How to Define Your Personality

Co-authored by Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC

Last Updated: February 16, 2023 References

Determining how to define your personality can be challenging. But knowing what your personality is can help you understand yourself and others better. By defining your personality, you can think about the positive traits you posses that make you a good person, and reflect on traits that you may still need to work on. Everyone has positive and negative traits, and defining your personality can help you determine where you personally shine, and where you may still want to grow. You can easily define your personality if you determine how you describe yourself and explore some of the more popular and researched systems of defining personality.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Determining How You Describe Yourself

1
Make a list of your traits. Traits are the parts of you that don’t usually change much over time.^{[1]
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Research source} They are characteristics about you that may be positive, while others might be a bit more negative. Your personality is the sum of all these traits and characteristics and is what makes you a unique person. Listing your traits can help you define your personality.
- For example, you might write that you are sensitive, caring, stubborn, determined, ambitious, hard-working, and dependable.
- Use words that describe how you think, behave, and feel in general.^{[2]
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  Research source}
- For instance, you could include: calm, a night owl, sociable, a good planner, or helpful on your list. Look at lists of personality traits online that others have used to define themselves. See which ones are applicable to you, then add words of your own.
- Include words that family and friends frequently use to describe you. For example, if they are always telling you that you’re comical, put it on the list. You may even ask family and friends to help you find descriptive words for yourself.
2
Examine your attitude and actions. Some studies suggest that your personality influences how you approach situations and your outlook on life.^{[3]
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Research source} Other research suggests that personality traits influence behavior.^{[4]
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Trustworthy Source
PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} So, look at your attitude and actions to understand how to define your personality.
- Consider your attitude towards change. Write about a major change in your life. For example, you may write that you felt nervous and worried when you moved.
- Think about how you handle challenges and obstacles. Then consider how likely you are to take risks, and how you respond to failure or set-backs. Write down the personality traits that come to mind.
- For example, think about how you react when someone is rude to you. You might write, “I calmly tell them to stop and try to figure out what’s wrong.”
- Think about the things you do. Would you describe them as individual activities or social?
- For example, gardening, reading, and painting are individual activities. Social activities are things like team sports and participating in clubs and organizations.
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3
Pick three characteristics that summarize you. Think about three words that could be used to describe most of the things on your list. These three words will help you define your personality.^{[5]
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Research source} Look over your list and find the words that could be used as synonyms, or to describe some of the other words.
- For instance, ‘ambitious’ could be a word to summarize being determined, hardworking, and goal-oriented.
- As another example, energetic, fun-loving, independent, and thrill-seeking could be described by the word ‘adventurous’.
- Identify those three (no more than five) words that would tell someone about you in general if that was all they had to go on.
- You might determine that you are outgoing, active, and easy-going, for example.
EXPERT TIP

Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC
Certified Executive Coach
Jessica Elliott is a Certified Executive Coach and multi-passionate entrepreneur. She's the founder of LIFETOX, where she hosts mindful experiences and retreats, and J Elliott Coaching, which she provides executive consulting for professionals, teams, and organizations. Jessica has had over fifteen years experience as an entrepreneur and over five years of executive coaching experience. She received her ACC (Associate Certified Coach) accreditation through the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and her CEC (Certified Executive Coach) accreditation through Royal Roads University.

Jessica Elliott, ACC, CEC
Certified Executive Coach

Try different paths for understanding yourself, and throw out the ones that don't serve you. Check out podcasts, audio books, retreats, or anything else that supports personal growth, as long as it speaks to you. Don't be afraid to get experimental on your self-discovery journey, and know that there are no failures—only different paths to understanding.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using the Big Five to Define Your Personality

1
Try the Big Five to describe your personality.This popular and well-researched method, also called CANOE or OCEAN, categorizes your personality in terms of a combination of five areas or dimensions: conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroticism , openness, and extroversion. Using this system can help you define your personality using terms that have been researched and that many people understand.
- For each trait, consider whether you would describe yourself as ‘high’ or ‘low’ on that dimension or more or less like that trait.
- Compare your list of traits, attitudes, and behaviors to the descriptions of the Big Five personality types to help define your personality.
2
Determine how conscientious you are. If you’re highly focused on your goals, organized, detailed-oriented, considerate of your impact on others, and reliable you can consider yourself conscientious.^{[6]
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Research source} Conscientious people are less impulsive and more deliberate in their actions and plans. On the other hand, you may be low in conscientiousness if you are more impulsive and spontaneous.
- For example, if you’re more conscientious and are invited on a spur-of-the-moment vacation, you would think about how much it will cost or how it benefits you.
- A less conscientious person would just go on the vacation without worrying so much about these things.
3
Examine how agreeable you are. You are likely to define yourself as agreeable if you are kind, helpful, trusting, or if you think about ways to bring people together and make things run smoothly.^{[7]
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Research source} You might describe yourself as less agreeable, or disagreeable, if you are more skeptical and suspicious of people, and look out more for your own interests, or if you find that you often come into conflict with others.
- If you tell yourself things like, “I can cut some of the tension in this situation and help us compromise” you are probably high in agreeableness.
- Thinking things like, “They probably have a secret motive. I’ll just do what’s best for me” is characteristic of people that are more disagreeable.
4
Look for signs that you might be neurotic. Be honest and ask yourself if you are very emotional or sensitive, moody, or unpredictable and emotionally intense.^{[8]
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Research source} If you cry frequently, apologize unnecessarily for things you do or say, or find friendly physical contact stressful, these may be signs that you are high in neuroticism. People that are lower in this dimension are calmer, less excitable, and more emotionally stable.
- For instance, if everyday things like traffic jams or missing the bus completely ruin your mood and your day, you may be neurotic.
- If you aren’t bothered by small nuisances and daily challenges, you are probably low on neuroticism.
5
Ask yourself if you are open to experiences. If you have an open personality, you are okay with change, like new experiences, and learning new things. You are flexible, view life as a chance to explore, and define your personality by your curiosity.^{[9]
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Research source} You might be more closed if you are more conservative and prefer routine and tradition to new experiences.
- If you say to yourself, “This is a chance to have a new experience that could turn into an epic adventure with amazing people” you are likely open.
- If you would rather stick with the safe, conservative plan rather than try the risky one, you are probably more closed.
6
Decide if you are extroverted. You could define yourself as extroverted if you are outgoing, enjoy spending time with others, and like doing things in public. On the other hand, if you are more quiet, enjoy time alone, and less energetic you would define yourself as an introvert.
- For example, you are extroverted if you think to yourself, “How can this be fun? What new people can I meet?” when your friend tells you about a party. You may be introverted if you would prefer to stay home and read or work on a craft project than go to the party.
- Keep in mind that shyness and introversion are not the same. You may be good with others but prefer to be alone, or you may want to be social but struggle finding common ground. Look at your desire to be with others as an indicator.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Determining if You are a Type A or Type B Personality

