Psychology Addict # 46 |The Thinking, Emotional & Behaviour Patterns that Characterise Us.

in #psychology6 years ago (edited)

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The word personality has its origins in the Latin word ‘persona’, which translates to ‘mask’.

Today we are going to talk about personality types. And, despite the fact that in this post we’ll discuss a model (The Big Five) developed in the second half of the twentieth century, I would like to remind you all that this is a topic Hippocrates was already exploring in 370 BCE. No wonder why they say that “psychology has a long past, but a short history”.

Following that of the Greeks, many other theories of personality were developed across the centuries; the psychodynamic and humanistic models are just a couple of examples among a few. So, a question worth asking is ‘why then discuss this one?’ Well, you see, The Big Five is the model that most personality studies are built upon, and that is because this is the one most widely accepted in academic psychology.

The name Big Five results from the five following dimensions: Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Openness, Agreeableness and Extroversion, which, as discovered by cross cultural studies conducted by psychologists, describe most people’s character traits.

In case you are wondering why this is important... Well, there are many perspectives from which this query can be addressed. From a psychological standpoint, such studies often explain some of the reasons why people experience the world and relate to others the way they do. For you, it might bring an insight into why you, or indeed those around you, behave in such ways. Moreover, the study of personality is also a reliable predictor of overall health and well-being 1. For example, do you know someone who is constantly anxious, and insecure? There you go! That may even be a result of their high rates in neuroticism.

You can see now how useful it is to have at least a minimum understanding of these dimensions; which, by the way, we all fit into at a higher or a lower level.

The Pros and Cons of Neuroticism

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Considering we are already discussing neuroticism, let’s illustrate the example of the previous paragraph a bit further. Think of that friend or relative of yours who is over sensitive, and thinks and worries a lot about past and future events.

You may be surprised to find out that these all are aspects associated to high scores in neuroticism 2. Consequently, instead of getting upset with them for being ‘pessimistic’, or a ‘party pooper’, now you know better. Now, you know that this sort of attitude is likely to be a result of how they perceive, process and react to external and internal information, due to their personality type.

So, what does the future hold for neurotic people in terms of well-being? Well, individuals with high rates in this personality dimension are more susceptible to suffer from mental illnesses (e.g. depression, anxiety disorders) 3. This is, by no means, a piece of information that should bring you down. In fact, it is good practice to use well-founded knowledge in your favour. For example, in this case, if your friend is at the higher end of the neuroticism measure; perhaps, it is time they started an exercise routine, integrate relaxation practices into their daily life, and put their creativity into practice.

Of course! High-scorers in the neuroticism dimension are gifted with creativity and originality 4. Isaac Newton is a classic example of a neurotic genius 5.

Conscientiousness: Industriousness & Orderliness

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Now, it’s time to talk about how good you are with following your new years’ resolution, how they look like on a long-term basis, and how careful the decisions you take are made. Are they often last minute, or thoroughly planned? Depending on your answers your general traits regarding dutiful achievements will fall somewhere from extremely low to exceptionally high in the conscientiousness dimension of personality traits. People who rate low in this dimension are more prone to procrastinate, find excuses for not meeting commitments (probably because of lack of organization), and aren’t very future-oriented.

Whilst reading a paper titled Act-frequency signatures of the big five 6 I laughed as I read that people with low-levels of conscientiousness buy and read more books. That was because it reminded me of an old acquaintance of mine, Jane.

She lived with a family member she looked after. I used to visit them at least once a month, and I was always surprised with how chaotic their place was. It wasn’t dirty, it was just full of recently delivered Amazon goods, things Jane was planning to either sell or donate all piled up in the corner, and so on. She was always, always reading a new book, which she started without finishing the previous one. Jane is also incredibly spontaneous and fully lives the present moment. Although, such extreme personality traits have caused her to be unprepared for various situations that she should have been ready for, particularly financially. If I had to make an educated guess, I would say she rates rather low in conscientiousness. 😊

Therefore, it will be only natural if you assume that someone at the opposite end of the conscientiousness dimension lives pretty much a perfect life. Well, being the opposite of Jane definitely has its advantages. Being able to plan for the future is a good example. However, like everything else, nothing is good in extreme. The line separating extremely conscientiousness and perfectionism as well as obsessions is an easy one to cross.

