Topic: Personal Development, Values, belief, and quality as a person based on their

personal development.

SELF REFLECTION

This topic that we have emphasizes the stable difference between people
social, emotional and emotional characteristic. It can limit or expand options and
choices of lives.t is also been said that personality is shaped through environment,
learning, parental, and development factors.

As human beings, we all have our own values, beliefs and attitudes that we
have developed throughout the course of our lives. Our family, friends, community
and the experiences we have had all contribute to our sense of who we are and
how we view the world.

Values are principles, standards or qualities that an individual or group of

people hold in high regard. These values guide the way we live our lives and the
decisions we make. A value may be defined as something that we hold dear, those
things/qualities which we consider to be of worth. A ‘value’ is commonly formed by
a particular belief that is related to the worth of an idea or type of behavior. Some
people may see great value in saving the world’s rainforests. However a person who
relies on the logging of a forest for their job may not place the same value on the
forest as a person who wants to save it.

Values can influence many of the judgments we make as well as have an

impact on the support we give clients. It is important that we do not influence
client’s decisions based on our values. We should always work from the basis of
supporting the client’s values.

Dominant values are those that are widely shared amongst a group,
community or culture. They are passed on through sources such as the media,
institutions, religious organizations or family, but remember what is considered
dominant in one culture or society will vary to the next.

What is a belief? Beliefs come from real experiences but often we forget that
the original experience is not the same as what is happening in life now. Our values
and beliefs affect the quality of our work and all our relationships because what you
believe is what you experience. We tend to think that our beliefs are based on
reality, but it is our beliefs that govern our experiences.

The beliefs that we hold are an important part of our identity. They may be
religious, cultural or moral. Beliefs are precious because they reflect who we are and
how we live our lives.
Qualities of a person

What I can only say is that, Personal development is a structured and

supported process undertaken by an individual whom reflected upon their own
learning, performance, and achievement and to plan for their personal,
educational and career development. It was been thought that we need to
improve general skills for study and career management and encourage positive
attitude to learning and career choices.

We as a student should keep growing and never stop on learning as it will be

a way to our success. Now I will study hard more and develop my skills for me to
become successful and have a good life someday.

MICHELLE M. DANIEL
Student, ALS
Personal values, belief and attitudes

As human beings, we all have our own values, beliefs and attitudes that we have
developed throughout the course of our lives. Our family, friends, community and
the experiences we have had all contribute to our sense of who we are and how we
view the world. As community services workers, we are often working with people
who are vulnerable and/or who may live a lifestyle that mainstream society views as
being different or unacceptable. If, as community services workers, we are to
provide a service that meets the needs of our target groups and helps them to feel
empowered, we need to be aware of our own personal values, beliefs and attitudes
and be prepared to adopt the professional values of our industry—and not impose
our own ideas on our clients.

What are values?

Values are principles, standards or qualities that an individual or group of people

hold in high regard. These values guide the way we live our lives and the decisions
we make. A value may be defined as something that we hold dear, those
things/qualities which we consider to be of worth.

A ‘value’ is commonly formed by a particular belief that is related to the worth of an

idea or type of behavior. Some people may see great value in saving the world’s
rainforests. However a person who relies on the logging of a forest for their job may
not place the same value on the forest as a person who wants to save it.

Values can influence many of the judgments we make as well as have an impact
on the support we give clients. It is important that we do not influence client’s
decisions based on our values. We should always work from the basis of supporting
the client’s values.

What are some of my values?

Manners—are they old fashioned? Do they hold a high or low value in your life?

Pride—are there things you need to be proud of? Do you value pride or do you
value humility?

Clothes—how important are clothes at work? At play?

Behavior on the sports field—what behaviors do you value? Sportsmanship?

Winning? Team spirit? Individuality?

Family life? What do you value about family life?

Where do values come from?

Our values come from a variety of sources. Some of these include:

family

peers (social influences)

the workplace (work ethics, job roles)

educational institutions such as schools or TAFE

significant life events (death, divorce, losing jobs, major accident and trauma, major
health issues, significant financial losses and so on)

religion

music

media

technology

culture

major historical events (world wars, economic depressions, etc.

Dominant values

Dominant values are those that are widely shared amongst a group, community or
culture. They are passed on through sources such as the media, institutions, religious
organizations or family, but remember what is considered dominant in one culture or
society will vary to the next.

