Understanding Myself: Exploring The Layers of My Personality

Personality is defined as “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.” My personality would be described by others as introverted, reserved, disorganized and helpful. My personality is shaped by my experiences, rewards, and punishments I have received. There are four main aspectsof personality: trait, psychoanalytic, humanistic, social cognitive. The trait and psychoanalytic views on personality best describe my personality and what makes me me, which is discussed in this essay,

The trait perspective of personality focuses on expressing biologically influenced dispositions stable and enduring traits that underlie our actions. These traits can be organized into 5 basic personality factors. These factors are Emotional Stability, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness, and Conscientiousness. Carl Jung was one of the first psychologists to discuss the idea of trait personality. Jung was a college of legendary psychologist Sigmund Freud. According to Carl Jung, every person has a dominant life attitude and a primary function that characterizes him/her as a certain personality type. Throughout the personality unit, all the tests that I have been taking have given me similar responses. The responses being shy, inner-directed, more realistic with who I am. I also found out that my personality type is ISTJ. An ISTJ is described as someone who focuses internally and takes the 5 senses in a literal, concrete fashion. Positive traits of being an ISTJ are that they are known for being reliable, believe in laws and traditions, and extremely loyal. One time that I felt that I was shy was the first day of high school. I remember I got a ride from one of my friends to school. We walked in together and I only recognized about 3 people in my first class and I wasn't sitting next to any of them. Throughout 1st block, I remember that just the thought of talking to people (even just saying my name) gave me anxiety. All-day and in every block talking to new people was not a fun experience because I got very nervous. This shows that I have a shy personality. I also found that I am more realistic. I find this to be true because I tend to look at things not as the glass half full but instead just a glass with water. A real-life example of this is when I look at art or literature. I am not able to see the underlying messages that the author is trying to convey under the surface. I just see what is shown to me and what I read or see. This helps me I think because It helps me to stay focused on the important stuff and not read between the lines. One time when I have found the Kiersey Temperament Sorter, which gave me the ISTJ, is when it described me as rule-following. When I was young I was kind of a crazy child. I used to drive my father mad with my attitude and my character. He would punish me by yelling at me, sending me to my room, and taking away my iPod. As a kid, I learned that my behavior dictated if I was going to get punished. The punishments shaped me into following the rules of my parents, teachers, and the law.

The psychoanalytic perspective of behavior was created by Sigmund Freud and Karen Horney. They believed that personality is based on impulses and needs in the unconscious. Freud also believed that there were three components of the mind. The Id, superego, and ego. The Id is the animal impulses, the pleasure principle, and the source of power. The superego is the conscious or moral rule. The ego is the balance of the id and the superego. Freud and Horney also believed that people used defense mechanisms to protect themselves and to reduce anxiety. When I get anxious the defense mechanism I am most likely to use is repression, projection, displacement, and rationalization. One good example of when I use a defense mechanism is after a stressful day of school. When I get home it doesn't matter what happened but the little things put me into a rage. I know that they are not the cause of my stress and anxiety but are a less threatening target. I often release this onto my dog. If I hear him bark at all I just scream at him for no reason. Another defense mechanism I use is rationalization. This year I didn't make varsity for soccer. Instead of looking back at my poor performance I rationalized it as the coach hated me and that he picked favorites. I said stuff like “He doesn't deserve to be on varsity. He’s not even good” or “All he does is pick his favorite players. It has nothing to do with skill.”. By saying these phrases I remove all responsibility from myself and I am reducing anxiety.

After analyzing the results from both perspectives I believe that the trait perspective is the best for analyzing myself. The trait personality shows that I am shy, realistic, rule-following, and more inner-directed. Throughout my school career, I have found this to be true. In the first couple of weeks of a new term or class, I always have bad anxiety. I am also a rule follower. When I hang out with my friends, I try and not participate in activities that could get me in trouble with my parents, school, or the law. This is what makes me me. To conclude the essay, personality is what makes humans unique. Every person has a different personality even if you're related. Learning about your personality is important because it can help you identify your strengths and weaknesses and even what people are good to hang out with.