Personality Islands By: Laurel Finger Based on: “The Big 5 Personality Test”

Table of Contents:

1.

Openness

2.

Conscientiousness

3.

Extroversion

4.

Agreeableness

5.

Neuroticism

Openness: My score: 26 Sex Average: 19.9

Openness can be described as a willingness to change and try new things.. My score on the openness section was a 26, which means that I am generally open to experiences and change.

Examples of Openness: - Openness is a learned personality trait for me. In fact, my openness used to correlate more with my agreeableness, which is quite low. Through my therapeutic journey, I have learned to be open to discomfort and change. - I am a lover of all, and always have been. From the age of 10, I have been a vegetarian because I love animals and do not wish to harm them in any capacity. I am accepting of all life forms and have adopted this as a form of spirituality.

Core Memory: A core memory I have relating to openness is a recent one. My parents had dropped me off at a wilderness therapy program and I felt terrified, angry, and betrayed. However , a few days in, my perspective underwent a shift. I began to accept the help that wilderness could provide and agreed to surrender myself to the program.

Conscientiousness: My Score: 22 Sex Average: 23.8

Conscientiousness is defined as the wish to do one’s work well, thoroughly, and in an organized manner. My score was a 22, which is below average. This means that perhaps I am less organized and thoughtful than the averaged female-bodied individual..

Examples of Conscientiousness: - When I see the value of it, I can be very conscientious. In times of stress, I enjoy making a schedule or a list to organize my thoughts and priorities. - I enjoy living in the moment. During my time at Wilderness, I woke up with the Sun and went to rest with it as well- we weren’t even allowed to know the time!! I came to love this lifestyle without deadlines and constructs., and have found myself feeling overwhelmed by the sudden addition of time-related structure to my life.

Core Memory: A core memory of conscientiousness in my life is the homework list I would make myself every day for the past 10 years. Any time I had an assignment I would write it down, and felt accomplished as each assignment was inevitably completed and crossed off the list.

Extroversion: My Score: 35 Sex Average: 20.7

Extroversion can be defined as the seeking of social situations and opportunities to connect with others. I scored a 35 on the extroversion section of the test, which is remarkably high. Extroverts such as myself are often talkative, charismatic, assertive, and sociable. Examples of Extroversion: - In alcoholics Anonymous

-

meetings, I am never afraid to share. In fact, I get more out of the meeting if I am sharing my experience with fellow alcoholics. I value the connection among us, as well as between all living beings. To me, this is a higher power. I have never had trouble making friends. Through depression, I have tended to call upon more introverted qualities, despite my best interest. I feel more fulfilled when I am spending time with loved ones., rather than isolating.

Core Memory: As a child in elementary and middle school, I would constantly get reprimanded for talking with and distracting peers during class. I was often referred to by my teachers as a “social butterfly”. My desire for social connection has earned me wonderful relationships, as well as caused setbacks in academic life.

Agreeableness: My Score: 13 Sex Average: 19.8

Agreeableness can be defined, simplu, as cooperativeness and consideration. I scored almost absurdly low on agreeableness13 as opposed to the average of 19.8. This means that I am, in general, a disagreeable person. Examples of (Dis)Agreeableness: - I pride myself in my ability to advocate for myself. This means I do not allow anyone to walk over me, nor do I comply with demands that I do not see benefit or fairness in. this has allowed me to be a strong, influencing personality wherever I go. - This trait has also brought some challenges in my life. There are some times when it is more beneficial to comply with requests of others, thus being agreeable, which I do not have much practice with. I have worked tirelessly to allow myself to be more agreeable in therapies.

Core Memory: Core memories that I have related to agreeableness or lack thereof, are arguments with my dad. My dad and I are both similar in that we have low agreeableness, and therefore butt heads often. Sometimes, we say hurtful things in order to “win” or get the last word

Neuroticism: My Score: 23 Sex Average: 15.0

Neuroticism Can be described as the perception of one’s surroundings as unsafe and threatening. Neuroticism is heavily linked to worry. My score for neuroticism is significantly higher than the sex average, meaning I am in destress more frequently than the average individual. Of course, I have known this for years. Examples of Neuroticism: - I have an eating disorder. Neuroticism and eating disorders are connected because one obsessively worries about their weight and food, catastrophizing every meal and every number on the scale. - I also struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder, worrying that horrible things will happen if I do not follow through with rituals and compulsions, often having nothing to do with the perceived consequence.

Core Memory: A core memory I have that relates to neuroticism is from when I was five years old My father and I watched Lord of the Rings, and for months after, I obsessively checked each “hiding spot” in my room, making sure Gollum was not lurking within. Every time I left my room, I felt compelled to repeat this ritual, or else I was sure Gollum would kill me. To overcome this fear, my parents gifted me a toy dragon named “Couragie”. Couragie protected me from any threats that dwelled in my mind, and helped me to resist compulsions.