Why You Are Who You Are cover art

Why You Are Who You Are

Investigations into Human Personality

Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

£5.99/mo after trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options

Why You Are Who You Are

By: Mark Leary, The Great Courses
Narrated by: Mark Leary
Try for £0.00

£5.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for £15.06

Buy Now for £15.06

Summary

To understand the roots of personality is to understand motivations and influences that shape behavior, which in turn reflect how you deal with the opportunities and challenges of everyday life. That's the focus of these exciting 24 lectures, in which you examine the differences in people's personalities, where these differences come from, and how they shape our lives.

Drawing on information gleaned from psychology, neuroscience, and genetics, Professor Leary opens the door to understanding how personality works and why. Throughout his illuminating lectures, five important personality traits come into focus, traits that form the foundation of how psychologists approach the topic of personality: extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness.

Combining psychology with neuroscience and behavioral genetics, this exploration will open your eyes to the myriad ways our traits, motives, emotions, beliefs, and values are shaped by things like our genes, environment, experiences, and evolutionary history. Why is it so hard to change our behavior? Why do people develop different values and morals? Does personality change as we age? Is personality passed down through genes?

Designed as a fascinating, accessible scientific inquiry, these lectures will have you thinking about personality in a way that enriches your understanding of the complex psychological processes that make you who you are.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2018 The Teaching Company, LLC; 2018 The Great Courses
Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Inspiring Human Behaviour
All stars
Most relevant
Interesting insights into people behavior. This is a collection of kind of separate lectures. Only in the end of it there is a link between the different things one learn. It is a bit hard to remember and one should listen multiple times.

A serie of very interesting lectures

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I really enjoyed this book. The narrator (and author) was fascinating and he presented his arguments and explained the scientific consensus and key points in a very step by step way in which he was making total sense. I will certainly hear it again to dig more deeply and i may even get the physical book. I would definitely recommend it!

Amazing book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Going to give it a second listen for sure. Would have liked more info on the therapies that are available.

Great Overview

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Good overview of the scientific literature on personality traits, although some parts could have been much better:

- When explaining the big 5, it doesn't explain the tradeoffs involved, instead presents each characteristic a bit naively, especially agreeableness.

- I disagree with the claim that motivation is mainly extrinsic. Read The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand) if you doubt this.

- Disregarding intrinsic motivation gives way to the next error (at the end of the book): Author claims authenticity doesn't mean anything, because you are always being authentic with a part of your personality...

Authenticity happens when you act through your intrinsic motivations instead of going for what you think that other people should want you to do (groundless extrinsic motivation). That is what "being yourself" means!

A good read if you understand all of this already. Maybe go read The Fountainhead first.

xx

Good course. Some flaws.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

One of the best listens of my life. Extremely interesting & informative. I would definitely recommend it.

Excellent

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews