Dr Brian Little challenges what we think we know about how our personality works & is shaped It's time to think beyond the nature vs nurture debate It is our pursuit of our dreams & our personal passions that shape who we are Previous praise for Dr Brian Little ' Brian Little is one of the wisest funniest kindest & most erudite people I have ever met' Susan Cain bestselling author of Quiet ' With extraordinary wit & wisdom distinguished psychologist Brian Little offers startling insights' Adam Grant bestselling author of Give & Take & Originals Who Are You Really? presents a distinctive view of how personality shapes our lives
- & why this matters Dr Brian Little makes the case for a third nature to the human condition
- the pursuit of personal projects crazy dreams & creative ventures that shape both people's lives & their personalities Stable traits of personality (now identified as the ' Big Five' openness conscientiousness extraversion agreeableness & neuroticism) have important links with well-being both psychological & physical But in contrast with these fixed traits of personality there are what Little identifies as 'free traits' These are traits that run counter to one's first nature Why do we engage in free trait behaviour? We do so to advance core personal projects in our lives; we can act out of character because of the demands of professionalism or the imperatives of love Like learning to walk forcing ourselves out of balance as we step forward may be temporarily disconcerting But it is the only way literally in which we can move forward & it is the only way that human flourishing can be enhanced Who Are You Really? provides a deeply personal itinerary for exploring our personalities our lives & the human condition