Using the sources listed above, some of your values could be:

family—caring for each other, family comes first

peers—importance of friendship, importance of doing things that peers approve of

workplace—doing your job properly; approving/disapproving of ‘foreign orders’
(doing home-related activities in work time or using work resources for home related
activities)

educational institutions—the valuing or otherwise of learning; value of self in relation

to an ability to learn (this often depends on personal experience of schooling,
whether positive or negative)

significant life events—death of loved ones and the impact on what we value as
being important; marriage and the importance and role of marriage and children;
separation and divorce and the value change that may be associated with this
(valuing of self or otherwise)

religion—beliefs about ‘right and wrong’ and beliefs in gods

media—the impact of TV, movies, radio, the Internet and advertising on what is
important in our lives, what is valued and not valued

music—music often reflects what is occurring in society, people’s response to things

such as love and relationships which may then influence the development of our
values

technology—the importance of technology or otherwise; the importance of

computers and developing computer skills

culture—a cultural value such as the importance of individuality as opposed to

conforming to groups

major historical events—not wasting anything, saving for times of draught, valuing
human life, patriotic values.

It is important that you develop an awareness of what you value, as these values will
be important in informing your relationships with clients, co–workers and employers.

What is a belief?

Beliefs come from real experiences but often we forget that the original experience
is not the same as what is happening in life now. Our values and beliefs affect the
quality of our work and all our relationships because what you believe is what you
experience. We tend to think that our beliefs are based on reality, but it is our beliefs
that govern our experiences.

The beliefs that we hold are an important part of our identity. They may be religious,
cultural or moral. Beliefs are precious because they reflect who we are and how we
live our lives.

What is an attitude?

The word ‘attitude’ can refer to a lasting group of feelings, beliefs and behavior
tendencies directed towards specific people, groups, ideas or objects.

An attitude is a belief about something. It usually describes what we think is the

‘proper’ way of doing something. The attitudes that we feel very strongly about are
usually called values. Other attitudes are not so important and are more like
opinions. Sometimes our own attitudes can make us blind to other people’s values,
opinions and needs. Attitudes will always have a positive and negative element and
when you hold an attitude you will have a tendency to behave in a certain way
toward that person or object.
You will need to be aware of your own personal values, beliefs and attitudes and
how they might impact on your work.

It is important to consider the mapping of your own life – what have been some
significant events that have shaped you, what qualities you admire in yourself and
others, what beliefs are important to you, what you value and so on. Some examples
of these may be personal features such as strength of character, helping people,
respect, honesty, wealth, success, health etc.

What we believe are important qualities, or what qualities we admire in ourselves

and others, generally reflect our life experiences and the values which we
established in our early years through the influence of family, teachers, friends,
religion, our culture, our education.

Given that all of us have differences which have been shaped by our life
experiences, we can understand that we will all have different sets of values and
beliefs. We do not all think about issues in the same way!

To work effectively it is critical to understand your own values and beliefs and to
understand the importance of not allowing them to affect the way in which you
work with clients. Remember they are your values and may be quite different to the
values held by your clients.

In order to remain professional it is necessary to leave your personal values out of the
client/worker relationship. This means that it is important that you allow clients to
make decisions based on their own values and beliefs rather than decisions that
reflect what you think they should do.

When we are carrying out our daily duties at work we rarely think about our
attitudes, we are immersed in work itself and often remain unaware of just how
different our attitudes could be to others around us.

As previously defined an attitude is simply a belief, and describes what we think is

the proper way of doing or thinking about something. Attitudes vary in intensity.

When we feel strongly about something attitudes are called values. Attitudes that
are less important to us are called opinions. For example we may feel strongly that
older people should give up their jobs when they reach a certain age, so that
younger people can get work. Strong attitudes are often very emotional and can
cloud our judgement in meeting other people’s needs. This means that some people
or clients may be denied their rights to be allowed to make their own choices and
decisions about their life.

The influence of attitudes

Our attitudes develop over time and not only reflect where we have come from i.e.
the influence family, friends and experiences have had on our attitudes, but also
how we will proceed with our life in the future. Attitudes are therefore a powerful
element in our life, are long enduring and hard to change—but not impossible!

