Your Personality Think of one unique quality about

Your Personality

Think of one unique quality about yourself.

What is personality? • Personality is a combination of traits that makes you the person you are • Includes habits, feelings, how you think and interact with others • Traits are qualities that make you different from everyone else. Some are desirable, some are not.

How does your personality develop? • Heredity • Environment

Heredity • The passing of traits from one generation of family to the next • Traits are passed through genes – Determine the characteristics that will appear as you grow and develop • Inherited traits – Eyes, hair, skin, etc. received from parents and ancestors when you were born.

Environment • Includes all the circumstances in your surroundings – People, home, school, community, media, TV • Acquired traits – develop as a result of your environment – Likes, dislikes, goals, interests, abilities, speech, mannerisms

Environment • Home and Family – Most important environmental factor shaping your personality – Many personality traits are learned through imitation • Birth Order – Size of your family often influences your personality

Environment • School and friends – Size – Courses offered – Teachers and coaches – Friends • Community and others – Scout troops

Can you change your personality? • Not easy, but it can be done if you really want to change • If there is a trait you would like to change: – select one area at a time – write down a specific plan – set realistic goals – Put your plan into action