Personality development: what is it and what are the stages?

05/21/20215 minutes read 478

More recently, society equated the development of a person and his personality with the degree of education, level of income, and life. It was believed that the more wealth, the higher the development. Now this can be disputed, since there is absolutely no connection between personal development and material wealth. The level of personal development is determined through understanding one’s being, purpose, awareness of oneself and one’s life, the formation of consciousness and self-awareness.

Each person comes into this world as a “clean slate” and throughout his life he learns, develops and improves. Development occurs in society and is greatly influenced by socialization. Personality develops only through interaction and contact with other people.

Alone with oneself, without exchanging information, impressions, emotions and feelings, the development process is simply impossible. Outside of society, a person lives in the environment of the “animal world” and there is simply no need to improve his consciousness, personality, spiritual qualities, or develop his talents, it is not interesting, such a need and desire does not arise.

What is personality?

There is no single, established, generally accepted definition of personality—it is a complex, multifaceted concept. A large number of different descriptions have been assigned to this phrase at different times.

Personality is a part of social and cultural life, which is endowed with reason, ethical principles, moral qualities, and spirituality.
A person who has a certain set of psychological properties that determine his behavior, relationships with society, and his difference from other people.
A person who independently builds his life, according to his own rules and concepts, bears full responsibility for it.
A system of individual, social and psychological characteristics, as well as typological properties.
An accomplished person, with his own individual system of values, behavior, and habits.

Cyata The main life task of a person is to give life to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important fruit of his efforts is his own personality.

Erich Fromm

Personality structure

Personality structure is a combination of various character traits, talents, abilities, degree of emotionality, reactions to external events, temperament, willpower, feelings and perceptions, interests and beliefs. These properties and differences are many, so there is some structure to separate them.

First level. Here are all the innate properties of the psyche, as well as gender and age, that is, qualities given by nature.
The second is abilities, talents, consciousness, memory, that is, those qualities that depend on innate factors and their development.
The third is individual experience, which includes knowledge formed in the process of life.
The fourth and highest is formed throughout life, this is the orientation of the individual, accumulated experience and knowledge, interests, views, beliefs and worldviews, formed character. This level is maximally connected with upbringing, rules and traditions of the family, society and its ideology in which the person grew up and lives.

It is necessary to distinguish between these levels in order to characterize personality. The differences between people are huge and varied, since at each level there are large differences in interests, skills, views, values, character, so it is sometimes difficult to understand the actions and words of another person. To do this you need to have sufficient knowledge and good observation skills and experience. Let us now consider personality traits and their features.

Personal growth: setting goals

Personal development goals are goals you set to improve your character, skills, and abilities. Setting these goals involves assessing yourself and identifying areas where you can improve to maximize your potential.

To begin personal development, you must create a plan with practical actions. These steps will help you measure your improvements and focus on your goal.

Use these steps to start creating and achieving personal development goals in your career:

Create a vision.
Develop a plan.
Track your progress.
Review your plan regularly.

Key personality traits

Personality properties are a set of certain, established and individual qualities of a person that determine his interaction with society, that is, his activities and relationships with others. The main personality traits are character, temperament, will, abilities, motivation and emotions.