1
Learn about Type A/B personalities. Defining people as either a Type A or a Type B personality is very popular, especially in the business world. This system of classifying personalities into one of two overall types also has research linking it to health and achievement.^{[10]
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Research source} You can define your personality by finding out whether you are more a Type A person or more of a type B person.
- Take an online personality type quiz like the Personality type A/B Test on the University of North Carolina Charlotte website.^{[11]
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  Research source} You may also look back on previous work evaluations or job feedback to give you an idea.
- Compare your list of traits to the characteristics of Type A and B personalities. Look to see if you have more traits that are Type A or more that are Type B, keeping in mind that most people have traits that fit into each category.
2
Identify your Type A personality traits. Type A personalities are generally successful, hard-working and very conscious of time. If this fits you and you are also competitive and goal-oriented, you may define yourself as a Type A personality.^{[12]
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Trustworthy Source
Simply Psychology
Popular site for evidence-based psychology information
Go to source}
- Type A people are also often more hostile, stressed, anxious, and impatient compared to Type B people.
- For example, if you tend to get very stressed and extremely upset when something makes you even a little late, you may be Type A.
- Or, for instance, you might be Type A if you would skip a night out with your friends without a thought in order to finish a report.
- Check your list of traits to see if you mentioned words like: hard-working, driven, busy, focused, or impatient to see if you are Type A.
3
Decide if you are more of a Type B personality. You may define yourself as Type B if you are more laid back, creative, and tolerant of others.^{[13]
X
Trustworthy Source
Simply Psychology
Popular site for evidence-based psychology information
Go to source} Type B people are late more often than Type A, but also have less anxiety.
- Look at your list of traits to see if you included: relaxed, easy-going, peaceful, not always reliable, or a good imagination.
- Think about whether you usually procrastinate when you have assignments or work to do.
- For example, would you rather play a game of basketball than work on a report that’s due?

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Exploring Other Ways to Define Your Personality

1
Explore the Myers-Briggs system. This personality system is based on research by the psychologist Carl Jung and is widely used.^{[14]
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Research source} The Myers-Briggs categorizes personality along four dimensions. Each dimension has two opposite preferences associated with it. Combining your preference from each of the four dimensions will define your personality according to one of 16 possible types.
- The four dimensions are: introversion/extraversion (I/E); sensing/intuition (S/N); thinking/feeling (T/F); and judging/perceiving (J/P).
- Compare your personal list of traits to your preferences on each of the four dimensions on the Myers-Briggs.
- For example, does your list indicate you are more of an ‘I’ or an ‘E’? Do you have more words related to thinking or feeling?
- You might, for instance, be a ISFP (introverted, sensing, feeling, perceiving) personality based on the traits on your list.
2
Find your Enneagram type. With this system of personality classification you define yourself according to nine different personality types.^{[15]
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Research source} Although there is usually some overlap between the nine personality types within a person, most people are more similar to one type than the other eight.
- Evaluate your list of traits to see if they can be described by one of the nine types of personality according to the Enneagram system.
- Look for clues that you are mostly a: reformer, helper, achiever, individualist, investigator, loyalist, enthusiast, challenger, or peacemaker.
- For example, if you see traits on your list like: mediator, problem-solver, and diplomatic you may be a peacemaker.
- Visit http://www.enneagraminstitute.com to learn more about using this personality classification system.
3
Use the Keirsey Temperament Sorter. You can use this system to define your personality along four temperaments or types: the guardian, artisan, idealist, or rational.^{[16]
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Research source} Similar to the Myers-Briggs and the Big Five, there is a great deal of research related to the Keirsey system.
- Use your list of traits to help you determine which of the four personality types, or temperaments, is most like you.
- For example, do you have traits on your personal list like imaginative, peaceful, and optimistic that suggest that you are an idealist?
- Many people use their Myers-Briggs type along with their Keirsey temperament to define their personality.
- You can also take a short form of the Keirsey Sort at http://www.keirsey.com.