITY’?

Personality is derived from the Latin word, ‘Persona’ which derives its roots from ‘per’
(through) and ‘sonare’ (to sound). This draws its genesis from the masks used by actors on stage
while performing different roles in Greek and Roman theatre. Since there were limited actors to
play several characters, the masks gave them their distinct identities as they enacted their parts,
bringing alive the characters they were foregrounding. In a way, this also refers to the roles we
play in our lives, the way we project ourselves in society. The great Roman poet Cicero (106 - 43
BC) further added to this possible meaning by suggesting that our personalities are what we
appear to be in front of others, which may or maynot entirely be who we really are and that it is
our personality that distinguishes us from others around us. The Greek physician and philosopher
Hippocrates (460-370 BC), on the other hand posits that imbalance in four primary body fluids
leads to difference in our temperaments and personalities, thereby associating personality with
‘humors’or body fluids. The four fluids being blood, phlegm, yellow bile from the liver and
black bile from the kidney. People with more blood than the other three fluids were generally
more cheerful and those with more phlegm were calm. Those with yellow bile were choleric or
angry and a higher quantity of black bile led to melancholy. This theory is no longer considered
valid by modern psychologists but paved the way for other theories. For example, Galen, a
Roman physician and philosopher (129-210 AD) asserted, “Sharpness and intelligence are
caused by yellow bile in the soul, perseverance and consistency by the melancholic humor, and
simplicity and naivety by blood. But the nature of phlegm has no effect on the character of the
soul”i. Based on the theories mentioned above is an indicative table for the theory of humors and
personality.

Blood Yellow Bile Black Bile Phlegm

Friendly Bitter Melancholic Low spirited

Cheerful Short tempered Fearful Forgetful

Sanguine Angry Sickly Reserved

Enthusiastic Choleric Depressive Introvert

Active Aggressive Lazy Calm

Social Restless Sad Passive

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 Check your progress 2

1 Make a list of your character traits and habits and compare them to those of your parents
and siblings. Those common to your immediate family members are biological traits.

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2 What do understand by the term’ personality’? Is it static and fixed or can we enhance
our personality?
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3.3 SOME KEY DEFINITIONS OF ‘PERSONALITY’

While several psychologists have attempted to define what they understand by the term
personality, no two definitions are same. Each theorist approaches the study of personality from
a different angle.According to American psychologists Randy Larsen and David Buss,
“Personality is a stable, organized collection of psychological traits and mechanisms in the
human being that influences his or her interactions with and modifications to the psychological,
social and physical environment surrounding them. American Psychological Association offers
the following definition, “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”. And for Weinberg & Gould, personality is “The characteristics or blend of
characteristics that make a person unique”.While some psychologists focus on character traits as
genetic, others see it as formed by our early education, environment and socio-cultural
influences. All of themagree that these make us distinctive and unique to a certain degree. Let us
look at the theories of two key psychologists in the next section to understand the concept of
personality better.

Check your progress 3

1 What is common to the three definitions of personality given above?

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3.3.1 Gordon W. All port

Gordon W. Allport, an American psychologist was amongst the first few to undertake a full-
length study on personality. His seminal work, Personality: A Psychological Interpretation
(1937) offers the following definition. “Personality is the dynamic organization within the
individual of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his
environment” (p. 48). For Allport, personality is dynamic and organic, it is neither fixed not
static. It keeps evolving and changing as we grow older and respond to socio cultural stimulants
around us. It encompasses both our physical and psychological traits and encompasses both body
and mind. Allport later included “characteristic behaviour and thought” (1961, p. 28) to his
definition. With this addition, he made the term more self-reflexive and prone to change. He was
also the first to introduce character traits as an important element of personality. These are our
distinctive tendencies in terms of our responses and habits and differentiate us from others.
Allport and Henry Odbert’s close study of the English Dictionary revealed more than 4000
words which describe character traits which he categories into Cardinal, Central and Secondary
traits. Cardinal traits become generic adjectives wherein names of people get associated with
their traits and we use these names to describe others. For example, Hitler was Machiavellian or
My friend Rahul is a Romeo or His father is a Hitler. These describe dominant traits associated
with well-known personalities. Central traits are the foundation of our personality. These are
adjectives one would use to describe ourselves and others broadly. For example, I am an
extrovert, or My friend is honest and shy. The third category, i.e. Secondary traits are linked to
attitudes and usually are responses to certain situations, for example feeling nervous before going
on stage or anxiety before an exam.

