Section 2:2 Your Personality
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your personality as well as your physical,
intellectual, social, and emotional development.
Each person attempts to meet the following needs
in different ways:
‚ The need for food, clothing, and shelter
surpass all other needs. When people are
starving, their only thought is finding food.
When they are freezing, they search for
warmth and protection. Life’s basic physical
needs are strong motivators for action.
These physical needs must be met before the
emotional needs are even recognized.
‚ The need to feel safe and secure causes people
to act in certain ways. For instance, if a
tornado is near, people seek immediate shelter
and stay there until danger has passed. People
need to feel secure in their relationships, too.
A warm family environment is an example
of how this need can be satisfied. Feelings of
security develop as you learn you can trust
others to care for you and guard your well-
being. As you mature, feeling secure helps
you reach out to others by showing care and
concern for them.
‚ The need to be loved and accepted by others
is a powerful motivator. Some teens will join
a school club because of their desire to belong
to a particular group. The need to feel loved
and accepted by family and friends is very
important. These feelings help you accept
yourself, and in turn, love and accept others.
‚ The need for recognition and respect also
influences personality. Why does a person try
so hard to be the winner of a game or have
the best costume at a party? This inner drive
may be a need for personal achievement or
recognition. Meeting this need can bring
satisfaction and a feeling of success, 2-14.
These feelings of success increase as your
skills increase. When others recognize your
skills and success, you see yourself as a
capable and worthwhile person.
When people meet all or most of their
needs, they continue to strive to reach their full
potential. They try to be the best they can be.
They work hard at their jobs. They continue to
perfect their talents and skills. They become more
concerned for others. Although their personalities
are well developed, they continue to learn and
grow from their experiences.
Think More About It
How could a person’s needs change over time
and, therefore, change the way his or her
personality appears to others?
2-14
Sharing experiences with friends satisfies the need
to be accepted.
Muscular Dystrophy Association
A Healthy Personality
Many parts contribute to a healthy
personality. A positive self-concept and a sense
of worth and value are important. Accepting
yourself, with all your strengths and weaknesses,
is also part of a healthy personality. These lead to
feelings of “I am lovable” and “I am capable.”
A healthy personality means you know you
are not perfect but you keep trying to improve.
You are aware that learning and growing from
your experiences can help you become a better
person.
Some people put too much emphasis on a
single aspect of their personality. They may be
overly concerned about how they look. They may
have feelings of importance based on just one