Section 2:2 Your Personality
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If you have a positive self-concept, you feel
good about yourself. You accept yourself as you
really are—a worthwhile person. When you
know and accept yourself, you can be realistic
about judging your personal traits. You know
your good points and feel positive about them.
You also know that you have areas to improve.
You feel good about who you are, even though
you know you have room to grow.
With a negative self-concept, you do not feel
good about yourself. This may cause you to feel
insecure or less important as a person. A lack of
confidence makes it hard to try to improve. You
may not want to try new experiences because you
fear failure.
Your self-concept affects your self-esteem.
Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself. A
positive self-concept indicates high self-esteem.
A negative self-concept shows low self-esteem.
High self-esteem means you respect yourself,
have self-confidence, and feel secure in your
world. You value yourself as a person.
Three factors influence the development of
your self-concept: (1) how you see your physical
traits or appearance, (2) what you are able to do,
and (3) how people respond to you. Knowing
how these factors influence your self-concept will
help you understand how your own personality
is formed.
Physical Traits
Your height, weight, appearance, and
sexuality are traits that influence your self-
concept. How do you see yourself? Are you tall,
short, or average? Are you thin, heavy, or just
right? Are you cute or plain? Your responses to
these questions form a part of your self-concept.
If you feel good about your appearance, you are
more likely to have a positive self-concept.
Skills and Talents
What you are able to do is also a part of your
self-concept. Can you play football, tennis, soccer,
baseball, or basketball? Can you draw, sing,
write, or play the piano? Are you good at math,
computer programming, or woodworking? You
might include your abilities when you describe
yourself. These various skills and talents form a
part of your personality.
How do you feel about your skills? Again,
these feelings affect your self-esteem. If you feel
capable of doing a good job in some area, your
feelings of worth increase. Your confidence in
your ability to succeed grows. This expression of
confidence is part of your personality.
What are some ways that you could
celebrate successes and help build your
self-image?
Link to Your Life
Responses from Others
Your overall view of yourself is affected
by the way others respond to you. Are they
friendly to you? Do they compliment you? Do
they show you respect? Do they recognize your
achievements? Their responses or feedback help
you form your self-concept.
If the feedback is positive, you likely see
yourself as worthwhile. These feelings add to
your positive self-concept and increase your self-
esteem.
If their responses are negative, you may judge
yourself in a negative way. For instance, your
height may be average according to your doctor’s
chart. If a peer calls you short, though, you may
think of yourself as too short.
You can see how your self-concept forms part
of your personality. It affects the way you feel
about yourself and the way you express your
thoughts and feelings to others. Your self-concept
also affects your relationships with others and the
plans you make for yourself. See 2-11.
Your Temperament’s
Influence
Individuals tend to relate to others in
a consistent manner. In other words, their
individual behavior is predictable. Your family
and friends generally know how you will
respond in given situations. This consistency of
behavior is based on your temperament, which
is an inborn pattern of responses.