There are many different factors that are responsible for your personality. Whether it is traits picked up from a previous generation, your physical attributes, or your hormones in your body, there are many different factors that mould your personality into what it is. In this article, I will be focussing more on environmental factors. This includes background, experience, and social media.
Background
Where we are from is something that can subconsciously affect us all, and change our personalities. People from poorer areas will often come across as rough, to reflect the harsh conditions they live in. On the other side, people from rich areas will often look a lot more approachable, and professional, reflecting where they are from. There are also different ways people seek social acceptance in these areas. Your education, and style may be the main focus point for richer people. However, people from rougher areas focus more on physical abilities, and money. An example of this may be Mike Tyson who came up from a rough area, and it translated into his personality.
For example, he came across as very vicious and violent. On the other hand, UFC legend BJ Penn grew up in nicer conditions, and did not have to fight at all. He was very articulate, and even-tempered.
Experience
Your personality can also alter by different situations you go through. Whether it’s loss, hardship, or pressure. These things can affect your personality, in different ways.
Firstly, loss is something that can affect everyone in many different ways. It could also mean different things. For example, losing someone could lead to you feeling dejected, and bitter. Your light-hearted and humorous side may be distanced for a while, until you get over your loss. It could also mean something like losing a competition, or a fight. This could either alter your personality by either making you more motivated, or giving up on yourself.
Secondly, going through different hardships in life, strengthens you mentally. It also shows you just how strong you are, and gives you more experience in life. This will lead to you becoming wiser, through the different hardships you overcome. A hardship is a lesson you must deal with, and it teaches you a lesson. Finding a way to beat a problem makes you stronger.
Pressure
Being able to deal with pressure is also something that can affect your personality. It helps you remain calm under different situations, and remain confident. Having experience in things like being on a stage, ring, or in front of a crowd, help you be able to be in control, when feeling pressure. This has been seen in many situations. For example, Liverpool lost the finals in 2018 against Real Madrid by the score 3-1. The blame went towards goalkeeper Loris Karius, for the many mistakes he made.
For example, throwing the ball directly to the opposition, and letting the ball slip through his hands, resulting in a goal. It was clear Karius could not handle the pressure in this situation. However, ever since he has become a lot better in terms of dealing with the pressure, and his performances have gotten better. Therefore, being in situations of pressure, can lead to you remaining a lot more composed, and calmer overall.
Experience in life is something that changes your personality for the better. It could make you want to work harder in life, and learn from different mistakes you have made in the past.
Social Media
Social media is something nearly everyone has access to. There are so many different people you can interact with, and different types of content you can watch. Social media apps like Instagram can reflect on your personality. For example, the types of content you see always depend on your interest, and personality. For example, if you like football, football content will always pop up.
Seeking Popularity
However, putting too much time and attention into social media could negatively affect you. Firstly, it could lead to you altering yourself just to be more popular. This means behaving differently on camera for more views, or money. This has been seen in many different sports, where someone will change their entire personality, in order to bring more attention onto themselves, almost becoming a heel.
Colby Covington is a prime example of this as he completely changed his personality from a quiet, humble guy, to someone who is annoying, and brash. Constantly, throwing digs at everyone in order to lure more eyes onto him when he fights. He began to do this when he realised he was going to get removed by the UFC, and watched other fighters get successful purely from trash talking. However, despite it just being an act, Covington has found himself in plenty of trouble due to this, by many different people. This shows that there are consequences when you pretend to be someone else on social media.
Also, there are many people who follow social media stars, and try to follow in their footsteps. It may just be copying their style, or trying to do what they do, but it can change your personality, as you are now trying to be someone else, rather than yourself. Overtime, it could lead to you seeking social media approval with everything you do.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many different things that can change your personality. This could be in both positive and negative ways. For example, I went through how your background can affect your personalities, and reflect on where you are from. For example someone who is from a rough area, would often act in that sort of way, with the example of Mike Tyson. I also went through how your different experiences in life can mould you into who you turn into. Whether it is hardships, pressure situations or loss, all these things help change you, and make you become a lot more mature. Finally, I went over social media, and discussed how social media could make you change your own personality, in order to seek public approval.