Often in everyday language it is customary to use the concept of personality in relation to a person who either has some talents, outstanding abilities, or has proven himself in his field of activity so brightly that they then say: “What a man! What a personality”, “What a strong personality”, “Famous personality”. It sounds like not every person can become a person. But is it? Is a five-year-old boy who attends kindergarten already a person? Is the cook who has been cooking lunches for the children in the school canteen for ten years a person? To debunk such misconceptions, it is worth clarifying the subsequent chain of concepts.
From person to individual
Psychology is, in a certain sense, an exact science. And it also has its own laws, principles and structures. Perhaps many issues remain controversial, but the concept of personality has its place and definition. It cannot go absolutely separately from such concepts as: person, individual, personality, individuality. It is in the middle between biological and social.
Here, a person is born, as a species of mammals homo sapiens, a man erect, possessing the highest mental function - consciousness. All healthy people have the same body structure, the body systems work the same way, and the development program is set in the same way. A man is born individual with its biological and genetic characteristics (different appearance, growth parameters, physique, features of the development of brain functions and the nervous system). The individual becomes personality. The key word here is becoming. This does not mean that the baby is just an individual. His personality is just being formed and will develop throughout the rest of his life. This will be a process of personality development.
And the highest stage of its development is to become and individuality(uniqueness in individual properties that make it inimitable, perhaps one-of-a-kind). For example, the ability to simultaneously read poetry and solve mathematical problems makes a person an individual.
Personality – social individual
Individual – subject of the human race, biological component of personality. This means that every person is an individual. All other animal organisms of our world are individuals. Every healthy human individual, having hands, will master labor, write, and engage in creativity. Having legs - walking, running, playing sports, dancing. Having mastered the language, each individual will learn to speak and sing. In the individual there is the entire biological essence, which, through the influence of society and the historical situation, is transformed and has an impact on the personality.
And personality is involved in social interaction, communication, activity, individual. There are more than a dozen definitions of personality by our domestic and Western psychologists (S. Rubinstein, V. Myasishchev, A. Leontyev, A. Maslow, K. Rogers, Z. Freud, Fromm, etc.). And all of them are inherently true and do not contradict each other, you just have to look through any textbook on psychology and personality theories.
The basis of personality is made up of: self-concept (self-image) and self-esteem, life value orientations, the sphere of motivation, social relationships and attitudes. This is a kind of core that determines the very structure of the personality (temperament, character, abilities, emotional-volitional sphere). The personality is also the bearer of all mental functions and the producer of special social activity - activity and creativity.
Unity of biological and social in personality
For clarity: the influence of the biological component on the social interaction of an individual. It is known that left-handedness is a personal characteristic of a person, caused by such a neurophysiological factor (essentially biological, not social) as the dominance of the right hemisphere. And it is also known that left-handers have their own mental characteristics of perception, symbol reproduction and spatial orientation. Because of this, social adaptation becomes more difficult, because all appliances and household items are designed for right-handers. This is the social side of this issue.
All individual characteristics, one way or another, influence and determine the formation of personality. And the intensity and relevance of the manifestation of the biological depends on the influence of the social situation. The relationship between the biological and the social in a personality determines its structure; the most detailed one was proposed by K. Platonov:
- Biological level, what a person is born with (features of the nervous system, gender, body constitution).
- The mental level of perception and reflection of the world (through perception, attention, thinking, memory, speech).
- Social level of acquired experience (knowledge, abilities, skills, habits).
- Level of personality orientation (worldview, belief, self-esteem, motivation, value orientations, character).
According to what laws does personality develop: biological or social? There is an opinion about spontaneous personality development, where the relationship between these two categories is not taken into account, because personality develops from everything that is put into it by nature or the social situation. Followers biological principle of development individuals reduce the development of everything mental to the laws of biology, even to those that were discovered by studying animals.
There is a popular biogenetic law of recapitulation, where the development of a particular individual in general terms repeats the evolutionary development of the human species. A social principles Personal development focuses on the dominant influence of various social institutions (from family and upbringing to the influence of educational institutions).
Among all the variety of approaches, it is important to understand that a person is born as an individual (biological species) and as a social being - he is not yet formed and developed. It is clear that the influence of society and the historical situation in which he was born will invariably influence him and create a personality taking these influences into account. But the biological development of an individual at all age stages will be the foundation of mental development.
Man, individual and personality are key concepts in psychology, which are no less important in social science, since man is the main element of society. What is the difference in these three terms?
Human.
Human- a term of a biological nature. This is a link in the development of living beings on our planet. Homo sapiens, in the form in which they exist now, existed tens of thousands of years ago. The biological, physiological, and anatomical structures did not change significantly during this time. But the difference between a modern university student and a hunter of ancient Mesopotamia is obvious to everyone. What is this difference?
