Something I noticed in the latest issue of New Scientist (9th Feb, page 19) was an article by Daniel Nettle about personality traits.

The big 5 are:

• Neuroticism (Amygdala + Serotonin)
• Openness (Mental association mechanisms?)
• Conscientiousness (Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex)
• Agreeableness / Empathy (Theory of mind mechanisms?)
• Extroversion (Mid brain Dopamine reward system)

What the author writes about extroverts makes for the most interesting reading:

I studied 545 British adults with a range of extroversion scores. High scorers had more sexual partners, and we know that they also do better in economic and career terms on average. But those in my sample were also more likely to be hospitalised as a result of an accident or illness, and their family lives were less stable. Since they were more likely to divorce, the men often ended up not living with their children. It is tempting to think of extroversion as an unalloyed blessing, but it is not.

Your personality will entail risks, and some alternative pathways might be closed to you. There will also be situations for which your personality is too risk-prone.

Agreeableness is a negative predictor of success in the worlds of executives and artists, where people need to put themselves first and focus on what they want.

His last word is:

To some extent we can alter who we are, but we might be better off recognising that for almost any personality profile, there is an optimal environment. So if your personality causes you grief, why not try changing the niche you occupy in this complex ecosystem that is modern life?

These words must sound hollow to the neurotic! Yes… whoopee, I’ll prosper the best in a dangerous environment… so um, how long before I can get my hands on a Sudanese visa, in order to immigrate to Darfur?!

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Posted by Oliver in Philosophy, Psychology