It is my intention on these pages to air some thoughts regarding understanding the importance of differences between human personalities. The theory of Personality remains one of the most written about and discussed constructs in the Psychological literature. A problem however arises, because of the difficulty of interpretation of Psychological "jargon", for the average reader. Consequently, it is very frustrating for most to gain access to the findings and revelations that Psychology has to offer on this important subject.
As with all professions and most disciplines, Psychology has a language all its own, and it takes a number of years of study and everyday usage before a true understanding of psychological words, phrases and tenets can be readily interpreted. My purpose here is to simplify the Psychological "mumbo jumbo."
When couched in simple terms Personality theory is easy to understand and a valuable and usable tool of which all in society should have a thorough understanding. For the last 150 years Psychologists have studied observations and recorded findings regarding personality interactions, motivations, and behaviours between humans. These evolutionary records should be made understandable to all.
Why Study Personality.
It is my belief that there is no more important field of study in Psychology than that of Personality. The study of human personality is the study of the differences that occur between individuals. Through the study of personalities in differing environments and social situations we get to understand, and be able to predict, the behavioural complexities that exist between us all.
Living in close society demands that we fully, as possible, understand and are able to predict, the behaviours of those (as well as ourselves) to a high degree of accuracy. We need to KNOW how others will behave in differing situations and how people will respond, given the same problems, and the same incentives. Further, understanding developed personality in others gives us the tools to modify the behaviour of both ourselves and others, and to understand how and why such changes can occur.
On an individual basis, it is perfectly natural for the human species to want to know about itself. To know what we are, how we became this way, what are the common threads that run between us, and what makes us different from each other, is indispensable knowledge needed for the human race to survive. Understanding Personality theory helps supply answers to some of these questions. Personal insight for us and the ability to predict behaviour patterns in others eases the stress of close social living. By understanding personality we gain a control of anxiety-provoking circumstances. We also gain control of our environment, and our interpersonal interactions.
We are bound to others in virtually everything we do. How we think, how we feel and how we act demands attention to the behaviour of others. We must come to terms with the people with whom we mix and with those that enter our daily lives. So we must understand to a high degree the motivations, desires and actions of our fellow humans. Personality disclosures help us to decipher and predict what will happen should things go wrong in awry situations.
We need to be able to describe ourselves in terms that others will understand. We also need to understand others in terms we know well and to which we can easily relate. Personality theory highlights the answers to these understanding needs and indicates how we should change things for the future to produce more successful social interactions.
In short then, knowing how individuals differ in their personality characteristics reveals how each individual may respond differently in the same situation.
Learning about personality is also important for us to discover how personality characteristics are formed and acquired. Such knowledge then offers us the chance to modify and change characteristics that are undesirable in ourselves and others.
Consequently, by understanding another's personality, to some extent, points us to the understanding of why someone behaves one way rather than another. Thus a chance to modify behaviour and control a piece of the world that otherwise would be stressful to our existence.
It is my hope that this article will illustrate the importance for understanding the differences in human personality and why we must continue to explore the human mindset.
As with all professions and most disciplines, Psychology has a language all its own, and it takes a number of years of study and everyday usage before a true understanding of psychological words, phrases and tenets can be readily interpreted. My purpose here is to simplify the Psychological "mumbo jumbo."
When couched in simple terms Personality theory is easy to understand and a valuable and usable tool of which all in society should have a thorough understanding. For the last 150 years Psychologists have studied observations and recorded findings regarding personality interactions, motivations, and behaviours between humans. These evolutionary records should be made understandable to all.
Why Study Personality.
It is my belief that there is no more important field of study in Psychology than that of Personality. The study of human personality is the study of the differences that occur between individuals. Through the study of personalities in differing environments and social situations we get to understand, and be able to predict, the behavioural complexities that exist between us all.
Living in close society demands that we fully, as possible, understand and are able to predict, the behaviours of those (as well as ourselves) to a high degree of accuracy. We need to KNOW how others will behave in differing situations and how people will respond, given the same problems, and the same incentives. Further, understanding developed personality in others gives us the tools to modify the behaviour of both ourselves and others, and to understand how and why such changes can occur.
On an individual basis, it is perfectly natural for the human species to want to know about itself. To know what we are, how we became this way, what are the common threads that run between us, and what makes us different from each other, is indispensable knowledge needed for the human race to survive. Understanding Personality theory helps supply answers to some of these questions. Personal insight for us and the ability to predict behaviour patterns in others eases the stress of close social living. By understanding personality we gain a control of anxiety-provoking circumstances. We also gain control of our environment, and our interpersonal interactions.
We are bound to others in virtually everything we do. How we think, how we feel and how we act demands attention to the behaviour of others. We must come to terms with the people with whom we mix and with those that enter our daily lives. So we must understand to a high degree the motivations, desires and actions of our fellow humans. Personality disclosures help us to decipher and predict what will happen should things go wrong in awry situations.
We need to be able to describe ourselves in terms that others will understand. We also need to understand others in terms we know well and to which we can easily relate. Personality theory highlights the answers to these understanding needs and indicates how we should change things for the future to produce more successful social interactions.
In short then, knowing how individuals differ in their personality characteristics reveals how each individual may respond differently in the same situation.
Learning about personality is also important for us to discover how personality characteristics are formed and acquired. Such knowledge then offers us the chance to modify and change characteristics that are undesirable in ourselves and others.
Consequently, by understanding another's personality, to some extent, points us to the understanding of why someone behaves one way rather than another. Thus a chance to modify behaviour and control a piece of the world that otherwise would be stressful to our existence.
It is my hope that this article will illustrate the importance for understanding the differences in human personality and why we must continue to explore the human mindset.
Dr. Maher has spent the last 10 years working with programs in Internet marketing. His center of interest is in developing techniques and skills necessary to make an online business successful. See further information at: http://www.DrDonMaher.info
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