Introduction to

Self Understanding
“Knowing yourslef is the beginning of
all wisdom”- Aristotle.
WHO AM I?
A solid understanding of who they are is a big part of their lives.

Understanding of who you are as a person is called

self-concept

Understanding what your motives are when you act is called

self-understanding.
In definition, self-concept is generally thought of as
our individual perceptions of our behavior, abilities,
and unique characteristics—a mental picture of who
you are as a person.
Self-concept tends to be more malleable when people are
younger and still going through the process of self-
discovery and identity formation. As people age, self-
perceptions become much more detailed and organized as
people form a better idea of who they are and what is
important to them.
According to the book Essential Social Psychology by Richard Crisp and
Rhiannon Turner:

  The individual self consists of attributes and personality traits that

differentiate us from otherindividuals. Examples include introversion or
extroversion.

  The relational self is defined by our relationships with significant others.

Examples include siblings, friends, and spouses.

  The collective self reflects our membership in social groups. Examples

include British, Republican, African-American, or gay.
Personality
 The etymological derivative of personality comes from the word
“persona”, the theatrical masks worn by Romans in Greek and
Latin drama. Personality also comes from the two Latin words
“per”and “sonare”, which literally means “to sound through”.

 Personality have no single definition since different personality

theories have different views on how to define it. However, the
commonly accepted definition of personality is that it is a
relatively permanent traits and unique characteristics that give
both consistency and individuality to a person’s behavior
(Roberts & Mroczek, 2008).
  Personality plays a key role in affecting how people shape
their lives. It involves the complex relationship of people with
their environment, how they cope and adjust through life, and
how theyrespond to demands of physical and social challenges.

  Personality is the overall pattern or integration of a person’s

structure, modes of behavior, attitudes,aptitudes, interests,
intellectual abilities, and many other distinguishable
personality traits.Personality is the conglomeration of the
following components: physical self, intelligence,character
traits, attitudes, habits, interest, personal discipline, moral
values, principles and philosophies of life.
Before you can define who you are, you have to first understand some examples of
personality traits. These can be determined by our actions, attitudes and behaviors.
To help you discover your own personal traits ask yourself the following questions:

How would I describe myself?

What brought me joy as a child?

What brings me joy now?

What's my biggest accomplishment?

What's my biggest dream?

What's my biggest fear?

 Personality—the characteristic ways that people differ
from one another. Personality psychologists try to describe
and understand these differences.

 Gordon Allport and other “personologists” claimed that

we can best understand the differences between
individuals by understanding their personality traits.
Personality traits reflect basic dimensions on which people
differ (Matthews, Deary, & Whiteman, 2003).
 Examples of
Positive Personality
 Being honest and taking responsibility for your actions are
admirable qualities.
 Adaptability and compatibility are great traits that can help
you get along with others.
 Drive and determination will help you keep going no matter
what.
 Compassion and understanding mean you relate well to
others.
 Patience is a virtue and also a good personality trait.
 Courage will help you do what's right in tough situations.
 Loyalty is a good quality to possess, making others trust you.
Adventurous Helpful Affable

Humble Capable Imaginative

Charming Conscientious Keen

Impartial Cultured Meticulous

Dependable Observant Confident

Independent Optimistic Dutiful

Persistent Fair Sociable

 Examples of
Negative Traits
What would life be without balance? Whether we like to admit it or not,
some of our personality traits are also likely to be negative:

 A propensity for lying, in order to avoid responsibility for our actions, is a

deplorable quality.
 Being rigid and selfish, unyielding to the needs of others are not endearing
qualities.
 Being full of laziness and excuses is sure to drive others away, too.
 An inability to empathize with others will also alienate us from others.
 Being quick to anger will turn people away.
 Being disloyal, quick to talk about others behind their backs or, worse,
stab them in the back for personal gain also falls high on the scale of
negative personality traits.
Arrogant Quarrelsome Boorish

Rude Bossy Sarcastic

Conceited Self-centered Cowardly

Slovenly Dishonest Sneaky Impulsive

Sullen Lazy Surly

Malicious Unfriendly Picky

Unruly Pompous Vulgar

Your personality is set by no one but you. It encompasses the actions you
take and the decisions you make. Either you are a patient person or not, a
responsible person or not. Try asking yourself some searching questions to
discover just what kind of person you are, such as: "if you found an animal
hurt and alone, what would you do?" or "if you won the lottery how would
you spend your time and money?".

You may not be able to change your personality type, but you can change
aspects of your personality by taking determined, active steps to become a
more balanced person. Taking up a hobby is a great way to become a well-
rounded individual. Sports can help you learn teamwork, arts and crafts can
make you more patient, volunteering can help you become more caring.
Even just reading a book can expand your horizons and push you to be
better.
How Can my personality Affects Other?