Raymond Cattell, a well-known psychologist also worked on the trait theory and reduced
Allport’s long list of 4000 traits to a mere 16 key attributes which distinguish us from each other.
His Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire also known as 16PF is used by career counsellors
and personal counsellors to help in both professional choices and personal growthii.Cattell’s 16
key attributes and their parameters are listed below:

Warmth Outgoing or reserved

Reasoning Abstract or rational
Emotional stability Calm or reactive
Dominance Forceful or submissive
Liveliness Spontaneous or conscious
Rule-consciousness Conformist or non-conformist
Social-boldness Unrestrained or restrained
Sensitivity Tender or cold
Vigilance Suspicious or trusting
Abstractedness Imaginative or practical
Privateness Reserved or open
Apprehension Worried or confident
Openness to change Flexible or rigid
Self-reliance Independent or dependent
Perfectionism Disciplined or undisciplined
Tension Restless or relaxed

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 Check your progress 4

1 What do you understand by Allport’s definition of personality?

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2 Use Cattell’s 16 key attributes/ traits to chart elements of your own personality.

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3.3.2 Sigmund Freud

Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theory of personality focuses both on nature and nurture i.e. our
natural instincts that are inherent and innate, and influences which nurture us or shape our
personality. Moreover, he asserted that human behaviour and personality is a result of the
combination of the id, ego and the superego. According to him, we operate at different levels of
consciousness of which the most significant is the unconscious level. The unconscious aspect of
our mind is the most powerful and controlling as we are not aware of it. The id is the most
instinctive part of our personalities, which is at the same time biological and inherent in humans
and operates on the principle of wish fulfillment. The ego is the reality principle and is located in
our interaction with the outside world, it takes into account social behaviour, family bonds and
underlying norms of collective living. The superego is a combination of what we have learnt
from parents and our environment and experiences in early childhood and can be linked to our
conscience. A combination of all three lead to the complexities in our behaviour and
personalities. The id is a part of us from birth and controls the instincts and reflexes, the ego
moderates the id and is expressed in socially accepted behaviour, and it helps us deal with
reality. The superego defines our sense of right and wrong, it suppresses the irrationality of the id
and helps us adhere to an accepted code of conduct. A balanced combination of the three leads to
a balanced personality but an imbalance leaning towards id will lead to dominant or impulsive
personalities and a stronger superego might lead to a person being either too judgmental or
lacking in judgment.

According to Freud, our personalities are not static or fixed but develop as we grow. Modern day
theories of personality development have evolved from Freud’s ideas of personality and its
development. His psychodynamic theory is equally important to understand development of
personality. By the age of five, he asserted, our personalities are largely established,and which
have developed because of the interplay of biological forces and the environment around us.
Freud charts the development of personality through five distinct psychosexual stages. The first
stage is ‘Oral’ as our primary interaction from birth to a year is defined by activities involving

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tasting and sucking. There is implicit trust as this stimulation is gratified by those feeding us. As
in every stage, this oral stage too will have conflicts. In this case weaning off the mother or the
care giver is a source of conflict. If this is not handled carefully, and a child has issues weaning
off, this will result in aggression and may lead to thumb sucking or nail biting at an early stage
and drinking and smoking later. The next stage which is the ‘Anal’ stage is focused on bladder
and bowel movements or toilet training in layman’s terms. Control of bodily movements leads to
a sense of independence and gives the child a sense of accomplishment. If handled competently,
this leads to a sense of self-worth, and productive and positive behaviour. Negative responses at
this stage in terms of punishment or ridicule will lead to negative development in the personality.
Children will become rigid, obstinate and obsessive. The next stage is the ‘Phallic’ stage,
wherein children discover the biological differences which mark them as girls and boys, and it is
in the ‘Latent’ stage from six years of age to puberty that children develop social skills and
interact proactively with world outside via schools and peer groups. This stage is of importance
to development of several social skills including communication, personality development,
empathy and emotional quotient. The penultimate stage is the ‘Genital’ stage, which continues
from puberty to death. By this stage if balance has been maintained in all other stages, an
individual is in harmony with self and others and is a well-balanced being. Though there are
several fallacies in Freud’s theories yet its importance in the understanding of the growth and
development of personality cannot be denied.