Character
- this is a way of relationship with the surrounding society and the world acquired under certain conditions. This is a style of behavior, a reaction to current events. The manner of behavior can be soft and delicate, or it can be unceremonious and rude. It all has to do with character. When we discuss a person, words such as strong personality, leader or weak leader, confident character or quiet character are often used.
People with strong character are characterized by self-confidence, calmness, focus and consistency, and perseverance. The weak, on the contrary, are famous for their chaotic actions, weakness of will, hysteria, isolation and anxiety.
Experts divide character traits into several groups:
Communication traits
- this is the interaction of a person with society: sociability or isolation, goodwill, distrust, secrecy.
Strong-willed traits.
Persistence, perseverance, willpower, or lack thereof.
Motivational Traits
- this is determination, traits that support a person’s activity.
Instrumental
- traits that give a certain style to behavior.
Will
This is a person’s ability to influence and control the psyche and their actions. Thanks to the will, it is possible to control one’s behavior and certain events; a person influences the processes in the world around him and makes changes that are important for him. Most often, willpower is associated with making important, correct and conscious decisions, but for this it is necessary to overcome certain difficulties and obstacles, and make a lot of effort to implement your plans.
Will always implies self-restraint, self-control, that is, a person needs to give up something in favor of something more important and correct, deprive himself of what is attractive for the sake of what is conscious, true and important.
The main feature of the will is the presence of moral satisfaction as a result of the implementation of the plan. An interesting fact is that this does not bring emotional joy in the process of implementation. The entire spectrum of inner strength is aimed at conquering oneself. The stronger a person’s will, the easier he copes with difficulties and the more rapidly he develops.

Take the willpower test: Study of volitional regulation

Temperament
is a set of characteristics, mental properties that determine a person’s states, his behavior and mood, the rate of change in these states, and emotional stability.
The following property is emotions.
These are individual experiences, they can be positive and negative, pleasant and unpleasant. There are several types of emotions:
Simple emotions, experiences associated with meeting needs.
Feelings are a set of experiences associated with a specific object or objects.
Affects are acute, vivid emotions, characterized by short duration and high intensity, a reaction to a specific stimulus.
Passion is a strong emotion that cannot be controlled.
Stress is a complex of negative emotions and the physical state of the body, psychological and emotional overload.

Emotions have a huge impact on life and its quality. People's emotional states vary greatly. In particular, the speed of reaction to certain events, emotional excitability, duration of experiences, the predominance of positive or negative emotions, the frequency of these experiences and their direction. Under the influence of his emotions, a person performs certain actions, actions, and makes decisions.

Motivation
- this is a set of reasons that determine the behavior of an individual. Motive is the basis, psychological urge or impulse responsible for purposeful active behavior. It can be conscious or unconscious. Motivation depends on a person's need, desire, need, intention and motivation. Motivation is the main and main “fuel” for a person; thanks to it, he sets goals, achieves them, and develops.
Capabilities
- a high level of skills that are necessary to perform certain tasks or solve cases. This does not apply to acquired knowledge; on the contrary, thanks to abilities, certain knowledge and skills were obtained and used.

Ciata The most hopeless thing in the world is to try to accurately determine a person’s character. Each personality is a tangle of contradictions, and even more so a gifted personality.

Theodore Dreiser

Where to start your personal growth and self-development

To grow as a person, you need to look at a goal, develop the best strategy to achieve it, and focus on it. This is the first step in any action and you should spend as much time as you need on it.

Once you've outlined your goal and figured out how to achieve it, it's time to take action and get out of your comfort zone. Personal development includes the basic psychological tools you must master to succeed:

Learn visualization techniques.

Visualize yourself taking the steps necessary to achieve your goal, and achieving that success will help you break free of toxic thought patterns, stay motivated, and become more natural along the way.

Avoid negative thoughts.

It is very important to maintain a positive attitude. Observe your thoughts and get rid of negative thoughts.

Meditation.

When you have to deal with stressful situations outside of your comfort zone, it can be very helpful to spend a few minutes a day controlling your breathing and focusing your attention.

Be persistent.

The road to success is paved with mistakes and unexpected failures. There are a few things you'll get right the first time. It doesn't matter if you fall. It is important to get up and move on.

Compete only with yourself.

Toxic competition with other people will only tire you out. Focus on your goal and how you are going to achieve it.

Set small goals.

Overcoming small challenges leaves a positive imprint that will help you move forward with more determination.

Be persistent.

Don't give in to laziness or disappointment. Keep moving towards your goal as consistently as possible. If you strive to achieve your goals every day, this attitude will become part of your personality.

Celebrate victories.

