Allison Mao Week 1: Different Identities to Different Eyes
There's been something that I've been curious about for quite some time–do we all act differently towards different people? Or is it odd to act differently in front of certain people? If it’s normal to change the way we act around different people, then what is our true personality? An “identity” is defined as “something that you give yourself. It has to do with what you stand for, morals, values, etc. It is who you are physically and legally,” while “personality” is defined as “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character” and it “is how you portray or ‘live in’ your identity.” If personality is the way you choose the convey your identity and you choose to act differently around different people, do you have a set personality? This has always made me curious, especially considering how many people are portrayed.
To some people, I’m considered hyper, to others I’m shy. I bet other people see me in a multitude of different ways as well, and it’s hard for me to imagine acting in one way towards everyone. I’ve noticed over the years that I often mold the way I act to fit the people around me, to a degree that I’m comfortable with. If a friend is hyper, I also tend to act more hyper. If someone is more serious, I tend to follow suit. This is even more obvious when I talk to my friends online. If my friends talk in all caps or use more emojis, I do the same, even if I don’t usually text that way. I think this is their enthusiasm rubbing off me, and that this isn’t uncommon.
If I act differently all the time, then how can I answer people when they ask what my personality is? Is your “true” personality how you act around most people? Or what you’re most comfortable with? Or how you want others to see you? I feel like I usually see personalities as how most people see me, as I think there are some similarities to the ways I act. Because of this, I wonder how authors treat these situations when they work on designing their characters. Is that the reason characters sometimes seem sort of plain in media and stories? Many characters are often known for acting a certain way, such as the “rude” character acting rude to everyone, or the “hyper” character always acting hyper, whether to a stranger or a close friend. Are there people in real life just like this? What do you think?
Hi Allison! I think your article is very thought-provoking and something we can all relate to. It is true that we all have different personalities around different people. I think our "true" personality is more consisted of our values, beliefs, and core characteristics. I think believe being adaptable is a good and normal trait to have.
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ReplyDeleteHi Allison! I think your article is really intriguing, and I had never really thought of personality in the way that you described it. It got me thinking, and I was able to relate to what you were saying, especially about how your personality is different depending on the person you speak to. I believe that people tend to change their personality depending on who they are with. For example, some people tend to be more social and loud in smaller groups, whereas they are quiet in larger groups. I also think the questions you asked in your last paragraph were thought-provoking, and is engaging to the reader.
ReplyDeleteHi Allison! I really like how your article is relatable and engages the reader in the blog. The blog captures my attention and makes me feel like I am in an actual conversation. It's true that people often struggle to define their personality when they act differently in various situations. In my opinion, there are individuals, even at school, who assume multiple roles. When you're talking to someone, there comes a point where you have to adapt your personality to match the other people in order to keep the conversation flowing. Our true personality comprises our core beliefs and characteristics, which only surface when we are being our authentic selves. I would definitely recommend providing the connections you make from the different personalities to real-life experiences in one paragraph and also elaborate more on what “true” personality is.
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