Your Personality-Not Really Yours?

Everyone has a different personality be it kind, smug, arrogant, uptight, cold, or just assholic. However, where do we get them from? Yes I know genetics plays a part, but I believe that it pales in comparison to the influence your enviroment has on it. In fact I believe that your personality is just a collection of your freind's and family's personalities. This is how cultures are formed. The influence of others makes you, you.

Discuss, or don't. Just leave money.

Genetics + experiences.

/thread

Now, let's talk about if free will exists, or let's talk about if one can alter how they develop.

I believe it is largely based on our own experience and our general surroundings. I believe genetics plays a part in it, but only a small precentage.

Since it's the chemical makeup of your brain that determines how you think and feel, there's no reason not to believe that this doesn't also affect the way you behave.

From experience I would say that three main things determin how you act, firstly: Genetics, of course that goes without saying genes have a say, secondly: Your experiences, trust me when i say that if i did not go through some of the things i did then i would be a Much different person than i am today, and finally: The people, who you hang around with effects how you act, even if you dont realize other people have a big effect in your life.

I steal "my" personality from those around me, twisting the way they act into my own dark path.

Genetics have little to do with it I think.

See this is where I'm scary, I've had the same personality since I can remember, which is arrogance although I've pretty much changed my morality alot its still my personality my brain just edits it before it comes out of my mouth. My parents aren't arrogant I don't remember ever have arrogant friends nor being the center of attention so I kind of think my personality is my own because I can't see anything in my life that has made me this way . . . I am just this way naturally. Could be genetics but it brings me back to my parents and not any other relatives I know of have sever arrogance.

Originally Posted by Puck

From experience I would say that three main things determin how you act, firstly: Genetics, of course that goes without saying genes have a say, secondly: Your experiences, trust me when i say that if i did not go through some of the things i did then i would be a Much different person than i am today, and finally: The people, who you hang around with effects how you act, even if you dont realize other people have a big effect in your life.

However, "the people" come under experiences. Every time someone talks to you, does something with you, or even when you look at someone, that is an experience.

I believe experiences shape your general personality more than genetics would, you know, that whole nurture over nature argument. Sure, there might be some little quirks you inherit that could alter your personality somewhat, but usually, it's the experiences that influence the way you act, think and feel. Negative experiences will impact upon your personality in a negative way, while positive experiences could change it for the better. It may also work vice versa too, although this happens much less often. I've had a few poor experiences that I could say have had a hand in changing my personality (such as being bullied in my younger years) which in turn has caused me to become snappier and more cynical, but also much less willing to take crap from people ever again. A few good experiences, such as meeting someone that I love and care about deeply, has helped me become more loving and considerate to others, especially those closest to me.

Ehh...I don't know if I'm only a rare example, but my personality is a nigh carbon-copy of my biological mother's. How is that strange? Up until recently, I hadn't seen her since I very young. I believe genetics play a role much more important than people are leading on.

Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your personality.

Think angry thoughts, and you will be an angry person. Think sad thoughts, and you will be sad person. Now, granted, some people can't help being angry or sad due to mental illness or some sort of event that happened.

So, it is your thoughts and experiences that make you who you are. Genetics play a role, but it is mostly what happens to you and how you react to it.

EDIT:

"Sow an act, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny." ~George Dana Boardman

That's the quote I was thinking of.

Originally Posted by Wolfen

Your thoughts become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your personality.

Think angry thoughts, and you will be an angry person. Think sad thoughts, and you will be sad person. Now, granted, some people can't help being angry or sad due to mental illness or some sort of event that happened.

So, it is your thoughts and experiences that make you who you are. Genetics play a role, but it is mostly what happens to you and how you react to it.

It might be worth noting that people don't choose their thoughts. I may have choose to type this post, but I didn't choose what I was thinking of when I was in the situation of deciding whether or not to type this post.

It is a choice, however, how you react to a situation, and the way you think tends to affect this choice.

If you punch me in the face, I can be happy because you knocked sense into me, I can feel sad that I made you hate me for something, or I can feel angry that you dared to inflict physical pain upon my corporeal form.

Would what you think affect your choice of actions? I can be happy and thank you for punching me, or I can be happy and walk away. I can be sad and cry in your face, or wait until I get home before I cry. I can be angry and punch you back, or I can restrain myself. Would the happy people have more similar personalities, or would the ones who don't react on the spot have more in common, despite their different train of thoughts?

Then what about people who resist their emotions? I can be angry but think that I shouldn't be, and force a smile - in which case you'd think I were happy.

I think much of personality comes out of choice, but your thoughts or genetic predisposition may make it easier or harder depending on how you'd prefer to act.

Originally Posted by Sage of Earth

It is a choice, however, how you react to a situation, and the way you think tends to affect this choice.

If you punch me in the face, I can be happy because you knocked sense into me, I can feel sad that I made you hate me for something, or I can feel angry that you dared to inflict physical pain upon my corporeal form.

Whichever of those you end up doing is determined by the content of your brain, which you didn't choose.

Their are two schools of thought on this one: Innatism and Tabula Rasa. Innatism says that a person's mind is born with personality (it is innate, so to speak). Tabla Rasa describes the mind of somone as a 'blank slate' and is developed by a persons expirainces through life.

I agree with the genetics + expiriances thing, which is a mix of both schools of though, really.

Originally Posted by The Metal

Everyone has a different personality be it kind, smug, arrogant, uptight, cold, or just assholic. However, where do we get them from? Yes I know genetics plays a part, but I believe that it pales in comparison to the influence your enviroment has on it. In fact I believe that your personality is just a collection of your freind's and family's personalities. This is how cultures are formed. The influence of others makes you, you.

I completly agree with everything you have said.