Personality : what makes you the way you are

Bibliographic Information

Personality : what makes you the way you are

Daniel Nettle

Oxford University Press, 2009

  • : pbk

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Note

"First published 2007. First published in paperback 2009"--T.p. verso

Includes bibliographical references (p. [274]-293) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

Why are some people worriers, and others wanderers? Why do some people seem good at empathising, and others at controlling? We have something deep and consistent within us that determines the choices we make and the situations we bring about. But why should members of the same species differ so markedly in their natures? What is the best personality to have; a bold one or a shy one, an aggressive one or a meek one? And are you stuck with your personality, or can you change it? Daniel Nettle takes the reader on a tour through the science of human personality, introducing the five 'dimensions' on which every personality is based, and using an unusual combination of individual life stories and scientific research. Showing how our personalities stem from our biological makeup, Nettle looks at the latest findings from genetics and brain science, considers the evolutionary origins and consequences of personality variation, and even includes a questionnaire for you to assess your own personality against the five dimensions. There is no optimal personality to have. Rather, every disposition brings both advantages and disadvantages. Life is partly the business of finding a niche where your personal characteristics work for you. Full of human as well as scientific insight, this book will enable you to understand the perils and potentials of your personality to the full.

Table of Contents

  • Preface
  • 1. Character matters
  • 2. The beak of the finch
  • 3. Wanderers
  • 4. Worriers
  • 5. Controllers
  • 6. Empathizers
  • 7. Poets
  • 8. The other half
  • 9. Singing with your own voice
  • Appendix: The Newcastle Personality Assessor
  • Notes
  • References
  • Index

by "Nielsen BookData"

Details
  • NCID
    BA90123114
  • ISBN
    • 9780199211432
  • Country Code
    uk
  • Title Language Code
    eng
  • Text Language Code
    eng
  • Place of Publication
    Oxford
  • Pages/Volumes
    298 p.
  • Size
    20 cm
  • Classification
  • Subject Headings
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