Category: Personality

When a perfectionist slips up, they criticise themselves too much and can experience burnout and depression.

Being self-compassionate is one of the best remedies for a perfectionist personality, research finds.

Learning self-acceptance helps protect the type of perfectionists who are highly self-critical from depression.

Some perfectionists are very worried about making mistakes and push themselves too hard to succeed.

When a perfectionist slips up, they criticise themselves too much and can experience burnout and depression.

However, perfectionists who are self-compassionate and self-accepting are less likely to get depressed.

The conclusion comes from a study of 541 adolescents and 515 adults.

All were given tests of perfectionism, depression and self-compassion.

Dr Madeleine Ferrari, the study’s first author, explained the results:

“Self-compassion, the practice of self-kindness, consistently reduces the strength of the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and depression for both adolescents and adults.”

The study’s authors explain how self-compassion is helpful:

“…self-compassion is ‘a useful emotion regulation strategy, in which painful or distressing feelings are not avoided but are instead held in awareness with kindness, understanding, and a sense of shared humanity’.

Thus, instead of avoiding social comparisons or overcompensating for negative feelings about the self through futile attempts to attain a higher social rank, the cultivation of self-compassion might help individuals to unconditionally accept ones’ failings.”

The study was published in the journal PLoS ONE (Ferrari et al., 2018).

Facts about personality include that people can smell your personality, helpful people have more sex and what underlies personality disorders.

The psychological study of personality reveals patterns in how we behave and interact with other people and experience the world ourselves.

Many of the facts from personality psychology are surprising.

Here are a few fun facts that psychological research has uncovered:

1. People can smell your personality

People can guess your personality by simply smelling your t-shirt.

The study showed that people were as accurate at guessing personality when smelling their clothes as when watching a video of them.

Not all personality traits were easy to spot, though.

The researchers found that people were good at identifying these three personality traits:

• neuroticism,
• extraversion,
• and dominance.

2. Helpful people have more sex

People who help others out have more sex.

The more altruistic people are, the more sexual partners they have and the more frequently they have sex.

Could it be, then, that being nice to other people is the ultimate aphrodisiac?

Who would have thought this was a fact about personality?

Professor Steven Arnocky, the study’s first author, said:

“It appears that altruism evolved in our species, in part, because it serves as a signal of other underlying desirable qualities, which helps individuals reproduce.”

3. Fact: optimists report higher quality of life

Optimists report higher levels of mental and physical functioning than pessimists, research reveals.

Dr Toshihiko Maruta, the study’s first author, said:

“The wellness of being is not just physical, but attitudinal.

How you perceive what goes on around you and how you interpret it may have an impact on your longevity, and it could affect the quality of your later years.”

Researchers studied 447 people who were followed over 30 years.

Their personality was assessed, along with their physical and mental functioning.

It turned out that pessimists had a lower quality of life, on average.

4. People read personality in your movement

The way people move could provide a unique insight into their personality.

People who move in similar ways display better collective behaviour.

The researchers think this means that people who move the same way will be able to interact more effectively as well.

This interesting study suggests that each person has an ‘individual motor signature’ which defines how they move.

5. Being in love reduces neuroticism

Falling in love helps to stabilise the personalities of people who are neurotic.

Love helps people who think pessimistically to approach life with more confidence and see events in a more positive light.

Neuroticism is explained by Dr Christine Finn, the study’s first author:

“Neurotic people are rather anxious, insecure, and easily annoyed.

They have a tendency towards depression, often show low self-esteem and tend to be generally dissatisfied with their lives.

However, we were able to show that they become more stable in a love relationship, and that their personality stabilizes.”

6. Feeling entitled leads to disappointment

The personality trait of entitlement can lead to chronic disappointment.

Entitlement is believing you are better than others and deserve more than them.

Unfortunately, people who feel entitled often enter a spiral of habitual behaviour that is toxic.

From anger they tend to lash out at others, blaming them.

At the same time they continue to tell themselves that they are special.

7. People get nicer as they get older

People get nicer as they get older, in contrast to the stereotype of the grumpy senior.

The fact may be a surprise to those that believe people never change.

They do — even if only a little.

The three main changes to personality that occur, on average, with age are that people get:

• more conscientious,
• more agreeable,
• and less neurotic (moody).

8. Fear of the unknown related to anxiety disorders

Fear of the unknown is the personality trait that underlies many anxiety disorders.

Social anxiety, panic disorder and specific phobias all have fear of the unknown at their heart.

Someone who is sensitive to uncertainty may spend a lot of time worrying what is going to happen to them.

