Many Me's

Personality is usually defined as a relatively enduring set of traits that make an individual unique and produces consistencies in thoughts and behavior. It is, by definition, a static concept. Once a person is known to have A personality, he is expected to show behavior consistent with that personality.

Needless to say, the fact that I am copying a Google definition in my opening paragraph means that I am going to refute it. How predictable, isn't it! ;-)

I think I have the potential to have multiple personalities. No, this isn't an invitation to sign me up for a 10-session-trial-program with a shrink. What I mean to say is that I can display consistent patterns of behavior under different conditions, such that the behavior is inconsistent with my own behavior under other circumstances. Heavy stuff, eh! Let me tell you more...I think all of us have the potential to have multiple stable personalities. Take that to the bank!

Allow me to clarify- Condition 1...sunny California. Condition 2...angry, hot Delhi. Imagine yourself driving down the freeway (or Ring Road, in Delhi), and this jerk in the white SUV cuts into your lane in the front. Under condition 1, I slow down my car, smile at the nice guy in front of me, and think about how the guy is probably in a hurry and needs to get ahead. Under condition 2, the Delhi sun is beating down the roof of the car, the car's puny airconditioning is barely able to keep up, and I am already bristling with anger at the slow pace of the traffic. Now, when this guy cuts ahead, I begin foaming with rage, my forehead prickles with sweat, choice vernacular "colored language" climbs up to the tip of my tongue, and I begin to honk at the insolence of this #$%. I am ready to drive over this guy now.

Same stimulus, different conditions...completely different response. Bay area guy, please meet Delhi guy.

So, in my book, a personality is a SET of consistent behaviors that are stable over time, and may not be at-all consistent with each other.

This is great news, Really! What that means is that if I am able to (1) identify my various personalities, and (2) control which state I am in right now, I will be able to do things far beyond what I do currently.

It's called method acting. Actors do this all the time - they channel completely different personalities by not faking it, but by really feeling the emotions that their characters are going through.

Politicians use this all the time. One time they will channel a benign, charming, baby-kissing personality. Another moment, they will unleash the fires of hell. Check out this photo of a Soviet premier banging his shoe on the UN table. Is that angry, or what?

So what are my stable personality types- let me count the ways. There's the kind and gentle me, the foaming-mad-Delhi-me, the brilliant-ideator-me, the-timid-mouse-me, the-teamplayer-me, the-world-citizen-me, the witty-silent-killer-me, the-kindly-friendly-smiley-me, the-yogi-gyani-me, the-lonely-depressive-me, and the-confused-jetlagged-me. Then there's the Mii I created on my Wii-game-console, but that's not even real!

Be aware, be very aware. I'm now going to be aware of who's playing me at any moment, and why I'm in that particular personality at the moment.

Watch and Think. Then I'm going to see which me would perform best in a given environment/situation. Going to Delhi, but don't want to be mad? Call the "kind and gentle" me. Going to a business meeting, and want to hold the upper hand in the negotiations? Avoid the "timid-mouse" me, and instead invoke the "witty-silent-killer" me.

Switch. Then I'm going to see if I can - through will power - command a different me to take over on demand. Just like snap.

Snap!

Hello there!