It's good to reward yourself for small triumphs. This will motivate you to keep moving forward.

Personality types

Back in Ancient Greece, the philosopher Hippocrates identified several temperaments of people, according to which they are divided to this day.

Melancholic people.
Vulnerable, sad and gloomy individuals with a bad mood and attitude towards life, with little energy, laziness, apathy and anxiety.
Cholerics.
Hot-tempered, unbalanced, hot-tempered, impulsive, eccentric and unrestrained people.
Sanguines
- cheerful optimists with a wonderful sense of humor, loving life in all its manifestations. Easy-going activists.
Phlegmatic people.
People are passive, lacking initiative, prone to inaction more than to activity, but at the same time they are distinguished by perseverance and perseverance, unresourceful conservatives who find it difficult to adapt to changes in life and in the world.

Please note: It is worth noting that no type of temperament occurs in its pure form. Each person has a basic, predominant type of temperament; in certain life scenarios, he develops it or suppresses it, and also manifests and combines other types.

According to Jung’s theory, there are only two personality types: extroverts and introverts, and the differences between them are in the peculiarities of their perception of the world and everything that happens around them. Extroverts love the world around them and interact with it as much as possible, they are sociable, friendly and open, while introverts try to isolate themselves from everyone, they are withdrawn and strive for solitude.

Each type corresponds to a specific temperament. So extroverts are choleric and sanguine, while introverts are more phlegmatic and melancholic. These are the most basic characteristics of temperament types, but they are far from the only ones in their classification; thanks to them, it becomes easier to identify a person, his manner of behavior and communication, to assume his reaction in certain situations, and the pace of activity.

Knowing your predominant type of temperament and the types of people around you, you can build relationships much easier and understand who you should have them with and who you shouldn’t, who you should trust and who you shouldn’t. This knowledge will be useful in business, in love, in friendship, in any interaction with society.

Take the test and find out who you are: Extrovert or introvert

It is worth noting that there are no bad or good types; each temperament has its own positive and negative traits.

Infancy

This period is distinguished by Erikson and Freud (“Oral stage”). At this stage, the foundations of personality and attitude towards the world around us are laid - trust or distrust, confidence or lack thereof.

Of course, an important role in a child’s life is played by his mother, who represents the whole world for the baby. He needs maternal care, which allows him to feel consistency and recognition in his experiences. Further development of personality largely depends on the first days of life.

If there is trust, the child perceives the world in a positive way, as reliable, predictable, and calmly endures difficulties, even the temporary absence of the mother nearby. In the absence of adequate maternal care, feelings of mistrust, fear and suspicion arise. Thus, the basis of the first period is the relationship: “trust-distrust”.

Levels of personality development

Each person is unique, each has his own character, personal qualities, temperament, his own habits and dreams, aspirations, understanding of happiness and grief. Let us now consider directly the levels of personality development and their characteristics. In fact, this is what a person can and cannot do, this is the degree of strength of his personality and aspirations.

Improvement does not stop throughout life, from birth to death. Ideally, every person should go through all levels of personality development, but in reality this is not always the case. A large number of the planet’s inhabitants live their entire lives in one state, without thinking about improvement; also, often the transition can be carried out not only forward to a new stage, but also back to the previous one.

Cyata I'm like a man who slept for half his life and is now trying to find out who he was while he slept.

Daniel Keyes

Early childhood

The period from 1 to 3 years, corresponds to the “Anal stage” according to Freud, the child masters the ability to control his excretory functions. In addition, the baby becomes physically stronger and can perform more complex actions - walking, climbing, washing.

Very often there are calls for independence “I myself”; an important point is the help of parents in independent actions. It is necessary to provide an opportunity for the development of personality and the development of autonomy of the child. If he is constantly looked after and everything is done for him, then this is detrimental to development, along with unreasonable demands.

Such things cause further insecurity and weakness of will. With positive development, will and self-control develop.