The problem with attitudes

One of the problems with our attitudes is we often ignore any information which is
not consistent with them—we become selective in the way we perceive and
respond to events and issues—and lose our ‘objectivity’ about the world. By
developing insights about our attitudes we reduce the risk of making decisions at
work based on our unconscious, pre-existing perceptions, allowing us work more
professionally with clients.

Awareness of personal attitudes

It is good practice to think about your attitudes and beliefs: it helps you to
understand yourself better. It is beneficial to reflect on your life, identify some of the
significant events that have shaped you, consider what qualities you admire in
yourself and others and be mindful of what values and are important to you.
Qualities of a person

Openness

Openness is shorthand for "openness to experience." People who are high in

openness enjoy adventure. They're curious and appreciate art, imagination and
new things. The motto of the open individual might be "Variety is the spice of life."

People low in openness are just the opposite: They prefer to stick to their habits,
avoid new experiences and probably aren't the most adventurous eaters. Changing
personality is usually considered a tough process, but openness is a personality trait
that's been shown to be subject to change in adulthood. In a 2011 study, people
who took psilocybin, or hallucinogenic "magic mushrooms," became more open
after the experience. The effect lasted at least a year, suggesting that it might be
permanent.

Speaking of experimental drug use, California's try-anything culture is no myth. A

study of personality traits across the United States released in 2013 found that
openness is most prevalent on the West Coast.

Conscientiousness

People who are conscientious are organized and have a strong sense of duty.
They're dependable, disciplined and achievement-focused. You won't find
conscientious types jetting off on round-the-world journeys with only a backpack;
they're planners.

People low in conscientiousness are more spontaneous and freewheeling. They may
tend toward carelessness. Conscientiousness is a helpful trait to have, as it has been
linked to achievement in school and on the job.

Extraversion

Extraversion versus introversion is possibly the most recognizable personality trait of

the Big Five. The more of an extravert someone is, the more of a social butterfly they
are. Extraverts are chatty, sociable and draw energy from crowds. They tend to be
assertive and cheerful in their social interactions.

Introverts, on the other hand, need plenty of alone time, perhaps because their
brains process social interaction differently. Introversion is often confused with
shyness, but the two aren't the same. Shyness implies a fear of social interactions or
an inability to function socially. Introverts can be perfectly charming at parties —
they just prefer solo or small-group activities.

Agreeableness

Agreeableness measures the extent of a person's warmth and kindness. The more
agreeable someone is, the more likely they are to be trusting, helpful and
compassionate. Disagreeable people are cold and suspicious of others, and they're
less likely to cooperate.

Men who are high in agreeableness are judged to be better dancers by women,
suggesting that body movement can signal personality. (Conscientiousness also
makes for good dancers, according to the same 2011 study.) But in the workplace,
disagreeable men actually earn more than agreeable guys. Disagreeable women
didn't show the same salary advantage, suggesting that a no-nonsense demeanor is
uniquely beneficial to men.
Being envious, which can lead to people being perceived as not agreeable, was
found to be the most common personality type out of the four studies by a report
published in August 2016 in the journal Science Advances. Envious people feel
threatened when someone else is more successful than they are.

Neuroticism

To understand neuroticism, look no further than George Costanza of the long-

running sitcom "Seinfeld." George is famous for his neuroses, which the show blames
on his dysfunctional parents. He worries about everything, obsesses over germs and
disease and once quits a job because his anxiety over not having access to a
private bathroom is too overwhelming.

George may be high on the neuroticism scale, but the personality trait is real. People
high in neuroticism worry frequently and easily slip into anxiety and depression. If all is
going well, neurotic people tend to find things to worry about. One 2012 study found
that when neurotic people with good salaries earned raises, the extra income
actually made them less happy.

In contrast, people who are low in neuroticism tend to be emotionally stable and
even-keeled.

Unsurprisingly, neuroticism is linked with plenty of bad health outcomes. Neurotic

people die younger than the emotionally stable, possibly because they turn to
tobacco and alcohol to ease their nerves.

Possibly the creepiest fact about neuroticism, though, is that parasites can make you
feel that way. And we're not talking about the natural anxiety that might come with
knowing that a tapeworm has made a home in your gut. Undetected infection by
the parasite Toxoplasma gondii may make people more prone to neuroticism, a
2006 study found.