That is something which may lead extremely conscientious people to feelings of constant discontentment and, occasionally, shame. 7. At average/typical levels though, this personality dimension is associated with successful outcomes in the social, educational and professional spheres.

Where do you think you fit within this dimension? Low, average or high?

Openness to Experience

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Research has demonstrated that personality is the outcome of an interplay among inherited tendencies, socioeconomic status, parenting style and culture.

There are two aspects that comprise this trait: Intellect (not to be confused with IQ) and imagination/openness. The former is related to one’s level of interest in abstract concepts, curiosity and keenness to learn new things. The latter is all about creativity. Overall this personality dimension measures artistic interests that range from sensitivity to beauty, from music to literature, and so forth.

Among us, here on Steemit, there is no better person to illustrate this trait than @ruth-girl. I personally know quite a few people (men and women), who exhibit the traits of those with high intellect, as they display verbal intelligence, musical and literary talents. Nevertheless, they have remained within those boundaries throughout their entire lives without ever venturing other horizons. This, presumably, indicates rather moderately low levels of openness.

@ruth-girl, on the other hand, not only is keen to explore different worlds, but is also talented at them. She gracefully switches from science to photography to short stories, and oftentimes, integrates all her talents in one post through her scientific photo stories. Someone at the opposite end of the scale from Ruth is generally quite conventional, rarely daydreams, and doesn’t really feel the need of an outlet for their creative capacities.

As well as previous reports, Weisberg et. al’s study 8 found that there is significant gender differences in the Intellect and Openness aspects of the Big Five traits; with men scoring higher than women in intellect, and women higher than men in openness. Again, this is not to be assumed men have higher IQ levels than women. But, it might indicate why these two genders, in general, have different preferences when it comes to, for example, art and maths.

Agreeableness: Politeness & Compassion

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I am particularly interested in this personality trait, which I see as a quite complex one. See, this is the primary dimension of interpersonal interaction; meaning that it relates to the processes through which we communicate with others (whether verbally or not).

Like all the other personality dimensions, its extremes come with its ups and downs. For example, high scorers on agreeableness can be generally described as being nice, they trust others with ease, they are kind and, hence, very appeasing. These people will run a mile to avoid conflict. Who wouldn’t like to hang out with such a person? I most certainly would. But, there is something about them you ought to know. Highly agreeable individuals tend to dissemble their true feelings and thoughts. Not out of deceit. But rather because they try at all costs to avoid confrontation 9. My brother is a bit like this.

The precise opposite of that describes low scorers, who are mostly characterized by their competitiveness, stubbornness and skepticism. They sound a bit of a nightmare, right? However, before you judge them too hard, there is one interesting thing to find out about them: They are not shy of bluntly voicing their views. There is no second guessing with moderately low scorers on agreeableness 10.

As for those of you whose position in this dimension is typical/average. Well, as much as being more than happy to cooperate with others, whenever you feel something is not quite as you wish, you stand your ground. Conflict is not something you are necessarily intimidated by. Further, you don’t harbour resentment (especially if you rate low in neuroticism); but, this does not set you free from experiencing the occasional frustration.

Oh! Did you know that, overall, women are more agreeable than men 11 ?

Extroversion : A Predictor of Well-Being


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I could never have imagined, for instance, how terrible and agonising it would be never once for a single minute to be alone for the ten years of my imprisonment

Dostoyevski – The House of the dead

I feel this is the personality dimension most widely known. As it permeates our day-to-day vocabulary we can all picture with precision an extrovert person: energetic, assertive, and talkative. Everyone knows someone like that. For me the most interesting characteristic of extroverts is that they actually crave being among others.