Phase 2: 1 year to 3 years

In close symbiosis with the development of our consciousness, we acquire the first motor and social skills. We try to explore the world around us with the help of sight, hearing, smell, and tactile sensations. The basic foundation of our personality and character is laid precisely during this period of time.

Therefore, it is very important for parents to provide comfort to the child at this age.

This is interesting: State duty for divorce if there are children - we study in order

Which personality is at which level?

First
- this is the satisfaction of one’s basic needs, ensuring one’s safety: food, sleep, shelter, clothing. There is no fear of lost opportunities. Moral, ethical principles, spirituality, goals - all this is not inherent in a person at this stage. In a word - survival. It is surprising that it is at this level that a person feels as happy and carefree as possible. He doesn’t have to worry about self-improvement, there are no high expectations, he is absolutely satisfied with the “work-home-rest” order.
Second.
This is where the largest number of people are. A person whose basic needs in the form of food, sleep, safety are closed, begins to be interested in entertainment and pleasure. This includes sex, more expensive and tastier food, arrangement of your home, comfort, and entertainment. Communication means, gadgets, televisions come first, and with them social networks, talk shows, gossip, scandals, concerts.
At this level, problems with alcohol, drugs, and gambling often begin, since the need for pleasure can be satisfied in the simplest, most accessible and easiest way. At this stage, the feeling of happiness is lower than at the first level, because the person is no longer completely satisfied with his life, and cannot satisfy all his desires. An interesting fact is that the higher the level, the lower the feeling of happiness.
Third level
personality organization. At this stage, there is no longer enough pleasure and satisfaction. I want something more, more money, more space to live, more success and achievements. A person wants a calling, to create something of his own, to make his contribution to the lives of other people, to increase his significance, to change the world around him. He realizes his enormous inner potential, his limitless possibilities and begins to strive to improve his life, enrolls in all kinds of trainings and self-improvement courses. The realization that ordinary pleasures no longer bring joy leads to the abandonment of bad habits and addictions. At this stage, people do not feel happy in the life they have.

There are a lot of mistakes and failures at this level. This stage can drag on for many years: the search for oneself, one’s recognition, one’s true goals. At this level, a person gains a huge amount of experience, knowledge and skills, and also begins to take care of his body, introducing a healthy lifestyle. But the feeling of joy, happiness in life is almost zero. There are even returns to the past period. Without these transformations, the personality will not move to the next stage. But as soon as this difficult part is passed, life will radically and radically change.

Fourth
– a turning point, a transition from the social level to the spiritual. The main difference between these periods is that now the person no longer focuses on himself and his family, but thinks about the people around him, the world, and realizes a great desire to care, help, teach, and make someone’s life easier. The idea of self-importance fades into the background, and satisfaction of the needs of other people comes to the fore. This does not mean that one’s own success and achievements are no longer interesting, but the importance of it is reduced. The need to prove one's worth to society disappears.
A global reassessment of values is taking place; family, children, and parents are on the pedestal. A person finally accepts himself as he is and no longer tries to change anything about himself through force, stops judging and discussing other people, and becomes sensitive and attentive. I no longer want to control everything, but want to devote my time to what I like and brings me joy. The transition to this level takes a lot of time, effort, and effort, but it changes life radically, it slows down, you no longer need to rush, you don’t want to rush anymore.
Fifth
- sage level. At this level, a person’s consciousness is as pure as possible, he is interested in deep events and processes of existence, his eyes are opened to the world around him, the essence of what is happening is very different from what levels 1-3 see. There is a complete revaluation and rethinking of values, life, debunking of myths, stereotypes, worldly ideals, and spiritual aspects. Such a person is able to influence thousands of people, lead them, change the real world to suit his vision. Balance in all aspects of life no longer disturbs anything.
Sixth level
personality development. At this stage, a person becomes the leader of a huge number of people, they follow him, listen to him, trust him, imitate him, copy him. These people are capable of changing the world, they have an unlimited source of energy, they are aware of life, their thinking is so large-scale that it allows them to change foundations, ideologies, and systems. Such a person can bring the world both enormous benefit and destroy everything to the ground. If energy is directed towards creation, then progress for all humanity will be ensured. A person stops all kinds of suffering and experiences, and there comes complete acceptance and understanding of his life.