Check your progress 5

1 What do you understand by Freud’s concept of id, ego and superego?

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2 Explain Freud’s psychodynamic theory of personality.

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3.4 FACTORS THAT DETERMINE PERSONALITY

You must have understood by now that personalities are neither influenced nor developed by any
one single factor but by a combination of several factors such as biological and hereditary
factors, environmental factors which include not just our early environment during childhood but
also socio-cultural factors such as our families, schools, friends and peers and later our
workplace etc.

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 3.4.1 Biological & Hereditary Factors

These are attributes that we are born with, be it physical or psychological. These factors
influence our body type, physical structure, facial features, energy levels as well as temperament.
These are genetic and influenced partly or wholly by our parents or grandparents. Influence of
biological and hereditary factors on personality have been proven by various studies. This is
further corroborated by parents who can attest to the fact that newborn babies have differing
dispositions – some babies are calmer while others are irritable. Aggression, timidity, being
sociable or reserved are usually genetic attributes. And though we inherit some of these traits, we
are not trapped in them. It takes efforts but with due effort and patience, we can modulate
ourselves and bring the required changes in our personalities.

3.4.2 Environmental Factors

While biological factors constitute the element of ‘nature’ in us, the nurturing element is the
environment around us. Our families, relatives, friends, home, school, classmates including the
language we are first exposed to constitute our early environment and have a tremendous
formative influence on our personality. Research into the background of criminals who have
committed heinous crimes reveal that they did not have the benefit of the right environment
while growing up. Most balanced and well-rounded developed personalities have been nurtured
in a harmonious environment conducive for holistic growth.

3.4.3 Socio-Cultural Factors

The society around us impacts our personality immensely.Though the primary nurturing comes
from home and family, society is the larger unit that influences us through our social
interactions. The socio-economic status that we are born in and our education levels also impact
our personality. The term culture denotes shared value systems within members of a community
which go on to be the defining characteristics of that group. Theses collective system of values
and beliefs, behaviour, attitudes and customs are a significant influence on our personality.

Check your progress 6

1 Reflect on different aspects of your personality and try and gauge which were influenced
by any of the factors mentioned above. For example, which aspects of your personality
are hereditary, and which have been influenced by the environment and which are socio-
cultural influences.

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3.5 THE FIVE-FACTOR MODEL

Influenced from Allport’s trait theory wherein along with Henry Odbert, he extracted around
4000 words that constitute the wide spectrum of human traits or attributes, Raymond Cattell
narrowed it down to sixteen as detailed above.Traits are features which help ascertain our
behavourial patterns and are the basic and fundamental units of our personality. These remain
constant no matter which situation we may be in. They vary in individuals but may or may not be
similar in siblings. Similarities in the way we respond as siblings are attributed to genetic factors.
Modern psychologists though prefer Robert McCrae and Paul Costa’s five factor model which
describes five dimensions of human personality.Psychometric tests which evaluate our
personalities use scores based on these five dimensions detailed below.

1. Openness is suggestive of people who are thoughtful, reflective and have a higher degree
of propensity towards intellectualism and creativity.They are willing to try new ideas and
activities and are more flexible to change. They are adventurous and willing to take
risks.On the other hand, people with lower levels of openness are rigid and habitual. They
prefer being in their comfort zones and regular routines and are not comfortable in
unfamiliar environment or situations.

2. Conscientiousness refers to a higher sense of responsibility and duty. They are aware of
their actions and its consequences. Generally, well organised, they have focused goals
and are motivated, diligent and hard working. Those with lower levels of
conscientiousness are relaxed, not punctual, less inclined to adhere to deadlines and are
more impulsive than others.

