Personality Traits

Today I learnt that for humans there are only 5 personality traits that apply across the board. Each of the traits are classed over a spectrum or range rather than just simply yes or no to each. These personality traits are different from personality types, which we hear about so often eg Type A or Type B, which are “either-or”.

The 5 traits are as follows;

Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism and Openness.

A person high in conscientiousness is organised, disciplined, reliable, goal oriented and plans well. Whereas a low conscientiousnes person is disorganised, procrastinates, not goal oriented and spontaneous.

A person high in extraversion is outgoing, likes social interactions, likes being around people and energetic. A low extraversion person is reserved, likes solitude and doesn’t like social interactions much.

A person high in agreeableness is cooperative, likes harmony, trusting, compassionate and empathises. A person low in agreeableness is competitive, skeptical, confrontational and blunt.

A person high in neuroticism is reactive emotionally, anxiety prone, has mood swings, worries a lot and has doubts about everything. A person low in neuroticism is calm, stable emotionally, less stress prone and resilient.

A person high in openness is open to new things and experiences, enjoys art and culture, is creative, curious and open to abstract concepts. A person low in openness is routine oriented, prefers familiarity, is conventional and is more traditional.

Are these traits genetically ingrained in us when we are born or do we pick these up as we are growing up and watching our parents, friends and society. Or is it a combination of both? Do they change over time? Can we change them? How? Is a high in each trait necessarily a good thing? What should the balance be?

I am curious. I have just started this course and and I am keen to understand this. Can knowing these traits really predict behavior?

I see in myself a bit of each of these traits and I am not sure which part of the spectrum of each trait I fall into. I think at different times, with different people and on different occasions I react differently. Is that a bad thing? Can I call that adaptability? Is being agreeable all the time good? Isn’t being neurotic sometimes not a bd thing? Does knowing about these traits help me be a better person?

As a further update, in addition to the 5 personality traits, there are 3 motivators of behavior in humans. The 3 being affiliation motivation, achievement motivation and power motivation. On each of them, we are motivated to different degrees. But being motivated may not be sufficient if the corresponding trait is not there. Hmmm…