What is personality?

**White Raven** · 06-09-2009, 05:50 PM

Rather, which is personality - your natural, gut reaction to things, or the mode of operation you choose to respond with?
Why? And if one is personality, then what is the other?

**Flamethrower** · 06-09-2009, 06:48 PM

God! What a hard question.

I think personality is comprised firstly of how your brain is hard wired, secondly influences from outside and thirdly how you deliberately choose to react in specific situations.

I think it's a combination of those natural reactions and chosen ones. So basically that your hard wired personality (eg INTJ) is the one that has the most influence on you. But over time and through life experience and via influences from other people you also develop some of the preferences that aren't immediately natural. Also in some situations it's possible to adopt a persona that is deliberately chosen to deal with that situation (I just posted elsewhere for example how I sometimes act like ENTPs because I find them easier to deal with that way).

I think probably your real personality it the one that reacts naturally and that everything else that is done deliberately outside of that is acting! But it all combines to make you who you are.

**Tsukasa** · 06-09-2009, 07:09 PM

I think genetics plays a large role in personality and how people respond to life. Identical twin studies have been done where the twins were seperated at birth. They were placed in completely different life circumstances (think average house vs. being bounced around in foster care and abused). Here are some of the things that they did the same:

-Worked in the same types of jobs
-Married the same type of spouse (even to the point of their spouse having the same name as the other twin's spouse)
-Had the same type of pets
-having the same name

The only real differences between the two twins was that one spelled their name differently than the other (like having an extra 'e', and other small differences).

Therefore, I think genetics is a greater factor for personality in the nature vs. nurture debate (and by extension personality).

The personality that I use depends on the situation and circumstances (ex. thinking for logic vs. feeling for human relationships).

**DanteFalling** · 06-09-2009, 07:14 PM

I think it's both. I worry the ostensible paradox is an unnecessary one for the most part.

"Your natural, gut reaction to things, or the mode of operation you choose to respond with?"

In my mind, you never had a natural, gut reaction that wasn't the aggregate of your current experiences. It's the WAY you process those experiences/elements/ideas that shows your "personality."

As an INTJ raised with a strong F brother as well as a stong F parent, I realized the benefits of analyzing their reactions to the world. I then slowly build a "gut" reaction of how to react to them when certain things occur.

Just my two cents.

**LionsPride** · 06-10-2009, 02:12 PM

I think of personality as living on the surface of who I am. It's a combination of ways people perceive me and things I know I have been taught. My personality can change and be affected by my mood, the weather, new life lessons, the people who influence me in my life etc.

Far deeper than my personality is my nature. It doesn't change, but it means that even if I act like someone else, I will never quite be able to be just like them.

Some may consider the two one and the same, but I feel like there is a difference.

**demaugustus** · 06-10-2009, 03:35 PM

This describes the general concept of personality theory pretty well:
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**Stratego** · 06-10-2009, 03:46 PM

I also think it's both, but I'm more inclined to say that your natural, gut reaction is the closer to your "true" type if you will--our everyday behavior is something we learn and practice and is not our most natural self---(or at least that is the case with me.)
W
anting to "fit in: to a certain degree and not attract negative attention, I've developed a mask of sorts that is like an approximation of my true self but not the actual, if that makes any sense...

**yei19** · 06-11-2009, 01:54 AM

to me personality is my process. my gut feeling is my facts. I cant help it.

**Within** · 06-11-2009, 01:58 AM

Hate, and making sure I'm different. Only to later find out I'm not, well in most cases I am. Anyone else confused, I really don't get it. xO

06-09-2009, 05:50 PM	#1
White Raven Member [03%] MBTI: INTj Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 128	Rather, which is personality - your natural, gut reaction to things, or the mode of operation you choose to respond with? Why? And if one is personality, then what is the other?
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06-09-2009, 06:48 PM	#2
Flamethrower Member [17%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 703	God! What a hard question. I think personality is comprised firstly of how your brain is hard wired, secondly influences from outside and thirdly how you deliberately choose to react in specific situations. I think it's a combination of those natural reactions and chosen ones. So basically that your hard wired personality (eg INTJ) is the one that has the most influence on you. But over time and through life experience and via influences from other people you also develop some of the preferences that aren't immediately natural. Also in some situations it's possible to adopt a persona that is deliberately chosen to deal with that situation (I just posted elsewhere for example how I sometimes act like ENTPs because I find them easier to deal with that way). I think probably your real personality it the one that reacts naturally and that everything else that is done deliberately outside of that is acting! But it all combines to make you who you are.
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06-09-2009, 07:09 PM	#3
Tsukasa Member [05%] MBTI: INXX Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 200	I think genetics plays a large role in personality and how people respond to life. Identical twin studies have been done where the twins were seperated at birth. They were placed in completely different life circumstances (think average house vs. being bounced around in foster care and abused). Here are some of the things that they did the same: -Worked in the same types of jobs -Married the same type of spouse (even to the point of their spouse having the same name as the other twin's spouse) -Had the same type of pets -having the same name The only real differences between the two twins was that one spelled their name differently than the other (like having an extra 'e', and other small differences). Therefore, I think genetics is a greater factor for personality in the nature vs. nurture debate (and by extension personality). The personality that I use depends on the situation and circumstances (ex. thinking for logic vs. feeling for human relationships).
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06-09-2009, 07:14 PM	#4
DanteFalling Member [28%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,132	I think it's both. I worry the ostensible paradox is an unnecessary one for the most part. "Your natural, gut reaction to things, or the mode of operation you choose to respond with?" In my mind, you never had a natural, gut reaction that wasn't the aggregate of your current experiences. It's the WAY you process those experiences/elements/ideas that shows your "personality." As an INTJ raised with a strong F brother as well as a stong F parent, I realized the benefits of analyzing their reactions to the world. I then slowly build a "gut" reaction of how to react to them when certain things occur. Just my two cents.
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06-10-2009, 02:12 PM	#5
LionsPride Core Member [225%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,029	I think of personality as living on the surface of who I am. It's a combination of ways people perceive me and things I know I have been taught. My personality can change and be affected by my mood, the weather, new life lessons, the people who influence me in my life etc. Far deeper than my personality is my nature. It doesn't change, but it means that even if I act like someone else, I will never quite be able to be just like them. Some may consider the two one and the same, but I feel like there is a difference.
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06-10-2009, 03:35 PM	#6
demaugustus Member [31%] MBTI: ENTJ Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 1,264	This describes the general concept of personality theory pretty well: To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
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06-10-2009, 03:46 PM	#7
Stratego Veteran Member [57%] MBTI: InTJ Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 2,283	I also think it's both, but I'm more inclined to say that your natural, gut reaction is the closer to your "true" type if you will--our everyday behavior is something we learn and practice and is not our most natural self---(or at least that is the case with me.) W anting to "fit in: to a certain degree and not attract negative attention, I've developed a mask of sorts that is like an approximation of my true self but not the actual, if that makes any sense...
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06-11-2009, 01:54 AM	#8
yei19 New Member [01%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 6	to me personality is my process. my gut feeling is my facts. I cant help it.
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06-11-2009, 01:58 AM	#9
Within Member [09%] MBTI: INTJ Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 364	Hate, and making sure I'm different. Only to later find out I'm not, well in most cases I am. Anyone else confused, I really don't get it. xO
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