The benefits of knowing yourself

Ever caught yourself wondering why you react a certain way in social situations?

Or if there’s a better way to handle things?

Understanding your personality can be a game-changer.

Personality tests reveal underlying behavioural patterns, which help us understand ourselves and others better.

Test like The Big Five (OCEAN) Model, help us identify our strengths, weaknesses, and quirks. When you know those, you can make more conscious decisions—whether it’s improving emotional regulation, time management, or communication skills.

Navigating Relationships

Knowing personality traits isn’t just about self-improvement. It can help you in your relationships, too!

Imagine understanding why your friend needs everything planned to the last detail (they’re probably high in conscientiousness) or why your partner gets anxious over small changes (neuroticism at play).

Recognizing these traits definitely makes interactions smoother.

Choosing the Right Career

Here is another perk of knowing your personality.

If you know you’re naturally introverted or extroverted, detail-oriented or creative, you can choose the best career path that truly fits YOU.

And trust me, this is HUGE.

Choosing the wrong career path might be one of the worst mistakes of your life! You may think that it’s not a big deal to switch your profession in today’s dynamic world where everything changes super fast, but it is not that simple.

I changed my profession at 34.

It was tough.

Believe me, you don’t want to make my mistake. I wasted years of my youth studying something that I hated and didn’t use in the future.

Starting over later in life means juggling work, family, and responsibilities while competing with younger professionals or those with years of experience. And your brain is not as sharp as when you are 20.

This is not to say it can’t be done! I’m just saying it is very challenging.

So better choose wisely.

Understanding Loved Ones Better

How often have you wished you “got” your partner better so you end the non-stop fights and start speaking the same language?

Understanding personality traits will help you understand people better. Instead of getting frustrated, you’ll recognize where they’re coming from and adjust accordingly.

Knowledge of personality traits is basically like a roadmap.

For example, if someone values structure (high conscientiousness), you’ll understand why they get stressed when plans change last minute. If someone is more emotionally sensitive (high neuroticism), you’ll be more patient when they’re overwhelmed.

Last but not least…mental health optimisation

Ok, let’s say you score high in neuroticism – you might be more prone to stress and anxiety.

But knowing this helps you develop coping strategies and build resilience. Instead of feeling stuck, you’ll learn how to manage your emotions better, and as a result, become a more powerful person. A person with higher self-control!

The Big Five (OCEAN) Model: A Quick History

Imagine hopping into a time machine back to the 1930s.

There’s no internet, no social media, and people are still trying to figure out what makes someone friendly, shy, hardworking, or moody.

The Word Hoard (1930s-1940s)

One day, Gordon Allport and Henry Odbert, two psychologists came up with a wild idea: “What if all the words people use to describe personality are already hidden in the dictionary?”

So, they rolled up their sleeves and started flipping through a massive dictionary (yeah, no Google back then). They pulled out 18,000 words that described different personality traits!

Then they removed duplicate and outdated words, narrowing it to 4,500 personality traits. This was a good start, but still way too many to make sense of.

The Trait Treasure Hunt (1940s-1950s)

A few years later, Raymond Cattell decided to go full-on scientist mode. He took those 4,500 traits and started looking for patterns. Using early computers, he discovered that most traits could fit into 16 categories.

It was progress! But… 16 was still a lot to track, so other scientists kept digging.

The Fantastic Five (1960s-1980s)

Fast forward to the 1960s-80s, when researchers like Paul Costa and Robert McCrae (and also Warren Norman and Lewis Goldberg) came into the picture.

They studied people’s personalities worldwide, across different cultures, ages, and backgrounds. No matter how many times they ran the data, it all pointed to the same FIVE core personality traits.

And that’s how the Big Five (OCEAN) Model was born!

• Openness – Are you curious and creative?
• Conscientiousness – Are you organized and responsible?
• Extraversion – Do you love socializing?
• Agreeableness – Are you kind and cooperative?
• Neuroticism – Do you get stressed or moody easily?

The Modern Personality Playground (1990s-Today)

By the 1990s, the Big Five test had become one of the most scientifically backed personality models in the world. Psychologists used it for research, companies used it for hiring, and even AI started learning about human behavior from it.

Today, the Big Five isn’t just for scientists, it’s a tool that helps ordinary people understand themselves better.

So, if you’ve ever wondered why you act the way you do, the Big Five might just have the answer.

