When we talk about the way a person behaves, we are usually talking about their personality and character. These two identify the person in relation to dealing with others, their thoughts, feelings and actions.
Character and personality are two terms that many people confuse, but it is often believed that they are the same, let’s see below why we should not confuse them.
What is personality?
This word comes from the Latin (Personare). It refers to the way in which a person is perceived by others. Personality is a set of emotions and behaviors that are decisive in the behavior of the person, this is determined by environmental influences or character.
The personality is manifested through the behavior of a person and is grouped by the same that identify a human being in their day to day. On the other hand, the personality is usually dynamic and has variations in a consecutive way, the personality varies but it cannot be totally modified.
It should also be noted that personality is reflected by behavior, since it is seen through it. There are different theories to define personality, many have a biological approach and reveal a determining role of genetic inheritance.
There are different types of personality but they are not the only meters to identify a human being, generally the possessive, enthusiastic, idealistic, individualistic, competitive, pacifist and loyal personality can be differentiated.
What is character?
This word comes from the Greek (Kharasso). It refers to marking and differentiating, defining in a few words. Character is a set of qualities typical of a human being, which is differentiated by their attitude towards others.
Character is a learned component of personality. This means that it is formed based on experiences that the person has lived, this influences the way of behaving and molds the temperament.
Therefore, the character can be modified since it is susceptible to environmental, social, cultural factors and experiences. There are several types of character which largely determine the behavior of a person in different situations. There are different types of character such as nervous, passionate, sentimental and apathetic character.
Differences between personality and character in tabular form
| Personality | Character |
| It is a set of emotions and behaviors in a human being. | It is a component of personality. |
| It is variable but cannot be changed in its entirety. | It is modified according to the experiences of the person. |
| It is determined by genetic inheritance and social and cultural factors. | It is determined by environmental, social, cultural factors and experiences. |