For example, people with panic disorder are constantly worrying that they are going to panic.

9. People read our personalities with one glance

People read a surprising amount into our faces, just from one glance.

Men who have large noses, square jaws and small eyes, are apparently telling the world they prefer short-term relationships, research finds.

Women with larger lips and wide eyes are sending the same short-term relationship signal — whether they like it or not.

10. Narcissists like bitter foods

Having a preference for bitter tastes is linked to psychopathy, narcissism and everyday sadism.

This fun fact about personality suggest that a predilection for tonic water or coffee, therefore, could indicated some psychopathic tendencies in a person’s personality.

In contrast, people who dislike bitter tastes tend to be more agreeable, the researchers discovered.

11. Optimists live longer

Being positive has been linked to living longer by research.

People lived longer if they were more:

• optimistic about the future,
• closer to other people,
• decisive,
• and felt more useful and relaxed.

Those who scored in the top sixth for being positive were 18 percent less likely to die over the next four years.

Other facts about a person linked to living longer included getting married and having a degree.

.

Around one-in-five people are thought to have this personality type.

People who experience a lot of negative emotions and do not express them have more mental and physical health problems, research finds.

This is known to psychologists as a ‘type D’ personality: the ‘D’ stands for distressed.

People with a type D personality are likely to agree with statements like, “I am often down in the dumps”.

They are also likely to demonstrate social inhibition by agreeing with statements like, “I am a closed kind of person”.

Type D people are fearful of rejection if they express their negative emotions.

Around one-in-five people is thought to have a type D personality.

The study found that people who were type D tended not to report their health problems to a physician or nurse.

The study’s authors write:

“Type D patients were shown to report lower levels of health status, more cardiac symptoms, and more feelings of disability, when compared with non-Type D patients high on positive affect.”

The study involved 276 heart failure patients.

The results showed that heart failure patients who also had a type D personality were six times more likely to be in a worse state of health.

The study was published in the journal Quality of Life Research (Pelle et al., 2009).

Machiavellian personality traits are named for a 15th century Italian diplomat famous for manipulating people to get what he wanted.

Machiavellianism is a personality trait that, unlike psychopathy and narcissism, is little known.

People with ‘Machiavellian’ traits are unemotional and regularly deceive and manipulate others.

People with Machiavellian traits tend to agree with statements like these:

1. “It is hard to get ahead without cutting corners here and there.”
2. “Never tell anyone the real reason you did something unless it is useful to do so.”
3. “It is safest to assume that all people have a vicious streak and it will come out when they are given a chance.”
4. “It is wise to flatter important people.”

Common signs and examples of Machiavellianism

Seven common signs and examples of a Machiavellian personality are:

1. Competing with others rather than cooperating.
2. Manipulating others in order to reach their goals.
3. Luring others into wild behaviour to further their own ends.
4. Making plans for personal benefit with no consideration of their effect on other people.
5. Promoting their own interests.
6. Minimising or controlling other people’s power of influence.
7. Failing to share critical information with others, if it suits their interests.

Whether in the home or the office, Machiavellians display all these sorts of devious behaviours and more, but do it as subtly as possible.

Machiavellians, though, are not obsessed with being the centre of attention, though, like some other dark personalities.

Professor Birgit Schyns, a psychologist and expert on organisational behaviour, along with colleagues, writes:

“Machiavellians are sly, deceptive, distrusting, and manipulative.

They are characterized by cynical and misanthropic beliefs, callousness, a striving for … money, power, and status, and the use of cunning influence tactics.

In contrast to narcissists, Machiavellians do not necessarily have to be the center of attention and are satisfied with the role of puppeteer, unobtrusively pulling the strings.” (Schyns et al., 2019)

Unsurprisingly, Machiavellianism is a personality trait linked to infidelity, along with the other dark triad traits of narcissism and psychopathy.

People high on any of these traits are more likely to cheat.

Unfortunately, then, Machiavellian traits are sometimes attractive — at least a dark and brooding appearance that suggests Machiavellianism is more attractive to some women, one study finds.

What is Machiavellianism? Traits and examples

Those with Machiavellian traits — named for a 15th century Italian diplomat — are very good at getting others to do what they want by using lying and flattery, as needed.

Their motto, if they had one, would be: “The ends justify the means.”

In other words, do whatever you have to in order to get what you want.

They understand what motivates other people and display cold selfishness in getting it from them.

Despite this, they are so good at manipulation that they are often well-liked by others who do not realise their evil intentions.

