The Big 5, The Movie Hit Man, and How We Can Change
Who you are has a lot to do with these five things. Changing them, changes your personality or at least the character you play.
Last weekend we watched “Hit Man.” A movie streaming on Netflix starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona.
It was an enjoyable film that could be watched straight up for the plot, romance, and character. Or, you could go deeper and consider how the movie discussed identity and ego. (Guess which way I went.)
One moment had me stopping the film to talk it through with my family.
“Hey. Hey did you get that?” I asked our teen daughter. “They are talking about the Big 5 Personality Traits. The dimensions of personality that exist within all of us.”
“Can we just watch the movie?” she asked.
“I’m doing a series on these for the Simply Said podcast.”
“Cool,” said my husband, “Can you hit ‘play’?”
The OCEAN of Traits
The cool thing about the Big 5 is that research now shows that we can change our personalities, or aspects of them if the traits we exhibit most often aren’t working for us. The traits that were once taught as fixed, intellect, and personality, are now recognized as dynamic and changeable.
We can develop new neural pathways and learn new things no matter our age. And we can change our personalities too.
Psychologists believe that there are five underlying aspects of personality. The Big 5 follow the acronym OCEAN and include openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. We have aspects of each trait that appear on a continuum, some more pronounced than others.
Understanding these traits and how they work to shape our personality can help us navigate relationships, career choices, and our own growth.
I’m covering them in detail in episodes 264, 266, 268, 270 with more to come in 272 and 274 of the Polly Campbell, Simply Said podcast, but here’s a quick rundown.
O is for Openness to Experience
People high in openness are curious, imaginative, and open-minded. They embrace new experiences.
To Manage: Try new things, challenge your assumptions, and stay flexible in your thinking. Engage in creative activities regularly.
C is for Conscientiousness
Conscientious individuals are organized, responsible, and self-disciplined planners.
To Manage: Set clear goals, create routines, and prioritize tasks. Practice mindfulness to stay focused and avoid becoming overly rigid.
E is for Extraversion
Extraverts are outgoing, energetic, and seek social stimulation. They enjoy being the life of the party.
To Manage: Find a balance between socializing and alone time. Practice active listening and be mindful of dominating conversations.
A is for Agreeableness
Agreeable individuals are compassionate, cooperative, and empathetic. They aren’t fans of conflict and want everyone to just get along.
To Manage: Practice assertiveness to express your needs while still considering the needs of others. Set personal boundaries and practice conflict resolution skills.
N is for Neuroticism
Neuroticism reflects emotional instability, anxiety, and moodiness that is often displayed as worry and mood swings.
To Manage: Work on stress management practices to ease anxiety and worry, and cultivate support from family, friends, and therapists.
Don’t Judge
We all possess these traits to some degree, and they aren’t inherently bad or good—they are just a part of us.
Our behavior, communication, and feelings are an expression of these traits.
They will shift with age and experience—I’m less neurotic and extroverted now than I was when I was younger, but a lot more agreeable— And with deliberate practice and habit change, we can power up some of the positive expressions and dial back those that don’t serve us.
This means we are never stuck. We are dynamic, expanding, growing creatures, which is both fascinating and hopeful.
-p