Personality is what defines a person. This includes unique aspects about him, his character, his beliefs, and his behavior. Fundamentally speaking, when these traits are positive, then his personality becomes positive; and when these are negative, then his personality is also negative.

Our topic focuses on the importance of behavior in molding one’s personality. To begin with, let us define behavior. It is the set of responses coming from vital emotions specific to a person. People behave differently in a given situation; some behave well and appropriately, while others do not.

The first step towards changing one’s behavior is to identify which behaviors are labeled as good, and which ones are labeled as bad.

Good Behavior

It seems that the answer to the question, “What is good behavior?” may seem quite subjective. What may be “good” behavior to you may not necessarily be perceived as such to others. However, generally speaking, good behavior comprises of actions and responses acceptable and understood by society. They adhere to the norms of society, so to speak. The outcome of such behavior is always positive and pleasant.

Bad Behavior

What comprises bad behavior? It can be categorized as such if they fall into any of the following: (1) it causes damage to any person, event, or thing; (2) it affects and harms society, including your ability to perform your duties and responsibilities, and (3) it gives unnecessary negative impact to any person, event, or thing.

The impact of bad behavior would depend on the situation wherein the conduct was shown. At home, this kind of behavior could cause a drift between family members; at work, it could trigger misunderstanding among co-workers, bringing about tension in the workplace; in the business setting, bad behavior among the employees could give rise to customer complaints, thereby affecting your bottom line. In any case, bad behavior always result to problems, though the gravity of which would depend on where the behavior was shown.

Changing Your Own Bad Behavior

In children, you can use various methods like giving affirmations to build their confidence and letting them know that you, as parents, care a lot about them. Sometimes, all they need is a little attention. You can also use punishment such as spanking or time-out in order for them to understand that what they did was wrong and should best be avoided. Another method that is commonly used today is the reward system, wherein if a child behaves really well, he will be given a reward. This will encourage him to behave properly instead of showing misconduct.

While it is so much easier to correct bad behavior in children, in adults it can be more challenging. Adults have a higher level of understanding, more freedom or freewill, and tend to reason out which makes it more difficult to correct behavior. One other reason for the difficulty is that because our behavior is something that we have grown accustomed to since childhood, it has become a habit that is really hard to get rid of.

Nonetheless, it is still possible to correct or change your bad behavior. You can start by changing your mindset. Carefully ponder on the behavior that needs to be changed. Ask yourself why and how you acquired this behavior, and what steps need to be undertaken to get rid of it. For example, if you notice that you always seem to raise your voice on your customers if they tend to ask too many questions, find out why this happens. Is it because you are getting impatient? If, perhaps, you learned to empathize towards overly analytical customers, would it change this behavior? If you are more self-aware, it will be easier for you to change any undesirable behavior that you might have.

Your behavior will speak a lot about your personality, and it goes without saying that if you want people to like you, you need to make sure you behave presentably no matter where you are or who you are with. If, at the moment, there are some behaviors that you are not exactly proud of, such as throwing insulting jokes towards your colleagues or always coming to meetings late, then you should do something about it before it leaves a stain in your own persona.