3. Extraversion indicates traits such as outgoing, talkative, assertive and energetic

behaviour. Those with extraversion traits are sociable and gregarious and usually the
centre of attraction in a group. They enjoy meeting people and are comfortable with
strangers. At the other end of this spectrum is introversion – people who are introverts,
shy and prefer meeting a select group of friends.

4. Agreeableness encompasses those who have higher emotional intelligence and are
empathetic and kind. This group are cooperative and well-liked by peer groups. They are
the peace makers as they avoid conflicts and confrontations. Those who do not have a
higher degree of agreeableness are self-centered and will not step forward for others.

5. Neuroticism indicates emotional swings and irritability. People in this category of traits
over think and are prone to anxiety. They are the ones who will see the glass half empty
rather than half full. Frustration, stress and anger governs this personality type.

Check your progress 7

1 How does Robert McCrae and Paul Costa’s five factor model help us understand our
personality better?

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3.6 HOW CAN WE DEVELOP OUR PERSONALITY?

As is clear by now, we are born with certain character and behavioral traits that define our
personality, and these are influenced by biological and hereditary factors.Our personalities are
not static or fixed and evolve and grow along with our experiences and interactions with the
outside world. The five-factor model discussed above also indicates that each of us are distinct
and differences in the dimensions of our temperament can be mapped and measured in
qualitative terms. And though influences during our childhood and adolescence leave a stronger
mark on our personality unconsciously, a conscious effort on our part as adults can also lead to
the desired development in our personality. We cannot completely change our physical body
structure; it is possible to be leaner and slimmer but not possible to increase one’s height or bone
structure significantly.While our bodies and facial features are a component of our personality,
they are not entirely so. Not all popular actors are tall and handsome and nor are all actresses
beautiful, but yet they leave a mark because of their talent and personalities. It is most important
to understand that all of us have inherently different and unique skill sets.What we are born with,
others have to work towards acquiring it and what we desire in ourselves is equally possible only
if we put our minds towards getting it. We can enhance our personality by enhancing our
strengths, and by working on our weaknesses and by using challenges as opportunities. Life will
keep throwing challenges at us, be it at the workplace or be it in personal relationships. We will
be forced to move out of our comfort zone and to reorient ourselves according to thechanging
needs and environment.

Personality development defines the ability to develop and enhance our personalities to our
advantage. While it is important to work on our physical and mental health, it is equally
important to pay attention to the health of our personality. It is an important component of who
we are and what we appear to be to others. It enhances our confidence and adds to our sense of
self-worth. It makes us more positive, flexible and makes us more popular and desirable. For a
healthy, wholesome and balanced personality, we must first know ourselves and an objective
analysis helps us to understand ourselves better, to know our core strengths and which parts of
our personality need to be honed and developed. A SWOC analysis is the first step to knowing
ourselves before we work on improving our personality.

Check your progress 8

1 What does the term ‘Personality Development’ mean?

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3.7 IMPORTANCE OF PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT
Personality Development is an important soft skill for holistic development. Having the desired
personality adds to self-confidence and self-esteem. It makes you feel good about yourself and
the environment around you. This leads to balanced and healthy relationships at the personal
front and improves your productivity at work which ensures success and well-being at all fronts.
Developing and enhancing your personality is important for several reasons. Some of them are
listed below:

Individuality: Having a well-developed personality sets you apart from others and gives you
your distinctive personality. You will leave an impression in the minds of the people and will be
remembered for your behaviour, manners, appearance and attitude and you will not be yet
another face in the crowd. Do not attempt to copy others, you have your own qualities, enhance
them instead of working towards what does not suit you.

Enhances Self-confidence and Esteem: Working on your personality will add to your
confidence levels and make you more confident and augment your sense of self-worth and
esteem. It is a win-win situation, the more developed your personality, the better you feel about
yourself and your higher self- esteem enhances your personality further. You will be able to
maintain a healthy work-life balance and find greater levels of satisfaction in both if you are
confident and feel good about yourself.

