Humans are a highly complex species. Human personality is multifaceted and the way we respond is highly subjective. Psychology is a science that attempts to study the wonder that is the human mind and till date there is no fool proof measure to any psychological attribute that is thoroughly and undeniably accurate. The reason being, how very individualistic human behaviour is. We all have our own individual strengths, our preferences, our dislikes and yes we all differ in our perceptions of things, people and events and the way we respond to them.
The word personality was derived from the Latin word ‘Persona’ meaning a kind of ‘mask’ used in ancient times. As with the origins of the term, the word personality does call to mind an extremely intricately woven collection of characteristics that together make up what we call ‘the personality’ of a particular individual. What is interesting about a subject like psychology, is the numerous live examples we get to encounter on a daily basis. When talking about a person and his/ her behaviour as a by-product of his/her personality, we look at the situation, the surrounding and yes the internal makeup of the person. How the same person reacts and behaves in various contexts is truly a wonder to behold. You may not have realised how behaviours change for one simple reason, we all have this inborn tendency to show of ourselves what it is we want the other person to see.
There is this concept called the ‘Johari window’ that explains the varied nature of the human self and the way an individual understands himself, as a person and in relation to others. According to this model, there are four sides to an individual. Like the 4 panes of glass in a window. The first is the part that we are aware of and others know too, this is called the open or free part. The next bit is the bit that we are unaware of but others around us can see, hence we are ‘blind’ to this area and thus this area is called the blind area. The third part, known as the ‘hidden’ part is the area of ourselves we are very aware of but we hide from those around us. And finally, the last area is called the ‘unknown’, the part of ourselves that we don’t see and neither do those around us. This model describes the multidimensional characteristic that adds to the splendour of our species.
You may have noticed a number of occasions when you watch a person you have known for ages behave very uncharacteristically. People are pushed to behave differently in various situations like when threatened by an external force, when hurt, angered, when in love, when he/she is trying to impress a love interest or a boss and many such situations. The complex nature of man sometimes doesn’t allow for rational thought to prevail, times where we succumb to pressures to alter ourselves to meet the expectations of others or at times to convince others of our importance. There have been times when we have definitely been short-changed because of how another has gained mastery over the art of masking their true self and thus caused us to seem like the lesser good in the various games we continuously engage ourselves in. There are some who are just great at donning the correct mask in the presence of the right person. The folly lies in the eyes of the one who takes things at face value. The one who’s blind sighted by the personality that supplies the strokes that were craved by the ego.
In my life, both career wise and personally, I have had the wonderful opportunity to come across a huge array of personality types that have created a deeper interest in understanding the nature of human behaviour in all its frilled and flounced glory. Being aware of what is before you, can save you a lot of time in righting a few wrongs and pushing things to a level that can bring only positive change. It is highly essential to understand the complexities of the individual before you. Flattery is one of the easiest, most useable weapons we have in a storehouse of tricks and the part of the window that includes the area of ourselves we try to hide from others is full of our little misleading resources. Real success of anything or anyone comes from finally being in the open part of the window. Trying to bring all the parts of self to the first area, where you are completely aware of who you are and are confident enough to let others see you for who you are as well. Being who we are, being the way we are, being comfortable in our skin and letting our actions speak is crucial. Underhandedness, deceit and treachery are weapons of the weak. Letting go of the masks we have collected and hidden behind will eventually set us free and make for a much more trustworthy and open world. One free or pretence, just pure, clean unmasked living.
