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Personality, in the field of organizational behavior, is the aggregate of a person’s feelings, thinking, behaviors and responses to different situations and people. Every person has a different personality and there are a lot of factors which contribute to that personality. We call them the ‘determinants of personality’ or the ‘factors of personality’. These determinants and factors of personality can belong to very different categories. Earlier, the major debate was primarily between the heredity and environmental factors. Many psychologists believe that the environment, in which an individual lives in, forms his personality. On the other hand, some psychologists used to debate that personality is pre-determined at the time of birth – which means that it is hereditary. Actually, it appears that both the environmental and heredity factors contribute as the important determinants and factors of personality. Apart from that, there are several other factors as well that determine an individual’s personality. In this article, we discuss these important determinants and factors of personality, along with a very interesting case study of two twins. So, let’s discuss the four major determinants of personality:

1. Environmental Factors of Personality: The environment that an individual lives in has a major impact on his personality. The culture and environment establish attitudes, values, norms and perceptions in an individual. Based on the cultures and traditions, different senses of right and wrong are formed in individuals. These environmental factors also include the neighborhood a person lives in, his school, college, university and workplace. Moreover, it also counts the social circle the individual has. Your friends, parents, colleagues, co-workers and bosses, everybody plays a role as the determinants of your personality.

2. Physical Factors of Personality: Just as environmental factors, there are many physical factors as well that determine your personality. These physical factors include the overall physical structure of a person: his height, weight, colour, sex, beauty and body language, etc. An individual’s personality can change over time. Physical factors are one of the major reasons of that. Most of the physical structures change from time to time, and so does the personality. With exercises, cosmetics and surgeries etc. many physical features are changed, and therefore, the personality of the individual also evolves.

3. Situational Factors of Personality: Although these factors do not literally create and shape up an individual’s personality, situational factors do alter a person’s behavior and response from time to time. The situational factors can be commonly observed when a person behaves contrastingly and exhibits different traits and characteristics. For example, a person’s behavior will be totally different when he is in his office, in front of his boss, when compared to his hangout with old friends in a bar. In this way, situational factors impact a personality in a significant way. They often bring out the traits of a person that are not commonly seen.

4. Heredity Factors of Personality:

Last, but not the least, the heredity factors play a very important role as the major determinants and factors of personality. Heredity factors are the ones that are determined at the time of conception. These factors not only affect the physical features of a person, but the intelligence level, attentiveness, gender, temperament, various inherited diseases and energy level, all get affected by them. The example of how heredity factors determine such a huge and significant part of an individual’s personality can easily be observed in children. Many children behave exactly how their parents do. Similarly, twin siblings also have a lot of things in common.

Summarizing the Determinants and Factors of Personality: Our entire topic can be summarized in the following important points: 

Every person has a different personality, which is the result of various factors that shape it up. We call them the ‘determinants of personality’ or the ‘factors of personality’.

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These determinants or factors of personality can be divided into 4 major categories: environmental factors, physical factors, situational factors and heredity factors.

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Contrary to many beliefs, heredity factors are indeed major determinants of personality.

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Personalities change over time. As an individual grows, experiences different environments, lives and works with other people, and as his physical structures change, his personality also evolves.

Role personality V/S true personality: Role Personality: 1.

We term role personality as our role model.

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Role personality has certain personality traits which we try to incorporate in our life.

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We try to create a SWOT analysis of Role personality and try to fit ourselves in that range.

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We always try to keep our role personality in focus and act accordingly to his role i.e. we try to fit ourselves in his/her role.

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Role personality continues to establish themselves a role model for others and thus hardly any scope for them to get manipulated.

True Personality: 1.

True personality refers to what we are i.e. it indicates or own personality.

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We always try to manipulate our personality but in the end it is our personality which gets reflected.

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We always try to manipulate our pe3rsonality but in the end it is our personality which gets reflected.

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We always try to bridge the gap between our personality and role personality.

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True personality can be modified and can be improved.

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Sometimes our own personality keeps on changing due to external control, but in the end if leads us to confusion.

8 limbs of yoga or Patanjali Muni Ashtanga Yoga: 

Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga: In Sanskrit "Ashta + anga" is Ashtanga. "Ashta" means Eight and "Anga" is limbs so it means Eight Limb path, ashtanga yoga is based on Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali. The asanas, Pranayamas or the dharana which we have studied earlier or the yam and niyam are based on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Hence, we will acquaint ourselves with the fundamentals as stated by Patanjali first.

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History of Ashtanga Yoga: Yoga has its roots about 5000 years BC as described in Vedic Philosophy and Tantras. Patanjali , great sage composed this path into a Darshan(Philosophy) in his Book Patanjal Yoga Sutra. In which he has formulated Yoga as a Eight Limbs or Eight Fold path.