Reduces Stress: Well balanced and healthy personalities seem to have a stress-free existence,
but that is not the case, they face work related pressures as much as anyone else except they are
able to deal with them better. Being positive and facing difficulties head on with a smile reduces
complexities. An understanding that nothing lasts, and difficulties are challenges which should
be seen as opportunities only help us to progress to make problems less problematic.

Positive attitude: Nothing works like positivity, having a positive and cheerful personality not
only makes you a happy person but also more desirable to others. A positive person will never
crib or criticise but always has something encouraging to say. Solutions come easy to such
people and they make great leaders and ideal team-mates.

Discipline: A balanced cheerful personality is usually well disciplined too. Not only are they
punctual but hard workers too. Deadlines do not deter them as they do not shirk work and take
on any challenge as a learning opportunity. Such people are not rigid either and adapt easily to
the changing environment both at the workplace and at the personal front too.

CommunicatesEasily: Well developed and balanced personalities are open minded and willing
to share easily. They are large hearted and communicate their feelings easily. They do not hold
grudges and are easy going. They are upfront and share their thoughts without hesitation. They
are generally more comfortable speaking on a public platform as well as they neither lack
confidence nor do they suffer from nervousness.

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 Check your progress9

1 Is personality development desirable? Why?

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2. Which aspects of your personality would you like to improve?

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4.8 SWOC ANALYSIS

SWOC is an acronym for Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Challenges. It is the first step
towards personality development. It is important to have a clear and objective understanding
about oneself. Only then can you harness your positives and work on your weaknesses. In short,
personality development starts with a self-analysis. While there are several tools and tests
available on the internet to evaluate yourself, most look at the following parameters. Go through
the list given carefully, analyse yourself objectively and rank yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 with
1 being the lowest and 10 the highest. This list is merely indicative of parameters and not an
exhaustive list.

1. Communication
2. Confidence
3. Problem Solving
4. Critical Thinking
5. Empathy
6. Flexibility
7. Adaptability
8. Time Management
9. Stress Management
10. Creativity
11. Acceptance of Criticism
12. Decision making ability
13. Willingness to work as a team
14. Understanding of different cultures
15. Resourcefulness

Once you have ranked yourself on the parameters given above, do a SWOC analysis by going
through key pointers given below.

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Strengths:

1. Think about yourself objectively and identify what sets you apart from others.
2. What is it that you have that enhances your ability to interact with others and perform a
task better?
3. What are your core strengths and what do you enjoy doing the most?
4. What do other people appreciate in you the most?

Weaknesses:

1. What do you avoid doing the most? Focus on why you are avoiding it?
2. What do you think are your weaknesses?
3. Talk to your friends and peers and find out where they think you need to improve.
4. Where do you lack confidence and why?

Opportunities:

1. In which aspects do other people have an edge over you? Is it a skill set or
competency or personality trait?
2. How can you acquire it?
3. Are you abreast with the latest developments in your field, perhaps lack of
knowledge makes you less confident.
4. What you do not have as desired personality traits can be acquired with effort.
Make a list and work conscientiously towards it.

Challenges:

1. Challenges are not always situational or outside us. Set personal goals and
work towards achieving them.
2. Set small and achievable goals and stick to the timeline scheduled.
3. Prepare daily to do lists for these goals and derive satisfaction from fulfilling
smaller targets. You will get to the ultimate goalpost eventually.
4. Challenge yourself to make steps in the right direction and keep motivating yourself.
Small treats and self-awards are as motivating as repetition of the mantra – I can do it; I
will do it and I have done it.

Check your progress 10

1. Attempt a SWOC analysis of yourself

STRENGTH WEAKNESS OPPORTUNITY CHALLENGE

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 3.9 SIMPLE TIPS FOR PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT

You would have understood by now that personalities can be developed if we know the right
direction and make conscious efforts towards it. Personality is neither static nor fixed but is
organic and dynamic and evolves with changing situations and circumstances. Depending upon
our skill set and professional needs, we need to modulate our personality. A doctor may be an
excellent medical practitioner but may need to work on his patient management and likewise a
teacher may be a good researcher but might have to improve his/her communication skills. All of
us have our strengths which we should capitalize on but there is always scope for
improvement.The following are some simple tips for personality development.

