Description

Introduction The word 'personality' in the modern context, derives from the word 'persona' i.e., a 'mask', which Roman actors in ancient times used to wear on the stage to indicate the roles they were playing. Similarly, in India too, Kathakali dancers paint their faces to represent the roles they are playing. 'Personality' thus implies a social quality of behaviour. How you represent yourself to others and how you are with yourself. Personality is not the quality of impressiveness, which only some people possess and others do not. Understanding personality is incomplete without an appreciation of psychology. The term psychology is derived from 'Psyche' that means 'Soul' and 'logos' that means 'a rational discourse'. Psychology thus stands for 'science of the soul'. The first book written on psychology by Aristotle named 'De Anima'(of the soul) showed that initially psychology was a part of philosophy and a part of rational science that questioned about the nature and the purpose of the soul. The later eras gave more emphasis on the natural phenomena of the mind instead of the soul and it was developed as a 'Natural Science'. Towards the end of the 19th century, psychology was described as 'science of consciousness', meaning, to be aware of oneself and the environment as well. Psychology turned its direction towards consciousness.