What is Personality - Essay Example

Psychology Table of Contents Introduction 3 Environment Shaping the Personality 4 Step Wise Development of Personality 5 Dominance of HereditaryFactors over the Environment 7 Environmental Factors Shaping Personality 7 Conclusion 8 References 9 Introduction There is an age-old controversy regarding the hypothesis that is man the maker of his environment or the environment makes a man. Whatever may be the controversy, but it’s quite true that personality is framed by environment. To understand such a detailed thesis statement, it is quite essential to understand the related terms through steps.. In order to satisfy the optimum query about the statement, it is essentially necessary to understand the meaning of personality and environment at the outset. The word ‘personality’ has evolved from the word persona which means mask. The Personality means “the supreme realization of the innate idiosyncrasy of a living being. It is an act of high courage flung in the face of life, the absolute affirmation of all that constitutes the individual, the most successful adaptation to the universal condition of existence coupled with the greatest possible freedom for self-determination” (Neill, “What is Personality?”). This contention was rightly put forwarded by Carl Gustav Jung in the year 1934 and as we provide a through gaze to the term put by the famous psychologist Jung, we will easily find out that the role of environment in framing and developing a personality of a human is massive. On the other hand, the term environment in perspective to human development means the complex set of cultural and social situations and conditions that affects the nature or the psychology of an individual or community. Paul Brooks rightly commented on this note: “We shall never understand the natural environment until we see it as a living organism”. Personality is influenced generally by three external factors namely: heredity, environment and situation. Among these three external factors, environment plays a key role in the personality development of an individual. Environment Shaping the Personality The environmental factors that put pressure on our personality formation are myriad. The effect of environment on personality development essentially refers to the culture in which we are raised. It also refers to our early conditions and the principle, norms and conventions that one adheres to, in their respective families. Experience within the community, friend circle or any group also includes in the environment that is responsible for the formation of personality and its development for an individual. Thus, an environment to which an individual is exposed to since the inception of life plays an essential role in the development of his personality and determining its traits. Primarily, the personality trait within a child will be that of the inheritance but as the child grows, the environment plays an effective role in shaping the personality of the individual and gradually, the environment in which the individual is growing up or living will determine the trait of the personality within the individual. The mechanism takes place in a unique pattern. Genetic inheritance of an individual faces an interaction with his or her surrounding environment and the growing individual slowly inculcates the attributes of the surrounding environment and those impacts are manifested into an individual’s character. The interaction of an individual, since the formative years of one’s life, results in the evolving of a “self-image” which becomes responsible for determining the further development and behavioral pattern of an individual (Euro Child, “Establishing an European Centre for the Integration of Institutionalized Children”). Step Wise Development of Personality A child starts interacting with his surrounding environment first by interacting with his family members. After this phase, the interaction starts with peer members or group members that include friends and classmates in the school. Thus, we find that as an individual keeps on increasing the interaction circle and keeps on adding and interacting with the people as he or she progresses in his life. A child is influenced by many important people who are constantly close with him during the formative years. And these people constantly shape and reshape the personality of an individual. Much of the personality traits in an individual are hence, the reflection of the personality of these key persons. For example, an individual who is mistreated or rejected in the childhood are likely to develop some different personality traits than a child who is loved and encouraged. While carrying out a research work and a close inspection for the determination of personality traits in an individual, it becomes quite important to find out the reasons for the development and determination of personality. For example, some person is shy, where as others are extrovert. In fact, from the very formative years of a person, the major difference in personality traits can be noticed. For example, some children have tendency to runaway from their homes while others are quite adjustable in their atmosphere. Such difference of attitude is not inherited. A person’s behavior outside his or her home is determined by the kind of attitude one is following since the initial years of his or her life and that attitude develops into personality trait in the succeeding years of his or her life. The behavior of a child is largely dependent on the socio-cultural models to which they are exposed. The socio-cultural elements strongly determine the difference and similarities in personality development. For example, there are high probabilities that a child who is involved in a scout group in his or her childhood, will grow up to be a positive person. Qualities like leadership, discipline and sense of comradeship are incorporated into the personality of a person. Participation enhances the quality of sharing and adjusting. While a child who gets isolation or rejection in his childhood may grow up to get involved in delinquent gang with certain negative traits in the personality. This individual might inculcate negative attributes like that of stealing, lying and may even get addicted. (Jrank, “Personality Development - A Biological Perspective On Personality Development”). Human cannot escape Socio-cultural milieu. Genetic endowment provides enough potentialities for development but the shaping of these potentials depend largely on the surrounding environment. The process of perception, thought, feeling and acting heavily depends on the inputs we acquire from our physical and socio-cultural environment. As effects of changing environment leave their impression on solid rocks; it can be said that human mind is just a delicate thing in front of the huge phenomena (Srivastava & Et. Al., “Development of Personality in Early and Middle Adulthood: Set Like Plaster or Persistent Change?”). Dominance of Hereditary Factors over the Environment Over the several last decade research by psychologists have time and again proved that hereditary factors have played dominant role in determining personality traits compared to environment but it cannot be ignored that attainment of values, faith and beliefs and expectations have always helped in defining and determining the personality traits. These adherence to myriad faiths, believes and expectation evolve from the experience and the degree of socialization during childhood (O’Neil, “Personality Development”). Environmental Factors Shaping Personality Culture and society are integral part of the environment and these two elements considerably help in shaping and reshaping the personality of an individual. For example, the process of child raring is too critical. Like in North America, self relying attitude is a dominant feature of child rearing. Children are given ample independence and are even often allowed to behave almost equally as their parents. These children will grow up into individuals with self reliance, prompt in decision making and independent. Where as in Asian societies, children are reared up in a very protective way and here, the family decision plays an integral part in an individual’s life and the personality development that is notably different from that of an individual reared up in North America. Also, we find depressed and frustrated, obsessed and insecured characters among those individuals who have suffered abuses and assaults due to alcoholic parents or because of parents being separated. Conclusion The hereditary factors definitely guide and determine the personality of an individual. But the influence of environment on the development of personality; is far reaching and cannot be ignored. Hereditary factor basically determine the emotional tone of the personality trait and the traits that are mostly centering round physical attributes. But environment attributes mostly in developing the personality of an individual. Thus, we can see that a good environment can lead to the development of positive personality. On the other hand, depressive and delinquent environment can consequently lead to the development of negative personality. It is rightly said that environment makes a man and an individual can always be corrected if put in a good environment. References Euro Child, “Establishing an European Centre for the Integration of Institutionalized Children”, March 30, 2010. Project Theme. No Date. Jrank, “Personality Development - A Biological Perspective On Personality Development”, March 30 2010. Social. No Date. Neill, James, “What is Personality?”, March 30, 2010. Individual Differences. No Date. O’Neil, D. “Personality Development”, March 30 2010. Palomar Community College District. 2004. Srivastava, S. & Et. Al., “Development of Personality in Early and Middle Adulthood: Set Like Plaster or Persistent Change?” March 30 2010. The University of Texas. 2003. Read More