The characteristics of a person’s character are the basis on which others form an opinion about him. Personality traits determine its behavior, attitude towards oneself and others, motivation, achievements. Knowing what moves a person, on the basis of which he makes decisions, one can objectively evaluate him, find out whether he is suitable for relationships, friendship, work.
Primary and secondary traits
Character properties are divided into primary and secondary. It is necessary to consider them exclusively in a complex, only this way you can add an objective opinion about a person.
Primary
Primary traits have a permanent impact on a person, but do not always appear. For example, if a person is sociable, this does not mean that in a new or large group of people he will be the soul of the company.
The primary properties include the following:
- Presence of intelligence. A person can not always push out his knowledge in any area, but it will remain an interesting conversationalist who can keep the conversation going.
- Openness or restraint. These properties can be considered at the first meeting. Does a person start a conversation on a new topic first, ask questions, or make any suggestions. He himself may not take the initiative, but if questions are asked of him, he answers openly and fully. All this indicates openness.
- Submission or dominance. Of course, these features are most clearly manifested in situations where you can take on the role of commander, but they are also easy to consider in a normal environment. Dominant is not afraid to take responsibility, full of enthusiasm, shine with ideas. A subordinate is waiting for ideas from others, it is easier for him to take on the role of a performer, perhaps even very conscientious, only he needs someone to tell him what to do.
The primary features include “volatility-conscientiousness”, “timidity-courage”, “carelessness-seriousness”, “suspiciousness-gullibility”, etc. At the same time, the primary signs of a person do not always work. If there are doubts about the correctness of the assessment, it is necessary to repeat the session, meeting, interview to obtain secondary data.
Secondary
Secondary reflect the response to a specific situation. These include:
- practicality or a penchant for fantasy;
- openness or secrecy;
- confidence or anxiety;
- thirst for experiments or conservatism;
- depending on the opinions of others or self-sufficiency;
- tension or relaxation.
Each person is individual, which is reflected in the primary features, habits, reactions. Not all properties have the same value; the assessment should be based on only the brightest and most repetitive qualities.
Surface and deep properties
Psychologist Raymond Katell was engaged in research of two such properties of character - superficial and deep.
Surface
According to Cattel, these traits are determined by the influence of the environment. They seem to lie on the surface. But if an individual behaves in the same way in different situations, even superficial quality should be used in the analysis.
For example, if a timid person, suddenly interceded for a friend, it also means that he will do the same again or another time. His act says that he acted bravely, but he is not a brave man.
Deep
These are fundamental features that are usually innate. Individuality is often expressed precisely in the deep qualities of character, which remain unchanged in any situation. They are not able to influence cultural, religious or other factors.
3 assessment planes
To give a description of a person’s character, you need to consider it in three dimensions:
- acceptability;
- constancy;
- uniqueness.
Acceptability
Acceptable are the qualities of character that are usually popular with the majority and are considered positive in society. For example, generosity, honesty, responsiveness. Everyone will call negative egocentricity, greed, rudeness. These traits are unacceptable and condemned by society.
When describing a character, it is necessary to take into account that negative and positive features can easily coexist in it, often they come as a set:
- ambition and toughness;
- intelligence and arrogance;
- kindness and reliability;
- generosity and irresponsibility.
Uniqueness
It should be borne in mind that despite the typology, similarities, attempts by psychologists to classify people by type, we are all unique. Personality properties can be combined in different ways with each other, creating individuality. Very often one can hear the phrases “all girls are the same”, “all men need only one”, “scorpions according to the horoscope are all like that”. This is fundamentally wrong, without looking at the similarity, each person has a chance to reveal himself.
Constancy and habits
Constancy is the same behavior in similar situations, conditions. He must be able to distinguish from habits. They are much narrower. If you combine several habits together, you can get one trait. For example, if a person runs every morning, it does not speak about his strength of character, but if we add to this the proper nutrition, the ability to give up alcohol and stick to a certain schedule, then all this can be combined, for example, in purposefulness or pedantry.
Assessment methods
To evaluate a person, such methods will help:
- Observation in the natural environment. For example, when a girl wants to get to know a guy better, she should spend his usual day with him - meet friends, do what he likes. This will allow her to plunge into his life, to see her from the inside.
- Problem definition and solution search. Another type of observation that is suitable for evaluating employees or applicants. A classic interview does not always make it possible to identify the necessary character traits. In order to better assess a potential employee, you can verbally model a situation for him and ask him to live it - find a way out of a situation, make a difficult decision.
- Analysis of the pros and cons. This method of evaluation is very primitive and can not give an objective assessment, however, it is used very often. A sheet is taken, drawn in half, on one side are written positive features of a person, on the other - negative. To make the analysis more accurate, you can describe not only the properties of the individual, but also his actions.
How to describe a person's character?
This can be done from several positions:
- His attitude to me, his attitude towards himself, his attitude towards the world. These are three points that can be considered only in the complex. For example, a person treats himself and his family well, but he will not care if his neighbor’s dog dies. A man can be kind in principle, and then his kindness towards a particular girl does not mean deep feelings, it is just a trait of his character.
- Spiritual, material, physical. You can describe a person by assessing his spiritual values, attitude to money, physical data. For example, a person engaged in ballroom dancing, is able to demonstrate himself, athletes are characterized by dedication and perseverance. In relation to money, it is possible to draw a conclusion about the mercantile spirit, generosity, success, hoarding, squandering, responsibility.
- Upbringing, ability to transform. From this position it is possible to determine which traits in a person were cultivated, and which ones he acquired, whether he is able to change and what motivates him to this.
Character traits are always individual. People with the same features can cause different emotions and impressions. When making an assessment, one should remain at ease and try not to turn this process into an inquiry.
