CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE SELF
What Is Personality?What Is Personality?
Our personality makes us who we are. It is a set of behavioral
characteristics that shape the choices we make in life and how
we react to the world. Various systems have been invented to
assess and classify personality.
Changeable personality
From the moment we are conceived, DNA begins to shape our personality,
leading us to produce more of a certain neurotransmitter than another, for
example, or making us less sensitive to a hormone compared to other
people. This affects our underlying temperament, and even our final
personality to some extent. However, as well as our genetics, who we
are is also shaped by our experiences and environment.Becoming you
As we grow, our brains mature along
set patterns and change through
experience. Regularly used neural
pathways become stronger, and we
may become more or less reactive
to neurotransmitters and hormones.
This changes our personality.BABY
FA MILY
SCHOOL
HOME
FRIENDS
DAY C ARE
PARENTS
CHILD
DO IDENTICAL
TWINS HAVE THE SAME
PERSONALITY?Identical twins, with the same
DNA, have more similar
personalities than nonidentical
twins. But there are also
differences, due
to their individual
experiences.
Closed body
language may
suggest shy
personalityEarly temperament
As a result of the role genetics plays in
forming personalities, even newborn babies
behave differently from each other. For
example, some seem very sensitive to noise
or disruption—by contrast, others hardly
notice them.Developing
a personality
Throughout childhood,
our brains change
rapidly, and experiences
affect our personality.
Home life has a large
impact, as do friends
and interactions at day
care or school.1
2
DNA
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