Personality development: what is it and what are the stages?

05/21/20215 minutes read 428

More recently, society equated the development of a person and his personality with the degree of education, level of income, and life. It was believed that the more wealth, the higher the development. Now this can be disputed, since there is absolutely no connection between personal development and material wealth. The level of personal development is determined through understanding one’s being, purpose, awareness of oneself and one’s life, the formation of consciousness and self-awareness.

Each person comes into this world as a “clean slate” and throughout his life he learns, develops and improves. Development occurs in society and is greatly influenced by socialization. Personality develops only through interaction and contact with other people.

Alone with oneself, without exchanging information, impressions, emotions and feelings, the development process is simply impossible. Outside of society, a person lives in the environment of the “animal world” and there is simply no need to improve his consciousness, personality, spiritual qualities, or develop his talents, it is not interesting, such a need and desire does not arise.

What is personality?

There is no single, established, generally accepted definition of personality—it is a complex, multifaceted concept. A large number of different descriptions have been assigned to this phrase at different times.

Personality is a part of social and cultural life, which is endowed with reason, ethical principles, moral qualities, and spirituality.
A person who has a certain set of psychological properties that determine his behavior, relationships with society, and his difference from other people.
A person who independently builds his life, according to his own rules and concepts, bears full responsibility for it.
A system of individual, social and psychological characteristics, as well as typological properties.
An accomplished person, with his own individual system of values, behavior, and habits.

Cyata The main life task of a person is to give life to himself, to become what he potentially is. The most important fruit of his efforts is his own personality.

Erich Fromm

Personality structure

Personality structure is a combination of various character traits, talents, abilities, degree of emotionality, reactions to external events, temperament, willpower, feelings and perceptions, interests and beliefs. These properties and differences are many, so there is some structure to separate them.

First level. Here are all the innate properties of the psyche, as well as gender and age, that is, qualities given by nature.
The second is abilities, talents, consciousness, memory, that is, those qualities that depend on innate factors and their development.
The third is individual experience, which includes knowledge formed in the process of life.
The fourth and highest is formed throughout life, this is the orientation of the individual, accumulated experience and knowledge, interests, views, beliefs and worldviews, formed character. This level is maximally connected with upbringing, rules and traditions of the family, society and its ideology in which the person grew up and lives.

It is necessary to distinguish between these levels in order to characterize personality. The differences between people are huge and varied, since at each level there are large differences in interests, skills, views, values, character, so it is sometimes difficult to understand the actions and words of another person. To do this you need to have sufficient knowledge and good observation skills and experience. Let us now consider personality traits and their features.

Stage-by-stage formation of personality in psychology

It is customary to distinguish the following stages of personality formation in psychology:

The desire to communicate or, on the contrary, to withdraw from people, which begins in the first year of life. Here the basis is contacts with adults, built on emotions.

Gaining independence and confidence manifests itself in a child by the age of three through objective activities that allow him to get to know the things around the baby.

Active exploration of the world, thanks to the child’s natural curiosity. At this stage, which lasts up to 13 years, communication and work skills develop. They train through role-playing games during their studies.

Puberty, the choice of life values, and profession should be completed by the age of 20. Intimate communication and educational and professional activities play a key role here.

Implementation of plans, realization of one's own capabilities, enjoying the results of work, raising children - lasts up to 60 years.

The final stage is considered to be deepening into creativity, analysis and rethinking of life and actions.

It turns out that personality and its formation are not considered in psychology as a static structure. On the contrary, it is believed that an individual goes through a number of stages of development throughout his life.

Key personality traits

Personality properties are a set of certain, established and individual qualities of a person that determine his interaction with society, that is, his activities and relationships with others. The main personality traits are character, temperament, will, abilities, motivation and emotions.

