The theory of the Big Five personality traits suggests that human personalities can be broken down into five characteristics: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. We all possess these traits to varying degrees, comprising our unique personalities.
To better understand what each trait entails, let’s examine how five fictional characters cope after wrecking their boat and becoming stranded on a deserted island. Their reactions shine a light on the core aspects of each Big Five trait.
Exploring a Brave New World with Open Odelia
Openness is characterized by curiosity and an appetite for new experiences. Open people have a strong imagination and appreciate beauty and art. After wrecking on the island, open Odelia quickly embarks on exploring their striking new surroundings with wonder and awe.
She feels this is a great opportunity to learn new things. Odelia has already collected colorful shells, rocks, and flowers to decorate the entrance of the bamboo hut she built. Rather than being afraid, she sees the island as a chance to let her creativity run wild.
Conscientious Claire Takes Charge of Survival
Conscientiousness involves self-discipline, organization, and a duty to succeed. Conscientious people are reliable, dependable, and prepared for the worst. Claire immediately starts tackling the crucial tasks needed for survival with zero excitement about their situation. Luckily, she saved emergency supplies from the ship.
As the most conscientious of the group, she appoints herself leader. Her top concern is locating necessities like fresh water and food. While others celebrate surviving, she’s focused on the steps needed to organize the group and ensure they all survive in the long run.
The Party Goes on for Extraverted Emile
Extraversion characterized outgoing people fueled by social interaction and excitement. Highly social extraverts feel happiest interacting with others in lively groups. Despite their dire situation, extravert Emile is thrilled everyone survived the shipwreck!
He decides this calls for a party and gathers everyone to celebrate and share his grand plan for exploring the island together. Emile feels most comfortable being the center of attention with an audience for his ideas and humor.
Selfless Albert Prioritizes Others’ Wellbeing
Agreeableness refers to cooperation and concern for social harmony. Agreeable people avoid conflict and always consider how their actions impact others. Even famished himself, Albert’s first thought is offering his coconut water to distressed Nora.
Albert is known for agreeing to anything asked of him. His empathetic nature makes him quick to help others, even if that means putting his own needs aside temporarily. He listens patiently and makes compromises to keep the peace.
Nora succumbs to Anxiety and Stress
Those with neurotic tendencies are prone to experiencing emotional instability and negative emotions like anxiety or anger. Change and uncertainty can be profoundly disturbing for them. Under extreme pressure, Nora has broken down entirely with uncontrollable crying.
The harrowing events paired with being trapped on a remote island surrounded by endless ocean has her convinced they will never escape. Every little thing feels like a matter of life and death to anxious Nora. She envisions only darkness and danger lurking within the exotic environment.
The Big Five Personality Theory Origins
After eight weeks, two ships surprisingly appear on the horizon as the group excitemently scrambles to signal them. Little do the castaways know, one ship carries a team of psychologists who coined the Big Five personality trait theory decades ago.
The captain, Lewis Goldberg, is thrilled to witness the five personality dimensions in action. However, as a true scientist, he opts to simply observe rather than intervene.
The second ship harbors five pirates serving as antitheses to each Big Five trait:
- Emotionally Stable Pirate – She questions why they can’t help the poor islanders.
- Disagreeable Pirate – He refuses to help strangers if it inconveniences his agenda.
- Close-Minded Pirate – He withdraws to intensely analyze all potential outcomes before deciding.
- Conscientiousness Pirate – Easily distracted and disorganized, he nonchalantly searches for his lost keys during the commotion.
- Introverted Pirate Captain – He instantly shoots down all pleas to assist the marooned victims.
Evaluating Your Own Personality
So what do you think about the Big Five personality framework? Do you recognize aspects of yourself in any of the traits described? The theory suggests that by assessing where we fall on these spectrums, we can better understand our own personalities.
Describing oneself accurately can be challenging though. If analyzing your own personality after learning about the Big Five traits, ask a close friend how they would characterize you. An outside perspective is often more revealing than our self-perceptions.
We explain complex psychology concepts like the Big Five model through cartoons to make them more engaging to learn. If you enjoyed this illustrated guide to personality types