Chapter 2

Personality:
Definition and Its Components
OBJECTIVES:
1. To be able to identify job requirements needed
for your qualifications.
2. To be able to define personality and give its
components
3. To be able to give examples of how
personality is revealed
4. To be able to discuss why personality is
important
5. To be able to discuss how personality
differences occur and how personality is
improved
 PERSONALITY is one of the major qualifications given as a major
requirement. It is often said that workers are fired, not because of lack
of skills for the job, but because they could not get along well with
their fellow workers. This is a personality problem, anybody who
works with people – and everybody does is concerned with
personality.
Looking into the criteria for judging is beauty contents will
perfectly illustrate the importance of personality.
In getting a job, these characteristics are equally necessary –
conversational skills, adaptability, ability to project one’s self as an
impressive “personality”.
WHAT PERSONALITY IS?

Personality may be defined as the SUM TOTAL OF THE QUALITIES AND

CHARACTERISTICS OF A PERSON AS SHOWN IN HER MANNER OF WALKING,
TALKING, DRESSING AND HER ATTITUDES, INTERESTS AND WAYS OF
REACTING TO OTHER PEOPLE. It refers to all the factors within the person that influence
his characteristic ways of behaving, thinking, and feeling. It is your image on others.
In life we tend to accept or reject others according to what we think about their
personalities. Employer often tend to hire or promote a person on personality than on what
he/she knows about the job.
Once others have decided on the nature of our personalities, they tend to treat us
accordingly. Often the judgement is based on a first impression and does not change even
though the interpretation was erroneous and our behaviour has changed dramatically. This
unchanging opinion of others based only on a first general impression is known as the “halo
effect”. For example, during the first meeting with an applicant as “wise guy” for the rest of the
screening process even though the applicant could have been an ideal worker.
People often fall in love and marry because they believe their personalities match well.
They enjoy the same activities and their opinions, interest, and values are similar. Personalities
change, however, hence we all see unhappily, have not “grown” or changed together.
WHAT ARE THE COMPONENTS OF PERSONALITY?

 A worker may have a pleasing personality and yet not be considered for promotion because other
aspects of his/her personality prove to handicap his/her work. Being pleasing and attractive in
appearance is only one aspect of personality. In general, the following are the aspects of personality:

1. Physical. This includes the mode of dressing, manner of walking, posture, body build, health, complexion
and facial expression.
2. Intellectual. How a person talks and what she talks about is what matters in the intellectual component of
personality he must develop his intellect or brain.
3. Social. Good manners, correct manners are included in this aspect of personality. To do the right thing at
the right time, to act in the proper manner, to get along well with others – these are all parts of the social
sphere of personality.
4. Emotional. This component includes a person’s likes or dislikes, whether he/she is outgoing or shy,
whether he/she is calm or nervous, and whether he/she loses his/her temper easily or “keeps her cool”.
Personality problems, such as how to stay mentally healthy or how to avoid mental disorders are some
problems that are emotional in nature.
5. Value System. This includes a person’s attitudes, values, beliefs and philosophy in life. This aspect is
reffered to as CHARACTER. It is shown in the way we judge whether our actions and theactions of others
are right or wrong.
HOW PERSONALITY IS REVEALED?
Personality is not revealed in one meeting. It unmarks itself, so to speak, in
various says. Sometimes, crisis situations reveal the real personality. In a boy-
meets-girl situation, the first impression is usually based on appearance- physical stature,
grooming, facial features poise and etc. a favourable impression is usually created by a beautiful
face, a regal walk and is always a pleasant and lasting one. When the two begin to exchange ideas
the boy reacts to her voice, her words, her interests and her manner of expressing itself. If she
has nothing to say, the impression created by the lovely face and regal bearing is erased. She
might impress him as “beautiful but dumb” If what she says, however, makes sense and
interesting and informative, she may create the impression of being the “beauty and brains”
type.
The acquaintance ripens into friendship. Each will observe how the other reacts to problem
situations. Social situations will bring other impressions. One who acts like a Victorian lady may
fittingly suit a woman who has excellent manners when she is with company. She is a lady in
every way,
This sequence of impression should not lead one to believe, however, that personality
unfolds itself exactly in this order. The totality of an individual’s behaviour is evaluated as a
whole and must in separate pieces, although one or two aspects of one’s personality map create a
stronger impression than that others.
 WHY IS THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY IMPORTANT?
What does the study of the human personality have to do with you and to
your daily life?
The study of the human personality could very well be one of the most
significant studies for you not only no but in the future as well. For it is through
understanding of your own personality and the personalities of your fellowmen
that will spell the differences between success and failure in your dealings with
them. An understanding of your personality and of other’s can make the
difference between satisfactory and unsatisfactory adjustment. If you were to ask
people of various ages and walks of life what their most pressing personal problem
is, many of them would say: understanding my fellowmen.
Most of us see only some small aspects of the true personalities of those
around us. We only see the image that is seen on the surface, which may not
really represent the entire personality of the individual. Mistakes in evaluating and
judging personalities are often one of the major cause for the interpersonal
problems involved in marriage, dating, business associations or relations between
friends. The study of personality should, therefore, result in our own personality as
well as to understand others so that we can adjust to them and have harmonious
relations to them.
PERSONALITY DIFFERENCES
We are all different because of three factors:
1. Our Heredity- we are born with a set of genes and chromosomes which we inherit from
our forefathers and our parents. These set the limits to our parents. This potential is
achieved to the fullest by the proper use of environment- our experiences over the years,
especially our interaction with other people. There have been many attempts to
estimate the relative importance of heredity and environment on personality
development. There is evidence that children reared in poor environments generally
suffer deficient language and intellectual development and develop general personality
defects, such as lack of emotional responsiveness and inadequacy in relating to other
persons. However, not all children reared in impowerished environments are equally
defective.
2. The environment – this consists of your family, school, church, social groups, and other
groups with whom we interact from the very beginning. Each group puts pressure on us
and we behave in certain ways as a result of being with these groups. Our behaviour
changes with each situation and with the people we are with. We behave differently
when we are with our friends than when we are with our parents. Teachers, and others
older than us.
3. Our experiences- these consist of everything that we do or get in touch with,
everywhere we got in short, everything that we are exposed to in our lifetime, whether
physical ,emotional or social experiences.
IMPROVING PERSONALITY

