What is a person's character
Character Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
5 ENTRIES FOUND:
- character (noun)
- character actor (noun)
- character assassination (noun)
- special character (noun)
- test (noun)
character /ˈkerɪktɚ/ noun
plural characters
character
/ˈkerɪktɚ/
noun
plural characters
Britannica Dictionary definition of CHARACTER
1
[count]
:
the way someone thinks, feels, and behaves
:
someone's personality
— usually singular
-
He rarely shows his true character—that of a kind and sensitive person.
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This is a side of her character that few people have seen.
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the different aspects/facets of her character
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— often used before another noun
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Certain character traits are helpful in the teaching profession.
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Pride, his one character flaw, caused his downfall.
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2
[count]
:
a set of qualities that are shared by many people in a group, country, etc.
— usually singular
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the character of the American people
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the character of a nation
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the French/Japanese/Mexican national character
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3
a
:
a set of qualities that make a place or thing different from other places or things
[count]
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the wine's distinctive character
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the unique character of the town/city/region
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[noncount]
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◊ If something is in character with something else, it has the same qualities or characteristics as something else.
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b
[noncount]
:
the qualities or characteristics that make something interesting or special
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The room lacks character. [=there's nothing special about the room]
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Their house has a lot of character.
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4
[count]
:
a person who appears in a story, book, play, movie, or television show
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The film's main characters are a woman in her late 30s and her elderly neighbor.
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She plays the film's lead/main/central character.
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a fictional character [=a character in a work of fiction]
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a popular cartoon character
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the title character of the book Tom Sawyer [=the character named Tom Sawyer]
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— see also cast of characters at 2cast
5
[count] informal
a
:
a particular type of person
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b
:
a person who says or does funny or unusual things
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That husband of yours is a real character!
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She's quite a character.
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6
[noncount]
a
:
the good qualities of a person that usually include moral or emotional strength, honesty, and fairness
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She's a kind and honest person of good character.
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They believe that going to church will improve the moral character of their children.
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He is admired for his strength of character in stressful situations.
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Playing sports is seen as a way to build character in young people. = Playing sports is seen as character-building for young people.
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◊ A test of (your) character is something that is difficult and that requires you to show that you are a good and emotionally strong person.
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b
:
the usually good beliefs or opinions that most people have about a particular person
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They defended the character [=reputation] of their friend.
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an attack on his character
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7
[count]
:
a symbol (such as a letter or number) that is used in writing or printing
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the Chinese character for “water”
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The line is 30 characters long.
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— used to say that some action or behavior is or is not like someone's usual way of behaving
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It was entirely in character for a generous person like her to give him the money.
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His rudeness was completely out of character. [=he is not usually rude]
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Character Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
[ kar-ik-ter ]
/ ˈkær ɪk tər /
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See synonyms for: character / characters / characterless on Thesaurus.com
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun
the aggregate of features and traits that form the individual nature of some person or thing.
one such feature or trait; characteristic.
moral or ethical quality: a man of fine, honorable character.
qualities of honesty, courage, or the like; integrity: It takes character to face up to a bully.
reputation: a stain on one's character.
good repute.
an account of the qualities or peculiarities of a person or thing.
a person, especially with reference to behavior or personality: a suspicious character.
Informal. an odd, eccentric, or unusual person.
a person represented in a drama, story, etc.
a part or role, as in a play or film.
a symbol as used in a writing system, as a letter of the alphabet.
the symbols of a writing system collectively.
a significant visual mark or symbol.
status or capacity: the character of a justice of the peace.
a written statement from an employer concerning the qualities of a former employee.
Literature. (especially in 17th- and 18th-century England) a formal character sketch or descriptive analysis of a particular human virtue or vice as represented in a person or type.Compare character sketch.
Genetics. any trait, function, structure, or substance of an organism resulting from the effect of one or more genes as modified by the environment.
Computers.
