Chapter 2

KNOWING ONESELF
Objectives:

1. Conduct self-exploration and simple disclosure;

2. Explain that knowing oneself can make a person accept his or her
strengths and limitations, and deal with others better;
3. Share his or her unique characteristics, habits, and experiences; and
4. Maintain a journal.

Defining the “Self”

Have you asked yourself this question:

Who am I?

Adolescence is the time when young people start asking questions about
themselves, their future, and even their religious and political beliefs. The
words “Know Thyself” were believed written at the entry of the oracle at
Delphi by seven Greek philosophers, statesmen, and lawgivers.

For Socrates, self-knowledge and admitting one’s ignorance as the

beginning of true knowledge, was the most important thing to pursue. Other
ancient philosophers from other cultures saw the wisdom in knowing oneself.

In philosophical terms, [Self] is the being, which is the source of a person’s

consciousness. It is the agent responsible for an individual’s thoughts and
actions. The “Self” is an intangible entity that directs a person’s thoughts and
actions. It is identified in various contexts, such as in psychology, sociology, or
religion.

Personality
-Nature, Nurture, and Personality
“Personality refers to the unique and relatively enduring set of behaviours,
feelings, thoughts, and motives that characterize an individual” (Feist and
Rosenberg 2012).
Two key components of personality are highlighted in that definition: the
uniqueness of an individual’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior; and their being
relatively enduring, or being consistent, over different situations and over
time.

Gordon Allport defines personality as “a pattern of habits, attitudes, and

traits that determine an individual’s characteristics, behaviour, and traits”
(Sanchez, Abad, and Jao 2012). This definition does not emphasize
uniqueness and consistency, but nevertheless still captures aspects of
personality.

Personality is influenced by both nature (heredity or genetic make-up) and

nurture (environment). It is a complex combination of genes, environmental
exposure, experiences, and cultural backgrounds, with common traits like
agreeableness and openness to experiences varying across cultures.
However, some traits are more prominent in one culture, such as
interpersonal relatedness, whereas others focus on personal goals and family
ties.

Trait Theories

One general point of view explains that personality deals with traits, and that
trait or disposition is a major factor in personality. Trait theory is an
approach in identifying types of personalities based on certain traits or
attributes, which vary from one person to the other.

This theory was developed over the past 60 years, started by D. W. Fiske
(1949) and later pursued by other researchers including Norman (1967),
Smith (1967), Goldberg (1981), and McCrae and Costa (1987):

Psychologists Costa and McRae (1992) developed a categorized scheme that

described personality. Based on their research, they discovered the existence
of five universal and widely agreed upon dimensions of personality. They
called it the Big Five or Five-Factor Model.

These dimensions or tendencies are: openness to experience,

conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. For it to
be easily remembered, it uses the acronym OCEAN.
These dimensions may be described using its most positive traits:

 Openness to experience - curiosity, interest, imagination, and creativity

to new ideas.
 Conscientiousness - planning, organizing, hard-working, controlling,
persevering, and punctuality
 Extraversion - sociable, talkative, active, outgoing, and fun-loving
 Agreeableness - friendly, warm, trusting, generous, and kind-hearted
 Neuroticism - calm, relaxed, and comfortable
Personality traits are consistent behaviors, encompassing traits, motives,
thoughts, self-concept, and feelings, such as shyness or social awkwardness,
and are a broader term
Measuring Personality

Personality can be measured through various tests like the Rorschach Inkblot
Test, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and the Keirsey Temperament
Sorter. However, observing behavior is limited as it may not capture all
aspects of personality, such as internal aspects like loneliness. Online tests
are available for free, particularly for career path determination, such as the
Alberta Learning Information Service.

Rorschach Inkblot Test:

This test uses inkblots, and people describe what they see in them.
Psychologists analyze these descriptions to understand how individuals think
and feel. However, it's subjective and not always reliable

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI):

MBTI sorts people into one of 16 personality types based on their
preferences, like being introverted or extroverted. It's often used for career
advice, but some say it's too simplistic.

Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers developed the MyersBriggs

personality model based on four preferences or individuals. These includes:

 E or I (Extraversion or Introversion) is how an individual prefers to

channel his or her energy when dealing with people, whether it is inward
(introversion) or out- ward (extraversion).
 S or N (Sensing or INtuition) is how one prefers to process information,
whether through the use of senses such as being able to describe what
one sees, or intuitively like dealing with ideas.
 T or F (Thinking or Feeling) is how an individual prefers to make
decisions, either thinking or using logic and analysis, or feeling which uses
the cognitive senses based on values or beliefs.
 J or P (Judgment or Perception) is how an individual prefers to manage
one's life, whether through judging, which means a planned and
 organized life, versus perception, is when a person is more flexible, which
means he or she does not settle on a fixed type of living.

Keirsey Temperament Sorter:

This test groups people into four temperament types (Guardian, Artisan,
Idealist, Rational) based on their natural inclinations and strengths

Observing Behavior:
Understanding personality by watching how someone acts in different
situations. It's useful but has limits, as people can act differently depending
on the context.

Online Tests (e.g., Alberta Learning Information Service):

These are convenient, online questionnaires that provide personality insights.
But their accuracy varies, so it's wise to use them alongside other
assessments for a complete picture.