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Eight Limbs of Ashtanga Yoga

1. Yama (Principles or moral code) o

Ahimsa - A principle of non-violence

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Satya - A principle of Truthfulness

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Asteya - A principle of non stealing

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Brahmacharya - Continence / Celibacy

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Aparigah - A principle of non-hoarding or non possessiveness

2. Niyama (Personal Disciplines) o

Shoucha - Purity

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Santosh - Contentment

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Tapa - Endurance

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Swadhyaya - Self study

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Eshwar Pranidhan - Dedication

3. Asana (Yoga Positions or Yogic Postures) A stable and comfortable posture which helps attain mental equilibrium. 4. Pranayama (Yogic Breathing) Extension and control of breath. 5. Pratyahara (Withdrawal of Senses) A mental preparation to increase the power of mind. 6. Dharana (Concentration on Object) Concentration of mind on one object and its field. 7. Dhyan (Meditation) With drawing mind from all external objects and Focusing it on one point and meditating on it. 8. Samadhi (Salvation) State of Super bliss, joy and merging individual consciousness in to universal consciousness. Union between Jivatman and Paramatman. Union of Shiva and Shakti in Sahasrar Chakra (the top of the head). Realizing the Bramhan (pure consciousness) or Realization of God is the ultimate achievement of Human Birth.

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Personality development through yoga: The Truth is One, but the paths are many. The Bhagavad Gita extols three major margas or paths of Yoga which help the aspirant frame his personal nature with the highest goal, realization and union with Brahman, or the all-knowing and pervasive consciousness that governs the universe. Although each path is different, the destination is ultimately the same. One path is not higher than the other; rather the lessons of each contain its own unique wisdom that provides an integrated and balanced view of one’s relationship to oneself and the higher reality.

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These three paths are: a. Karma Yoga: the path of Selfless Action b. Bhakti Yoga: the path of Devotion c. Jnana Yoga: the path of Self Transcending Knowledge

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Karma Yoga is essentially Acting, or doing one’s duties in life as per his/her dharma, or duty, without concern of results – a sort of constant sacrifice of action to the Supreme. It is action done without thought of gain. One cannot live in the world without performing actions, and thus a proper mindset should be established when doing these actions. Karma Yoga purifies the heart by teaching one to act selflessly, without thought of gain or reward. By detaching oneself from the fruits of one’s actions and offering them up to God, one learns to sublimate the ego. This is the difference between simply performing actions for personal gains, and performing actions without attach ment (vairagya) as a spiritual practice where all fruits are given to God. This is the most arduous of all paths as most of us are attached to the fruits of our actions.

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Bhakti yoga is based on the doctrine “Love is God and God is Love”. The Deity is the beloved and the devotee is the lover. In Bhakti yoga, everything is but a manifestation of the divine and all else is meaningless, including the Ego. When the Bhakta is blessed by divine grace he feels an undivided union and non-dual consciousness prevails. Bhakti Yoga is regarded as the most direct method to merge in cosmic consciousness. This path appeals particularly to those of an emotional nature. Through prayer, worship, chanting and ritual one surrenders himself to God or object of faith, channeling and transmuting his emotions into unconditional love and devotion. Continuous meditation of God or object of faith gradually decreases the ego of the practitioner. Suppressed emotions get released and the purification of the inner self takes place. Slowly the practitioner looses the self identity and becomes one with God or the object of faith, this is the state of self-realization.

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Jnana Yoga is a process of learning to discriminate between what is real and what is not, what is eternal and what is not. Through a steady advancement in realization of the distinction between Real and the Unreal, the Eternal and the Temporal, one develops into a Jnani. This is essentially a path of knowledge and discrimination in regards to the difference between the immortal soul (atman) and the body. Jnana Yoga is the process of converting intellectual knowledge into practical wisdom. Jnana literally means ‘knowledge’, but in the context of yoga it means the process of meditative awareness which leads to illuminative wisdom. It is not a method by which we try to find rational answers to eternal questions, rather it is a part of meditation leading to self-enquiry and self-realisation. Before practicing Jnana Yoga,

the aspirant needs to have integrated the lessons of the other yogic paths – for without selflessness and love of God, strength of body and mind, the search for self-realization can become mere idle speculation.  Taking the philosophy of Vedanta the Jnana Yogi uses his mind to inquire into its own nature. We perceive the space inside and outside a glass as different, just as we see ourselves as separate from God. Jnana Yoga leads the devotee to experience his unity with God directly by breaking the glass, dissolving the veils of ignorance (maya). Conclusion:  In the world I am a Karma Yogi, performing my actions for others and the Lord. In the company of my friends, family, and students I am a Jnani Yogi. And in the depths of my heart, in my most private chambers, I am a Bhakti Yogi, offering complete love and devotion to the One.