Positivity is probably the most prominent of my personality traits.
Why would I say that this is a prominent trait?
Well, a lot of people have told me that it’s something they appreciate about me; that being around me or reading my writing or watching a video of me talking sort of makes them feel positive as well.
And I think if you met a friend of mine and asked them to describe me, they’d include something about positivity or optimism.
So, if people are noticing it and saying something to me about it, I figure it must be prominent!
I also chose this one as prominent because positivity is something that is so easy for others to see. I have plenty of other personality traits that are a little more under-cover.
(Like, my tendency to think too much about other people’s feelings and opinions? That one is a little harder to spy. Or my tendency to be a planner? You’d have to get to know me a bit to figure that out.)
But optimism and positivity are very easy to see when you first meet someone; a warm smile, a tone of voice, and positive words are all out there in the open.
I also see myself as enthusiastic, energetic, friendly, (occasionally) funny, helpful, and thoughtful. But some of those things you might not see right away upon meeting me.
What’s a prominent personality trait of yours?
P.S. I finished this post and realized, hmm, the prompt didn’t really say if I should pick a positive or not-so-positive personality trait. I obviously went with a positive one, but do whichever you’d like! I’ve already written lots of other posts about my besetting personality problems, such as my hesitance to be assertive when necessary.
My best and worst trait is my assertiveness. When it is being a virtue, I find it very easy to stand up to people when it is in service of protecting someone (or myself). When it is a curse is when I do not know when to shut up and accept that sometimes I don’t get my way or that some things need to play out without my “help.”
I am also very good at seeing a goal and figuring out the steps I need to take to get from where I am to that goal.
I am very bad at healthy eating. I have often thought it is a good thing I don’t like the taste of alcohol because if I drank the way I eat, I’d be an alcoholic. When I feel sad or mad, I have a hard time not devouring every edible item in sight.
Good – being encouraging and sensitive toward others. At least that’s what people have always told me.
Bad – hating confrontation to the point that I’d much rather avoid someone than bring up a problem. Not constructive at all.
Most prominent? Social awkwardness.
I’m introverted, skeptical, and a slow adopter, but if we can get past all that awkward stuff, I’ll stick with you forever.
I don’t know if this is prominent about me, but I will take a guess here and say that it is that I’m analytical/prosaic. I’m always the one who figures how something can be brought about. I’m detail oriented. Someone has an idea and I might love it, but my very next thought is what we need to do to make that idea work.
This trait is good when I bring ideas to life through thoughtful steps and planning. It can also be bad. The idea originator might feel dismissed and disregarded when he or she is still in enthusiasm mode but I’ve immediately moved on to practical details. I’ve had people get pretty upset when I’ve had to say I can’t find a practical way to make his or her inspiration work out in real life. I’ve had to learn to be careful in how I handle this trait so I don’t hurt feelings or discourage a person from offering up ideas anymore.
Probably most prominent is that I am a planner. This is good, because when there’s a trip coming up, I can plan ahead and pack food for a full week on the road, all the things we need to swim, everything for the dogs, etc., etc.
It’s bad because when things deviate from my plan I am very not happy. Polar opposite of my husband, who thrives in uncertainty. He has taken to prefacing announcements in changes of plan with, “This is going to stress you out . . .” 🙂