What Is Personality?

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Abstract

When you describe yourself and the people you know, the words you use might be different for each person. Maybe your sister is creative, and your brother is friendly. You could even describe your dog as playful and your neighbor’s cat as nervous! The descriptions are different because each of you has a different personality—that is, you differ from others in terms of how you feel, think, and behave. But where does your personality come from? Why are people different? Will your personality always be the same as it is now? Do animals have personalities too? In this article, we discuss what researchers know about personality, how it is studied, and what we all can learn from it.