A person, an individual, a personality

 

An individual is (social science): A single representative of the human race, a specific person as a carrier of biological and social traits.

Individual, individuality, personality - these terms are often used synonymously with the word "person", but still there is a significant difference between them. In this article, we will discuss what the differences are, and why they say that you cannot be born a person, but you can become one as a result of development.

Humans as a biological species

From the point of view of social science, a human is a representative of the species Homo Sapiens, which is endowed with erectness, self-awareness, speech, the ability to acquire social skills, and have not only biological but also spiritual needs.

On the one hand, humans, like animals, have instincts, but on the other hand, they are strikingly different from other representatives of the animal world. In the very definition of the concept of "human", social science provides information about the biological and social essence of Homo Sapiens. The social component is precisely the main difference between humans and animals.

Animal - All actions are driven mainly by instincts, the influence of which is irresistible. - For survival, it adapts to the environment and changes its lifestyle only when external conditions change. - Some species can use improvised means to achieve their goals, but they are not able to create full-fledged tools. - The existence and interaction with other members of the species is determined by the biological essence.

Person - Along with instincts, activity is regulated through thinking and self-awareness. I have the ability to overcome my instincts. - It can transform the environment, consciously change the way of life, create material and other values. - Can create a wide range of tools. He is capable not only of physical, but also of creative, intellectual work. - In addition to the biological, there is a social essence and spiritual needs.

The individual and the personality

From the point of view of social science, an individual is a separate representative of the human race with all its inherent features. This word was formed from the Latin individuum, which means "indivisible." They usually refer to a person as a biological being, without indicating to what extent his social essence is realized.

Let's explain with an example. Surely everyone has heard of the so-called "mowgli children" who, due to tragic circumstances, spent their first years of life surrounded by animals or in social isolation without communicating with people. There are several documented cases, in particular, the Indian girls Kamala and Amala, who grew up with wolves, the Italian boy Rono, etc. Unlike the fabulous Mowgli, the hero of R. Kipling's work, after returning to civilization, these children never learned to speak, interact fully with other people, or even eat the human food we are used to. Can we call them individuals? Yes, you can. But the personality of these children remained undeveloped. Another example that makes it possible to see the difference between the concepts of "individual" and "personality" may be people with profound mental retardation or with severe mental illnesses. Their personality remains unformed or gradually collapses, but they are certainly individuals.

In social studies, personality is a set of socially significant qualities and skills that allow a person to effectively interact with other people, engage in creativity, and create material and spiritual values. This is a kind of mental superstructure that develops in the process of socialization (play, learning, work). As it is easy to see, the definition of personality adopted in social studies suggests that one cannot become one from birth. It is related to the social essence of a person, to the development of social roles, social norms, rules of behavior, etc. Specific historical circumstances of life play a huge role in this process (the social norms of our time and, say, the 14th century differ significantly). The cultural environment with all its national, religious and other features also influences the formation of a personality. All these factors eventually transform an individual into a person.

Understanding social norms does not mean fulfilling them. If a person consciously violates social rules (as hooligans or criminals do, for example), he does not cease to be a person. This concept does not imply an ethical assessment of actions. So, let's repeat once again how the biological component, which is included in the concept of "individual", differs from the social one.

The biological essence of man It is manifested in its anatomy, physiology, and features of the circulatory, muscular, and nervous systems inherent in the entire human race. 

The social essence of man It develops in the process of socialization, during communication with other people. It manifests itself through the ability to work creatively, an understanding of social norms and rules, and self-awareness.

Personality

In the process of becoming a person, a person not only learns the social norms that unite people, but also realizes their differences from others. Part of the difference between people is evident from birth - even babies have different looks and different temperaments. Over the years, differences in knowledge, skills, worldview, etc. are added to this. This is called individualization — the self-determination of a personality, the formation of its unique qualities, worldview, moral and philosophical foundations. Individuality, as defined by social studies, is a unique psychophysiological structure of a person. A unique complex that consists of temperament, character, intelligence, worldview, abilities and skills, external features, etc.

This term emphasizes the uniqueness of each individual, his identity. After all, even monozygotic twins, who are exactly the same from a genetic point of view, acquire different life experiences over the years, and this entails more and more differences. We will help you consolidate new material in social studies courses at the Skysmart online school. Strong personality

Throughout life, a person can get into extreme situations that become a test of how strong his inner core is - individuality and personality. To what extent his beliefs, principles, worldview, etc. have become ingrained and become a part of the "I". The Austrian psychiatrists Bruno Bettelheim and Viktor Frankl, who were imprisoned in concentration camps during World War II, wrote that sometimes a person's very life depends on the preservation of individuality. The conditions of the concentration camps led not only to physical exhaustion, but also to the destruction of personality — the goal of the fascists was to lower prisoners to the level of an individual concerned only with biological needs. In practice, although such an individual became an "ideal" obedient prisoner, he quickly lost his will to live, his memory, his abilities, and even his instinct for self-preservation.

Frankl and Bettelheim, by their own admission, were helped to survive only by the desire to preserve their individuality — to continue mental work, to set life goals for themselves, even if their realization was unlikely at that time. So, Bettelheim, unable to write, composed a book in his mind, and Frankl, together with a group of doctors, organized a secret psychological assistance service for other prisoners. A strong personality as the highest stage of development is characterized by the ability to overcome life circumstances, putting spiritual values not only above material, but also above biological needs.