To What Degree a Personality is Innate or Learned?
The debate about the origins of human emotions, behavior, and character, has been around since time immemorial. Philosophers and psychologists has been protecting their point of views fervently, but they have not reached a consensus yet. The belief, that human traits are innate, is prevalent nowadays; but it remains a controversial issue, for both side have solid arguments. Defining personality as a philosophical term is the crux of the matter, as one cannot argue about the nature of human character without determining what personality comprises.
Before embarking on the exploration of the secrets of personality, it is indispensable to strip personality of other notions that are commonly considered synonymous to it. Although this term relates solely to human beings, it is in fact beyond the physical dimension. A human being can be defined as a living organism of the homo sapiens species, that possesses certain behavioral patterns, that are unique to these species. Personality, however, includes spiritually elevated characteristics, that defy scientific explanation, and need to be examined in isolation. Whenever we call someone a coward, or a hero, a man of high moral standards, or a moral monster, we actually evaluate his personality, rather that him as a human being. Unlike human body, personality is impervious to physical decay and death. Personality keeps living in any possible dimension, and it only dies when it is caused to forget.
It is, however, a delusion, to assert that personality has nothing to do with the human body. One becomes aware of the deeper meaning of personality by looking and the roots of this word. The word “personality” derives from a Latin root “persona”, meaning "face". In a system as complex as human body, everything is interconnected: one cannot be genuinely happy in a sick body. It is common knowledge, that a minor a change in a body can alter one's mood and affect their mentlity (Griffiths, 2009). What is more, any modification of a body is triggered by the spirit, e.g. it is personality and mentality that urge a human to change their appearance, to keep their inner and outer world balanced.
Personality is a multifaceted phenomenon; it is formed by personal requirements, interests, peculiarities of temperament, emotions, willpower, motivation, value orientations, independence of thought, consciousness and self-consciousness (Spirkin, 1983). It is indispensable for a person to have a world outlook; this is, in fact, the foundation, that underlies the uniqueness of a human. One needs to take the historical context into consideration to analyze a personality; yet it is the specific worldview of a person challenging the norms and values of a given historical period, that distinguishes him from others.
The notion of personality is inseparable from culture and education. While scientists argue, that human beings are just another species of mammals, it is natural for humans to perceive themselves as superior to the rest of the living world. This stems from a broader notion of anthropomorphism, …