One study of popularity among teenagers found that those with a classic ‘Machiavellian’ personality are both feared and loved at the same time.

It is a great example of how Machiavellians can be aggressive when they need to be, but can quickly switch to being nice.

The Machiavellian personality is one of the so-called ‘dark triad’ of malevolent personality types.

Drs Daniel N. Jones and Delroy L. Paulhus, experts on dark personalities, explain:

“They were so named because individuals with these traits share a tendency to be callous, selfish, and malevolent in their interpersonal dealings.”

The Machiavellian personality

While most people know about psychopaths and narcissists, few have heard of Machiavellianism — perhaps that is the way they prefer it!

Machiavellian people’s personality tends to be disagreeable and undependable, which leads them to lie, cheat and betray, when it suits them.

Unlike the psychopath, the Machiavellian keeps a close eye on his or her reputation.

The Machiavellian personality type is named after a 15th century politician, Niccolò Machiavelli, Jones and Paulhus explain:

“Early in the 16th century, Niccolo Machiavelli acted as chief political advisor to the ruling Medici family in Florence, Italy.

The details of his counsel are well known because Machiavelli laid them out for posterity in his 1513 book, The Prince.

The gist of his advice for maintaining political control is captured in the phrase “the end justifies the means.”

According to Machiavelli, a ruler with a clear agenda should be open to any and all effective tactics, including ‘manipulative interpersonal strategies such as flattery and lying.”

The quotes are from Jones & Paulhus (2009). Machiavellianism. Handbook of Individual Differences In Social Behavior.

.

Introvert personality traits mean a person may make a better psychologist, enjoy alone time, have more satisfying relationships and more…

An introvert is not necessarily shy, but is particularly interested in their own mental states.

They may seem reserved, but an introvert gains energy through reflecting internally.

As a result, an introvert tends to enjoy activities that are done alone, such as reading and writing.

Typically, an introvert is not particularly attracted to large groups and gatherings, preferring a quieter environment.

That does not necessarily make an introvert socially anxious.

Being less social is a preference, not a pathology.

What is an introvert personality?

Introversion is one of the five major traits of personality.

A person who is introverted tends to focus more inwards, concentrating on their own thoughts, feelings and moods.

As a result, they seek less stimulation from the outside world.

Like all personality traits it exists on a continuum, in this case with extroversion at the other end.

So, most people have a balance of introverted and extroverted traits — this is known as an ambivert.

However, some people are at the extreme end of the spectrum.

Strong introverts tend to be reserved, quiet and introspective.

They find too much social interaction draining and tend to gain energy from spending time alone.

Causes of introversion vs extroversion

A popular early theory of introversion and extroversion by the psychologist Hans Eysenck argued that it is down to the excitability of the brain.

Introverts, he argued, naturally have high cortical arousal levels, so need less stimulation from social interaction.

Like other personality traits, though, genetics and the environment likely interact to influence people’s levels of introversion.

Studies of twins suggest around 50 percent of introversion is inherited.

It is certainly true that people who are inhibited as children tend to grow up into reserved introverts.

Inhibition as a child involves cautious, fearful and avoidant behaviour towards unfamiliar objects, people and situations.

Types of introvert traits

Like all human being, introverts come in all sorts of different types.

It can be difficult to tell some people are introverts because the way they behave may mask it.

Another kink is that people often have a mix of introverted and extroverted traits.

One study has suggested that introverts come in four different types:

• A social introvert: the classic introvert who prefers small groups to crowds.
• An anxious introvert: shy people who want to interact with others, but are afraid.
• A thinking introvert: daydreamers with creative imaginations.
• An inhibited/restrained introvert: those who think before they act.

Common signs of an introvert personality

Some of the most commonly cited signs of introversion are:

• Being around people drains your energy
• Preferring a small group of close friends
• Enjoying solitude
• High self-awareness
• Preferring to be quiet
• Learning by watching
• Stimulation leaves you distracted and unfocused

However, here are some more less well-known signs of introversion.

1. An introvert makes a better psychologist

People who are sadder and more introverted are the best natural psychologists, scoring highest on tests of human nature.

Being a good natural psychologist stems from having a more accurate view of oneself and of others.

The fact that introverted people do better on these tests is fascinating, Mr Gollwitzer, the study’s author, said:

“It could be that the melancholic, introverted people are spending more time observing human nature than those who are busy interacting with others, or they are more accurate at introspection because they have fewer motivational biases.

Either way, though, this demonstrates an unappreciated strength of introverts.”

2. Introverts prefer mountains

‘Introverts prefer mountains’ is one of the conclusions of a series of recent studies on the link between personality and place.