Character
- this is a way of relationship with the surrounding society and the world acquired under certain conditions. This is a style of behavior, a reaction to current events. The manner of behavior can be soft and delicate, or it can be unceremonious and rude. It all has to do with character. When we discuss a person, words such as strong personality, leader or weak leader, confident character or quiet character are often used.
People with strong character are characterized by self-confidence, calmness, focus and consistency, and perseverance. The weak, on the contrary, are famous for their chaotic actions, weakness of will, hysteria, isolation and anxiety.
Experts divide character traits into several groups:
Communication traits
- this is the interaction of a person with society: sociability or isolation, goodwill, distrust, secrecy.
Read also: Dad died - how to survive the death of your father: what to do, how to live after his death, how to cope with the loss, accept and come to terms. Advice from psychologists and priests on how to cope with the loss of a father
Strong-willed traits.
Persistence, perseverance, willpower, or lack thereof.
Motivational Traits
- this is determination, traits that support a person’s activity.
Instrumental
- traits that give a certain style to behavior.
Will
This is a person’s ability to influence and control the psyche and their actions. Thanks to the will, it is possible to control one’s behavior and certain events; a person influences the processes in the world around him and makes changes that are important for him. Most often, willpower is associated with making important, correct and conscious decisions, but for this it is necessary to overcome certain difficulties and obstacles, and make a lot of effort to implement your plans.
Will always implies self-restraint, self-control, that is, a person needs to give up something in favor of something more important and correct, deprive himself of what is attractive for the sake of what is conscious, true and important.
The main feature of the will is the presence of moral satisfaction as a result of the implementation of the plan. An interesting fact is that this does not bring emotional joy in the process of implementation. The entire spectrum of inner strength is aimed at conquering oneself. The stronger a person’s will, the easier he copes with difficulties and the more rapidly he develops.

Take the willpower test: Study of volitional regulation

Temperament
is a set of characteristics, mental properties that determine a person’s states, his behavior and mood, the rate of change in these states, and emotional stability.
The following property is emotions.
These are individual experiences, they can be positive and negative, pleasant and unpleasant. There are several types of emotions:
Simple emotions, experiences associated with meeting needs.
Feelings are a set of experiences associated with a specific object or objects.
Affects are acute, vivid emotions, characterized by short duration and high intensity, a reaction to a specific stimulus.
Passion is a strong emotion that cannot be controlled.
Stress is a complex of negative emotions and the physical state of the body, psychological and emotional overload.

Emotions have a huge impact on life and its quality. People's emotional states vary greatly. In particular, the speed of reaction to certain events, emotional excitability, duration of experiences, the predominance of positive or negative emotions, the frequency of these experiences and their direction. Under the influence of his emotions, a person performs certain actions, actions, and makes decisions.

Motivation
- this is a set of reasons that determine the behavior of an individual. Motive is the basis, psychological urge or impulse responsible for purposeful active behavior. It can be conscious or unconscious. Motivation depends on a person's need, desire, need, intention and motivation. Motivation is the main and main “fuel” for a person; thanks to it, he sets goals, achieves them, and develops.
Capabilities
- a high level of skills that are necessary to perform certain tasks or solve cases. This does not apply to acquired knowledge; on the contrary, thanks to abilities, certain knowledge and skills were obtained and used.

Ciata The most hopeless thing in the world is to try to accurately determine a person’s character. Each personality is a tangle of contradictions, and even more so a gifted personality.

Theodore Dreiser

The most important factors influencing the formation of a successful personality

A person's personality develops over a long period of time. During this process, the individual’s worldview, moral principles, and priorities change. The formation of personality and how successful a person becomes in life depend on these conditions.

Factors in the formation of a successful personality are as follows:

Balance. The first step to a person’s success is harmony between the inner and outer world. It is possible if the individual knows who he is, what he wants and how to achieve it.
Assertiveness. It is an important aspect on a person’s path to success. If he tries until he gets the desired result, works for what he wants, the dream will definitely come true thanks to the efforts made.
Determination. If actions are performed purposefully, have a logical basis and comply with moral principles, the individual develops.

If these factors are present, a person will be able to achieve his goal in the shortest possible time.

Who and what influences the process of individual formation

The process of personality formation occurs under the influence of a number of factors. There are 4 main sources from which an individual draws knowledge and experience. Let's consider what factors influence the formation of personality:

Heredity. This factor determines a lot in a person: it is he who lays the foundation for the formation of personality.
The world. From it a person gains knowledge and experience. The environment in which a child grows and develops leaves a serious imprint on his psyche. If he lived in poverty, as an adult a person tries to save and plans expenses wisely, even if he has enough money.
Education and training. Parents and other adults surrounding the child convey their experiences to him through communication. It is from them that children first learn about the dangers and joys that occur in life. The values and moral guidelines that parents give to a child remain with him for life. The same applies to psychological trauma suffered at an early age. Children also adopt the behavior of their parents, and as adults they often project images of loved ones onto their partners.
Own experience. This is a decisive factor in the formation of personality. When experiencing certain events, a person becomes aware of them and draws conclusions. The experience gained is considered unique. It is he who gives the individual an impetus for self-development and allows him to move on.

