It is very fascinating to see the uniqueness and complexity of human
personality and motivation. I enjoyed learning more about the history
of psychology dealing with the big questions of what influences
people in different ways. I have always been curious about what
makes someone more reserved or aggressive among many other
traits. When reading the break downs in this class about humans and
how our brains work it always makes me analyze my own
characteristics. These tests were great for confirming things I already
knew and realizing things about myself that I was blind to.
a I scored a 38/50 on the grit scale. So, I see myself 60% grittier than
most Americans. This sounds pretty accurate to me. I have a lot of grit
in many areas, but sometimes I lose focus. I have had a hard time
narrowing a specific goal down because I have so many things I want
to be great at. But realizing that with the time I have, if I do not
choose something to work hard at, I will not master anything. This is a
big part of why I chose to pursue a degree in psychology.
a Now, for my Big Five Personality Test results I was surprised how
spot on all of the feedback was. I scored very high in openness,
47/50. I am highly curious, ask a lot of questions, and love to learn. I
was impressed that the test determined that I like to be more
spontaneous rather than stick to a routine. This is tricky because I
want both sometimes. I like trying new things, but yes, the downside
is that sometimes I have a tough time sticking to long-term goals
(depending on how important they are to me). I do believe that
maturity changes some of these traits in some people though. I
scored 35/50 on the conscientiousness portion. I am dependable and
organized (at most times). Many questions that were asked I found
myself saying, "depends on the situation." The extraversion portion
was absolutely correct. I got a 39/50. I was surprised that it picked up
on my personality being in between the two extremes. I feel that so
many people these days are saying they are either an extravert or
introvert. I always felt I carried a few traits from both sides. In
agreeableness I scored 37/50. I am very sensitive, so this was
accurate. But I do have trouble trusting people. Maybe because I was
too trusting in the past and that shines through in my personality. In
emotional security I scored 33/50. I have had bad moments in my life
where my bad moods got the best of me, but overall, I am pretty
optimistic, and I try to stay calm in stressful situations. So, this was
accurate for the most part. It was nice to have an assessment of my
personality even if everything was not completely on the dot.
a Knowing this information is important to see where I have matured
over the years. I do believe that some traits come more naturally to
some. This is also true with your grit level. Who you are around can
influence your personality and grit. But sometimes it is just in you to
be who you are. I think knowing this information is a great way to
understand your own psychology as well as others. It is helpful to
know that there are people on every spectrum of the tests and scales.
a I agree with Rita Pierson's take on emotional connection to long-
term goals. Without the drive to accomplish something many would
not see a reason to. Many people have an emotional situation happen
in their lives that cause them to want to pursue a certain field, job,
hobby, etc. My drive for a lot of what I do comes from wanting to be
successful for my children. But also, from my background to prove
that I can achieve it. These motivational drives have many emotions
connected to them.
a As of today, I am my own champion. I like that this was an option to
the prompt. I have many people that I look up to, but I am very proud
of myself for accomplishing all that I have. I am learning to love myself
and accept that it is okay to be happy. I want to be a champion in my
children's eyes and therefore I want to see myself in that light.
Because I am a champion, I know that I can handle whatever comes
my way. This is a major influence on the grit and motivation I have.
Knowing that I have overcome many things, I can be sure that I will
not give up.
a Grit and personality connections:
o Self-care: When trying to achieve a long-term goal, self-care is
very important. If you do not find time to care for your mental
stability than you will get burnt out.
o Social justice: These traits for personality and grit have a lot to
do with how social justice is perceived and ruled. With the
evolution of information on how we are all different, our social
justice guidelines tend to change with that.
o Emotional intelligence: I believe that grit and personality evolve
with your emotional intelligence in many ways. Your motivation
can also help you grow in other areas.
o Career connections: To have grit means you are more likely to
succeed in your career. Your personality also should fit your
chosen field.
o Ethics: When dealing with grit and personality some people
have more ethics than others. If all you care about is achieving
your goal, you may disregard certain ethics.
