Personality versus individualityBy Rev. Keith Gaebel
Individuality represents gifts and talents, qualities that God purposefully designed and uniquely assigned. The individuality of a person is the sum of those qualities, identifying one person from another; the essence of an individual.
Having a free will, a person chooses how to express their individuality. Each is called upon to decide their own values which then lead to consequential outcomes. From externally dictated social conduct one can either independently decide a mindset of acceptance (relationship) or of defiance (isolation) within the freedom of or desire of their own will.
Every independent human possesses an inalienable right to their personal life presentation. However that right, when from rationality, begins realizing a possible maturing inter-dependency in their exchange with other individuals. Social interactions can become a valuable source of personality development; giving opportunity to adjust thought and reaction.
The principle of individual rights is the only moral base of all groups. The smallest minority, a person, quickly discovers character can be expressed in concepts of dependencies or independence. Postulated (assumed as true) expressed independence however may lead not to freedom but isolation, alienation, and ultimately destruction.
When one’s individuality is expressed to others, whether verbal or non-verbal, innate gifts and talents are externalized; viewed by others as personality. Personality is the attitude attached to individuality. Character traits turned outward enunciates essence, resulting in either establishing or destroying relationships.
Nothing is known about a person that is not seen in the experience of expression. Individuality exists, simple, yet immediate, finding expressed pathways, even from chosen alienation, in the mind and action of others.
Not until consciousness has given up hope of overcoming alienated isolation does it turn to understanding itself from the viewpoint of others. Overcoming alienation awakens to understand my-personality; a desire to be aware of how others see me.
PERSONALITY
Reflecting from how others see me, self-hood can either be grasped as a Creative Spirit or as a destructive spirit. Two spirits are always present in the framework of each day. The spirit of independence via ‘imposed’ external stimuli (expressions from other people), or the dependent Spirit of the Creator via the same ‘imposed’ external stimuli, is the ongoing focus of this article.
Some believe that people are passively shaped by their environments. Others think that people actively participate with their environment. However pre-existing personality traits triggered by exterior situational factors, predict short term instinctively reactive-behaviors supporting the phantom independent-image.
This is seen as the need-gratifying pleasure-principle. Attention-getting reactive ‘instincts’ surface from underlying rational deprivations. Instinctual behavior reacts negatively on mental, emotional, and motivational maturity. Instinctual behavior can be seen as dead-end activities that agitate emotions and affects personal health; a human phenomenon.
Others believe that quiet, confident, and considered participatory input, whether verbal or in a supportive presence, facilitates a non-reactive posture. The ability to hear a person out without instinctual emotional reactions is received as beneficially supportive to a Spirit maturing process. This accepting posture alleviates the feeling of alienation in another. A healthy quiet, confident internal Spirit impacts the expressive exchange.
The blinding insistence of self-gratification can begin to transform into a considered uplifting sense in self and others. Relinquishing over-demanding self-gratification, begins an outward supportive personality expression; a maturing Spirit, which positively imprints the personality of others. It allows a thought about hidden negative qualities in their personality.
This mental awareness evolves into new positive language toward healthy human maturation. Quietness and confidence, delivers the strength of New Life to both participants. Personality-consideration opened when humanity was given the Door, Christ Jesus, to return to the original ways of being individual.
Negative-spirited personalities re-establishes fear of rejection surfacing during the 3-4 year puberty period. Rejection, fearful isolation, and abandonment becomes the basis of ill-health/dis-ease.
Parental/social input, established during childhood, before rationality, will slowly give way to rationality. Born with normal childhood dependency expectations (crying elicits comfort) puberty replaces, with rational abilities. Dependencies begin to replace independent (so-called), non-comforting, non-parenting mindsets, often referred to as the isolating ‘generation gap’.
The generation gap features a mother/father not willing to transform from parenting. The focus of child is to move into adulthood (self-parenting) but still experiencing feelings of childhood-behavior corrections. A parent can not be, without a child; child cannot be, without parent. Mother/father and new-adult, both are experiencing mixed behaviors of childhood, parenthood, and adulthood during the puberty hormonal-period. Positional behaviors trigger emotional outbursts compelling alienation of affections and confidence; isolation.
To maintain independence a search for aberrant dependent-comfort becomes a focus. Rationality however, understands humanity is not basically independent but dependent, seeking healthier lifestyles from identified needs and independently choosing mutually uplifting dependencies.
Faced with the thought of a life partner awakens the dependency experience. It means giving up the ‘taking’ experience, for a relationship of giving and receiving physical and emotional comfort. It also means surrendering isolation, the societal form of self-protection, more aptly named ‘rejection’. Adulthood wraps itself with acceptance called ‘oneness of two’.
Personality response based on instincts, can be altered with the acceptance of God’s original participatory plan, ‘it is not good to be alone’. The transformation begins by returning to the creative plan, rejected by the first two humans who considered their reactive, sensually instinctive behavior was a more informed and enlightening expression of individuality.
Enlightenment rationality, ‘freedom of the will’, recognizes the limitations of expressive personality from independent-isolation. Freedom permits individuality flow, encapsulated in each person, into healthy, supportive expressiveness. God’s plan endows with the new language, the new tongue.
Prayer: Father in Heaven give me the wisdom to understand the difference between Your way and my way. Help me to use my gifts and talents to support healthy Joy and Peace living; real relationships. Forgive my destructiveness. The inner strength of Your giving Spirit from a new tongue of quietness and confidence is what I need and desire through Christ Jesus. Amen
Rev. Keith Gaebel has spent most of life counseling and rehabbing troubled youth. Presently, he is establishing Bible College/ Addiction Rehab Training in Canadian Northern First Nation communities for suffering Chemical/Drug Addiction and epidemic Suicide among their youth. The need is great. You can partner with his ministry in prayer and finances as God’s Spirit compels your response. Contact gaeb@mail.com, or P.O. Box 144, Honey Harbour, ON, CA., P0E 1E0