- any symbol, as a number, letter, punctuation mark, etc., that represents data and that, when encoded, is usable by a machine.
- one of a set of basic symbols that singly or in a series of two or more represents data and, when encoded, is usable in a computer.
a style of writing or printing.
Roman Catholic Theology. the ineffaceable imprint received on the soul through the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and ordination.
(formerly) a cipher or cipher message.
adjective
Theater.
- (of a part or role) representing a personality type, especially by emphasizing distinctive traits, as language, mannerisms, physical makeup, etc.
- (of an actor or actress) acting or specializing in such roles.
verb (used with object) Archaic.
to portray; describe.
to engrave; inscribe.
OTHER WORDS FOR character
5 name, repute.
14 sign.
See synonyms for character on Thesaurus.com
QUIZ
ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ
There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!
Question 1 of 7
True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.
Idioms about character
- in harmony with one's personal character or disposition: Such behavior is not in character for him.
- in accordance with the role or personality assumed in a performance: an actor in character.
- out of harmony with one's personal character or disposition: Her remarks were out of character.
- away from the role or personality assumed in a performance: The actor stepped out of character.
in character,
out of character,
Origin of character
1275–1325; <Latin <Greek charaktḗr graving tool, its mark, equivalent to charak- (base of charáttein to engrave) + -tēr agent suffix; replacing Middle English caractere<Middle French <Latin, as above
synonym study for character
1. Character, individuality, personality refer to the sum of the characteristics possessed by a person. Character refers especially to moral qualities, ethical standards, principles, and the like: a man of sterling character. Individuality refers to the distinctive qualities that make one recognizable as a person differentiated from others: a woman of strong individuality. Personality refers particularly to the combination of outer and inner characteristics that determine the impression that a person makes upon others: a child of vivid or pleasing personality. 5. See reputation.
OTHER WORDS FROM character
char·ac·ter·less, adjectiveun·char·ac·tered, adjectiveWords nearby character
Chapultepec, chaqueta, char, char-à-banc, characin, character, character actor, character armour, character assassination, character code, character dance
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
MORE ABOUT CHARACTER
What does
character mean?A character is a person in a story, as in Princess Leia is my favorite Star Wars character.
A character is someone who appears in a story, whether the story is fiction or nonfiction. It can also be used to refer to a role in a play or film that an actor plays, as in Tony’s character in the play doesn’t have any lines, but he’s still important to the plot.
Character is also the collection of features and traits that make a person’s image and personality, as in Ishir’s character was one of honesty and friendship. If someone seems characterless, they don’t have traits that stand out, although everyone has personality traits.
Character can also refer to a person’s moral or ethical quality. If you are a person of good character, you are trustworthy and reliable.
Related to that, if you have character, you are honest and courageous or have integrity.
Additionally, a character is a specific symbol or image that is used in writing messages. The words you are reading are written in letters, or characters, that make up the Latin alphabet. Punctuation marks and numerals (1, IX) are also characters. They are called symbols as well.
Example: I can’t believe that my favorite character died in the show last night.
Where does
character come from?The first records of the term character come from around the 1270s. It ultimately comes from the Greek charaktḗr, meaning “graving tool or its mark.” A character meaning “mark” can refer to a symbol or a letter.
In acting, the idioms in character and out of character are used to describe whether an actor is speaking as their role (in character) or as themselves (out of character). You can also use these idioms to describe how someone is acting. If your brother usually sleeps until noon, it is in character for him to sleep until noon and out of character to sleep only until 10 am.
Did you know … ?
How is
character used in real life?As a letter or symbol, character almost always references a written work. As a trait, it normally references a specific person.
if you wanna see the true character of person watch the way they treat someone who can't do anything for them.
— ye (@kanyewest) April 19, 2018
Reading lots of feedback regarding Dragon Age, and I think you’ll be relieved to see what the team is working on. Story & character focused.
Too early to talk details, but when we talk about “live” it just means designing a game for continued storytelling after the main story.