1. Self-evaluation is the first step to personality development. Do a SWOC analysis,

use metrics easily available on the internet and other sources or use the above-mentioned
traits and attributes as a testing zone to chart your strengths and weaknesses. Make a list
of what you admire in others, what you would have wished for yourself. Do not forget to
prepare a list of your weaknesses too. Study those you admire carefully; they have their
weaknesses too.

2. Step out of your comfort zone and push the boundaries step by step. Do not restrict
yourself to the comfortable and habitual. Set small targets and test yourself periodically.
If uncomfortable taking to strangers, do make it a point to introduce yourself to a new
person at the next party. Your comfort level will grow naturally.

3. While doing a SWOC analysis, keep in mind the soft skills you need for your work
profile. Work on that to begin with. If listening is an important part of what you do,
inculcate patience and if speaking and interacting with public is part of your profile,
reach out to strangers and learn to initiate conversations. It may be stilted at first but will
emerge naturally as you go on.

4. Inculcate a positive and optimistic outlook. Nothing adds to your personality as much
as positivity does. It is the magnet which attracts others to you and makes you feel much
better with yourself. Everything is possible with a positive mindset. Optimism leads to
better opportunities as challenges are not seen as setbacks but vistas that only lead you
further.

5. Surround yourself with like-minded people. While several of us enjoy being alone, it is
important to meet and interact with like-minded people. Laughter and cheer are important
part of our lives and healthy interactions expose us to different points of view. Meeting
new people is very good for us as it widens our horizon and there is so much to learn
from others.

6. Inculcate a reading habit.Reading gives us the much-needed exposure to other’s lives

and experiences. Choose a genre that you think you will enjoy the most and gradually
widen your reading tastes. Reading autobiographies and biographies of your idols is very
inspirational and focusing on the personality traits of great leaders and thinkers and
learning from them in an engaging way is also helpful.

Personality Development 55
7. Pay attention to physical fitness and your appearance. Though a book should never be
judged by its cover but yet first impressions are usually the lasting ones. How we appear
to other is significant to their impression about you. Being physically fit is not about size
zero or a gym toned body but a healthy approach to life and being appropriately dress for
an occasion reflects your attention to others as well.

8. Self-reflection,Meditation and Yoga – While keeping physically fit is important, mental

health is equally important if not more so. Keep aside some time every morning for
yourself to reflect about the day gone by, do a few minutes of meditation and some yoga
to rejuvenate you. This works wonders and adds to your confidence levels. You will start
enjoying the peace this brings and will value this self-medication more and more.

9. Work on your communication skills. Most people lack confidence because they believe
they have poor communication skills particularly when they have to speak in front of a
large gathering. They suffer from anxiety, sweaty palms and usually have a fluttering
sensation in the stomach with racing heart beats and choking sensations. Such people can
easily overcome all of these by systematically working on their communication skills.
Simple techniques like speaking aloud while reading a newspaper, indulging in role
playing and recording oneself as one speaks to listen and analyse later helps a lot. This is
particularly so when one has to speak the acquired language, usually English.

10. Improve your Body Language – Observe those whom you admire minutely. Focus on
their body language, their posture, gait, tone, pitch amongst other paralinguistic features.
Improve your gait by practicing walking with a stack of books on your head, correct
yourself when you realise that you are slouching, actively remind yourself to sit erect and
most important practice the art of shaking someone’s hand. It should be a firm grip,
neither too tight nor too slack. These days a graceful namaste is also appropriate. Paying
attention to such details goes a long way in developing our personality.

3.10 LET US SUM UP

In this unit, we have discussed what constitutes the term, personality, its etymology and select
definitions that sum up the attributes it entails. We have looked into the views of two key
theorists on personality i.e. Gordon Allport and Sigmund Freud. The factors that influence
personality have also been detailed along with the five-factor model by Robert McCrae and Paul
Costa. What is meant by the term personality development and how it can be developed has been
taken up along with the need for the same. The immense benefits of personality development
have also been detailed along with delineation of the first step towards it i.e. SWOC analysis.

3.11 SUGGESTED READINGS

Allport, G. W. (1937). Personality: A psychological interpretation. New York: H. Holt and.

