What Is Personality, Psychologically Speaking?
No two people are alike in their personalities, even identical twins.
Personality is a fairly common terminology used in many areas of life. For a layman, personality is how someone looks, speaks, and behaves. There is no definite definition of personality in psychology.
According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, personality refers to the enduring characteristics and behaviour that comprise a person’s unique adjustment to life, including major traits, interests, drives, values, self-concept, abilities, and emotional patterns.
In simple words, personality is the way someone is. It is a collection of one’s traits and characteristics which are relatively permanent. These are unique to one’s self and contribute to their behaviour.
Over centuries, many philosophers, artists, thinkers, and psychologists have tried to make sense of what makes one the way they are. What shapes the unique aspects of one’s personality? How are human behaviours different from and similar to one another? Does an individual have a say in moulding his personality? What causes anti-social tendencies and mental disturbances?
The earliest known explanations for personality stem from ancient Indian, and Greek medicine.
Indian Medicine
Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of medicine, states that the human body is made up of a combination of 5 elements or panchabhutas — air, water, fire, earth and space. There are 3 combinations of these elements called doshas. Doshas affect one’s physical and mental-emotional states. The doshas are vata, pitta and kapha.
Greek Medicine
Hippocrates, an ancient Greek physician (c. 460–370 BC), suggested that four humours in the body determine an individual’s overall behaviour and health.
Humours are vital bodily fluids and are of four types — blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile.
An excess in any one of these four fluids in the body gives rise to a different personality and vulnerability to certain diseases.
Galen, a Roman Greek physician, surgeon and philosopher (129–216 AD), classified temperaments (innate behaviour tendencies) based on the imbalance of one of the humours in the body. This theory came to be known as the Four Temperament Theory.
Four Temperament Theory consists of four main temperaments -
1. Sanguine — Characterized by extroversion, sociability, thrill-seeking, impulsivity, optimism and energy. It is associated with the humour of blood.
2. Phlegmatic — One with a higher proportion of phlegm tends to be calm, reserved, dependable, affectionate and peace-loving.
3. Choleric — An excess of yellow bile creates temperaments that are strong-willed, ambitious and charismatic, with a streak of leadership, passion, and a short temper.
4. Melancholic — Individuals with melancholic temperaments are introverted, thoughtful, creative, timid and moody among other characteristics. They have more black bile.
New-Age Definitions
In the early 1900s, Sigmund Freud, an Austrian neurologist developed the first modern theory of personality. It was made based on clinical observations of his patients. This theory is known as Psychoanalysis, in which he goes on to explain levels of consciousness (Conscious, Unconscious and Pre-conscious), the elements of personality (Id, Ego, Superego) and the stages of personality development.
After Sigmund Freud’s theory, quite a few neurologists, psychoanalysts and psychologists attempted to understand personality. Some improvised on his psychoanalytic theory, while some disagreed with his viewpoints and deviated to form their models of personality.
In my later stories, I will bring to you the different theories of personality and what makes them interesting. Stay tuned!
