What defines a personality?

Question

Everyone is different, they say. How? My life is full of people all acting the same; it's a miricle if you can find a specific person in the crowd. I know they are different, but I can't say how. I know I'm different, but how do I show it? Before people have answered this question with 'just be yourself.' But that is not enough. There's more to it, I know. How can you tell who yourself is?
What defines a personality?

Answer 1

You are right...most people follow the crowd and "just be yourself" is a vague response. Individuality is hard to find sometimes because it is within our human nature to migrate toward popular trends...there is comfort in familiarity. The way to be yourself is to operate in your uniqueness. Be the person you were created to be. In order to do that you need to know and love who you are and then operate in that without needing or seeking other's approval. Personality is an indivdual's make up...likes, dislikes, social interaction, talents etc.

Answer 2

Personality psychology is a branch of psychology which studies personality and individual differences. One emphasis in this area is to construct a coherent picture of a person and his or her major psychological processes. Another emphasis views personality as the study of individual differences, in other words, how people differ from each other. A third area of emphasis examines human nature and how all people are similar to one other. These three viewpoints merge together in the study of personality.

Personality can be defined as a dynamic and organized set of characteristics possessed by a person that uniquely influences his or her cognitions, motivations, and behaviors in various situations (Ryckman, 2004). The word "personality" originates from the Latin persona, which means mask. Significantly, in the theatre of the ancient Latin-speaking world, the mask was not used as a plot device to disguise the identity of a character, but rather was a convention employed to represent or typify that character.

The pioneering American psychologist, Gordon Allport (1937) described two major ways to study personality, the idiographic and the nomothetic. Nomothetic psychology seeks general laws that can be applied to many different people, such as the principle of self-actualization, or the trait of extraversion. Idiographic psychology is an attempt to understand the unique aspects of a particular individual.

The study of personality has a rich and varied history in psychology, with an abundance of theoretical traditions. Some psychologists have taken a highly scientific approach, whereas others have focused their attention on theory development. There is also a substantial emphasis on the applied field of personality testing.

Answer 3

The fact that you just ask this question separates you from 90% of your friends. That you took the time to type it out separates you from another %. Your personality is various bits of everyone you've met and bits of innate internal brain stuff (born with). 95% of my personality comes from about 10 people I knew before I was about 21years old. Mom, dad, grandparents, early friends and girlfriends. For me at about 27 the incorperation process of things/people around slows down. But it never stop and you shouldn't let it. Keep the good throw away the bad.

Answer 4

Do things because they seem right to YOU, not what people expect of you. Think things are cool because YOU do, not just your click, or better said, cliche! Everyone views the world differently, sometimes only slightly, but no is exactly the same! It doesn't matter if other people think what you like is stupid! Dance if you want to, no matter who is watching. God see the soul inside of you, and EVERYTHING you do is beautiful! don't be afraid to express yourself. You may not know who YOU are to an extent you are comfortable with, but God does, and nothing else matters

Answer 5

everyone is different, whether they like it or not. they only act the same to fit in. many people do things to "find themselves" but that is after they realize, thay they are fourty, and still dont know who they are, which is really sad. everyone has likes and dislikes, and some say that is what defines you, but that is just a part of you. you have to look deep inside yourself to find the real you. if you find something within you that you dont see in other people, that is what makes you, you. youll see in time...