Dynamicity of personality – the only constant.

 

The number of intricacies and nuances that make up every miniscule process in this world are innumerable. Every aspect of our lives can be viewed from a different lens and every instance can be evaluated through perspectives exponential. Each stage in life brings along a different set of demands, placing an intrinsic pressure on each one of us to meet them.

Adversity and variance in experience bring about massive transformations in the personality of an individual. We adapt to keep up with changing needs and redesign our entire cognitive framework to perceive the ever - dynamic world in a more comprehensible manner.

Abraham Maslow, an American humanistic psychologist as well as psychiatrist, was one of the first to draw a link between motivation and personality. His thesis proposed that a set of wants basic in nature must be achieved before moving on to other secondary wants. His first book ‘Motivation and Personality’ published in 1954 gives a detailed insight into his theories about human personality and how it changes. He emphasized on what people strive to achieve and what they do that guides them throughout this process. Another aspect that he focused on was how perception of a situation varies based on the stages of life. This close link between motivation and how it shapes the personality of an individual reinforces the fact that most of the behaviours we engage in are not random and are primarily goal directed actions which act as a means to an end. This is integral in deciphering the type of personality an individual has owing to the fact that motives are excellent behavioral predictors. They present us with an entire array of behaviours that an individual is likely to engage in. The practicality and relatability of his theories is what makes them so creditable through the years. (Janet A. Simons, 1987).

Maslow begins with five basic needs: Physiological Needs <Safety needs <Love and Belongingness Needs < Need for Esteem < Need for Self-Actualization. 

Beyond these needs exist higher order needs that push an individual to grow and refine their abilities. Individual personalities could reflect through behaviours in this higher cone of needs. Polishing your abilities to grapple with the hinderances in each stage inevitably makes the individual develop personality traits like openness to experience and to some extend extroversion which helps them fit in better. The first few needs in this pyramid of hierarchies are primarily associated with maintaining homeostasis and balance. In these stages, an individual tends to be more self-satisfied as soon as their needs are met to an adequate extend. However, through the levels, basic accomplishments that only fulfill their primary needs seize to be insufficient. There is a nagging sense of deprivation that drives the individual to do more than what is just necessary, they push their limits and seek to be the best versions of themselves, they seek approval not only from themselves but also from the others around them. This process requires the individual to develop personality traits like conscientiousness and immense resilience. Each level of needs dominates the individual’s life until satisfied. The higher realm of needs demands an individual to be imaginative and inventive to come up with various solutions to the problems presented to them. Individuals are forced to let go of rigid mindsets and to internalize processes that will aid them achieve their goal. Those who succeed in reaching this level tend to be logical, analytical and sensitive to the environment around them. Higher order needs require meticulosity to perform the intricate tasks leading to self-actualization. Without a certain sense of self awareness and self-efficacy, it becomes almost impossible to move up the ladder. Those who are diligent, dynamic and flexible tend to have an upper hand as these traits aid with adaptability and change, without which, one cannot aim to achieve the higher order of needs according to Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy of Needs. People with ambitious personalities, who always seek more in life are those who work harder to make sure they are accomplishing even the higher order of needs to be the best version of themselves. This level of self-actualization is only possible when all the basic physiological needs of the person are met. This goes to show that dynamicity of personality is almost a prerequisite in this ever-changing society, the more flexible we are to adaptation, the higher are our chances of fulfilling all our needs ranging from basic physiological to even needs of collectivity and society. While this hierarchy is fairly stable, not everyone moves up the ladder in the same manner, exceptions due to risk to life and other factors do tend to arise. Such situations tend to call for a completely different set of skills and application of personality traits once again majorly emphasizing the need for dynamicity and plasticity of personality.

 References
Janet A. Simons, D. B. (1987). Psychology - The Search for Understanding . New York: West Publishing Company.

About The Author
Meherzeen Siganporia
Head of Department, PsyCreative Column

The author, Meherzeen Siganporia is a 19-year-old student of Psychology who is passionate about photography, reading, and writing. She absolutely loves cycling to the beach and is always down for anything impulsive and adventurous. If having deep, intellectual conversations is your thing, she is your go-to girl.