Are they born or become a person? What kind of concept is this in general, and how is it interpreted by the science of man – psychology? Is every person a person, and if not, how to become one? Read about all this in the article.
The essence of the concept of personality
The founder of personality psychology is considered to be William James. He owns the philosophical theory of pragmatism, from which many modern trends in psychology emerged.
James is the first transpersonal psychologist. According to his theory, personality is the interaction of instincts and habits with the volitional qualities of a person.
However, the very term “personality” belongs to N. M. Karamzin. In his understanding, a person is the master of fate, life, a spiritually rich and unique person who is responsible for his actions. Based on this, it can be argued that a person is not born, but become.
- Personality is a product of the social in a person. At birth, a person has only a biological element, but his formation as a person immediately begins, that is, he assimilates social experience.
- However, there are many approaches to the interpretation of the personality phenomenon. You can read more about this in the article “Theories of personality: domestic and foreign”.
- In psychology, it is customary to distinguish the inner and outer world of a person. You can read about the first element in the article “What is the inner world of a person.” The external world means the relationship of the individual with society, the social environment, education and formation as a subject of society.
In order to become a person, you need to make a lot of efforts:
- master speech;
- with its help – motor, intellectual and socio-cultural skills.
The formation of a person as a person is the result of his socialization. The more a person perceives and assimilates information, value orientations, traditions, the more developed a person he will become.
The concept of personality is closely related to the concept of an individual and individuality:
- An individual is a person as a representative of his own species.
- Individuality is a collection of unique, distinctive features of a person.
But what is interesting: a person can be an individual, but at the same time not be a person. Each person is unique, but not everyone becomes a person.
Thus, if we talk about a person as a person, then we mean a social element in our nature. Whereas when discussing a person as an individual, a biological element plays an important role.
The process of personality formation is an integral and interconnected process of the formation of needs, interests, worldview, beliefs and ideals of a particular person.
Personality structure
The structure of the personality includes orientation, temperament, character, abilities, peculiarities of the course of cognitive processes and feelings.
Personality orientation
It includes:
- interests,
- inclinations,
- needs,
- motives,
- ideals.
Direction determines the activity of the personality and the levels of its development. The main component of the orientation of the personality is the worldview (the system of views on the development of society, nature, consciousness, beliefs). You can read more about this element in the article “Orientation of the personality – what is it in psychology”.
Temperament
This is a set of individual personality traits that characterize the dynamic and emotional side of her activities and behavior. You can read more about temperaments here.
Character
A complex of individual, most pronounced, stable character traits. Through them, a person’s attitude to reality is manifested. Behavior depends on the character.
Capabilities
These are the properties of the psyche and its systems, expressed in different degrees. The success of the development and implementation of activities depends on them.
Motivational-need sphere as the basis of personality
Needs are the driving force of personality activity.
- Need is the body’s need for certain conditions, without which life is impossible.
- The motive is an objectified need.
- The set of motives aimed at the goal is motivation.
The need for knowledge of the world is the most important for a person. It frees a person from the captivity of fears, misunderstandings and superstitions, allows him to be the creator of life.
Other spiritual needs are no less significant for the individual:
- in aesthetic pleasure;
- in labor;
- in social activities;
- in communication.
The development of needs (from the lowest to the highest) is a condition for the development of personality.
Personality aspects
Personality can be viewed in 3 categories:
- the properties of the person himself, or the intraindividual aspect;
- features of the interaction of a person with other people, or the interindividual aspect;
- the impact of the personality on other people, or the meta-individual aspect.
Through the analysis of these aspects, one can characterize the inner world of a person.
Personality is a representative of a specific society or social group, engaged in a specific type of activity, aware of his attitude to the world around him and having certain individual psychological characteristics.
Difficulties in understanding a person as a person
The complexity of a clear presentation and description of the phenomenon of personality lies in the ambiguity of the theory. The following problematic positions can be distinguished:
- Often a person is identified with an individual.
- Sometimes a person is called a part of the inner world or features of the mental structure.
- Personality is regarded as a certain component that includes something given from birth, and some unattainable ideal, and the totality of social relations.
- As there are sciences that study a person, and researchers who ask this question, there are so many definitions of the term “personality”.
The personality is characterized by the system of its conscious relationships. Recently, it has become popular to talk not only about the influence of social and biological factors, but also about the role of the situation as a deterrent element of the personality.
Epilogue
Despite the fact that most scientists are of the opinion that individuals are becoming, not born, the question of whether all people are individuals continues to gather controversy and controversial opinions around itself.
- There are controversial questions about whether a child can be considered a person, although humanistic pedagogy claims that it is undoubtedly possible and necessary.
- Equally controversial is the understanding of a mentally ill person or a criminal as a person.
- Don’t the phrases “asocial personality” or “degraded personality” look ridiculous?
As a result, everyone chooses for himself which side in these matters he belongs to. In my opinion, each person (especially important for young children during upbringing) can be treated as a potential personality, that is, give a few points a head start. However, this is possible until a person proves otherwise.