Even though much of our personality is set early in life, experiences in later life
do have an influence on our behaviour. Sometimes an event such as an experience
of success or failure may bring about drastic changes in personality patterns.
Fortunately. Personality can be improved. Charm, popularity, glamour- these are
only a part of personality. There is much more to our personality than the
impression we make on others. Personality shows itself even when there are no
people around to impress. All of us are constantly evaluating and modifying our
behaviour in the light of or experiences of success or failure. Self-appraisal will help
us develop our personalities so that we can better interact with other people.
Remember that you are the architect of your own personality. The building blocks
of your personality structure contains diversities of experiences. The more you
accept its challenges, the greater will be the opportunities to test out what you
believe to be true about yourself and to build your personality.
TECHNIQUES IN IMPROVING PERSONALITY

1. Realize that improvement is needed

2. Have a strong motive or desire to improve
3 Take an inventory or make a checklist of the strong and weak points
or what is to be improved and,
4. Have a step-by-step plan for improvement.
 If you feel that you are perfect and need no improvement, then you cannot be
helped. But if you can say to yourself that you can stand some improvement and
have a strong desire to improve, then you can go on to steps 3 and 4.

FACING YOUR WORLD

With mirror in hand , as if you were looking at another person for the first time.
Consider the face-first its general structure and features and its expression – and try
to imagine how you would react should you, astonishingly, meet up with your
double. Now try a smile. Often the face becomes dazzling when lit by a genuine
feature – a smile. An eye-to-eye contact, a light turn of the head to present a nice
profile can do wonders. With practice, refinements of expression and position
become a natural and effective means of making the most of your looks. A brief
smile, the evidence of genuine interest, or the ability to compose yourself and
achieve or later the personality and inner self an inner serenity can become instant
beauty treatments. Having assessed your own first impression impact and
experimented with facial expressions and head positions, concentrate on your
individual features. While the total composite is probably quite pleasing, it is
important to learn at a young age which are less attractive – to alter any of them,
but because there are ways to play up your best features and direct attention
away from less appealing ones. The goal is to make your face as a whole as
lovely/handsome and interesting as it can be. This is a goal that is possible for every
girl/boy.
 CREATING YOUR VISUAL STATEMENT
Through an extensive of line, shape, and color , you create your very own Visual
Statement. Every moment of our lives, we communicate with other people. Even before a
word is spoken, most perceptions and judgements are made. Are you warm and friendly
or cold and aloof, a success or failure? These are only some of the traits which can be and
often are transmitted visually.
The purpose of Visual Statement is:
- To visually create a message which communicates what you want others to know
about you through your appearance.
- To convey outwardly your level of inner confidence.
Your Visual Statement will give you the power to achieve results. People will recognize
your chosen qualities and treat you with respect. This can help you achieve your personal
and professional goals and develop more effective relationships. You can easily have
more than one Visual Statement in a lifetime. You may also want to change your look,
depending upon a given situation, such as a social occasion versus a business situation.
Quite often, creating/developing a Visual Statement according to your immediate goals
will make the major difference in achieving them
 TAKING CENTER STAGE
Your body is a wondrous creation, but it can be weakened by the
neglect or abuse. On the other hand, the flow of good health, good
grooming and a flattering use of cosmetics and clothing can insure that
you full fill your potential and make a positive impression on everyone
you meet. Almost all of us have the secret desire to be on stage- to be a
star. Fame is achieved by very few, but each of us is on stage in the
social world we inhabit. Every time you communicate with someone,
either face-to-face, via the telephone, or by letter, you are the center of
attention as far as the other person is concerned. You should project to
the world the best you have to offer. Everyone is born with God-given
looks and basic talents. In some aspects we are strong, in others weak.
Some parts of yourself you can improve substantially, others you can do
little about. You should not be concerned about the things that you
cannot change- your height or the size of your feet, for example, instead
, you should concentrate on areas that you can change.
 DEFINING BEAUTY IN MEN AND WOMEN
What is beauty? It is an innate quality, a way of being, a manner of acting. It is
also a way of looking. When we think of beauty, we primarily think of physical beauty,