Consequently, they are pretty proactive about it, and get on with organizing social gatherings, joining communities etc. And since social interaction is associated with higher levels of subjective well-being 12, extroverts tend to enjoy a lot of positive emotions in life; which, in turn makes them less likely to suffer from major depressive disorders 13. Admittedly, when that fine line is crossed, they can become a bit pushy (we all know someone like that too!). However, this is something that might mostly affect others, rather than the extroverts themselves. So they just carry on having a good time!

At the other end of this dimension, you will find the more reserved people, the introverts, who enjoy their privacy and own company very much. And, just in case you think the life of an introvert is a life of emotional struggle, please beware that these are the individuals (when compared to extroverts) who make the most out of their time alone, as they don’t see it as something unsettling. Further, they are less prone to suffer from boredom than extroverts 14. I also feel these are often misunderstood individuals; who instead of being perceived as reflective, are called ‘aloof’; or rather than being considered private, are often labelled ‘unfriendly’.

Nevertheless, this is the sort of misinterpretation that can be avoided if we have at least a minimum understanding of the overall consistent ways people think, feel and react to the world throughout their lives. As these are elements of who we are that are also motivated by our personality types.

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So, are you ready to find out your personality type?

Go ahead and have some fun taking the IPIP Big-Five Factor Markers, which is not really a test, but rather a sequence of 50 statements with the options : disagree, neutral, agree.

It should not take more than 5 minutes :)

Then, you can come back and let me know how accurate it was in describing you. Or, you can just share with me the aspect of your personality you are proud of and the one would you like to improve.

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Image Source: 1, 2,3, 4,5, 6

Reference List:

1 Does personality predict health and well-being? A metasynthesis..

2,3,4 Thinking too much: self-generated thought as the engine of neuroticism.

5 Creative and neurotic: Is neuroticism fueled by overthinking?

6 Act-frequency signatures of the Big Five

7 The Dark Side of Conscientiousness

8,11 Gender Differences in Personality across the Ten Aspects of the Big Five

9,10 An Alternative "Description of Personality": The Big-Five Factor Structure

12 The Architecture of Sustainable Happiness

13 Extraversion

14 The Upside of Being an Introvert


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Dear Reader,

I hope you have enjoyed this post. I would like to thank you for taking the time to read it. Also, I would like to remind you that due to my current busy schedule I will be posting every other Friday for a while.

I am looking forward to reading your comments which I will be replying to slowly, but surely over the next few days. 😊

Much love to you all 🎔

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I just had the time to read this. First of all, thank you for mentioning me as an example here, I did not see that coming and it was a pleasant surprise! 🤗

Your post is as always a really well-written piece, Abi! Your writing had a "flow" comprehensible and easy to follow.

I have taken several personality tests and I rarely get surprised by the results (at least as I get older and I can understand myself better). I took the one you shared here too, here are my results:

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I haven't always been like that, some traits have been there ever since I can remember me (the wild imagination especially), while others evolved over time. What I see those last 3 years is that I had to step my foot and force myself to control some negative behaviors (at least most of the time) and replace them with more positive and optimistic ones. I am still a control freak and whiney girl, but I am working on it! 😋

Have a great weekend, Abi!
Lots of love coming your way! ♥️♥️

Oh! Look at your intellect/imagination (openness to experience) scores! 😃 My rate is low in that dimension.

Yes, I do believe very much in the approach you said you adopt in order to improve thinking, emotional and behaviour patterns. Being able to spot what is 'not quite right' to begin with is what the tricky part is!

If I had to guess your extroversion levels I would have guessed at least typical or average (45% to 65%); but, then again, considering how creative you are it shouldn't surprise me you don't mind being alone just letting your imagination loose!

Thank you SO much for the kind words. Your feedback about my work here means a lot to me! Lots of love back to you ♥️♥️ :)

I really do not like the way introverted people are described by the Big Five. Everyone could use being neurotic from time to time :D

Jokes aside, you did a great write-up and I really hope that more people who are no psychologists would read your article as you tend to present it in an understandable and simple way while keeping it scientific and casual at the same time. I would also love to see a post on how these traits change over time or could be manipulated in certain situations :)

All the best to you :))

Hahahahah ... that is right! I agree with you on that one @dysfunctional, the Big Five depicts introverts from a quite negative angle!

