Personality is the characteristic sets of behaviors, cognitions, and emotional patterns that evolve from biological and environmental factors.
Trait-based personality theories, such as those defined by Raymond Cattell, define personality as traits that predict an individual’s behavior. On the other hand, more behaviorally-based approaches define personality through learning and habits.
Impact of Environment on the personality
Personality traits are more malleable by environmental influences. Personality differences predict the occurrence of life experiences.
One study has shown how the home environment, specifically the types of parents a person has, can affect and shape their personality. Mary Ainsworth’s Strange situation experiment showcased how babies reacted to having their mother leave them alone in a room with a stranger. The different styles of attachment, labeled by Ainsworth, were Secure, Ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized. Children who were securely attached tend to be more trusting, sociable, and are confident in their day-to-day life. Children who were disorganized were reported to have higher levels of anxiety, anger, and risk-taking behavior.[16]
Judith Rich Harris‘s group socialization theory postulates that an individual’s peer groups, rather than parental figures, are the primary influence of personality and behavior in adulthood. Intra- and intergroup processes, not dyadic relationships such as parent-child relationships, are responsible for the transmission of culture and for environmental modification of children’s personality characteristics. Thus, this theory points at the peer group representing the environmental influence on a child’s personality rather than the parental style or home environment.
What is the basis of Learning from other great personalities or minds
Below reference from Yoga Sutras of Patanjali depicts how fixing the mind on the great minds who are free from attachment brings the steadiness to one’s mind.
This above Sutra from Yoga Sutras of Patanjali has a pointer to learning from other people who have attained greatness. Hence the second pillar of Balanced Learning focuses on learning from others and history.