Individual.
Individual translated from Latin (individuum) means “indivisible”. This is a specific representative of humanity, a human individual who has psychological and biological characteristics characteristic only of her. A more expanded concept - individuality, that is, the combination of these biological and psychological qualities that distinguishes this particular individual from the rest.
Thus, an individual is a specific person with his own characteristics given to him from birth, individuality is more of a psychological term than a biological one - a set of skills (character, ability, knowledge) acquired in the process of life.
Personality.
Personality- the most difficult concept. This social image of a person. It is society that shapes the individual into a personality. This is what distinguishes a person from an animal. An individual raised separately from others, for example on a desert island, will become an individual. But he will not become a person, because the key factor here is communication and relationships with other people. To become a person, a person goes through a path socialization, and its formation occurs throughout life.
Basic elements of socialization:
- communication;
- upbringing;
- education;
- mass media;
- social control system.
In the process of socialization (personality formation), a person develops physical skills and abilities, psychological characteristics, moral factors, scientific knowledge, political worldviews, religious values, etc. Sociologist Leontiev described personality as a set of social relations that are realized in various types of activities. Simply put, an individual is a member of society, and in this definition - everything that can be meant by this.
The difference between the concepts of man, individual and personality.
The difference between the concepts of man, individual and personality is for this purpose. For those who are not very familiar with sociology and psychology, it is easy to explain with a simple example from life.
Let's say you start playing a computer RPG - a game like Fallout or Skyrim. First you choose a race - elf, dwarf or human. This is the concept of man, that is, a biological difference from other types of creatures. From the very beginning, your character has certain skills and abilities (strength, endurance, intelligence, etc.). In this form, at the very start of the game, we have before us an individual who differs from the rest (in many games you set these initial parameters yourself) by the characteristics given from birth. During the gameplay, your character develops, acquires new character traits, knowledge, abilities, and by the end of the game we have a hero with a certain charisma and karma, a set of skills, completely different from the one we received at the beginning. This is already a personality.
There are many such comparisons that can be made (even with “World of Tanks”), but the point is to understand that one is born a person, and becomes a person in the process of communication and interaction with other members of society.
NOVOSIBIRSK STATE ARCHITECTURAL
BUILDING UNIVERSITY (Sibstrin)
Faculty of Evening and Correspondence Studies
The relationship between the concepts of “man”, “individual”, “personality”, “individuality” and “subject”
Sayapov Yaroslav
Scientific adviser:
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor L.I. Scriabin
Novosibirsk 2013
Introduction
Human
Individual- a specific person with all the characteristics given to him by nature (gender, age, height, weight, nervous system, etc.). It manifests itself in properties transformed in the course of individual development. An individual is the smallest unit in the system of the species Homo sapiens.
Personality
Individuality
Subject
Above were scientific definitions of the concepts: “person”, “individual”, “personality”, “individuality” and “subject”. These concepts can be classified as eternal. Each new generation of people, each person rediscovers them, formulates them for himself, tries to give his own version of the answer. These concepts are close, but do not coincide, they cannot be identified. In my work, I tried to consider each concept separately and in more detail.
.Consider each concept separately;
.Find the relationship between concepts.
. Human
Human- is a biological creature belonging to the class of mammals of the species Homo sapiens, endowed with consciousness, i.e. the ability to cognize the essence of both the external world and one’s own nature and, in accordance with this, act and act wisely. Man is the bearer of consciousness, which in itself is a social product. The pinnacle of human consciousness development is his self-awareness.
Let's start from this definition. Indeed, the body structure of a baby born into the world has the ability to walk upright, the structure of the brain has a potential developed intelligence, the structure of the hands has the prospect of using tools, etc., and with all these capabilities the baby differs from a baby animal and its belonging to the human race is confirmed . As already mentioned above, a person is a living biological being, and like all living things, he has an organism, a body, is in relationship with the outside world, and is subject to biological and physiological laws.
Man is a multifaceted, multidimensional, complexly organized being. He is endowed with consciousness, speech, the ability to work, create value, etc. These properties are not inherited by a person, but are formed by him throughout his life, in the process of assimilating the culture created by previous generations. The development of humanity is impossible without the active transmission of human culture to new generations. Without society, without assimilation of the socio-historical experience of mankind, it is impossible to become a person, to acquire special human qualities, even if a human being has biological usefulness. There is evidence that if children develop outside society from a very early age, they remain at the level of development of animals; they do not develop speech, consciousness, thinking, and do not have an upright gait. No person’s personal experience can lead to the fact that he independently develops a system of concepts. By participating in work and various forms of social activity, people develop in themselves those specific human abilities that have already been formed in humanity. But, on the other hand, without the biological usefulness inherent in man as a biological species, it is impossible even under the influence of society, upbringing, and education to achieve the highest human qualities.