I am very pleased to hear you liked the balance I tried to achieve here. Personally, I find this a very complex topic. Oh! Interesting proposition you left me here ... interesting indeed! :D

You take care & thank you SO much for stopping by!
Enjoy the weekend :)

That test didn't take too long:

I suppose it's more a measure of how I view myself than who I actually am. I'd like to think I'm super outgoing at social events, but maybe I'm more reserved in real life. Either way, this test made me think about myself more than I usually do which is always good for personal growth.

Oh! @tking77798 :) I love the observation you made here about 'a measure of how I view mysefl'. It is true we see ourselves differently from how others view us, and something I have always been interested in is 'how different?'

Psychologists love measuring things :P

So, it would be an interesting study to have let's say, you answering this test and your wife answering it, but with you in mind! Anyway, I shouldn't get carried away here :)

Thank you so much for taking the time to participate. I appreciate it very much!

All the best.

As with all your blogs, fascinating because we see ourselves in them--and aren't we always interested in knowing more about ourselves? I found your descriptions (as they relate to me) accurate, especially the introvert/extrovert category. I rated a 3 (!) on extrovert in the IPIP scale, and that is probably true. But you are right--I am peaceful, content and never, ever bored. Some of the other categories I found to be a bit contradictory, most especially conscientiousness. I'm very future-thinking, dependable and responsible about fulfilling important obligations. However, trivial chores fall under the radar, and I do leave things around. And while I scored very high on agreeableness (yes, I am very nice)--I can also be stubborn, determined and downright contrary.
The best part of your blogs, I think, is the gentle spirit that comes through. Always a pleasure--informative and positive. Can't wait until next Friday.

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All these tests are crap if you ask me but still, when I see one I have to do it, regardless of how tired I am!

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What's the prognosis doc? Will I live? 😯😣

The prognosis is that you have really good eyesight if you can see the results as posted here.

Or your eyesight sucks 😎

Ahahahahah .... I normally reply to my comments by order. But, how could I not reply to yours right now? First, because it makes me truly happy seeing your feedback on my feed; and second because I was surprised by your level of extroversion! Is that accurate?

Are you more of an introvert than of an extrovert @trumpman? Also, if I had to guess, I would have guessed you are less agreeable than your scores show here! You see, this is why it is not right go around judging people by how we perceive them online!

I am very pleased to communicate that you will live indeed :P

Thanks for taking the time ;)

Well, if you ask me, I will tell you that I am the most agreeable person in the world.

It's just that usually most people suck at making a convincing argument not based on their prejudices/personal anecdotal experience etc So, typically I end up disagreeing. XD

As for the introvert/extrovert thing, I think I always had a nice balance. I can have fun both with myself and with company... Hmmm, that didn't sound as I wanted it to, but oh well, it's still true XD

I think I always had a nice balance. I can have fun both with myself and with company...

Too much information, too much information 🙊

Emm, please wait @abigail-dantes while reading through this trilling piece, i got to understand much more the reason we have conflict with a lot of people is because we refuse to study and understand each other. Its actually painful that we condemn people when we don't understand them. I got to understand several of my colleagues at work more now from this, and even my honey too!!!. Am i exeptional ? No. I will have to find time and read this post over again, i need to change some of my life style, to be honest,some of my students see me to be unfriendly because it seems to me that am a low scorer onagreeableness. I seems to be blunt, but as much as i tried to be like others ,some of my colleague it seem to me that am compromising or lowering my standard.

And at times,i see myself to be in the average of some of these five patterns.
*Am sorry for not responding the last time , i have actually typed my reply then network issue came in, by the time am supposed to resend again, my hand was just filled with other engangement.

