Is your personality influenced by your culture?

[sserafim]

Is your personality influenced by your culture and upbringing, or is it innate? Is personality more down to nurture than nature? I'm asking this because I think it's strange that my mom is apparently an ISTJ (she got Karl Doenitz on the murderous villain test) but I'm an INTP.

 

[SuicidalOrganism]

No, my personality type has always been static since birth, I think the environment played very little role to it. I'm an ISTJ btw

 

[dragonofenvy]

Culture's gonna influence your upbringing which in turn will influence your personality. Generally if you have siblings in the same household they'll have different personalities but will be pretty similar to each other since they were raised by the same parents in the same house. There's also some genetic influence. Your personality is innate, but your character is not.

 

[EvisceratedJester]

First off, MBTI is bs. It's not taken very seriously by psychologists or any other profession that studies personality.

Secondly, personality is something determined by both nurture and nature. Twin and family studies have shown moderate heritability for personality traits. Environmental factors, such as culture, can also impact personality too. Other environmental factors may include early exposure to trauma, family dynamics, and parenting styles can also impact personality.

 

[hail]

i think so, although i've been assigned INFP every test i've taken

 

[sserafim]

i think so, although i've been assigned INFP every test i've taken

Do you know your parents' types?

Culture's gonna influence your upbringing which in turn will influence your personality. Generally if you have siblings in the same household they'll have different personalities but will be pretty similar to each other since they were raised by the same parents in the same house. There's also some genetic influence. Your personality is innate, but your character is not.

Wdym by/what is character? How does character differ from personality?

 

[hail]

Do you know your parents' types?

Wdym by/what is character? How does character differ from personality?

ISFJ and ENTP

 

[sserafim]

No, my personality type has always been static since birth, I think the environment played very little role to it. I'm an ISTJ btw

Do you know your parents' types?

 

[dragonofenvy]

Wdym by/what is character? How does character differ from personality?

I don't know know if this is the true definition but it's the way I see it.

I see personality as the innate way you view the world and your enduring behaviors, thoughts, emotional responses, etc. and these are fairly consistent over time. They change yes, but quite gradually. For example, people who are sarcastic and philosophical generally are for their life.

Character is how you present yourself, your moral code, and things that you won't do. For example, someone who treats restaurant staff very kindly, who refuses to steal even if they wouldn't get caught. This is generally exposed through trials and actions rather than being able to be sensed via conversation. Sure, kindness might be seen as a personality trait, but a kind person can become cruel. Likewise, if you met me 5 years ago you would've thought that I had a very nasty personality despite it having not changed, rather, my behavior has.

They're both very related so the line between them is pretty blurred. In my head, the distinction is a lot more clear but I don't really know how to put it into words.

 

[SuicidalOrganism]

Do you know your parents' types?

Dad ESTJ and mom probably ENTP/ENTJ

 

[sserafim]

ISFJ and ENTP

Hmm interesting. My sister is also INTP like me and my mom is apparently ISTJ. I don't know what my dad is though

 

[hail]

Hmm interesting. My sister is also INTP like me and my mom is apparently ISTJ. I don't know what my dad is though

likewise, my brothers are ENFP and ESFP, safe to say living in a house with more extroverts can be pretty hectic

 

[sserafim]

Character is how you present yourself, your moral code, and things that you won't do. For example, someone who treats restaurant staff very kindly, who refuses to steal even if they wouldn't get caught.

I present myself differently depending on the situation and people though.

This is generally exposed through trials and actions rather than being able to be sensed via conversation. Sure, kindness might be seen as a personality trait, but a kind person can become cruel.

Wdym? Like "show, don't tell?" How can a kind person become cruel? What makes them become cruel?

 

[dragonofenvy]

Wdym? Like "show, don't tell?" How can a kind person become cruel? What makes them become cruel?

Life experiences. Maybe they were nice to everyone but then one day someone took advantage of their kindness and they learned to never be kind again. Or they became so traumatized that they became a cruel bully who treats everyone like shit. It happens to people. The opposite happens too. Sometimes people who are nasty redeem themselves. I can't really call that personality since it's supposed to be something that's unchanging, or if it does change it's very gradual. Shifting your behavior like that is in my mind your character. Idk if my logic on it even makes sense though. Maybe they're the same thing. But your personality type (ISTP, INTJ, etc.) doesn't change or maybe just one letter changes between tests right? I've always been ISTP or ISTJ for my whole life, but the way I behave and my moral compass have drastically changed. That can't be explained by my personality type since it hasn't changed at all.

