Your general behavior is influenced by what personality type you are and a few other things that I will explain.
Personalities differ because of a combination of genetics, environment, and life experiences.
Here’s a breakdown of the key factors:
- Genetics (Nature)
Your DNA influences traits like temperament, intelligence,
and even predispositions toward extroversion or neuroticism.
Some personality traits are heritable, meaning they run in families.
- Brain Chemistry & Hormones
Neurotransmitters like dopamine (linked to motivation)
and serotonin (linked to mood regulation) affect personality.
Testosterone levels, for example, can influence dominance and aggression.
- Early Childhood Experiences
Your upbringing, parental attachment, and childhood traumas shape your emotional resilience and social behaviors.
A strict or neglectful upbringing can create different traits than a nurturing one.
- Cultural & Social Influences
The society you grow up in programs certain behaviors.
An individual raised in a collectivist culture (like Japan) may value harmony,
while someone raised in an individualistic culture (like the U.S.) may prioritize personal achievement.
- Life Experiences & Adaptation
Over time, challenges, failures, and victories mold a person’s traits.
Someone who experiences constant hardship might develop resilience or bitterness,
depending on their mindset and coping mechanisms.
- Cognitive & Emotional Processing
Some people process emotions deeply (high neuroticism),
while others remain unaffected by stress (low neuroticism).
Similarly, intelligence and problem-solving ability affect how people interact with the world.
- The Dark Triad vs. Light Triad Traits
Some individuals develop manipulative, power-seeking traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy),
while others develop altruism and empathy, depending on their goals and experiences.
- Free Will & Personal Choices
While genetics and environment shape tendencies,
individuals still make conscious choices that define their character.
Two people with similar backgrounds can take very different life paths.
The interplay of these factors creates the infinite variety of human personalities.
There are various ways of classifying personalities and the most detailed one is the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) system.
In a broader sense, MBTI types are categorized into 16 personality types based on Carl Jung’s psychological theories.
These types fall into four main categories:
- Analysts (NT types) – INTJ, INTP, ENTJ, ENTP (Logical, strategic thinkers)
- Diplomats (NF types) – INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, ENFP (Idealistic, emotional, and people-oriented)
- Sentinels (SJ types) – ISTJ, ISFJ, ESTJ, ESFJ (Organized, traditional, and responsible)
- Explorers (SP types) – ISTP, ISFP, ESTP, ESFP (Spontaneous, adaptable, and action-driven)
In the MBTI system, the letters I, E, N, S, T, J, F, P represent different cognitive preferences in four key areas.
Here’s what each letter stands for:
- Energy Source (How you recharge and focus your attention)
I – Introversion: Prefers solitude, deep focus, and internal reflection.
E – Extraversion: Gains energy from social interactions and external engagement.
- Information Processing (How you perceive the world)
S – Sensing: Focuses on concrete facts, details, and present realities.
N – Intuition: Focuses on patterns, big-picture thinking, and abstract ideas.
- Decision-Making (How you make choices)
T – Thinking: Uses logic, objectivity, and principles to make decisions.
F – Feeling: Prioritizes emotions, values, and human impact when deciding.
- Lifestyle & Structure (How you organize your life)
J – Judging: Prefers structure, planning, and decisiveness.
P – Perceiving: Prefers flexibility, spontaneity, and adaptability.
Each person has a four-letter MBTI type (e.g., ENTP, ISTJ, INFJ), which describes their cognitive style.
In Various posts, we shall describe each of these types.
However, they are not the only ones that dictate our behavior.
The Big Five Personality Traits explains why we make certain decisions regardless of our MBTI type.
You can remember them with the acronym OCEAN.
- Openness to Experience (O)
The Adventurer vs. The Grandma in a 30-Year-Old Body
High Openness: You try new foods, new hobbies, and probably think
“What if I just moved to Thailand and became a monk?” every other week.
Low Openness: You eat the same meal every day, think TikTok is ruining society,
and believe “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
- Conscientiousness (C)
The Organized Boss vs. The Walking Disaster
High Conscientiousness: You have a to-do list, a backup to-do list, and wake up at 5 AM just to feel productive.
Low Conscientiousness: You set alarms and ignore them, “wing it” through life, and somehow always forget to charge your phone.
- Extraversion (E)
The Party Animal vs. The Cave Dweller
High Extraversion: You talk to strangers in elevators, hate silence,
and probably describe yourself as “a people person” (yes, we know).
Low Extraversion (Introvert): Your dream day is canceling plans, watching a show alone,
and avoiding small talk like it’s a life-or-death situation.
- Agreeableness (A)
The Sweetheart vs. The Villain
High Agreeableness: You say “sorry” when someone bumps into YOU. You can’t say no, and your friends know it.
Low Agreeableness: You argue with customer service for sport
and say “I’m not mean, I’m just honest.”
- Neuroticism (N)
The Walking Panic Attack vs. The Human Golden Retriever
High Neuroticism: Your brain at 2:09 AM: “What if I accidentally committed a crime and forgot?”
Low Neuroticism: Your house could be on fire, and you’d say, “Eh, at least it’s warm.”
So, which one do you relate to most?
The Dark Triad Traits also determine what you do and how you do it.
- Machiavellianism (Master Manipulator) vs. Kantianism (Honest Saint)
Situation: Asking a Friend for Money
Machiavellian (Dark Triad):
You: “Bro, I just invested in a once-in-a-lifetime business deal. If you loan me 10K, I’ll double it in a month. Trust me.”
