Human Being and Personality
Core concepts
Understand the triad individual - individuality - personality. The individual is any single representative of the species; individuality is the unique combination of traits; personality is the stable system of socially significant qualities formed in activity and communication. Know the biological (temperament) versus social (character, values, self-concept) basis of personality, and the concepts of socialisation (primary and secondary), social role, and status.
Traps
A common error is equating personality with inborn traits. Questions test that temperament is inherited and relatively stable, while character is formed socially. Another trap: confusing social status (position in a group) with social role (the expected behaviour attached to that status). Watch for the term needs: biological (food, safety) versus social (belonging, recognition) versus ideal/spiritual (knowledge, beauty). Maslow's hierarchy is often misread - lower needs must be reasonably satisfied before higher ones dominate, but this is not absolute.
Worked example
A stem describes a person who is naturally calm and slow to react but who has become disciplined and responsible through work. Question: what is temperament and what is character? Rule of thumb: whatever is described as innate, stable, and emotional-tempo related is temperament; whatever is described as formed through activity and carrying moral/social evaluation is character. The calmness is temperament; discipline and responsibility are character.
Rule of thumb
If a trait carries a moral judgement (honest, responsible), it belongs to personality/character; if it is a tempo of reaction (fast, slow, intense), it belongs to temperament.