— Casey Hudson (@CaseyDHudson) January 25, 2018
why does creating a password require a capital letter, number, special character, and math problem but someone can just accidentally press the wrong button to send ballistic missle alerts
— manny (@mannyfidel) January 13, 2018
Try using
character!Is character used correctly in the following sentence?
It takes a lot of character to leave your hometown and start all over.
Words related to character
aspect, cast, humor, kind, nature, personality, quality, sense, spirit, style, tone, type, courage, intelligence, name, figure, role, appearance, attribute, badge
How to use character in a sentence
When I was offered this, I was extremely pleased because he’s an interesting character.
Christopher Plummer on his new series ‘Departure’ and acting in different formats|radmarya|September 16, 2020|Fortune
In preparing to play the twisted character, Paulson studied the novel and the film in detail and even borrowed some gestures from the movie.
‘Ratched’ brings back iconic cinematic villain|Brian T. Carney|September 16, 2020|Washington Blade
A recent survey from the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, for example, found that 38% of characters featured in advertisements at the 2019 Cannes Lions festival were people of color, compared to 26% in 2006, the earliest available data.
The insidious racism in today’s TV ads|Sarah Todd|September 13, 2020|Quartz
While for the video titles, we don’t have too many characters to work with, the video description field allows more characters than enough, so take the full advantage of those.
How to get your YouTube videos appear in Google’s video carousel|Ann Smarty|September 11, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Female speaking characters have only marginally increased over the last 13 years, reaching 34% in 2019.
Despite some gains in the past year, Hollywood still has inclusion problems, study says|radmarya|September 10, 2020|Fortune
Taraji manages to bring an equal measure of truth to the mother in her character.
‘Empire’ Review: Hip-Hop Musical Chairs with an Insane Soap Opera Twist|Judnick Mayard|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I still do find it a tremendously useful device to invent a character and have the character sing the song.
Belle & Sebastian Aren’t So Shy Anymore|James Joiner|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
You were basically the guy to do every dictator or crazy character, from Gaddafi and Ahmadinejad to Bin Laden.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Our fans have seen all our sketches, so we wanted to give them something a little deeper about each character.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Forget those silly “games played with the ball”; they are far “too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind.”
Forget the Resolutions; Try a Few Declarations|Kevin Bleyer|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
I, therefore, deliver it as a maxim, that whoever desires the character of a proud man ought to conceal his vanity.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
It is the development of character, the triumph of intellectuality and spirituality I have striven to express.'
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
She never realized that the reserve of her own character had much, perhaps everything, to do with this.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
Messa urges the king to send a new governor, and gives his advice as to the character of him who should be sent.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XX, 1621-1624|Various
Some peculiar lines between these contracted brows gave a character of ferocity to this forbidding and sensual face.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
British Dictionary definitions for character
character
/ (ˈkærɪktə) /
noun
the combination of traits and qualities distinguishing the individual nature of a person or thing
one such distinguishing quality; characteristic
moral force; integritya man of character
- reputation, esp a good reputation
- (as modifier)character assassination
a summary or account of a person's qualities and achievements; testimonialmy last employer gave me a good character
capacity, position, or statushe spoke in the character of a friend rather than a father
a person represented in a play, film, story, etc; role
an outstanding personone of the great characters of the century
informal an odd, eccentric, or unusual personhe's quite a character
an informal word for person a shady character
a symbol used in a writing system, such as a letter of the alphabet
Also called: sort printing any single letter, numeral, punctuation mark, or symbol cast as a type
computing any letter, numeral, etc, which is a unit of information and can be represented uniquely by a binary pattern
a style of writing or printing
genetics any structure, function, attribute, etc, in an organism, which may or may not be determined by a gene or group of genes
a short prose sketch of a distinctive type of person, usually representing a vice or virtue
in character typical of the apparent character of a person or thing
out of character not typical of the apparent character of a person or thing
verb (tr)
to write, print, inscribe, or engrave
rare to portray or represent
Derived forms of character
characterful, adjectivecharacterless, adjectiveWord Origin for character
C14: from Latin: distinguishing mark, from Greek kharaktēr engraver's tool, from kharassein to engrave, stamp
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for character
character
[ kăr′ək-tər ]
Genetics A structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or a group of genes.
