You’re Not Who You Think You Are?

[Martin Hash]

Most people assume the personality they exhibit right now is them. Given no change in circumstances that is probably true but there is substantial research that actually proves the old adage that people “will rise to the occasion.” What that means is that your personality depends on the circumstances, and if circumstances change – so will your personality – dramatically so.

There are roughly four categories of personalities in every group of people: Leader, Bully, Joker, Nerd. Apparently, you will morph to fit whichever slot is open. A Leader from one group may be a Nerd in another. Depending on the tumult in your life, you may assume a different role each time depending on the mix. Certainly, throughout your life, especially during your childhood, you have been all of these things. If a group needs a leader, no matter how cautious and demure you are, you may act in a Leader capacity if no one else will.

In fact, functioning personalities are constructed of more basic building blocks - a simple instruction set that is encoded into your genes – the base emotions. Every single act, no matter how complex or high-level, is really only the consummate accumulation of your base instincts: envy, lust, resentment, control, etc.