People view mountainous areas as being more peaceful and calm.

Extroverts, meanwhile, tend to prefer flat, open areas.

These are viewed as more exciting, sociable and stimulating.

The study also found that introverts are, indeed, more likely to live in mountainous areas, while extroverts tend to live on the flat.

3. Introvert alone time

Introverts prefer to have more alone time.

Wanting to be alone is not necessarily a red flag for depression or isolation.

In fact, choosing solitude can be a sign of self-acceptance and personal growth.

Periods of solitude can provide spiritual renewal, critical self-reflection and even a chance for creative expression.

Wanting to be alone is not necessarily about shyness or loneliness.

Dr Virginia Thomas, an expert on personality, says both introverts and extroverts need solitude:

“Introverts just need more of it.

Our culture is pretty biased toward extroversion.

When we see any sign of shyness or introversion in children, we worry they won’t be popular.

But we overlook plenty of well-adjusted teens and young adults who are perfectly happy when alone, and who benefit from their solitude.”

4. Introverts deal better with poor sleep

Introverts are naturally better at dealing with sleep deprivation after a busy day of social interactions, research finds.

Despite being kept awake for 22 hours, introverts remained more alert than extroverts when tested the next day.

It may be because introverts generally have higher cortical arousal.

In contrast, extroverts are vulnerable to sleep loss after interacting with many people during the day.

The introvert’s ability to resist sleep loss could be down to genetic factors.

5. Introvert relationships are satisfying

Introverted women are less likely to cheat on their partner.

An introvert tends to enjoy more solitary activities, preferring to think before they talk and enjoys focusing their mental energy inwards.

In contrast, women who are highly extroverted are more likely to cheat on their partner.

Similarly, women who are introverted are satisfied with their marriages for longer.

6. Introvert musical preference

There are some links between musical preferences and personality.

Those listening more to rock, indie or alternative music tend to be more introverted.

Also, a preference for emo music reveals an emotionally unstable, introverted personality.

7. Better general knowledge

An introvert with a more stable personality is like to have higher levels of general knowledge.

General knowledge — or as psychologists call it, crystallised intelligence — is one of two broad aspects of intelligence.

General knowledge is often linked to success in life because innate talent is not enough — application matters.

8. Introversion vs. shyness

Many people make the mistake that introversion is the same as shyness.

Extroverts assume that introverts do not want to interact because they are fearful.

The truth is that many introverts do not get the same pleasure out of social interactions as extroverts, so they avoid it.

An introvert frequently chooses to stay away from others, but is not afraid to go near them.

Being less social is a preference, not a pathology.

Introversion and social anxiety

Social anxiety involves worrying about being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others.

It is more than being shy — the fear can be so great that the social situation can only be born with considerable distress.

While introverts are not necessarily socially anxious, the personality trait can put them at a higher risk in combination with other factors.

The two personality traits that mark out people with social anxiety are being introverted and emotionally unstable.

People who are emotionally unstable — also known as neuroticism — often experience higher levels of anxiety.

The combination of introversion and emotional instability is the ‘typical’ form of social anxiety disorder.

.

How Facebook updates can reveal narcissism and low self-esteem.

People habitually posting to Facebook about exercise, diets and accomplishments are more likely to be narcissists, a study finds.

And bragging about accomplishments does tend to attract more attention from friends.

The study’s first author, Dr Tara Marshall, said:

“Although our results suggest that narcissists’ bragging pays off because they receive more likes and comments to their status updates, it could be that their Facebook friends politely offer support while secretly disliking such egotistical displays.

Greater awareness of how one’s status updates might be perceived by friends could help people to avoid topics that annoy more than they entertain.”

The study also found that people who post updates about their current romantic partner are more likely to have low self-esteem.

People who are more conscientious tended to write more updates about their children.

Here are some other associations the study found between personality and Facebook use:

“…extraverts more frequently updated about their social activities and everyday life, which was motivated by their use of Facebook to communicate and connect with others.

People high in openness were more likely to update about intellectual topics, consistent with their use of Facebook for sharing information.”  (Marshall et al., 2015).

The conclusions come from surveys of 555 Facebook users.

Dr Marshall continued:

“It might come as little surprise that Facebook status updates reflect people’s personality traits.

However, it is important to understand why people write about certain topics on Facebook because their updates may be differentially rewarded with ‘likes’ and comments.

People who receive more likes and comments tend to experience the benefits of social inclusion, whereas those who receive none feel ostracised.

The study was published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences (Marshall et al., 2015).