How does the test work

It’s super simple. You answer a series of statements like:

• “I enjoy trying new and exciting activities.”
• “I get anxious when things don’t go as planned.”
• “I love being the center of attention.”

You rate each statement on a scale from 1 to 5. Once you’re done, your answers are scored, and BOOM! You get insights into your Big Five personality traits.

The Big Five Personality Test: What’s YOUR Personality?

Alright, it’s time to discover what makes you, you! This test is based on the Big Five Personality Traits (OCEAN model) and will give you some deep insights into your unique personality.

How to do it:
Read each statement and rate yourself from 1 to 5, where:

• 1 (Strongly Disagree) – Nope, not me at all.
• 2 (Disagree) – Not really me.
• 3 (Neutral) – Eh, sometimes.
• 4 (Agree) – Yeah, that’s me.
• 5 (Strongly Agree) – 100% describes me!

No overthinking. Go with your gut instinct. Let’s get started.

SECTION 1: OPENNESS (Are You a Curious Explorer?)

1. I love trying new activities, foods, and experiences.
2. I enjoy thinking about abstract ideas and big-picture concepts.
3. I get excited about deep conversations on philosophy, art, or science.
4. I prefer creativity and spontaneity over strict rules and routines.
5. I enjoy reading, learning, and expanding my knowledge.

SECTION 2: CONSCIENTIOUSNESS (Are You a Super Planner?)

6. I make to-do lists and feel satisfied when I complete them.
7. I always plan ahead and rarely leave things to the last minute.
8. People see me as responsible and reliable.
9. I prefer having a structured daily routine instead of going with the flow.
10. I feel uncomfortable when things are messy or unorganized.

SECTION 3: EXTRAVERSION (Are You a Social Butterfly?)

11. I feel energized after spending time with people.
12. I love being the center of attention in social situations.
13. I prefer group activities over spending time alone.
14. I enjoy meeting new people and making new friends.
15. I often start conversations and don’t mind talking to strangers.

SECTION 4: AGREEABLENESS (Are You a Kind Soul?)

16. I go out of my way to help people, even if I don’t know them well.
17. I prefer cooperation over competition.
18. I avoid arguments and try to keep the peace.
19. I often put others’ needs before my own.
20. I believe that most people are good and trustworthy.

SECTION 5: NEUROTICISM (Are You an Emotional Rollercoaster?)

21. I get anxious or stressed out easily.
22. I often worry about things, even when they’re not a big deal.
23. I have mood swings and experience emotional highs and lows.
24. I sometimes take things too personally.
25. I get irritated or frustrated more easily than others.

SCORING: What’s Your Personality?

Now, add up your scores for each section:

• Openness: Total from Q1-Q5
• Conscientiousness: Total from Q6-Q10
• Extraversion: Total from Q11-Q15
• Agreeableness: Total from Q16-Q20
• Neuroticism: Total from Q21-Q25

Each section has a maximum score of 25 and a minimum score of 5.

RESULTS: What Do Your Scores Mean?

Openness to Experience

• 20-25 → You’re a creative thinker and love exploring new things!
• 10-19 → You like some novelty but also enjoy familiarity.
• 5-9 → You prefer sticking to what you know and like routines.

Conscientiousness

• 20-25 → You’re super organized, responsible, and reliable!
• 10-19 → You plan when needed but don’t stress too much.
• 5-9 → You prefer spontaneity and might struggle with structure.

Extraversion

• 20-25 → You thrive in social settings and love people!
• 10-19 → You enjoy company but also need your alone time.
• 5-9 → You’re an introvert who prefers quiet moments.

Agreeableness

• 20-25 → You’re incredibly kind, caring, and empathetic!
• 10-19 → You are considerate but know when to put yourself first.
• 5-9 → You stand your ground and aren’t afraid of conflict.

Neuroticism

• 20-25 → You’re emotionally sensitive and feel things deeply.
• 10-19 → You experience emotions but can stay balanced.
• 5-9 → You’re calm, chill, and rarely get stressed.

What’s your result?

So, how did you score? Do your results match how you see yourself? Drop your thoughts below.

Here are some other articles you may find interesting:

Type A or type B personalities – which one are you?

How to recognise users in your life

How to tell if someone’s lying based on science

Why should you keep your plans secret

How to easily achieve all of your dreams

Do you have high emotional intelligence (EQ) test?

35 signs you lack self-confidence

Why people slack off at work and quiet quit

5 psychology books on power and control

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