Traits can be thought of as Dispositions that I hold which I have formed because of the Nature of my surroundings and the Nurture I have received in this Life. Many theorize that we all have the same human dispositions however the amounts we have are uniquely varied. Gordon Allport would nod favorably at my claims that my personality is fluid and alive. Indeed, my personality is as alive as every other living thing on this Earth and I am changing as I grow.
Henry Murray presented a list of 27 psychogenic needs that I have formed into a specific hierarchy that is the essential to the being of Me. He recognized that how other’s view Me is subjective and dependent upon my readiness to respond to a given situation. Furthermore, he postulates that my hierarchy is prioritized upon my internal needs. He may have agreed with my philosophy that I will ultimately spend my time doing that which is most important to Me.
Psychogenic Needs are within us all and I see each as a different colorful bead that is manipulated by the environment and the viewer. You may see that I have strong needs for Understanding, Exhibition, Achievement or Affiliation. If it were Henry Murray, he would feel I am drawing on these psychogenic traits in order to fulfill my desire for Achievement in my studies.
Who I am can be a sharp contrast to the person I am perceived to be. Perception is based within an observer’s emotions. To Me, I am forthright and honest. To You, I may be perceived as aggressive and harsh. Quite possibly, if emotion were to be extracted from perception, we may all contain a set of source traits. Researchers such as Raymond Cattell felt that I have Ten of these source traits, however, many current indications suggest I consist of five traits that cover the currents of Me in the OCEAN of human personality traits.
I exist upon a continuum of Neuroticism because I have thresholds for personal adjustment and emotional stability. My early life was chaos and I spent many years refining survival skills that required constant adjustment to the unknown. I have found emotional stability within many defense mechanisms. In this moment, I have found peace and have adjusted to a level of normalcy that I have set and I have come to embrace my emotional labiality because I want to cherish every emotion for what it is. I am quite high in the Neuroticism Category.
Interaction with this life is unavoidable and because of my desires and goals, I exist high on the Extraversion continuum. I have chosen to partake of a traditional marriage rich with children, community, religion and education. This choice in this moment has required that I develop strong interpersonal relationships, refined social skills and well developed optimism and assertion. At this moment in my existence, I remain highly extraverted so that I can be who I want to be.
Nature is inevitable and quite possibly the charm in my kaleidoscope that radiates my disposition to intellect or Openness. I once heard that intelligence is seen in one’s willingness to consider new ideas without judgment. I have found that I thrive on symmetry, familiarity and consistency. But, when I am comfortable, I am creative, innovative, colorful and imaginative. I am no artist but I find beauty in most things. I find that I am open to new ideas as long as my physical needs for safety, health and family are not jeopardized. I am mid-range on the Openness continuum because I am protective of the safety, love and connectedness that I have created away from the chaotic unknowns of my origins.
Agreeableness is a very subjective trait continuum that I am still exploring. I feel that I rate high in this characteristic unless I perceive you as a danger ~ or my Dentist. I have experienced many times where I have succumbed rather than agreed to the environmental conditions because it was best for the greater good. In this moment, I try to be helpful and I physically force myself to try trust before suspicion. I consider myself as docile and soft-hearted as a mother bear. As long as I do not perceive the threat to my cubs, then I am agreeable. However, I am ruthless to that which threatens my existence. I live by the promise that I will never point a gun at you unless it is my complete intention to kill you. Therefore, circumstantially speaking, I am agreeable.
The fifth dimension of my personality within the trait theory is centered somewhere along the Conscientiousness continuum. I am well organized, careful, conscientious and efficient. I have progressively found comfort higher along this continuum. As I mature, I am moving away from a willfulness attitude and striving toward a greater willingness to work for what I desire. I feel I am existent at a level that no longer needs validation or outside judgment. I am incredibly content with my ability to work and willingness to achieve.
No comments:
Post a Comment