A person is a bearer of consciousness, which means he is aware, since awareness is the result of the inclusion of consciousness on what is happening. In turn, awareness as a way of life is the ability, ability and habit to accompany with consciousness one’s current states, one’s actions, one’s activities, the course of one’s life.
And finally, self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is a person’s study of his own mental and physical characteristics, understanding of himself. It begins in infancy and continues throughout life. It is formed gradually as it reflects both the outside world and self-knowledge.
From the above, we can conclude that a child born into the world is a human being, since it has all the external signs of Homo sapiens. He is small, defenseless, but has enormous development potential. He has a natural desire for improvement and self-knowledge, which develops as he grows up.
. Individual
An individual is a specific person with all the characteristics given to him by nature (gender, age, height, weight, nervous system, etc.). It manifests itself in properties transformed in the course of individual development. An individual is the smallest unit in the system of the species Homo sapiens.
So, let's figure out what the concept of individual means. The concept of an individual contains an indication of a person’s similarity to all other people, of his commonality with the human race. It follows that every person is an individual. But it also says that he differs from others in such features as height, skin color, weight, eye color, etc. We are also talking about how he manifests himself anywhere, taking into account his individual development. Indeed, there are no people with the same external characteristics, just as there are no people with the same characters. There may be some similarities, but there simply is no such thing as a perfect match. From the above we can conclude that an individual is a single (specific) representative of the species “homo sapiens”. Individuals differ from each other not only in morphological characteristics (such as height, bodily constitution and eye color), but also in psychological properties (abilities, temperament, emotionality). Another question is from what moment a person is considered an individual. There is an opinion that a Man is born and then becomes an individual, but is this true? There is evidence that in the second month of a mother’s pregnancy, the central and peripheral nervous system begins to form in the fetus, the embryo begins to respond to pain and tries to move away from the light, which is directed directly at the mother’s abdomen. A five-month-old embryo is able to hear loud sounds, respond to caresses and words, and become frightened or angry. Thus, the behavior of the fetus completely depends on the mood of the pregnant mother, as a result of which at this stage the formation of the emotional and intellectual life of the child begins. Thus, the individual develops in the prenatal period. Thus, we can conclude that the concept of an individual is formed at its inception.
3. Personality
personal individual psychological
Personality- a conscious individual who occupies a certain position in society and performs a certain social role. The position of an individual is manifested through the system of its social relations. A person constantly acts in some role. A role is a social function of an individual. Each person is formed as an individual only in society and manifests himself in communication with other people. There is no individual outside of society. It is characterized by five potentials: cognitive, value, creative, communicative, artistic.
Translated into simple language, we can say that a person is a person who builds and controls his own life, a person as a responsible subject of will. A person is one who is not equal to his natural inclinations, who may not be their slave, but may be superior to them. Normal children, having gone through the crisis of three years, can already subordinate their immediate impulses to social norms: to what is necessary.
A person is one who is capable of consciously managing his own behavior. Among obedient children, one encounters “spontaneous morality”: a person, especially a child, may not be aware of what exactly made him act in a certain way, but nevertheless act quite morally. This is how he was raised, these are his habits. But it was not he who acted, but his habits that guided him.
A personality is one who has his own self. A large number of people live mechanically, following the drives of their body and thoughtlessly, according to patterns, reacting to external demands. If the body has good drives, external requirements are reasonable and social habits are adequate, we will have a completely decent socialized person. But - not a person. He doesn't have his own self.
A person is someone who is not just strong, but internally strong. Not just a person who knows a lot, but a smart person. Not just interesting to talk to, but a person with a rich inner world. Not just naturally gifted, but “self made” - a person who has made himself. Not just lucky, but able to be successful.
The formation of personality is the process of socialization of a person, which consists in his assimilation of a generic, social essence. This development is always carried out in the specific historical circumstances of a person’s life. The formation of personality is associated with the individual’s acceptance of social functions and roles developed in society, social norms and rules of behavior, and with the formation of skills to build relationships with other people. A formed personality is a subject of free, independent and responsible behavior in society.
At all times, people who stood out from the masses due to their internal qualities attracted attention. A personality is always a person who stands out, although not everyone who stands out is a personality. Despite the fact that each of us has personal characteristics, not everyone is called a “personality”. They say about a person with respect: “This is a personality!” when he stands out among other people with his internal characteristics that make him worthy.
Let's summarize. From the above it is clear that Personality is the same person, but taken from the side of his social significance and social activity. Personality is the most important thing in a person, his most important social characteristic.