Surely, am reposting this article. Enh lest i forget, any correlation between these five model and these popular
Sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic and choleric ?[Temperament stuffs]

Ahahaha I see you looked into Humorism (Sanguine, melancholic, phlegmatic and choleric ? Temperament stuffs) 😊 No, no, no ... you do not worry about that! Humorism is nothing more than a historical piece of information in the field of psychology nowadays my dear @steepup :)

When it comes to the scientific study of personality the model to go for is the Big 5, which is the one accepted in academic psychology as a result of its validity and reliability! Ok? :)

Yes, I know, if we only had/took the time to understand ourselves and those around us at a psychological level a lot of conflicts could be avoided. You are absolutely right when you say that. Also, I respect you very much for using this new knowledge to reflect on yourself and to be inspired to improve as an individual !

Well done you ;)

Ps: Don't worry about not replying before, I understand that sometimes is not always possible :D

All the best to you my dear :*

I think I'm an introverted disagreeable non-neurotic openly conscientious person :D Any places online where I can take a test and find out for sure?

Also, to what extent are these personality traits fixed/genetic? I personally don't feel that I had much choice being these things. I happened to read an article today about a new book by psychologist/geneticist Robert Plomin that claims that most of everything that describes us is genetic.

PS: Nevermind, I took the test!

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Robert Plomin is great!😃 Thank you for sharing this article with me :) I don't have an appointment with the hairdresser for the next two weeks, but already got something to read during my next hair treatment :P

Jokes aside ...

Over the past few years quite a few studies have been looking into the genetics of The Big Five Dimensions. Although. the ones I have come across mostly correlate the genetics of personality with psychiatric disorders (not even extroversion escaped- which genetic variation correlates with ADHD ref.). You can imagine when it comes to neuroticism ref. ! So, yes, there is now evidence of genetic variations underlying our personality traits.

Nevertheless, twin studies suggest that genetics and environmental factors are equally important when it comes to the formation of personality ref.

It was concluded that despite sharing the same genes, their different environment, parents rearing practices and education do bring changes in their personalities

Finally, the days when it was believed our personality is fixed are gone. It is now understood for example, that we become more agreeable as we age, and less Open to Experience as the years go by ref.

Thanks a lot for stopping by once again, and this time, taking the time to do the test :D

All the best to you always!

I don't have an appointment with the hairdresser for the next two weeks, but already got something to read during my next hair treatment

😄

not even extroversion escaped- which genetic variation correlates with ADHD

I knew it!! This is very cool! The evidence against them is amassing! :D

It is now understood for example, that we become more agreeable as we age, and less Open to Experience as the years go by

To play devil's advocate, I could say that perhaps the change is also genetically mediated: just like hair changes to white as we age, maybe we're meant to be more agreeable as we age because we're not as strong, say, or because there's more progeny to take care of and tolerate.

Thanks for your (as always) detailed and informed reply!

I've seen a similar view (the one about our genetics) expressed by the outspoken (and occasionally controversial) Richard Dawkins in The Selfish Gene and I personally find it quite plausible -- our genes define the structure of our organs and their functions, including our neurology, which defines everything that we are or could be as a conscious entity. It's an established fact that our genetic structure changes throughout our life -- we very literally change not just as a "person" but on a more fundamental level, as a living organism.

I have anecdotal evidence of my own personality changes as a result of recovery from hormonal/dietary disbalance I've experienced in my life, but that's another story. :)

Great post! One thing that I have discovered in myself, is just how much my personality and experience is influenced by conditioning.

I was raised by very poor parents who had a lot of very wrong perceptions about reality. They passed these wrong ideas on to me and my siblings. I don't imagine that they intentionally set us up for failure; I suppose you do the best with what you know.

It has taken me years to retrain my brain which is an ongoing process. In the last few years I have gotten heavily into meditation retreats which have really taught me to see just how much of my behavior is conditioned, and just how much is inhereted.

I was very surprised to discover that the vast majority of my actions are actually reactions to emotions generated by either a negatively or positively perceived bodily sensation.

You mention intellect as being one's interest in abstract concepts. I think that this is what has gotten me through the roughest patches of life. Without this desire to understand how my own mind works, I likely would never had broken out of the cycle of ignorance. Well, that is a bold claim, as I realize that I still have far to go.