knowing fully well that sooner or later the personality and inner self must supersede
the outer beauty of the face and figure. However , to achieve balanced beauty the
inner and outer must blend together to be joined by an ability to love and to be
loved, by an awareness and curiosity about life, by intelligence, happiness, social
grace, and by self-expression through all bodily movements- beauties are made not
born.
Beauty is also very much a state of mind. Beauty is a quality that should grow with
each passing day and be developed to last a lifetime. Beauty is enhanced by
absorbing the beauty that surrounds you in your daily life. Your personal beauty will
be enhanced as your awareness of beauty grows. As an exercise to help awaken
your awareness of beauty, first open your eyes to the beauty of the elements of
nature surrounding you. An awareness of external beauty helps you establish your
own standards for beauty and develop a philosophy by which you will wish to live.
 Notice your friends. One of your friends may have
great physical beauty, the kind that makes all the boys
take notice. Another has a terrific personality- bubbly
and fun to be with. A third may not be so handsome or
so happy but he is smart. No one is just physical
appearance, personality or intelligence alone. You are
a combination of all three facets. Think of yourself as as
diamond which must be cut with many facets in order
to sparkle properly. Each facet should be
proportionated in such a way that your complete
beauty shines forth.
OUTER BEAUTY
Outer beauty is highlighted not only by personal attractiveness,
but by outer behaviour, poise and education. Your speech , diction,
grammar and sensitivity in communication reflect your true nature. It
is your total image that determines just how beautiful or handsome
you are really are. First you must survey your present habits of
nutrition and exercise, and use of makeup and clothing. From there,
you must embark upon a program of personal enhancement and
development that brings out the positives and plays down the
negatives. Establishing the proper attitude has brought you to the
exciting point when you are ready to cut an important facet of
your diamond, the first impression. When preparing for a first
impression, work to improve everything possible- even the most
minute detail. What may appear significant when considered alone
can combine with other imperfections to project carelessness. To
each new person you encounter, the way you look and behave is a
sample of your total self.
 INNER BEAUTY
To think beautiful is to be beautiful.

Everything begins with your perception. Ready ? With your eyes shut, think
the words, “I am beautiful or handsome”. With your eyes open, writ, “I am
beautiful”. With a sincere smile, in the privacy of your room, say” I am
beautiful”. The seeds of beauty- an attitude by which to live and an image to
project- are the most valuable seeds of thought you can plant and cultivate in
your secret mental garden. Just now, by thinking, writing and saying, “I am
beautiful or handsome”- you sowed the seed. This takes time and work.
However, you will begin to feel beautiful as soon as you begin to work on your
physical, emotional, mental and aesthetic being, cultivating the thought, “I
am beautiful” requires self-analysis, goal-setting , commitment ,discipline and
perseverance. You must learn to recognize your strengths and weaknesses,
you good and bad qualities, and then decide what can be done about each
of them- which will you play up and which will you play down or ignore?
 LIKING YOURSELF
An essential to beauty is to like yourself, even to love yourself. Respect
and love for your unique self and an understanding of your nature go hand in
hand with respect, love, and understanding of others. Only when you begin
to like yourself will you become a vital interested, and interesting person. Only
when you feel good about yourself and accept yourself will you begin to like
yourself. The object is to develop a friendly relationship with yourself. If you
would not want yourself as a friend, ask why. Your answer will reveal the small
or large changes you need to make to become a person you can sincerely
admire.
Making those changes is well worth the effort. The rewards of liking
yourself are outward poise and inward confidence. And once you have
discovered and developed self-confidence, you will have unearthed the
single more important attribute of a great beauty, confidence is magic!
 It brightens your eyes, straightens your posture, brings a
smile to your lips, enables you to forget yourself, and draws
others to you. It inspires the spark and the glow of genuine
inner beauty, the lustre of a finished person.
What I believe is what tends to happen. My belief in
positive things about myself and other people give me an
inner feeling of peace and a loving attitude. Inner beauty is
calm, serene, optimistic, poised and self-confident, and once
you have developed it, it will be reflected in your posture,
your face and your voice. Failure to take care of your inner
needs, to develop during youth the character and ideals with
which you can live, can adversely affect your entire life.
Eventually, any neglect of the inner person will begin to
reflect negatively in the outer person.