Being positive and upbeat can influence everyone around you, and so can
negativity. For example, a friendly smile to a stranger can brighten up their
day, just as a glare can cause their mood to drop. Bear in mind the famous
Bible quote from Jesus of Nazareth, "Do unto others as you would have them
do to you".

While you may not be able to help it if you are having a bad day, or if you
don't like doing a particular task, changing your attitude changes
everything. Complaining and sulking will only make time drag when doing
an unpleasant job. Instead, try to shift your thoughts and redirect your
mind. Being a more pleasant person helps everyone.
There are three criteria that are characterize personality traits:

Consistency- To have a personality trait, individuals must be somewhat

consistent across situations in their behaviors related to the trait.

Stability- Individuals with a trait are also somewhat stable over time in
behaviors related to the trait.

Individual Differences- People differ from one another on behaviors

related to the trait. Using speech is not a personality trait and neither
is walking on two feet—virtually all individuals do these activities, and
there are almost no individual differences. But people differ on how
frequently they talk and how active they are, and thus personality
traits such as Talkativeness and Activity Level do exist.
Determinants of
Personality
 Environmental Factors of Personality. The surroundings of an
individual compose the environmental factors of personality.
 Biological Factors of Personality
* hereditary factors or genetic make-up of the person that
inherited from their parents.
*physical features include the overall physical structure of a
person: height, weight, color, sex, beauty and body language, etc.
*brain. The preliminary results from the electrical stimulation
of the brain (ESB) research gives indication that better
understanding of human personality and behavior might come
from the study of the brain.
 Situational Factors of Personality. Although these factors do
not literally create and shape up an individual’s personality,
situational factors do alter a person’s behavior and response
from time to time.

 Cultural Factors. Culture is traditionally considered as the

major determinants of an individual’s personality. The culture
largely determinants what a person is and what a person will
learn.
 Situational Factors of Personality. Although these factors do
not literally create and shape up an individual’s personality,
situational factors do alter a person’s behavior and response
from time to time.

 Cultural Factors. Culture is traditionally considered as the

major determinants of an individual’s personality. The culture
largely determinants what a person is and what a person will
learn.
 The Five-Factor
Model of Personality
 Descriptions of Personality Traits
Big 5 Trait Definition
Lewis Goldberg
 Openness The tendency to appreciate new art, ideas, values, feelings, and
behaviors.
 Conscientiousness The tendency to be careful, on-time for appointments,
to follow rules, and to be hard working.
 Extraversion The tendency to be talkative, sociable, and to enjoy others;
the tendency to have a dominant style.
 Agreeableness The tendency to agree and go along with others rather than
to assert one owns opinions and choices.
 Neurotism The tendency to be frequently experience negative emotions
such as anger, worry, and sadness, as well as being itnerpersonally sensitive.
 Descriptions of Personality Traits
Big 5 Trait Definition
Lewis Goldberg
Openness: appreciation for a variety of experiences.

Conscientiousness: planning ahead rather than being spontaneous.

Extraversion: being sociable, energetic and talkative.

Agreeableness: being kind, sympathetic and happy to help.

Neuroticism: inclined to worry or be vulnerable or temperamental.

“Self-understanding is a lifetime
endeavour. It is not a weekend seminar.
It does not come in capsule form. ”-
Vironica Tugaleva.
As human being, we crave to understand and be
understood. Chances are you have said something along
the lines of, “…if only there is someone who gets me”.
However, I believe we need to first ask the following, “if
only we understood ourselves.”
Understanding oneself is essential to understand behaviors
and beliefs that affects ourselves and others specifically in
becoming effective and successful person in life, work, and
relationship. Moreover, self-understanding:

(1) provides a sense of purpose;

(2) leads to healthier relationships;
(3) helps harness your
natural strength; and
(4) promotes confidence.
“One day you will leave this world behind.
So live a life you will remember” – Avicii
Now, to all of you gentle, sensitive souls
reading this, I would like to invite you to
take the journey of understanding and
honouring yourself. Show your quirkiness,
show your you-niqueness. You do not need
permission to be yourself. Your time as a
new breed of warrior has come, the world
needs to hear what you have to say.
Together we can make this a better place
for everyone and everything in it.
Assignment!
(Short Bond Paper; Margins: 1,1,1,1.5 Left; Times New Roman 12; Justify. Just write your name,
sr- code and your section at the top corner of your paper)

Go to this link to test and dicover your personality.

https://www.personalityperfect.com/16-personality-types/

1. What's your personality type? Do you think the results

are accurate? Why?
2. Do you think personality changes through time? How?
3. How will you answer the question, “Who am I?”?