2008년 9월 5일 금요일

Personality, Lifestyle, Living well...



Personality (pûr'sə-nāl'ĭ-tē). n. pl, personalities
1. The totality of qualities and traits, as of character or behavior, that are peculiar to a specific person.
2. The pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits of a person.



“Do you think Mr. Bush is a good person or has just a man with a nice personality?” When someone first asks me this, I would ask back, what’s the difference? Though it both descriptions sounds equivalent there is difference in them. When someone is a “good person,” he has moral standards and is principled. When I was little, I was taught to be a “good person” by my grandparents. When I asked how I should become “good,” they said always helping others with great care and love, especially those who truly need my help. (My graandpa initially said “serving” but changed to “helping” for I couldn’t understand the meaning of serving)

When I first entered first grade elementary school, people around me said that I had a good personality. I never fought with any of my friends nor got myself into trouble. Just as the American Heritage Dictionary reads, I had my pattern of collective character, behavioral, temperamental, emotional, and mental traits that others recognized as “good.” However, a person with a good personality does not necessarily have to be a “good person.”

Also, when a person is having a nice lifestyle, the individual has a good and high-quality mode of living which are habits, attitudes, tastes, moral standards, and economic level together. On the other hand, when I hear “living well,” it comes to me in more economical sense. When a person is “living well,” it’s probable that he/she lives under a luxurious house, drives in expensive cars, and with no concerns of their economical status.



Willy: I know it when I walk in. They seem to laugh at me. (p. 36)

It is more likely that a person with a good personality will live in a good lifestyle. Just as Willy believes, a “well-liked” man can succeed and attain wealth, fame, and respect, or the American Dream. He believes that a good personality is directly linked to a good lifestyle and this is why he tries hard to appear to have a good personality in front of others. However, we see that a man does not always have to have a good personality in order to succeed in life for we see Bernard, the not-well-liked kid. The play surely explores the idea that succeed comes when one is true to oneself with his/her own identity.

댓글 1개:

Bert (a.k.a. Master Ninja) :

I think the post's definition of what a nice lifestyle is was very accurate even though "nice" is subjective. I don't necessarily agree with the post's definition of living well to be a person being unconcerned about the economical status. I think I'm living well even though I have concerns for my economical status because I'm not filthy rich. However, all of my basic needs to live is fulfilled. Living well also doesn't have to only relate to money. I think there are many other factors that play a role such as health and social life. Overall, I believe living well is being satisfied with one's life and attitude plays a large role in this. A person whose filthy rich may never worry about money but may have many other problems such as family problems which can lead to living unwell. I also think that having a nice personality won't lead to a nice lifestyle or success because even if people like those with a nice personality, it doesn't give the person with a nice personality the skills to succeed in life. Of course, if the person had the skills, a nice personality would always give that person more of an edge over others with the same skills. We as humans are very sociable creatures so we tend to play in favor of those we like.