Maturity

Maturity (26-64 years old), personal development is manifested in caring for the younger generation

Moreover, even in the absence of children, under normal circumstances, they concentrate more on the outside world and helping others. Otherwise, a “midlife crisis” arises, a feeling of the meaninglessness of life appears

As a rule, by this time a person has already achieved certain results in life and has a need to pass on knowledge and skills to others, to help his children and grandchildren. It is observed to a sufficient extent.

Phase 6: 16 to 22 years

Sigmund Freud and Erik Erikson describe this period as the leap into adulthood. Youthful maximalism is simply off the charts and it seems to us that we are the center of the Universe. How we successfully went through previous periods of personality formation determines our success or complete failure in adulthood. As practice shows, some people during this period can change their character in order to adapt to the world around them

At this moment it is very important not to fall under someone’s bad influence.

Can levels change and how?

There are many classifications of personality development, but this is the most basic and frequently used. There is another level - enlightenment, but not everyone approaches this level. All development processes are closely tied to life lessons and events, which, by the way, are not always positive. It is impossible to skip one stage and immediately move on to another; you will still have to catch up by returning to the previous stage.

If a person is stuck at any level, it means he has not yet received the necessary life lesson, or has received it, but has not realized it, everything will come in due time. The main meaning of development is from self-affirmation to caring for loved ones. Perhaps, due to an unlearned lesson, he will return to the previous level, and perhaps remain there for the rest of his life.

Ciata Be what you want to appear.

Socrates

Preschool age

Preschool age, 3-6 years, is also called the “Age of Play”; according to Freud, the “Phallic Stage”, the period of awareness of gender differences. This period is characterized by an increase in social interactions - games, communication with peers and adults, interest in work matters.

Self-development is manifested in the ability to take responsibility for those who are smaller or weaker, caring for animals. The main slogan: “I am what I will be. The Super Ego is now being formed as a result of understanding social restrictions. It is possible to educate and raise a child; there are all the prerequisites for this.

Children experience the joy of independent actions, begin to associate themselves with special, important people, and begin to set goals for themselves. In addition, they show imagination in choosing games and creating their own entertainment. It is worth encouraging the child’s independent actions, which will be the basis for the development of initiative, independence and help in the development of creative abilities.

Help from a psychologist

What level are you at now, where you need to strive, what lessons and what idea a certain situation wants to convey to you, a psychologist will help you sort out all these points, with him you will realize your mistakes or your purpose much faster, you should not neglect the help of a specialist if you decided to improve. If your request is self-actualization as the pinnacle of personal development, seek the help of a psychologist. This is long and sometimes painful work, but achieving your maximum, unlocking your potential 100% is worth it.

The information presented in this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional advice from a physician. If you are experiencing anxiety from an overwhelming desire for revenge, consult a specialist!

Author: Anna Zabrovskaya

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Useful books on personal growth

The New Year is just around the corner, and now is the time to fill your shelves with inspiring books that will help you become the best version of yourself.

These books will give you effective strategies and helpful tips to help you grow and prosper. Discover mindfulness techniques, instructions for eliminating clutter in your life, tips for setting meaningful goals, and more!

Brian Tracy "Get Out of Your Comfort Zone";
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz's Life at Full Power;
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Josh Kaufman "Your Own MBA";
Kelly McGonigal "Willpower" How to develop and strengthen”;
John Acuff "Get Started";
The Art of Explaining by Lee LeFever;
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Remember the main thing - it’s never too late for personal growth, even if it’s the first time. Now is definitely a good time for this!

Natalia Shakhova