The personal development of an individual occurs throughout life. Personality is one of those phenomena that is rarely interpreted in the same way by two different authors. In one way or another, all definitions of personality are conditioned by two opposite views on its development. Despite numerous conceptual and other differences, almost all psychological theories of personality that exist between them are united in one thing: a human is not born with a personality but builds it in the process of his life. This means that the qualities and properties of a person are acquired not genetically but as a result of learning: that is, they are formed and developed. The purpose of this paper is to describe the process of my personality formation and the factors that influenced it.
My personal growth is due to many external and internal factors. External factors include belonging to a particular culture, socioeconomic class, and unique family environment. On the other hand, internal determinants include genetic, biological, and physical factors (Islam, 2020). The unique combination of these aspects allowed me to become who I am now.
The first and most important person in my life was my mother. Mother’s emotions were passed on to me, exerting either a positive or a negative effect on my psyche. It is worth noting that the mother’s somewhat incorrect behavior, and her excessive emotional reactions to stress, were the cause of my periodic anxiety states. However, as I grew up, I learned to cope with my emotions independently; besides, I stopped being so emotionally dependent on her mother. In addition, my mother always tried to be a means of absolute protection for me based on love.
My father also played an essential role in the development of my personality. He was always attentive and caring to both my mother and me. This is one of the main factors that has shaped my feeling of happiness and strength. In addition, from the relationship between parents, I learned the interaction model between people of different genders. I saw a good example of being partners, and I strive to build the same reliable family in the future.
As I got older, socialization played a significant role in my personal development. This is the process of personality formation, the gradual assimilation of the requirements of society, and the acquisition of socially important characteristics of consciousness and behavior that regulate relations with society. My socialization continues today: it is a process of constant cognition, consolidation, and creative development of the rules and norms of behavior dictated by society. I believe that this process has a significant impact on the psyche. Therefore, I try to be serious about my choice of friends and activities to surround myself with interesting and ambitious people.
The school takes over the socialization of the individual after the family. As I grew older and prepared to fulfill my civic duty, the knowledge I was assimilating became more complex. However, not all of it was consistent and completed: as a child, I got my first ideas about my motherland, and in general terms, I began to form my concept of the society in which I live, of the principles of building life. In general, I was interested in learning about this world; however, undoubtedly, I could not fully understand all the processes of the world.
The mass media, especially television and the Internet, have become a powerful tool for the socialization of my personality. Thanks to these tools, I was able to see different events and points of view on them. This allowed me to form my own opinion on many questions. In addition, due to the abundance of low-quality information, I had to learn critical thinking. Thanks to this, now I can rely on my values to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Undoubtedly, the other children with whom I studied played a vital role in my socialization. The school period for a few people is easy, and I was no exception to this rule. Indeed, it was interesting for me, but the school time did not pass without conflicts and competitions. I tried to show that I am good at school, sports, and communication. This allowed me to develop a strong enough character and learn to defend my boundaries. In addition, by communicating with friends, I understood what reliability and loyalty mean. I still try to rely on these qualities in communicating with loved ones because I know how important they are.
Adolescence has taken a special place in my personal development. It is the most difficult of all childhood ages, which is a period of personality formation. The main content of adolescence is the transition from childhood to adulthood. All aspects of my personality have undergone a qualitative restructuring, new psychological details have arisen and formed, the foundations of conscious behavior have been laid, and social attitudes are being formed.
The central and specific idea in my personality at that time was the concept that I was no longer a child. I began to learn to live in a new way and aspired to be considered an adult. During this period, my specific social activity consisted of great sensitivity in the assimilation of the norms, values, and modes of behavior in the world of adults and their relationships. I tried to be independent to show real adults that I was ready to become one of them.
At that time, the public assessment of the class meant more to me than the opinion of teachers or parents, and I was sensitive to the impact on other students. The acquired experience of collaborative relationships directly affected the development of my personality. During this period, I achieved good organizational skills, efficiency, performance, and other valuable personal qualities associated with relationships between people. I also acquired the ability to establish business contacts, agree on joint matters, and distribute responsibilities among people. This can help me in the future, both at work and at home.
Famous people have played a unique role in my life, for example, TV presenters, politicians, and actors. I watched their actions and tried to be as attractive as they are. Such people have always hooked me with their charisma and erudition. Thanks to this, I read a lot to be an interesting conversationalist and, in general, to gain more knowledge about the world around me. This behavior was due to the desire to be “part of the pack”, to take a key position in the team. As a result, however, it allowed me to develop my intellectual ability and a reading habit. This allows me to achieve significant success in various fields and take a sober view of the world.
Sports played a significant role in my personal development. I always wanted to move and work on myself to achieve some success. Thanks to this, I have developed a good physical shape, which helps me in my daily activities. In addition, sports taught me how to achieve success and go steadily towards my goal. Team games also had a positive impact on my personal development. They helped me better understand the ways of interacting with people and taught me to find compromises to achieve a common goal together ultimately. I believe that sport should be present in every person’s life to prolong life and improve its quality.
People are now one of my core values. I am attentive to my family and friends. I try to maintain this relationship and be active and friendly. I work on them the same way I would work on my homework or job tasks. The entire path of my personal development led to the fact that I became a conscious and faithful person. Undoubtedly, my personality will change in the future. However, the core values remain unchanged and accompany me throughout my life. This allows me to have a solid footing and always act with the fundamental principles in mind.
In the future, I think employment and more serious training will affect my personality even more. In addition, I will start my own family and learn to be a partner and a parent. Each of these stages is large-scale, and this scale is sometimes even frightening. However, these processes are exciting, and it is from them that real-life consists. In the future, I would like to pay more attention to personal development and become better every day.
Reference
Islam, K. (2020). Personal development portfolio. Theory and personal objectives. GRIN Verlag.