Company.
Cattell, R. B. (1965). The scientific analysis of personality. Baltimore: Penguin Books.

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 Freud, S. (1923). The ego and the id. SE, 19: 1-66.
Larsen, R.R., & Buss, D.M. (2018). Personality Psychology: Domains of Knowledge About
Human Nature.
Shields, J. (1976). Heredity and environment. In A textbook of human psychology (pp. 145-160).
Springer Netherlands.
Weinberg, R. S., & Gould, D. (1999). Personality and sport. Foundations of Sport and Exercise
Psychology, 25-46.

3.12 ANSWERS

Check your progress 1

1 Listen to a panel discussion on TV and then analyse which speaker were you
listening to carefully. Make a list of the qualities of that speaker that you paid
attention to the most. (Indicative answer)I watched a panel discussion on TV last
night, it was on the election results. There were four panelists, two of them were
political analysts and two were representatives of different political parties. The
moderator was balanced and reached out to each one of them for their views. I
observed all four carefully and based on my observations, I realized that I paid most
attention to panelist no. 3 as she seemed the most balanced, rational, calm, and
communicated well without getting impatient or angry. She came well prepared with
statistics and observations, she did not react to provocation by others, instead stood
her ground well and made her points in a reasonable manner. She came across as a
positive person with a well-developed personality.

2 Also make a list of reasons why you did not pay much attention to the other speakers.
What is it about them that you did not particularly like? (Indicative answer)The other
three panelists were creating more noise than giving a reasoned argument. One was
very impatient and did not wait for others to finish and tried to dominate the panel
discussion. The second panelist was argumentative and did not agree to anything the
other three said. He seemed irrational and angry while the third did not communicate
at all. He seemed timid, and neither did he interject when he could have but also did
not speak well when addressed directly.

Check your progress 2

1 Make a list of your character traits and habits and compare them to those of your parents
and siblings. Those common to your immediate family members are biological traits.
(Indicative answer)

Myself My father My mother My brother

Extrovert Extrovert Introvert Introvert
Quick to react Impatient Calm Calm
Act fast Reactive Thoughtful Passive

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 Talkative Gregarious Reticent Attentive listener
Positive Positive Positive Positive

Based on the list given above, it is clear that I am more like my father and we are similar
in nature, but both my brother and I are positive individuals as we acquired this from our
parents biologically.

2 What do understand by the term ‘personality’? Is it static and fixed or can we enhance
our personality?
Personality is characterized by certain distinct attributes which some possess in greater
degrees than others. These attributes may be our character traits, emotions, thoughts,
habits, attitudes, temperament, and responses to the environment around us or the
situations we find ourselves in. While some of these qualities are inherent and
biologically determined, others are subconsciously acquired through our early
environment and education, there are still several though that we develop and enhance
through conscious effort, which is called ‘personality development’.

Check your progress 3

1 What is common to the three definitions of personality given above?

While several psychologists have attempted to define what they understand by the term
personality, no two definitions are same but there are common elements in the three
definitions given above. While some psychologists focus on character traits as genetic
others see it as formed by our early education, environment, and socio-cultural
influences. All though agree that these make us distinctive and unique to a certain degree.

Check your progress 4

1 What do you understand by Allport’s definition of personality?

According to Allport, personality is dynamic and organic, it is neither fixed not static. It
keeps evolving and changing as we grow older and respond to socio cultural stimulants
around us. It encompasses both our physical and psychological traits and encompasses
both body and mind. He later added components of “characteristic behaviour and
thought” to his definition and was also the first to introduce character traits as an
important element of personality.