I do wonder if intellect can be increased. Can one be taught to wonder? If not, then it would seem quite difficult to change the way that such a person thinks, which is a scary thought if that person's thoughts are destructive to themselves or others!

My results:

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Hello there @nuthman :)

This is an amazing comment! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such insightful feedback.

Despite the fact that new research is revealing the weight genetic variations (associated with these personality traits) have in determining our personality, there is a huge body of studies revealing the extent to which parenting style, culture, socioeconomic status, access to education and life experiences shape our traits. Even in identical twins! ref. Your case just lends further support to those findings :)

I am pleased to hear that you have managed to rationalize it all, identify thoughts and emotions and act upon them. Well, you are a high-scorer on Factor V, this suggests you are rather reflective, thoughtful, insightful ... You did explain this here, you reflected on your reflection! You are metacognitive ! :D

As for your last query, I believe most things can be taught. Especially how to deal with scary, detrimental thoughts. This is one of the core principals of Behaviourism, for instance. But, it is, without a doubt, a long process that requires hard-work and determination, in which not everyone is willing to engage. However, that is another topic ;)

All the best to you :)

Well, I suppose I am a recursive reflector, if that is a thing!

You know, now that I think about it, I think that certain circumstances can motivate a person to increase their intellect. I have known people who for lack of a better word aggressively avoid looking deeply into any subject.

Then someone in their family or they themselves get some disease or injury. Afterward they suddenly become very interested in understanding the thing. But sometimes this leads them to exploring a lot of other things. Sometimes it's religion, other times it's trying to get their head around what life is all about.

So ultimately there is a trigger in the brain that leads a person down a path of exploration. The question would be, how does one unlock this way of thinking with a tragedy?

On reflection, I just realized that I tend to end a post with a question. :)

Hello @nuthman :)

The question would be, how does one unlock this way of thinking with a tragedy?

Perhaps, through quitting the chase for happiness. Which, I believe, is what distracts or stops people from looking further into themselves and/or the world around them.

Oops, I meant to say without a tragedy, but I think you got it.

Good to read about the positive side of neuroticism. I've always known that most artistic people may have some relationship with some form of it. It is great to see you post during this RC and voting mana depletion. This goes to show that nothing will stop the weekly contribution, not even HF20 bugs :)

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Ahahaha Nothing stops me Green! :D
It has been a tricky week for Steemit, for sure!
But, please note that at least until Christmas I will be posting only every other week. Things are pretty busy over here.

I wish you a wonderful, relaxing weekend.
Thank you for stopping by :*

It's a wonder you have time to post on your busy schedule. The labour union are on strike, so it's really a long weekend here :)

Oh! Enjoy the long weekend for me too Green :D

Thank you :)

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here's my result miss Abi

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Maybe i can can call myself neurotuc if i got problems and worrues , LOL. with regards to my decisions , they're not always planned but mist of the time gotta consider lots of things. I am lso always open to new things , new experiences ,new people. And i can see myself as someone whom easily get touched and have compassion to those who are in need and is very emotiinal when i watched documentaries about poor ones who can't even eat in a day 😭 . Wirh regards to imaginations , i bet i got a lot of that hahaha , more like daydreaming haha .

Ther miss Abi , nice write up as always. I m glad you are able to post today. You take care always and God bless you more and more
Thank you always , much love from us 😘❤️❤️❤️

I am lso always open to new things , new experiences ,new people. And i can see myself as someone whom easily get touched and have compassion to those who are in need and is very emotiinal when i watched documentaries about poor ones who can't even eat in a day 😭 .

Oh! As you now know, compassion is one the aspects that comprise agreeableness, which you rate quite high dear @zephalexia :) Highly agreeable people are also very nice to be around, and truly easy going. But, people with this trait can be quite easy to take advantage of. So, for someone with high scores in this dimension is important to assertiveness every once in a while and be strong enough to say 'no'.

Overall your traits seem very well balanced! ;)
The minis are truly lucky!
Take care of yourself my dear ❤️