What does it mean to be a person?
Plan:
- What does it mean to be a person? — Individuals are not born, they become individuals — Signs of personality — The process of becoming an individual — 5 simple tips. How to develop your personality? - How to be an individual? Advice from psychologists - How do you become a person? Practical steps - Tips on how to become a harmonious person - Personality formation: what is needed? - Conclusion
Personality is an individual who is the result of mental activity. It is important to remember that such a person has a whole complex of socially significant elements that are successfully implemented in public life.
Recently, more and more people are striving for self-development and self-improvement. More and more people are trying to live meaningfully, setting goals and working towards them. This, of course, makes me happy. But how to become a Personality? How not to get lost in the crowd?
I want to start my answer with a question: So, do you think that you are not a person? If you need to become a person, then at the moment you are not one. How did this opinion come about?
If you follow the train of thought of the person who asked such a question, it becomes clear that the idea could only come from external sources, negative opinions, and the assessments of others. Such a formulation would not occur to a holistic person who perceives himself as an individual.
For your information, I will give a definition from Ozhegov’s explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. “Personality is a person as a bearer of some properties.” Based on this definition, everyone is a person.
Therefore, the problem of the person who asked the question can be reformulated - how to become holistic, perceive oneself as a person?
Initially, we are born as individuals. In the process of growing up, giving up the value of one’s opinions, one’s desires, accepting the priority correctness of the opinions of adults, a person loses integrity, a sense of himself as a valuable person. Of course, after all, he was told so many times that what he was doing was wrong, bad, that he decided to agree with it. At this moment his future problems begin.
Let's skip the period of accumulation of troubles. Let's go straight to the moment of asking the initial question: What does it take to become a person? Great question! This means that you are ready to become her again. To do this, you need to start becoming yourself. First of all, OBSERVE. For life, for yourself, for relationships. From observations, create your OWN POINT OF VIEW. The opinions of others, any information is only an impetus for reflection and research.
Listen to yourself and do what you want. Don't suppress, don't scold yourself. LOVE AND ACCEPT YOURSELF. It's very difficult at first. After all, first you will have to deal with all the accumulated burden of anger, unlove and shame for yourself. When you feel whole, accepting yourself, then you again become a full-fledged person. Good luck to everyone on this journey.
Read about personality degradation.
The concept of personality in psychology
In psychology, personality is considered as a quality of an individual that he acquires in his objective activities and characterizes the social aspects of his life.
The individual, as a person, freely expresses his attitude towards the entire external world, and therefore his characterological characteristics are determined. The most important of all human relationships is relationships, that is, how a person builds connections with other people.
Personal nature always creates its views on various objects of reality consciously, based on its experience of existing connections with this object; this knowledge will influence the expression of emotions and reactions in relation to a certain object.
In psychology, the characteristics of personal nature are associated with its orientation toward some subject of activity, area of life, interests, and entertainment. Direction is expressed as interest, attitude, desire, passion, ideology and all these forms are the motives of the individual, that is, the guides of his activities. How developed the motivational system is characterizes a person’s personality, showing what it is capable of and how its motives are transformed into activity.
To exist as a person means to act as a subject of objective activity, to be a subject of one’s life activity, building social connections with the world, and this is impossible without the individual’s involvement in the lives of others. The study of this concept in psychology is interesting because it is a dynamic phenomenon. A person has to constantly fight with himself, satisfy his certain desires, restrain his instincts, find ways to reach a compromise for internal contradictions and at the same time satisfy his needs, so that this is done without remorse, and because of this he is constantly in continuous development, self-improvement.
People are not born as individuals, they become individuals.
Before considering how a person becomes a person, it should be noted that there are two opinions about whether every person can become one.
1) Some argue that in the process of socialization and development, every living unit of Homo sapiens becomes a person to one degree or another.
2) Another group of specialists indicates that there is a circle of people who cannot be called individuals. Such people do not develop in the process of their development, but degrade.
Personality cannot be formed at the moment of birth; it is formed in the process of socialization of the individual, i.e. gradually. Everyone knows that babies cannot express their thoughts because their brains are not yet developed enough; cannot express their views and tastes, have no moral guidelines. Their behavior is initially subordinate to instincts.
After all, all our views and beliefs are formed gradually, over quite a long time, and do not appear immediately after birth.
