Friday's diversion- Character and personality traits
Brian Little is a Cambridge research professor, who is interested in the psychology of personality. He explains some of his ideas in a fascinating TED talk- find it here Who are you, really?
He has also written a book about his research, "Me Myself and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-being" where he uses the phrase "acting out of character". He explains that the phrase can mean two different things- we usually use it to describe someone who is acting differently from what we might expect. In this sense, we use character to mean their personality- if a grumpy person acts in kind and thoughtful way, we might describe this as uncharacteristic behaviour. Or if someone who normally is patient snaps and loses their temper, we assume that something unusual has happened because this is not their real character, and maybe the circumstances or provocation was extreme to cause them to behave 'out of character'.
But Little suggests that another way of using the phrase is when we make a decision to act in a certain way, based on our character and our most deeply held values. It may be a difficult thing for us to do, as it goes against what we would "naturally" do, but our values are so strong, and so important to us, that this is enough motivation to compel us to act 'out of character'. A mother may not consider herself to be a particularly strong or brave person until the moment when her child is in danger, when her love for her child enables her to act with uncharacteristic courage. A colleague at work may normally be quiet and amenable until one day a racist joke over coffee triggers an angry or impassioned outburst- their desire for justice is stronger than their introvert character.
Little writes, "I think there is a moral dimension to free trait behaviour. Acting out of character is value driven. We rise to occasions when we might have defaulted to our biogenic selves. We do it out of love and we do it out of professionalism, and through it we deliver on our personal and professional commitments."
Paul may use different language, but is this not also his message? He says that although our "biogenic selves" may cause us to act selfishly, untruthfully or violently, we are not condemned to live with this character. There is a way to act out of character, in both of the senses that Little uses.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Romans 8: 5,6,10,11
He has also written a book about his research, "Me Myself and Us: The Science of Personality and the Art of Well-being" where he uses the phrase "acting out of character". He explains that the phrase can mean two different things- we usually use it to describe someone who is acting differently from what we might expect. In this sense, we use character to mean their personality- if a grumpy person acts in kind and thoughtful way, we might describe this as uncharacteristic behaviour. Or if someone who normally is patient snaps and loses their temper, we assume that something unusual has happened because this is not their real character, and maybe the circumstances or provocation was extreme to cause them to behave 'out of character'.
But Little suggests that another way of using the phrase is when we make a decision to act in a certain way, based on our character and our most deeply held values. It may be a difficult thing for us to do, as it goes against what we would "naturally" do, but our values are so strong, and so important to us, that this is enough motivation to compel us to act 'out of character'. A mother may not consider herself to be a particularly strong or brave person until the moment when her child is in danger, when her love for her child enables her to act with uncharacteristic courage. A colleague at work may normally be quiet and amenable until one day a racist joke over coffee triggers an angry or impassioned outburst- their desire for justice is stronger than their introvert character.
Little writes, "I think there is a moral dimension to free trait behaviour. Acting out of character is value driven. We rise to occasions when we might have defaulted to our biogenic selves. We do it out of love and we do it out of professionalism, and through it we deliver on our personal and professional commitments."
Paul may use different language, but is this not also his message? He says that although our "biogenic selves" may cause us to act selfishly, untruthfully or violently, we are not condemned to live with this character. There is a way to act out of character, in both of the senses that Little uses.
For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Romans 8: 5,6,10,11
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