Traits

What are the differences between personality, character and characteristic?

The word personality comes from the Latin root persona, meaning, "mask." The impression we make on others—or the mask we present to the world—determines how people feel about us. Our everyday "performances" have a profound effect on our lives, so it pays to understand how others see us. But are the acts we put on for others an indication of who we really are? Do our outward behaviours reflect our true personality? A complete picture of personality includes a look at thoughts and feelings, the unconscious, genetics, and society.

In biology, character is any observable feature, or trait, of an organism, whether acquired or inherited. An acquired character is a response to the environment; an inherited character that is produced by genes transmitted from parent to offspring (their expressions are often modified by environmental conditions). One gene may affect many characters; many genes may control one character. A character controlled by only a few genes is known as an oligogenic, discontinuous, or qualitative character; a character controlled by many genes is termed polygenic, continuous, or quantitative. A genetically controlled character may be termed dominant when its controlling genes are powerful enough to mask the effect of other genes (alleles) that control an alternative character, termed recessive.

A characteristic can be individual, peculiar, or a distinctive means of indicating a special quality or identity. A characteristic applies to something that distinguishes or identifies a person or thing or class. An individual characteristic stresses qualities that distinguish one from all other members of the same kind or class. A peculiar characteristic applies to qualities possessed only by a particular individual or class or kind and stresses rarity or uniqueness. A distinctive characteristic indicates qualities distinguishing and uncommon and often superior or praiseworthy.