There is also a fifth criterion, without which the formation of a person as an individual is impossible. It's called attachment. This feeling can arise in relation to people or things, ideas.

It is very important to understand who and what influences a person to a greater extent in the process of forming his personality. In this way, it is possible to correct the influence of these factors on the individual.

Internal attitudes under the influence of which a person is formed

Internal attitudes are part of an individual's worldview. They are a kind of foundation and influence the mechanisms of personality formation.

The first internal attitudes are instilled in a person by parents. Over time, they change under the influence of society and the individual’s immediate environment.

Harmony of external conditions and personal characteristics as a decisive factor

Harmony between personality characteristics and the conditions surrounding it is an extremely important criterion for further development.

For example, people who are talented from birth often stop working on themselves and improving, which is why they miss the chance to succeed in a particular field. Here there is a conflict of an internal nature (the individual is too self-confident) and external (the innate talent is not enough to move up the career ladder or develop in the creative field).

We also must not forget about the factors influencing the formation of personality and the conditions in which the child grew up and was raised. If they were initially bad, but the person had enough motivation to grow, he defeated external factors. The opposite situation also happens: a child spoiled in childhood does not want to develop and make independent decisions, which is why he stagnates or even degrades.

Personality types

Back in Ancient Greece, the philosopher Hippocrates identified several temperaments of people, according to which they are divided to this day.

Melancholic people.
Vulnerable, sad and gloomy individuals with a bad mood and attitude towards life, with little energy, laziness, apathy and anxiety.
Cholerics.
Hot-tempered, unbalanced, hot-tempered, impulsive, eccentric and unrestrained people.
Sanguines
- cheerful optimists with a wonderful sense of humor, loving life in all its manifestations. Easy-going activists.
Phlegmatic people.
People are passive, lacking initiative, prone to inaction more than to activity, but at the same time they are distinguished by perseverance and perseverance, unresourceful conservatives who find it difficult to adapt to changes in life and in the world.

Please note: It is worth noting that no type of temperament occurs in its pure form. Each person has a basic, predominant type of temperament; in certain life scenarios, he develops it or suppresses it, and also manifests and combines other types.

According to Jung’s theory, there are only two personality types: extroverts and introverts, and the differences between them are in the peculiarities of their perception of the world and everything that happens around them. Extroverts love the world around them and interact with it as much as possible, they are sociable, friendly and open, while introverts try to isolate themselves from everyone, they are withdrawn and strive for solitude.

Each type corresponds to a specific temperament. So extroverts are choleric and sanguine, while introverts are more phlegmatic and melancholic. These are the most basic characteristics of temperament types, but they are far from the only ones in their classification; thanks to them, it becomes easier to identify a person, his manner of behavior and communication, to assume his reaction in certain situations, and the pace of activity.

Knowing your predominant type of temperament and the types of people around you, you can build relationships much easier and understand who you should have them with and who you shouldn’t, who you should trust and who you shouldn’t. This knowledge will be useful in business, in love, in friendship, in any interaction with society.

Take the test and find out who you are: Extrovert or introvert

It is worth noting that there are no bad or good types; each temperament has its own positive and negative traits.

Until what age is personality formed?

The final formation of individuality occurs around the age of 25. However, this age threshold can vary depending on many factors, so it is impossible to say unequivocally at what age personality is formed.

The formation of a person’s individuality occurs throughout life. Character, internal attitudes and worldview tend to change due to the experiences that an individual acquires.

The stages of personality formation are conventionally divided according to the person’s age and the skills he acquires:

From birth to 1 year. The child begins to interact with the world around him and acquires a number of skills, learns to walk, sit, and hold his head.
From 1 year to 3 years. At this age, the child is guided by basic instincts, but already copies certain elements of adult behavior. He is especially sensitive to how his parents treat him, they are so patient and understanding.
From 3 to 6 years. During this period, children train to interact with peers, get to know themselves and other people, and learn to build the first relationships in their lives. A special role at this age is played by educational games that shape the child’s mental abilities.
From 6 to 12 years. A child goes to school and gains experience interacting with a new society, in which he has to learn to take responsibility, study regularly and improve his knowledge. At the same age, interests and predispositions and hobbies are most easily identified.
From 12 to 16 years old. Adolescence is one of the most difficult years in both the life of a child and the life of a parent. Most often this is due to misunderstanding and a desire to express oneself on the part of the child. As teenagers approach the age of 16, they decide on their area of interest and begin to strive for a specific profession. If a child develops a hobby or interest, parents need to support this interest in every possible way.
From 16 to 23 years old. An individual learns a profession and realizes that he is an important unit of society. At this age, he often begins to earn money, sets goals, and makes attempts to separate from his parents and live an independent life. The formation of the organism and body is completed, the young man directs his forces to improve it.
From 23 to 30 years old. Most often, at this age, an individual is concerned with finding a partner and a place in life. Many people are concerned about existential questions about the meaning of life. The stage of independent existence begins.
From 30 to 70 years. At the beginning of this stage, people often face dissatisfaction with their lives and the results of their work. The period of crisis is replaced by a “second wind”, which allows you to survive all the changes and accept them. At this age, people, as a rule, delve deeper into the development of work skills and hobbies.

The described stages of an individual’s formation may shift and occur a couple of years earlier or later. This refers to the peculiarities of personality formation. It all depends on what experience was gained and what conclusions were drawn from it by the person.

Levels of personality development

Each person is unique, each has his own character, personal qualities, temperament, his own habits and dreams, aspirations, understanding of happiness and grief. Let us now consider directly the levels of personality development and their characteristics. In fact, this is what a person can and cannot do, this is the degree of strength of his personality and aspirations.

Improvement does not stop throughout life, from birth to death. Ideally, every person should go through all levels of personality development, but in reality this is not always the case. A large number of the planet’s inhabitants live their entire lives in one state, without thinking about improvement; also, often the transition can be carried out not only forward to a new stage, but also back to the previous one.

Cyata I'm like a man who slept for half his life and is now trying to find out who he was while he slept.

Daniel Keyes

Basic provisions of the Makarenko system

Many teachers, seeing children marching in formation, fell into horror. Makarenko’s personal development program gave brilliant results - but, as they believed, “the methods were not right.” The main idea of the teacher was the following: children can and should work. But now the time of child labor is prohibited. In fact, the Makarenko system is implemented only in some private enterprises.

Makarenko’s personal development program was based on discipline, which, at the same time, was not a method of education. Rather, order was its result. For the teacher, education was not a reading of morality - it was strictly established orders, the organization of the life of the colonists. The interests of the individual were always subordinated to the interests of the collective if the individual opposed public opinion. At the same time, Makarenko advocated democratic relations in the team and the possibility of creative self-expression. The teacher created all the conditions to ensure that the psychological climate in the colony was favorable. One of the main means of education was a mandatory regime for everyone. The regime must be precise and expedient.

Makarenko’s works were greatly influenced by the works of M. Gorky. The writer is known for having an optimistic approach to human nature, believing in his strength, and this is reflected in Makarenko’s concept of personality development. The teacher believed that the responsibility that a teacher bears is worth learning from Gorky. After all, the writer, having the ability to see the best in a person, was never moved by these traits and did not lower the bar of requirements.

Which personality is at which level?

First
- this is the satisfaction of one’s basic needs, ensuring one’s safety: food, sleep, shelter, clothing. There is no fear of lost opportunities. Moral, ethical principles, spirituality, goals - all this is not inherent in a person at this stage. In a word - survival. It is surprising that it is at this level that a person feels as happy and carefree as possible. He doesn’t have to worry about self-improvement, there are no high expectations, he is absolutely satisfied with the “work-home-rest” order.
Second.
This is where the largest number of people are. A person whose basic needs in the form of food, sleep, safety are closed, begins to be interested in entertainment and pleasure. This includes sex, more expensive and tastier food, arrangement of your home, comfort, and entertainment. Communication means, gadgets, televisions come first, and with them social networks, talk shows, gossip, scandals, concerts.
At this level, problems with alcohol, drugs, and gambling often begin, since the need for pleasure can be satisfied in the simplest, most accessible and easiest way. At this stage, the feeling of happiness is lower than at the first level, because the person is no longer completely satisfied with his life, and cannot satisfy all his desires. An interesting fact is that the higher the level, the lower the feeling of happiness.
Third level
personality organization. At this stage, there is no longer enough pleasure and satisfaction. I want something more, more money, more space to live, more success and achievements. A person wants a calling, to create something of his own, to make his contribution to the lives of other people, to increase his significance, to change the world around him. He realizes his enormous inner potential, his limitless possibilities and begins to strive to improve his life, enrolls in all kinds of trainings and self-improvement courses. The realization that ordinary pleasures no longer bring joy leads to the abandonment of bad habits and addictions. At this stage, people do not feel happy in the life they have.

