What Is Character? Discover The 8 Character Types According To Psychology
Are we who we think we are? Do you know that there are different types of character? Discover how to know yourself better and identify yourself in one of the most common character types in psychology.
When we say that a person has character We normally associate it with someone who usually has a strong personality and a lot of self-confidence. Although we all use these words in our daily lives, the reality is that a person’s character is a completely different concept from what we indicate when we use it recurrently in our vocabulary. In fact, there are different types of characters with which we could identify.
He character It is not innate, it is learned. From the moment we are born, we are an organism in constant interaction with the environment, and from it we receive a series of reinforcements,”positive and negative“, that is, they will greatly condition what we identify with and what we do not, our identity accepted and adapted to the environment, and the consequent shadow, that which was originally part of our being but that had to be repressed. That will remain, luckily, properly stored, in our unconscious.
Thus, during the first stages of our childhood, we are going to reinforce all that scaffolding of behaviors, beliefs, values, automatisms, etc., which will end up becoming our character structure It happens that in our earliest childhood, from birth until we are 6-7 years old, we do not yet have this forged defensive system, a psycho-emotional apparatus that filters and protects us from harm. And we are all going to receive some type of damage, whether by default or excess. So there is a “primal wound“, probably what Freud already pointed out as “trauma“That is, as an organism in interaction with the environment we are going to receive different stimuli and responses, both pleasant and unpleasant, but in some of the stages, that displeasure is going to be so intense that it is going to leave us.”fixed“especially in her.
Our character structure will then find a nucleus around which it can be formed. In this way, the character definition It could point out the distinctive traits that make us behave in one way or another in front of others.
What is character for?
He character It is therefore a defensive system against pain. He “software“The character will greatly condition our psychological-emotional apparatus (the dynamic part of the character), which will be rooted and maintained in the “hardware“, our organism, and especially our skeletal and muscular structure, and our respiratory pattern (the static, rigid part of the character). Now we have a psycho-emotional apparatus that “protects“Yes, but that’s not us. No”we are“because anesthesia helps us not feel pain, but once we are anesthetized, we are anesthetized for the rest of the emotions. In this way, a person’s character can be modified through inner work and with a lot of personal effort.
Difference between character, temperament and personality
The difference between character and temperament It is basically that one, the first is acquired and the second is innate. In this way, while temperament is a part of us that we cannot modify, character can be molded through time and personal effort or the experiences we live.
On the contrary, the personality and character They can be differentiated, since the first is a pattern of behavior and thought that remains almost stable in most events in our lives. In this sense, character is more subject than personality to the different social interactions and the influence we receive from others.
Psychologists have detected different types of characters. Among the most common character examples we find the following.
1. Phlegmatic character
The character phlegmatic and its meaning It implies that the person is very calm, that is, they tend to be patient, introspective and controlled. In this way, they have a very calm appearance and tend to persevere in the face of the different difficulties that may arise.
Balanced
Reflective
Organized and responsible
Not very expressive
Too rigid
2. Choleric character
When we refer to a choleric, the meaning It points to a person who easily adapts to all the events that happen around him. They also tend to have a good humor, although they also tend to get angry suddenly.
They take little time for their personal relationships
They carry out many activities at the same time
Impatient
Low tolerance for frustration
High responsibility
With lots of energy
Ease of problem solving
3. Sanguine character
Have a sanguine character It implies that it is a practical attitude as they are usually a calm but energetic person. These types of characters usually have a facility for abstract thinking and are characterized by relating very well to others.
Optimists
Loving with others
They focus on short-term goals
Difficulty planning for the future
Little depth in your relationships
They can resort to lying
4. Apathetic character
The people with an apathetic character They usually have some difficulties both in showing interest and in relating to other people. That is why when someone has one of these types of characters they usually pursue loneliness.
Melancholic
Little motivation
conformists
Quiet
With confidence
5. Passionate character
The passionate character indicates a great ease in moving, acting and achieving what one wants. For this reason, people with one of these character examples They tend to be very passionate about what they do.
The sentimental character traits They are mainly characterized by the ability to feel emotions in a very strong way. That is why they usually have problems, since they suffer from ups and downs and sometimes they are not comfortable with themselves.
Shyness
Loners
Somewhat pessimistic
Lack of trust
Little motivation
Lack of emotional stability
Great quality in your relationships
7. Nervous character
A person who shows a nervous character He usually experiences everything that happens to him in a very intense way. That is why one of these examples of character tends to change their mood very easily and expresses it through a very energetic attitude.
Emotional
Energetic
Lots of activity
open
Lots of social activity
Difficulty making decisions
Anxiety
Poor ability to concentrate
happy
8. Amorphous character
When we refer to a amorphous person, we are pointing out those individuals who tend to be lazy, disorderly and conformist. So much so that these types of characters live in the present and do not think about the consequences of their actions in the future.
Carefree
Unpunctual and not very polite with others
Chaotic in their plans
They delegate their responsibility to others
Kind and sincere
They focus on the present
Have a character or other It does not imply being better or worse. As we have already said, character is a part of us that we can modify with effort and personal work. In many cases, consultation with a mental health professional will be necessary to modify our character. The important thing here is to know yourself and know what to improve to live a fuller life.