Computer Science A symbol, such as a letter, number, or punctuation mark, that occupies one byte of memory. See more at ASCII.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for character
character
A person in a literary work. For example, Ebenezer Scrooge is a character in A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with character
character
see in character; out of character.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
what it is and types of human characters
The typology of characters is very conditional. This is just an attempt by psychologists to classify the types of personalities in order to simplify their analysis. Therefore, there are many theories in this area. Freud, Jung, Hahnemann, Leontiev and other well-known specialists tried to give the concept of the term "character" and systematize its varieties. To better understand yourself and build productive relationships with others, it is enough to know the types of temperament and some basic types of personalities.
What is a person's character?
Character is a set of stable mental properties that determine the characteristics of behavior and building relationships. It is interconnected with other aspects of the personality, for example, with the temperament that determines its external expression. What type of character you have is influenced by social conditions. To determine its appearance, one must rely on a set of traits that are divided into:
- Certain . One or more traits dominate.
- Undefined . There are no dominant characteristics.
- Inconsistent . When the awareness of the goals and actions of the individual is dissonant.
- Solid . Absence of contradictions.
Types of human character.
4 types of character depending on temperament.
Depending on the prevailing qualities of character and reactions to different situations, 4 temperaments are distinguished: phlegmatic, choleric, sanguine and melancholic.
Take a temperament test
1. Phlegmatic.
He is distinguished by slowness, his mood changes slightly, at least outwardly he shows emotions almost imperceptibly. He is persistent in his work, he relies on quality, not speed. In most situations, he is calm, rarely loses his composure and balance. Phlegmatic people are diligent, they try to bring what they started to the end. They are better than others at work that requires perseverance and increased attention.
Strengths: | Weaknesses: |
---|---|
peace of mind; cheerful disposition; tact; reliability; practicality; complaisance; organization; balance; conservatism. | timidity; passivity; stinginess; indecision; selfishness; closeness. |
2. Choleric.
Passionate, quick in reactions, emotional, quick-tempered. The mood is changeable, such a person is quickly depleted. Differs in sharpness in movements, decisions and statements. It quickly lights up, but under adverse conditions it can turn into aggression.
Strengths: | Weak Traits: |
---|---|
activity; assertiveness; decisiveness; confidence; independence; strong will; daydreaming; pragmatism; creativity. | pride; self-confidence; sarcasm; authority; cruelty; deceit; tension; anger; inattention to others. |
3. Sanguine.
Alive, mobile, everything is burning in his hands, his mood is changeable. A person with this type of character quickly reacts to changes and adapts to them. Failures cannot stop him, he quickly moves away from them. Emotional in expressing feelings, with active facial expressions. If the work is interesting to the sanguine person, he will do it quickly, revealing his potential, otherwise, he is indifferent to work.
Sociable, honors himself in a relaxed way in a new society. Multi-tasking, can be a leader, perform several tasks at once, or monitor the execution of processes.
Strengths: | Weaknesses: |
---|---|
enthusiasm; compassion; friendliness; generosity; talkativeness; carelessness; cordiality. | boasting; disorganization; noise; timidity; selfishness; weakness of will; restlessness; imbalance. |
4. Melancholic.
Emotionally unstable, such a person is easily hurt. He is always worried about something, impressionable. Among melancholics, pessimists and introverts are most often found. With such a character, a person worries even over trifles. In a new company, they feel awkward and withdrawn, they try not to change anything in their lives, most often because of fear.
