Discuss the various ways in which personality can be defined
What will be an ideal response?
ANS: One psychologist suggested that we can get a very good idea of the meaning of personality if we examine our intentions—what we mean—whenever we use the word I. The word I is what defines an individual, separate from everybody else.
Another way of trying to understand personality is to look to its source. Personality is derived from the Latin word persona, which refers to a mask used by actors in a play. Based on its derivation, then, we might conclude that personality refers to our external and visible characteristics, those aspects of us that other people can see. Our personality would then be defined in terms of the impression we make on others—that is, what we appear.
We may in our use of the word personality refer to enduring characteristics. We assume that personality is relatively stable and predictable. Sometimes our personality can vary with the situation. Yet although it is not rigid, it is generally resistant to sudden changes.
The definition of personality may also include the idea of human uniqueness. We see similarities among people, yet we sense that each of us possesses special properties that distinguish us from all others. Personality is an enduring and unique cluster of characteristics that may change in response to different situations.
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