Friend: “That sounds risky…”
You: “You don’t believe in me? I thought we were brothers. If I win, we both win. If I lose… well, you’re a real one for helping.”
Kantian (Light Triad):
You: “Hey, man. I’m short on cash this month. Could you loan me 10K? I’ll try to pay you back in a month, but no guarantees.”
Friend: “Uh… appreciate the honesty?”
You: “If you can’t, no worries! I’ll figure something out.”
Dark Triad: Emotional blackmail, lies, and playing the long con.
Light Triad: Radical honesty, even if it means rejection.
- Narcissism (Self-Obsessed) vs. Humanism (Empathy Overdrive)
Situation: Taking a Group Photo
Narcissist (Dark Triad):
You: “Wait, let me check the photo first.”
Friend: “Why? We all look fine!”
You: “Nah, my jawline isn’t sharp enough. Retake.”
Friend: “Dude, I’m blinking, and Jim looks like he just sneezed.”
You: “Not my problem. My Instagram matters more.”
Humanist (Light Triad):
You: “Okay, let’s make sure everyone looks good before we post it!”
Friend: “Bro, your face is blurry.”
You: “Eh, doesn’t matter. As long as you guys look great!”
Dark Triad: Only cares about looking superior.
Light Triad: Cares about making everyone happy, even at their own expense.
- Psychopathy (Zero Empathy) vs. Faith in Humanity (Believes in Goodness)
Situation: Witnessing Someone Trip and Fall
Psychopath (Dark Triad):
You: “HAHAHAHA, bro, that was the funniest thing I’ve seen all day!”
Friend: “Dude, they might be hurt.”
You: “Survival of the fittest. Walk it off.”
Faith-in-Humanity Guy (Light Triad):
You: “Oh no! Are you okay?”
Stranger: “Yeah, just embarrassed.”
You: “It happens to everyone! One time I tripped over my own shadow.”
Dark Triad: Laughs at pain, enjoys chaos.
Light Triad: Feels second-hand embarrassment and tries to help.
Dark Triad = Cold, cunning, and loves power plays.
Light Triad = Sweet, selfless, and sometimes a little too nice.
Finally, Behavioral Psychology explains why you act the way you do.
Behavioral psychology (a.k.a. behaviorism) is the science of how your brain gets trained like a dog—except instead of treats,
you get dopamine, pain, or embarrassment.
It’s all about how rewards, punishments, and habits shape your actions without you even realizing it.
Key Principles of Behavioral Psychology
- Classical Conditioning – The Pavlov Effect (Your Brain is a Dog)
Your brain links two unrelated things until they become automatic.
Example: Pavlov’s Dogs – He rang a bell before feeding them, and soon they drooled just from hearing the bell.
How it affects you:
You hear your phone ding → You get a dopamine rush even before checking.
You smell someone’s perfume → You suddenly think of an ex.
Coffee at 7 AM → Your brain wakes up even before caffeine hits.
- Operant Conditioning – The Reward/Punishment System (Carrot or Stick?)
Actions that get rewarded = You do them more.
Actions that get punished = You do them less (sometimes).
Positive Reinforcement (Giving a reward to encourage behavior):
Your boss praises your work: You work harder.
You hit the gym, see muscle gains: You keep lifting.
You flirt, she laughs: You double down on charm.
Negative Reinforcement (Removing discomfort to encourage behavior):
You wear a seatbelt to stop the annoying beeping.
You study to avoid the stress of failing.
You text back quickly so she doesn’t get mad.
Punishment (Adding pain to stop behavior):
You post something dumb online: Get roasted: Think twice next time.
You miss rent: Eviction notice: You prioritize rent next month.
You cheat and Get caught: you Lose half your net worth (if married).
Skinner Box (How Social Media Hooks You)
B.F. Skinner trained rats to press a lever for food. Consult Doctor Kimbo to hear the story, if you haven’t read it already.
Social media does the same thing to you with likes and notifications.
You post, Get dopamine (likes/comments) and then your Brain says, “Do it again!”
- Habit Formation – Why You Keep Doing Dumb Things (Even When You Know Better)
Cue> Routine> Reward. Your brain builds autopilot habits to save energy.
Example:
Cue: Bored at work.
Routine: Open TikTok.
Reward: Entertainment (dopamine hit).
Loop repeats until you waste 2 hours.
How to hack it:
Replace bad rewards with good ones.
Instead of scrolling TikTok, Read 2 pages of a book.
Make good habits easy.
Lay out gym clothes at night means Less resistance in the morning.
Make bad habits hard.
Delete social media apps.
How Behavioral Psychology Controls Your Life (Without You Knowing)
Marketing Tricks You
Buy one, get one free? You buy more than you need.
“Limited time offer” You rush before thinking.
Red price tags? Your brain thinks “sale = must buy!”
Social Media Traps You
Infinite scrolling keeps you hooked.
Notifications = dopamine hits and then you get Addiction.
Fear of missing out (FOMO): You stay online longer.
Relationships Play Mind Games
Hot & cold behavior? Makes you obsessed.
Reward inconsistency? Triggers addiction.
Silent treatment? Forces you to chase.
Success = Mastering Your Own Brain
If you understand behavioral psychology, you can:
Break bad habits faster.
Build discipline even when unmotivated.
Resist manipulation (ads, social media, toxic people).
You’re either controlling your behavior or someone else is controlling it for you.
So, are you in charge of your actions, or is your brain playing tricks on you?