Positives: | Negative Traits: |
---|---|
fidelity; aesthetics; giftedness; perfectionism; selflessness; discipline; analytical mindset. | exactingness; pessimism; selfishness; vindictiveness; severity; isolation; touchiness. |
Five factor model.
Among other theories about the typology of personalities, the five-factor model put forward by R. McCrae and P. Costa in 1992 deserves attention. According to it, each person can be characterized by 5 personality factors.
1. Extrovert - introvert.
These types of character affect the public sphere.
Extroverts tend to be assertive. As a rule, they are optimistic, sociable, cheerful. They have well-developed social skills, a sense of humor, they are not afraid to express their opinion, they feel relatively easy in a new company. Such people avoid loneliness, try to be surrounded by people, they have many friends.
Introverts are shy and withdrawn, they behave aloof. It is difficult for them to get along with other people, they often become anxious, unsure of themselves. From the outside, it may seem that they are unfriendly, although they are more likely not able to build relationships than they do not want to. Introverts don't like large crowds.
Take the test: introvert or extrovert?
2. Emotional instability - stability.
Neuroticism is associated with maturity.
The nature of people of the neurotic type suggests the predominance of negative emotions - anxiety, fear, anger. This negatively affects the mood, causes constant anxiety, generates impulsiveness, craving for risky activities. Neurotic people are more prone to depression and phobias.
Emotionally stable people, on the contrary, are reliable and have strong will. During difficult situations, they are firmly on their feet, it is difficult to unsettle them.
3. Isolation - accommodating.
These character traits show a disposition towards other people, a craving for collectivism or individualism.
Accommodating or friendliness is inherent in altruists, generous, able to sympathize and help other people. Such people are generous, ready to support emotionally.
People with a separate personality type are egocentric, compete.
4. Responsibility - lack of self-control.
We are talking about the ability to plan, about self-control, purposefulness.
Responsible people rely on rules, are disciplined but rigid, and often lack the ability to be creative. They are characterized by scrupulousness, punctuality, ambition. Spontaneous decisions are unusual for them, sometimes they are boring.
People who lack self-control are spontaneous in their decisions and actions, know how to enjoy life, often behave irresponsibly. They succumb to laziness, do not differ in the strength of the water.
5. Open to experience - conservative.
It is about the ability to think critically.
People who are open to experience have their own values, they like to argue, ask questions. They are distinguished by artistry, originality, high intelligence. They have a developed imagination, they are independent, curious.
Conservatives prefer traditions, stability, they are attached to family values, rarely change anything in life.
In its pure form, specific types of human character are extremely rare. More often than not, people have dominant traits or a combination of several personality types at once. Character changes with age, experience, living in certain situations. 9Ol000 overhearing their conversation on the bus?
Can what they say and how they express their thoughts tell you about their personality? What if you read a short story? Is the character of its author visible through the lines?
We are often told to think carefully before speaking. But it turns out that the words with which we formulate our thoughts can tell much more about us than what we are trying to convey to the listener.
Researchers have found a lot of evidence that our ability to express thoughts - in a conversation or a note in social networks - allows us to accurately determine our character. Even the choice of email can be quite telling.
At first glance, there is nothing surprising here. Of course, extroverts* talk more and louder than their more reserved counterparts. They also tend to speak faster.
(*The article uses the names of personality traits according to the model accepted in modern psychology, which consists of five main aspects: openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism. - Rev. )
Extrovert women love to communicate in groups chat rooms, and introverted men are more likely to talk to themselves.
- How divorce affects our personality
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A few years ago, a group of researchers led by Camille Bückeboom at the Free University of Amsterdam conducted a small experiment.
The researchers asked a group of 40 volunteers to look at several photographs of different social situations and describe aloud what is happening in them.
Researchers have found that extroverts tend to express themselves in the abstract, while introverts tend to be more specific.
Extrovert: "This article is great."
Introvert: "This article is very informative."