The term “personality” itself means the internal characteristics of a person, his spiritual world (opinions, interests, guidelines). A person becomes a person in the process of such a phenomenon as socialization. Socialization refers to the process of a person’s adaptation to generally accepted rules of behavior in society, its traditions and values.
Thus, we can conclude that a person becomes a person not at the moment of his birth, but gradually, going through the process of socialization. That is, in essence, the formation of personality is a process of assimilation of norms and values that are relevant for a particular society.
You may be interested in the article “Personal Magnetism“.
Individual and individuality
An individual is a separate representative of the human race by virtue of his birth. The qualities of an individual are manifested in his appearance: eye shape, leg size, hair color, and so on. An individual has innate inclinations and abilities, but will become an individual only in the process of social development.
The concept of individuality is different from the concept of individual. Individuality is the characteristics of an individual, its uniqueness, originality. It includes intellectual, spiritual qualities and physical characteristics. Individuality manifests itself when a person makes choices, makes independent decisions, or engages in any activity.
The concept of individuality is inextricably linked with personality. The relationship between the concepts of individuality and personality is manifested in the fact that a person who is an individual will necessarily demonstrate his individuality in interaction with society.
Personality traits
Are there certain characteristics that define a person as a person? So, psychologists highlight the following points:
- Openness to new experiences.
- A person constantly tries something new, learns and develops in new directions.
- Individuals are aware of the capabilities of their body and completely trust this feeling.
- Personality knows moderation in everything.
- A full-fledged person stops looking for approval or evaluation from the outside. Such people have a so-called internal locus, where personal value judgments of everything that happens are formed.
Read books on personal growth.
The process of becoming an individual
Psychologists have provided two simple steps that illustrate how one becomes a person:
Step 1. You need to look under your mask. That is, to be naked in front of oneself, to understand who a person really is, throwing away all images. This search is the most important stage of development.
Step 2. Experiencing feelings is the next stage. In moments of strong emotional stress, a person becomes who he really is. Forming the right self at such moments is an equally important stage.
How to be an individual? Advice from psychologists
According to developmental psychology, a person’s personality can be developed up to the age of 23. Further growth and development depends on the person himself and the circumstances in which he finds himself during his life.
What does it mean to become a person in the ordinary sense? First of all, it means having a strong character. A person is not susceptible to any influence, has his own point of view on what is happening around him and is able to independently manipulate others. When a person becomes an individual, he ceases to depend on someone else’s opinion, which, you see, is important.
What do you need to do to become an individual, and not remain an object of constant manipulation? First you need to develop the appropriate qualities:
1) Learn to be confident in yourself. Break down what complexes are preventing you from looking ahead proudly and not being afraid of anything. Practice a confident look and gait.
2) Get rid of shyness and embarrassment. Read out loud when no one is watching. Practice a confident voice and clear diction. No one will respect you while you mumble. This is one of the first steps to becoming an interesting person.
3) Learn to tell people the truth face to face and express your personal opinion. Get ready to defend your case to others.
4) Get rid of excessive self-criticism. A person who is thinking about how to become a strong personality must know his own worth and not allow others to underestimate it.
The most important thing is to love yourself. Remember - how you treat yourself is how others will treat you.
The concept of personality in sociology
The concept of personality in sociology, its essence and structure, are of separate interest, since the individual is mainly assessed as a subject of social connections.
The concept of personality in sociology can be briefly summarized in some categories. The first is social status, that is, a person’s place in society, and in connection with this certain obligations and rights. One person can have several such statuses. It depends on whether he has a family, relatives, friends, colleagues, work, thanks to which a person socializes. So, for example, one person can be a son, husband, father, brother, colleague, employee, team member, and so on.
Sometimes multiple social statuses demonstrate a person's social activity. Also, all statuses are divided depending on their meaning for the individual himself. For example, for one the most important is the status of a company employee, for another – the status of a husband. In the first case, a person may not have a family, so work is the most important thing for him and he identifies himself with the role of a workaholic. In another case, a person who recognizes himself primarily as a husband puts other areas of life into the background. There are also general statuses, they carry great social significance and determine the main activity (president, director, doctor), and also, along with the general, non-general statuses may be present.