 

[Alltheywanted]

Yes, I live in eastern Europe and had very religious grandparents. They always taught me religion stuff and made it somehow interesting.
Now that I'm older and I can say I'm atheist, my personality is steeped in Catholic teachings. For example I tend to help other people in need for no particular reason. Or maybe it just makes me feel like a better person?

 

[vitbar]

imo personality has to be influenced by culture. I don't believe we are atomised individuals. Parts of our identity only exist in the interactions with others. It's one of the reasons solitary confinement and isolation is so bad for people. They are also parts of yourself that can die. Anyone who has grieved will recognise this I suspect; Part of you dies, that part of you, and them, that was something new between you.

 

[Red Moon]

imo personality has to be influenced by culture. I don't believe we are atomised individuals. Parts of our identity only exist in the interactions with others. It's one of the reasons solitary confinement and isolation is so bad for people. They are also parts of yourself that can die. Anyone who has grieved will recognise this I suspect; Part of you dies, that part of you, and them, that was something new between you.

Yeah I think part of me has died especially after the isolation.

 

[1MiserableGuy]

Nothing influences the human mind more than the people they associate with and the media they intake. Even if it's in a reactionary, going against it sense, no one is original, we're all just responding to our environment.

 

[sserafim]

imo personality has to be influenced by culture. I don't believe we are atomised individuals. Parts of our identity only exist in the interactions with others. It's one of the reasons solitary confinement and isolation is so bad for people. They are also parts of yourself that can die. Anyone who has grieved will recognise this I suspect; Part of you dies, that part of you, and them, that was something new between you.

Like what?

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I'm not sure in my case, because I'm not sure exactly what culture I really belong to. I think my three biggest influences were the shows/movies I've watched, the websites I've grown up with on the internet, and then maybe my parents might have some small effect on shaping my personality.

 

[sserafim]

I'm not sure in my case, because I'm not sure exactly what culture I really belong to. I think my three biggest influences were the shows/movies I've watched, the websites I've grown up with on the internet, and then maybe my parents might have some small effect on shaping my personality.

I mean culture as in nurture, upbringing and experiences

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I mean culture as in nurture, upbringing and experiences

Ah, then I would say it certainly has shaped me more than my innate nature. If I had to put it to numbers I'd estimate it to be around 65-35.

 

[DeadButDreaming]

Apparently it is, but the values my brother and I have differ from those of our parents'. Stranger still, my brother and I have values that very differ from those of the other.

 

[vitbar]

Like what?

As in what things are the product of nurture?

My sense of humour and my ways of thinking via language and norms.

 

[sserafim]

As in what things are the product of nurture?

My sense of humour and my ways of thinking via language and norms.

The parts of your identity that only exist in the interactions with others and the parts of you that can die

 

[vitbar]

The parts of your identity that only exist in the interactions with others and the parts of you that can die

I'm not sure I can easily split them into defined pieces. I suppose it's a bit like what you said earlier about presenting yourself differently to different people. The masks we wear. Personally I'm not convinced we are anything but masks. Masks implies some hidden core truth to us while I see it more like we have all these potentials that are awoken by others. Some describe this as bringing the best, worst, playful side, etc, out of someone.

 

[sserafim]

I'm not sure I can easily split them into defined pieces. I suppose it's a bit like what you said earlier about presenting yourself differently to different people. The masks we wear. Personally I'm not convinced we are anything but masks. Masks implies some hidden core truth to us while I see it more like we have all these potentials that are awoken by others. Some describe this as bringing the best, worst, playful side, etc, out of someone.

"If we could see ourselves as others see us, we would vanish on the spot."

 

[DarkRange55]

Absolutely, I've seen varying numbers on different studies but it's a combination of nurture and nature (genetics).
People have identities and cultures have identities - this is why some country's or region's art all uses the same style in that era (or even in general, like east asian art)

 

[thenamingofcats]

Nah my personality has always been the same. I think we inherit personality from our parents. INTP and ISTJ are not that far apart though. The breakdown in understanding usually comes from the s/n divide. I always enjoy an ISTJ.

 

[sserafim]

Nah my personality has always been the same. I think we inherit personality from our parents. INTP and ISTJ are not that far apart though. The breakdown in understanding usually comes from the s/n divide. I always enjoy an ISTJ.

INTP: Ti Ne Si Fe

ISTJ: Si Te Fi Ne

They only have Ne and Si in common