2 Use Cattell’s 16 key attributes/ traits to chart elements of your own personality.
(Indicative answer)

Using Cattell’s 16 key attributes, following is an attempt to chart my personality

Warmth Outgoing
Reasoning Rational
Emotional stability Reactive
Dominance Forceful

58 Understanding Soft Skills

 Liveliness Spontaneous
Rule-consciousness Conformist
Social-boldness Unrestrained
Sensitivity Tender
Vigilance Trusting
Abstractedness Practical
Privateness Open
Apprehension Confident
Openness to change Flexible
Self-reliance Independent
Perfectionism Disciplined
Tension Restless

Check your progress 5

1 What do you understand by Freud’s concept of id, ego and superego?

The id is the most instinctive part of our personalities, which is at the same time
biological and inherent in humans and operates on the principle of wish fulfillment. The
ego is the reality principle and is rooted in our interaction with the outside world, it takes
into account social behaviour, family bonds and underlying norms of collective living.
The superego is a combination of what we have learnt from parents and our environment
and experiences in early childhood and can be linked to our conscience. A combination
of all three lead to the complexities in our behaviour and personalities. The id is a part of
us from birth and controls the instincts and reflexes, the ego moderates the id and is
expressed in socially accepted behaviour, and it helps us deal with reality. The superego
defines our sense of right and wrong, it suppresses the irrationality of the id and helps us
adhere to an accepted code of conduct.

2 Explain Freud’s psychodynamic theory of personality.

According to Freud, our personalities are neither static nor fixed, they evolve and develop
as we grow. He has charted this growth in five distinct phases – The first stage being
‘Oral’ defined by activities such as tasting and sucking, the next being the ‘Anal’ stage
which focusses on bladder and bowel movement or control of bodily movements. This is
followed by the ‘Phallic’ stage which is marked by an awareness of biological
differences. The ‘Latent’ stage mars the growth upto puberty and is characterised by
development of social skills. The final stage is the ‘Genital’ stage which continues till
death. A balance in each stage leads to a well-developed and balanced personality.

Check your progress 6

1 Reflect on different aspects of your personality and try and gauge which were influenced
by any of the factors mentioned above. For example, which aspects of your personality

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 are hereditary, and which have been influenced by the environment and which are socio-
cultural influences? (Indicative answer)
Since our personalities are influenced by a combination of several factors, the following
is an analysis of factors governing my personality.
 Body type – average height - Biological & Hereditary Factor
 Brown eyes & round face- Biological & Hereditary Factor
 Extrovert and confident – Hereditary Factor
 Trusting and loyal – Environmental Factors
 Religious – Socio-Cultural Factors
 Hard working - Socio-Cultural Factors

Check your progress 7

1 How does Robert McCrae and Paul Costa’s five factor model help us understand our
personality better?

Robert McCrae and Paul Costa’s five factor model describes five dimensions of human
personality. Psychometric tests which evaluate our personalities often use scores based on
these five dimensions:

 Openness, which is suggestive of people who are thoughtful, reflective and are
willing to try new ideas and activities and are flexible to change.

 Conscientiousness, which refers to a higher sense of responsibility and duty. It

reflects motivation, diligence, and a tendency to work harder than others.

 Extraversion indicates traits such as outgoing, talkative, assertive, and energetic

behaviour. Those with extraversion traits are sociable and gregarious and usually
the centre of attraction in a group.

 Agreeableness indicates those who have higher emotional intelligence and are
empathetic and kind. Such people are cooperative and well-liked by peer groups
as they avoid conflicts and confrontations.

 Neuroticism indicates emotional swings and irritability. People in this category of

traits over think and are prone to anxiety.

Check your progress 8

1 What does the term ‘Personality Development’ mean?

Personality development defines the ability to develop and enhance our personalities to
our advantage. Our personalities are not static or fixed. While some character traits are
genetically defined, we can work consciously and enhance our personalities as desired.

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Check your progress 9

1 Is personality development desirable? Why?

Yes, development of personality is not just desirable but essential too.It is an important
soft skill for holistic development. It is a significant component of who we are and what
we appear to be to others. It enhances our confidence and adds to our sense of self-worth.
Furthermore, a well-developed personality will lead to a positive attitude and help deal
with stress better. It will help us communicate with others and build a positive and
cheerful environment round us.

2 Which aspects of your personality would you like to improve? (Indicative answer)

There are several aspects of my personality that I would like to work on. For example, I
am lazy and find it difficult to complete tasks on time. I have to work consciously to set
daily targets and complete tasks. Moreover, I am timid and shy, find it difficult to talk to
strangers. I must work on my confidence levels and communication skills.

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