The word Personality comes from the Latin word persona 'persona' which refers to a theatrical mask worn by performers in order to either project different roles or disguise their identities. Each, person has an idiosyncratic pattern of enduring, long-term characteristics and a manner in which he or she interacts with other individuals and the world around them. Our personalities are thought to be long term, stable, and not easily changed.
Another important idea in defining the concept of personality is consistency. In other words, it can be stated that the concept of personality also rests on the observation that a person seems to behave somewhat consistently in different situations over different time. From the observation of perceived consistency comes the idea of personality traits that determine the way of responding to one's life. The thoughts, feelings and actions that are discern as reflecting one's personality typically have three characteristics:
- Opinions, actions and feelings are considered as behavioural components to identify that make distinction between individuals.
- Behaviours are viewed as being primarily caused by internal rather than environmental factors.
- The behaviours of the person seem to have organisation and structure.
Personality employs the characteristics like the way an individual think, feel and behave in some sort of situations. Personality also consists moods, attitudes and opinions that are most clearly expressed in interactions with other people. It also includes characteristics of behaviour, both inherent and acquired.
Characteristics of Personality-
Personality has various characteristics which helps to understand the nature of personality. Personality doesn’t build in a day so it is affected by various factors. The most essential characteristics of personality are discussed below:
- Consistency: There is generally a regular order and recognizable behavior that is consistent on the part of any individual. Most of the time people act in the similar ways in a variety of situations and their behavioural response to particular situation which is consistent for a long time becomes their personality.
- Psychological and physiological: It is very true that personality is a psychological construct, but research suggests that it is also influenced by biological processes and needs of an individual.
- Behaviours and actions: Personality, influence by the behaviour pattern and need of actions to some sort of existing situations. It also influences how we move and respond in our environment, and it also responsible to act in certain ways.
- Multiple expressions: Personality is displayed by multiple expression like in our thoughts, feelings, close relationships, and other social interactions.
- Environmental: Personality is affected by the surroundings in which a person lives. The person develops the vision for life which he grabs from the environment after the observation. A good healthy environment builds a healthy personality of a being.
- Personality represents a dynamic orientation as it is influenced by psychological, social, biological and environmental factors.
- Personality refers particularly to persistent qualities of an individual. It refers to the permanent qualities that exhibit in an individual’s social behaviour.