When a person is in a social status, then accordingly she performs certain actions prescribed by the model of behavior, that is, the social role. The president must lead the country, the chef must prepare dishes, the notary must certify papers, children must obey their parents, and so on. When an individual somehow fails to properly follow all the prescribed rules, he jeopardizes his status. If a person has too many social roles, he exposes himself to role conflicts. For example, a young man, a single father, working late to feed himself and his child can very soon burn out emotionally from an oversaturation of actions dictated by social roles.
Personality, as a system of socio-psychological characteristics, has a unique structure.
According to the theory of psychologist Z. Freud, the components of the personality structure are three components. The basic one is the unconscious authority of the Id (It), which combines natural stimuli, instincts and hedonic aspirations. The id is filled with powerful energy and excitement, so it is poorly organized, disordered and weak-willed. Above the Id there is the following structure - the Ego (I), it is rational, and in comparison with the Id it is controlled, it is consciousness itself. The highest construct is the Super-Ego (Super-I), it is responsible for the sense of duty, measures, conscience, and exercises moral control over behavior.
If all these three structures interact harmoniously in a person, that is, the Id does not go beyond what is allowed, it is controlled by the Ego, which understands that the satisfaction of all instincts can be a socially unacceptable action, and when a Super-Ego is developed in a person, thanks to which he is guided by moral principles in his actions, then such a person deserves respect and recognition in the eyes of society.
Having understood what this concept represents in sociology, its essence and structure, we can conclude that it cannot be realized as such if it is not socialized.
The concept of personality in sociology can be briefly described as a set of socially significant properties of an individual that ensure his connection with the outside world.
How do you become a person? Practical steps
How to become a charismatic person if you have to speak in front of large audiences or simply interact with a large number of people? In this aspect, no special work is required.
1) remember the names of your interlocutors. For a man there is no sound more pleasant than his own name;
2) be interested in people. Your interlocutor’s favorite topic is himself. Take an interest in his affairs, and you will definitely gain respect;
3) know how to listen. Every person should be allowed to speak. Having seen you as a good listener, they will also begin to listen to you;
4) offer help. In the modern world, you rarely have to rely on others. Give people this opportunity and in return you will receive a sea of gratitude.
Also read the article on how to find a spiritual teacher.
Tips on how to become a harmonious person
Even if you are already a strong and influential person, do not forget about your inner world. Tips on how to become a harmonious person will help you with this:
1) Love your body and everything that surrounds it. Take care of your home, create comfort in it and get rid of unnecessary things and household items in a timely manner. Show love for your body through exercise and healthy eating.
2) Nourish your feelings. Watch films that evoke a storm of emotions, give yourself and your loved ones small pleasant gifts. Only a person who knows how to empathize and feel has the right to be called a person.
3) Create harmony within yourself. Know how to relax. Do yoga or meditation, because sometimes you just need to learn to relax and listen to your inner voice. Listen to your intuition, and it will help you out many times in difficult times.
A full-fledged strong personality includes a harmony of brightness, charisma and inner charm. Sometimes it takes many people a lifetime to achieve this. Learn to work on yourself, respect everything that nature has given you. Be yourself, and people will be drawn to you.
Personality formation: what is needed?
It's time to figure out how to become a person. What do you need to know or be able to do for this? It is important to remember that the main thing in this case is the presence of the following points:
1) Self-awareness. That is, how much a person feels the strength and desire to improve and change. This inextricably follows the concept of self-confidence (not self-confidence, which is precisely what prevents a person from becoming a full-fledged person). You need to understand that a person is responsible for all his actions.
2) We must hope and count only on ourselves, without expecting help from outside. A person is an independent person. Neither from other people, nor from circumstances.
3) And most importantly, be able to admit your mistakes and be flexible. Principles are good, but you need to be able to give in and lose.
4) Auxiliary tools. These are specialized books or other publications, various thematic trainings. And of course, communication is very important. To do this, you can seek help from certain specialists who will help you cope with this process. This could be a psychologist, coach or another person who knows how to properly motivate.
A little about an independent personality
Having understood how to become an interesting person, you must not forget that you also need to be an independent person. This does not mean that you should refuse the help of others. But you need to rely only on yourself, without expecting outside help. Independent individuals have their own opinions, which are simply impossible to influence from the outside. Such people always find a way out of a difficult situation, learning not only from their own, but also from the mistakes of others. And most importantly, they know how to admit personal mistakes and apologize.
