Key Takeaways
- High levels of conscientiousness can tip into perfectionism, which can be addressed by intentionally making small mistakes or not meeting excessively high standards.
- Acting in a certain way can change one’s perception of themselves, as seen in the case of the author who became more sociable after six weeks of experimentation.
- Practicing positive thinking and intentional behavior can lead to significant improvements in personality traits such as extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
- Small, deliberate changes in behavior can have a profound impact on one’s overall personality and well-being.
Introduction to Personality Dimensions
Neuroticism is not the only personality dimension that can cause psychological vulnerabilities. According to experts like Sauer-Zavala, high levels of conscientiousness can also be a source of issues, as it can tip into perfectionism. This is a trait that the author of the article can relate to, as they have a tendency to compulsively check and re-check their work before sending it off. This behavior is not only time-consuming but also leads to unnecessary stress and anxiety.
The Dangers of Perfectionism
The interventions suggested by Sauer-Zavala for addressing perfectionism are simple yet effective. She recommends intentionally making small mistakes or not meeting excessively high standards. For example, she suggests sending an email with a typo or leaving work at five o’clock every day. These small actions can help individuals break free from the cycle of perfectionism and develop a more balanced approach to their work and personal life. The author of the article tried to put this into practice by stopping themselves from doing a final-final-final check on a piece of corporate work and just sending it off. Although they couldn’t help but open it again afterwards and spot a perceived error, they realized that it didn’t matter in the slightest and quickly forgot about it.
Experimentation and Results
The author of the article underwent a six-week experiment to see if they could change their personality traits through intentional behavior and practice. By the end of the experiment, they didn’t feel radically different, but they did feel pretty good. They re-took a personality test and found that they had made significant improvements in certain areas. For example, they had shifted from the 30th percentile to the 50th percentile on extraversion, and from the 50th to the 70th percentile on agreeableness. They had also shown a marked improvement on neuroticism, dropping from the 83rd percentile to 50th. These results suggest that practicing positive thinking and intentional behavior can lead to significant improvements in personality traits.
The Power of Self-Perception
The article highlights the importance of self-perception in shaping our personality traits. The author found that acting in a certain way can change one’s perception of themselves. For example, they had previously thought of themselves as not outgoing and sociable, but after six weeks of socializing with strangers and having a good time, they realized that they were indeed sociable. This change in self-perception was reflected in their personality test results, which showed a significant improvement in extraversion. This suggests that our behavior and actions can have a profound impact on our self-perception and overall personality.
Conclusion and Future Directions
The article concludes that small, deliberate changes in behavior can have a profound impact on one’s overall personality and well-being. By practicing positive thinking and intentional behavior, individuals can make significant improvements in personality traits such as extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The author’s experiment shows that it is possible to change one’s personality traits through practice and intention, and that these changes can have a lasting impact on one’s life. Further research is needed to fully understand the relationship between personality traits and behavior, but the results of this experiment suggest that individuals have the power to shape their own personality and well-being through deliberate practice and intention.