Is your personality pretty much set by the age of seven?

Answer 1

You have one at seven but it matures with your life experiences.

Answer 2

The foundations of your personality, how you get your needs met (different forms of manipulation - do you sulk, run away, fight, trick, lie, be honest etc) are largely set by the age of 7, although the sophistication with which you manage this behaviour will change as you get older. The process continues throughout the different stages of human development however.

This is drifting into Freudian territory, but basically we can all get stuck with issues from different stages of life, for example if you lost your father at age 3 this will continue too affect you at age 53. If you had a debilitating disease in your teen years or an overbearing parent or parents that stopped you doing what other kids your age were doing then you could have unresolved teen - issues which will plague you in later life.

On the other hand you may succesfully challenge all your previous programming and become the person you always had the potential to be in your essence.

Answer 3

The old Jesuit saying - give me a boy until the age of seven and I will show you the man - has some truth, but no. Major personality changes occur right up into adulthood.

Of course, what the Jesuits probably said was "give me a boy and at the age of seven I will show him a man"

Answer 4

According to Sigmund Freud, the Austrian-born "Father of Psychoanalysis", yes. He divided infant sexuality into 3 stages: oral, anal, and genital; lasting about two years each. After that, the personality is basically formed.

Since Freud's startling revelations, some have suspected his own sexual fixations and addiction to cocaine may well have distorted some of his observations. However:

There is substantial scientific evidence that the brain imprints data at a much higher and more permanent rate during these "formative years", and those initial imprints tend to stay with us for life. So, depending on how you define "personality", I'd say the answer is yes..

Answer 5

I think it depends, some may develope a personality a birth, and other are still working on theres, for instance my niece came out a clown, screaming and howlering, and a 2 months she acted as those she died, and got close to her looked in her face and she opens her eye and laugh, now that she four, she does that same stuff, once she draged herself throught the hall, and made me think a demon, or something had her, and now everysince then Ive been writing my script for when she featured on Vh1.....So this is what I have, She was born to be a superstar, or she was born to be a actor, she always put on wigs, she love beyonce

Answer 6

Quite a bit. Your personality can further change, but the only main change is in the teens (if you're talking about after the age of seven).It also changes in adult hood. In short, your personality goes on changing.

Answer 7

It is said that a person's character is formed by the age of five and that their surroundings during the formative years affect them for the rest of their lives.

Answer 8

Certain traits are always present, but life experience, self control and maturity determines how these are expressed, for example you may always be an extrovert, but this does not mean you will always want to be centre of attention.

Answer 9

this is a historical debate in psychology. if someone can bring scientific evidence i\d be curious to see them. my opinion : people learn and develop behaviors, attitudes, life styles after 7 too. of course they learn them harder but they do... if that has nothing to do with personality then what does?

Answer 10

You always have a personality, and it is ever evolving. Life changes, experiences, choices and who you want to be can contribute to you personality at any given time.