What stands out in a person is, first of all, his social essence. Outside of society, outside of a social and professional group, a person cannot become an individual, he will not develop a human appearance, i.e. Nature creates man, but society shapes him. Depending on the manifestation of a person’s personal qualities, one can judge his positive and negative moral and spiritual qualities.
And the most important thing is that you are not born a personality, you become a personality! Or they don't...
Individuality.
Individuality- this is a personality in its originality, which distinguishes a person from other people due to the originality and uniqueness of the individual. Individuality is described by individual life history, experience, the totality of personal characteristics, and the significance of the products of activity. Individuality is the form of existence of a person. Motivation, temperament, ability and character? basic parameters of individuality.
Individuality, like personality, does not manifest itself in a person, literally, from birth. A newly born child is an individual who does not have human individuality, since he is not capable of independent individual activity. Only with age does one acquire a social personality and the ability to independently choose a life path and develop using individual methods. The essence of individuality lies in the independence of each individual and his ability to be himself in the sphere of the social system. The most important role of the innate inclinations and developmental characteristics of each individual is mediation by social factors. In the process of the dynamic influence of many qualities, one’s own personal characteristics are formed in all spheres of life. The development of individuality itself is a necessity for the movement of progress in human history. The improvement and individualization of personality are associated with the transformation of society, mutual assistance in society and the conditions of cooperation. Individuality is understood as the originality of each person; originality is manifested in the totality of personality characteristics that are inherent only to a given person.
Individuality is an indispensable and most important sign of personality. Individuality characterizes a person more specifically, in more detail, more completely. It is a constant object of research in the study of personality psychology and other areas of psychology. Usually the word “individuality” is used to define any dominant feature of a person that makes him different from those around him. Each person is individual, but the individuality of some manifests itself very clearly, while of others it is barely noticeable.
So, it turns out that individuality is a set of characteristic features and properties that distinguish one individual from another. And it, undoubtedly, does not grow on the basis of biological prerequisites or from scratch.
4. Subject
Subject- an active and cognitive individual. It is characterized by a set of activities and their productivity. Subject activity? a person’s ability to make socially significant transformations in the world based on the appropriation of material and spiritual culture, manifested in creativity, acts of will, and communication.
A person is always a subject (participant, performer) of the historical and social process as a whole, a subject of specific activity, in particular a source of knowledge and transformation of objective reality. The activity itself in this case acts as a form of human activity, allowing him to improve the world around him and himself.
The subject can show initiative and independence, make and implement a decision, evaluate the consequences of his behavior, change and improve himself, and determine the prospects for his multidimensional life activity. The subject is able to give an account of his actions, is capable of self-knowledge, self-awareness and self-responsibility. He can relate his past, present and future. The subject changes in the process of life in its own direction. There are significant individual differences between subjects.
Conclusion
The concepts of “person”, “individual”, “personality”, “individuality” and “subject” are inextricably linked. They all relate, in one way or another, to humans. The only thing that distinguishes them from each other is that each concept separately characterizes a person on a certain path in life or some life situations. So, for example, the concept of man. A child is born, and he is already a person, since he has all his external signs. He is also an individual. Later, when growing up, a person becomes an individual. Personality can be said to be a description of the personal qualities of a person or personality. The subject is an actively acting and cognizing individual.
Literature
1.Psychology and pedagogy / Ed. A.A. Radugina. ? M.: Publishing house CENTER, 1997. ? 256 pp.
2. Psychology and pedagogy: textbook / Ed. E.V. Ostrovsky. - M.: University textbook, 2006. - 384 p.
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The concepts of “personality” and “individual” are widely used by people. However, not everyone understands how they differ from each other, so they are often confused. Psychology studies the properties of personality and the individual.
The difference between personality and individual
If you want to understand how a personality differs from an individual, you need to know the statement of the famous psychologist A.G. Asmolova: “ People are born as individuals, they become individuals, and individuality is defended." This saying speaks perfectly about the differences between the concepts of “personality” and “individual”.
An individual is characterized by the uniqueness that a person receives from birth (skin color, hair, eyes, facial features, physique). According to this, all people are individuals: an unintelligent newborn, an aborigine of a primitive tribe, a mentally ill person, and even identical twins, who, despite all their similarities, have their own unique ones (for example, moles).
Personality, unlike the individual, is not a biological, but a socio-psychological concept. An individual becomes a personality in the process of growing up, learning, development, and communication. Personality differences are especially noticeable in identical twins who grew up apart from each other.
Personality traits:
Another important quality of personality that is different from the individual is the need for recognition by society. For example, in Indian tribes, a person was given a name only when he performed some important act.
The main motive that determines the activity of an individual is interest. The process of cognition in this case depends on the desire or unwillingness of a person to learn the properties of an object and understand it. A person is more often guided by beliefs, which are the basis of a person’s principles and worldview.