Personality Types: Can We Mold and Shape Ourselves in Today’s Society? I have ever found yourself in a public setting, one thing was abundantly clear: some people are more gifted at expressing themselves to acquaintances and strangers than others. In basic terms, people are divided into two categories according to the personality traits and behaviors they exhibit on a regular basis. These groups — created by the late Carl Jung — summarize the patterns we express to others and give us an identity that we can call our own. If you’ve ever wondered if an introvert can become an extrovert, of if extroverted individuals can showcase introverted behavior, you’ll want to keep reading.
Your Personality and Behavior Is Not Set in Stone
Within the world, we can easily see how people misunderstand the role that personality types play within our lives. For outsiders, upper management and team leaders are positions often filled with extroverted types: people who have no problem communicating or expressing ideas to others. Following this false sense of belief, we begin to notice that the intricate parts of the business are filled with quiet, reserved individuals that work best on their own, or in small groups.
Although this type of categorization may seem true from the outside, it’s important to note that every individual has traits that fall both into the introvert and extrovert categories. While we may find that we keep to ourselves in a professional setting, being vocal and expressing ideas with accurate fluency becomes easy in personal situations. Reliable statistics now reveal that introverted individuals makeup between 16% and 50% of the general population. While these people may not be as known as their extroverted counterparts, they play a vital role in how society — both personal and professional — operates today.
Can You Change Your Label?
In simple terms: yes, you can change your behavior according to your will. The way that we act on a day-to-day basis is, ultimately, learned behavior that we’ve accumulated over the years. The way that we can begin changing our thought patterns and actions is by placing focus on our daily habits. Instead of turning the other cheek during a dire situation, speak with clarity and voice your opinion to those around you. You may be surprised to find that people are not only proud to hear you speak up, but take heed to what you say and act accordingly.
Start Your Journey Today
As you can see, although we lean towards one persona type more so than the other on any given day, we are not tied to the labels that modern psychology has created. Jung understood this and expressed a great deal of admiration for those individuals that step outside of their comfort zone and speak their mind, even when it feels unnatural or uncomfortable. For those of you that wish to become more aligned with your true self, start now and realize that no one is holding you back except your own limitations that you’ve acquired throughout your life!