Image copyright, Getty Images
Caption before photo,Like all extroverts, Muhammad Ali was garrulous and spoke loudly
This is consistent with other studies. For example, that introverts (English-speaking, in this case) often use the articles the / a, which are necessary to describe individual objects or events.
They usually express their opinion carefully, using words with the meaning of doubt ("maybe", "probably"), as well as concepts that can be defined in specific numbers.
Extroverts: "Let's go eat" .
Introverts: "Maybe we should have a sandwich y? "
From the point of view of psychology, this is quite reasonable. The life of many extroverts is more eventful. They tend to drink more alcohol, have more sexual partners, and are more risk-averse than introverts.
And consequently, in speech they are also more self-confident: they boldly operate with facts, express their thoughts more spontaneously and are prone to exaggeration.
The relationship between personality and speech is also reflected in writing.
Researchers Jacob Hirsch and Jordan Peterson of the University of Toronto asked students to describe their past experiences and plans for the future.
Researchers noticed that participants who scored high on extraversion were more likely to use words that describe relationships. Which is quite justified, since extroverts lead an active social life, experts noted.
It's not just about extroverts and introverts - other aspects of personality are also reflected in speech.
People who are open to experience talk a lot about feelings, anxiety and self-doubt "penetrate" in the speech of neurotics, and in the speech of responsible individuals - words associated with achievements and professional activities.
Neurotic: "I'm so sad."
open experience
Responsible : "We can work on it."
Image copyright Getty Images
Photo caption,Broad-minded people often use verbs with the meaning "to write"
Personality types are also clearly reflected in the writing of works of art.
In 2010, German psychologists conducted an experiment in which they asked 100 participants to write a short story and use five clue words: "plane crash", "maid", "fireworks", "middle ages" and "supermarket".
The study found that the writings of broad-minded participants were more original, while well-meaning individuals were more likely to write about relationships between people.
Interestingly, when a group of subjects were shown the stories of other participants and asked to identify the personality traits of their authors, they did so quite accurately. At least in relation to such personal characteristics as openness to experience and goodwill.
The mentioned studies predominantly analyzed monologues. What about communication with others?
One such experiment showed that if you gather introverts in the same room, their conversations will eventually boil down to discussing problems: "I will look for a new apartment because my roommates drive me crazy."
Image copyright, Getty Images
Caption before photo,...While extroverts often use verbs meaning "drink"
Extroverts' conversations usually cover a wide range of topics, and they are more often devoted to pleasant things and entertainment: "I love to run" and "Steinbeck is an amazing writer."
But again, this is in line with what many people already know: extroverts, more than others, know how to simply enjoy life.
Of course, today we communicate mainly in chats, emails, blogs and social networks.
It turns out that we also discover the features of our personality in the virtual space.
- Facial recognition technologies - progress or threat?
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin analyzed the content of about 700 blogs totaling hundreds of thousands of words.
They found that the words their authors used were generally consistent with how they described themselves. For example, those who rated themselves as a pleasant person used noticeably fewer swear words.
Researchers, however, went even further, trying to trace the relationship between personality traits and the use of certain words.
They found, for example, that open-minded people more often used verbs with the meaning "to write", and extroverts - with the meaning "to drink".
Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,Famous transvestite actor RuPaul describes himself as an introvert, well disguised as an extrovert. Like all introverts, he tends to formulate his thoughts more specifically
Analysis of Twitter posts reveals a similar situation.
Extroverts talk more about positive emotions and social situations.
And neurotic (or emotionally unstable) personalities, as a rule, use the first person singular pronouns - "I" and "me" more often.
Extrovert: "We are so happy!" .
Neurotic: "I had a good time."
It's hard to believe, but the relationship between personality traits and speech is so consistent that participants in the same experiment accurately identified the personality of people they didn't know just from their tweets.
In fact, we always try to figure out what kind of person is in front of us, almost subconsciously analyzing how he talks.
The process of evaluating other people is almost inevitable. One email address or social media name is enough to get us started to form our impression of another person.