There are a lot of mistakes and failures at this level. This stage can drag on for many years: the search for oneself, one’s recognition, one’s true goals. At this level, a person gains a huge amount of experience, knowledge and skills, and also begins to take care of his body, introducing a healthy lifestyle. But the feeling of joy, happiness in life is almost zero. There are even returns to the past period. Without these transformations, the personality will not move to the next stage. But as soon as this difficult part is passed, life will radically and radically change.

Fourth
– a turning point, a transition from the social level to the spiritual. The main difference between these periods is that now the person no longer focuses on himself and his family, but thinks about the people around him, the world, and realizes a great desire to care, help, teach, and make someone’s life easier. The idea of self-importance fades into the background, and satisfaction of the needs of other people comes to the fore. This does not mean that one’s own success and achievements are no longer interesting, but the importance of it is reduced. The need to prove one's worth to society disappears.
A global reassessment of values is taking place; family, children, and parents are on the pedestal. A person finally accepts himself as he is and no longer tries to change anything about himself through force, stops judging and discussing other people, and becomes sensitive and attentive. I no longer want to control everything, but want to devote my time to what I like and brings me joy. The transition to this level takes a lot of time, effort, and effort, but it changes life radically, it slows down, you no longer need to rush, you don’t want to rush anymore.
Fifth
- sage level. At this level, a person’s consciousness is as pure as possible, he is interested in deep events and processes of existence, his eyes are opened to the world around him, the essence of what is happening is very different from what levels 1-3 see. There is a complete revaluation and rethinking of values, life, debunking of myths, stereotypes, worldly ideals, and spiritual aspects. Such a person is able to influence thousands of people, lead them, change the real world to suit his vision. Balance in all aspects of life no longer disturbs anything.
Sixth level
personality development. At this stage, a person becomes the leader of a huge number of people, they follow him, listen to him, trust him, imitate him, copy him. These people are capable of changing the world, they have an unlimited source of energy, they are aware of life, their thinking is so large-scale that it allows them to change foundations, ideologies, and systems. Such a person can bring the world both enormous benefit and destroy everything to the ground. If energy is directed towards creation, then progress for all humanity will be ensured. A person stops all kinds of suffering and experiences, and there comes complete acceptance and understanding of his life.

Can levels change and how?

There are many classifications of personality development, but this is the most basic and frequently used. There is another level - enlightenment, but not everyone approaches this level. All development processes are closely tied to life lessons and events, which, by the way, are not always positive. It is impossible to skip one stage and immediately move on to another; you will still have to catch up by returning to the previous stage.

If a person is stuck at any level, it means he has not yet received the necessary life lesson, or has received it, but has not realized it, everything will come in due time. The main meaning of development is from self-affirmation to caring for loved ones. Perhaps, due to an unlearned lesson, he will return to the previous level, and perhaps remain there for the rest of his life.

Ciata Be what you want to appear.

Socrates

Conclusion

Knowing the basic concepts of personality development, you can significantly influence the process of its formation. This knowledge is indispensable when raising children, as well as for working on oneself and drawing up a plan for personal development. Creating a favorable environment for personal growth requires certain efforts, as well as spiritual, time, and monetary costs. Such expenses are necessary in order for the child’s positive qualities to develop and the motivation for activity to increase. But popular wisdom says: “trees grow on stones.” Even if there are environmental factors and one must remember the proverb - heredity is far from ideal, a person has a chance to improve his life and increase even the small potential that he has.

Topic: Personal growth

Help from a psychologist

What level are you at now, where you need to strive, what lessons and what idea a certain situation wants to convey to you, a psychologist will help you sort out all these points, with him you will realize your mistakes or your purpose much faster, you should not neglect the help of a specialist if you decided to improve. If your request is self-actualization as the pinnacle of personal development, seek the help of a psychologist. This is long and sometimes painful work, but achieving your maximum, unlocking your potential 100% is worth it.

The information presented in this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace professional advice from a physician. If you are experiencing anxiety from an overwhelming desire for revenge, consult a specialist!

Author: Anna Zabrovskaya

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