Analyze Personality - Essay Example

As human beings, each of us possesses our own personality which we project to the world. Psychologists have long studied various aspects of personality development and in this paper, I will attempt to analyze my own personality based on psychological theories.

A person’s experiences leave imprints on his personality.  For instance, well-adjusted, well-rounded, and successful individuals often share childhood marked by happy memories and nurturing relationships with family and friends.  Bitter, angry, and cold people are most likely victims of a bleak childhood filled with disappointments and hurtful relationships. I can say that my childhood has been free from negativity, leaving me with great memories and a positive disposition.

Psychological theories on personality development have offered sensible explanations for how a person becomes who he is. Karen Horney claims that if children did not receive enough love and affection from their parents and significant others, they will not have feelings of safety and security, leading to feelings of hostility. If such hostility is repressed, it develops into feelings of insecurity and anxiety (McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2002). My parents have not been remiss in showing their love for me and my older brother. Being the younger sibling, I tend to be competitive to claim a rightful position in the family, but have never intended to dethrone my older brother of his place as the first-born. It has not been a source of insecurity for me because I have my own position as the baby of the family, and therefore, my parents indulged me with my needs, but never spoiled me by giving me everything I want. From that, I have learned a good sense of balance and know my priorities.

The Psychoanalytic theory founded by Sigmund Freud is consistent with this paradigm. It is premised on the belief that human nature is greatly affected by a person’s early childhood experiences and conflicts between impulses and prohibitions.  Freud views human behavior as determined by irrational forces, unconscious motivations, and biological and instinctual drives evolving in the first six years of life.  My parents have ably guided me in those formative years making me aware of my negative impulses and tendencies and correcting them when it manifests themselves.

Another psychoanalyst who went on to formulate his own theories on personality development was Erik Erikson.  Like Freud, he put a lot of premium on childhood experiences and studied human development from the cradle to the grave.  He theorizes that  “at each stage of life we face the task of establishing equilibrium between ourselves and our social world.” (Corey, 2005, p.18).  Hence, he formulated dichotomies in his theory of psychosocial development. For Erikson, human development is peppered with a series of personal conflicts in each developmental stage and such conflicts require certain adaptations. When one confronts his environment, shifts in perspectives make him refocus his instinctual energy according to the needs of the developmental stage he is in at the moment (Schultz & Schultz, 2005).

Carl Jung, another contemporary of Freud, was consistent with psychoanalytic philosophy in claiming that past history has a strong influence on people. He termed these driving “inherited” predispositions as the collective unconscious. It implies that there are generational traits that are handed down to contribute to one’s personality.

With regard to my own personality, I am proud to say that it is a product of a loving family and a happy childhood. I do not recall any traumatic childhood experience in all my twenty-one years that may cause anxiety, neurosis, or any maladjustment. I have been privileged to study at an English International high school in Bangkok, Thailand. There, I was exposed to various personalities since students come from different cultural and family backgrounds. In any case, since my family has provided me with a positive environment while growing up, I am able to adjust to anyone and am easy to get along with. My values are well-established and in Erikson’s psychosexual stages, I tend to lean on the more positive side of the conflict. I have been raised to be sensitive to the needs of others, so I easily help the needy, such as giving alms to beggars or coming to the defense of people who are being bullied. My family comes from a generation of peace-loving people, so our collective unconscious strives to maintain harmony amongst our fellowmen. This has caused me to be open-minded, respectful, polite, and calm.

On my own, I keep to myself, although when the need arises, I can be outgoing. Being young and idealistic, am hungry for adventure. My rich imagination makes me recognize fresh opportunities and possibilities that are there for the taking. I am open to risks but am always responsible for the consequences of such risks. I am determined to achieve my goals, especially in business, which I hope to be engaged in someday.

I realized just how shallow labeling a person’s personality as a mere adjective.  One needs to thoroughly know a person’s background – his past experiences, his childhood, his family, preferences and aversions, developmental stage expectations, temperament, and a whole lot more to be able to understand his personality.