Character v Personality

In Susan Cain’s book “Quiet”, the astute observation was made, that the culture of character (serious, disciplined, honourable) has lost out to the culture of personality (bold, entertaining, dominant). The book also addressed the yin/yang of introverts and extroverts, noting that personality is like a rubber band — elastic and changeable, but only to a point.

There was a time, not long ago, that attributes such as citizenship, honour and reputation were recognised and appreciated. Now it is all about being fascinating, stunning, and magnetic. 

So, manoeuvring through the expectations and preferences of colleagues, friends and family requires awareness of self.