The Chinese zodiac is about 3500 years old. It says you are the way you are because of when you were born. It’s a complex calculation. The system combines the motion of planets (5 elements, months (12 animals), two tidal motions (yin and yang) and a 60 year cycle.
This is not a voluntary system. It is deterministic. You don’t volunteer to be born in the year of the ox. You can’t aspire to being an ox. You are an ox if you are born in a particular month of a particular year, using the lunar calendar.
Ancient Theories
Ancient societies also believed that your name determined your personality. This seem a bit more optimistic to modern fold because you can always change your name. But in its day, names were powerful. Parents carefully chose a name lest they temp the fates. They might want to name their child “worthless” but they instead chose “protector” (Alexander, William), “faithful” (Fidel or Caleb) or “brave” (Amos or Andre).
An ancient approach that is still prevalent is temperament and character. Temperament is what you are born with. It is your basic personality. Temperature is whether you are generally happy-sad, active-passive, and introversion-extroversion. It is your innate make up, your wiring.
Many political campaigns don’t care about temperament. They say elections are all about character. Character is responsibility, empathy and trustworthiness. It is your unique set of moral, ethical and spiritual qualities. Persistence is temperature; what you do with it is character. If you’re a morning person, it’s temperament. If you go to work early even though you are a night owl, it’s character.
Popeye To The Rescue
All traits theory share one characteristic: Popeye. I’m sure Elzie Segar had no idea his cartoon character Popeye the Sailor Man had anything to do with trait theory. Popeye was just an additional character to his popular Thimble Theatre comic strip. In the 1930s, Popeye was a popular figure in the papers and the movies. And his tag line is known around the world: “I am what I and that’s all that I am. I’m Popeye the Sailor Man.”
Popeye states the essence of trait theory. You are what you are and there is no changing you. Whether your fate is controlled by the stars, my your name or your temperament, your personality is set. Change cannot occur.
There’s a comfort that comes with trait theory. The comfort is that it is possible to clearly determine your personality. Although the systems differ, once a system is used the outcome is predictable. You will be told exactly who you are. The system may be complicated. You might have to pay an expert to discover the truth but it is knowable. Rest assured your personality will be identified.
There’s a hopelessness that comes with trait theory. You are told exactly who you are and you can never be anything else. There is no opportunity for growth. No possibility to change. If you have been lazy in the past, you will always be that way.
The Truth
Of course, we know that people do change. We usually don’t; we’re pretty set in our ways. But we can change and some people change greatly. Wilhelm Wundt is a good example of a person who changed. He went from an uninspired, daydreaming teen to a prolific writer and the “Father” of psychology.
Popeye’s wrong. Here’s my version:
“I am what I am but I can change. I probably won’t but I can.”
Click here for a practical tip: Define Yourself.
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Here is an example of someone NOT defined by their initial traits.