11 Surprising Things You Should Know About Personality Even things such as how you hang your toilet paper or the way you use Facebook can say a lot about who you are.
By Rose Leadem
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Your personality says a lot about you -- it's what makes you you. However, your personality is more influential than you think. Things such as how you hang your toilet paper or the way you use Facebook can say a lot about who you are.
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In one study, a researcher found that hanging your toilet paper "over" rather than "under" is typically a sign of a dominant personality. In another study, black-coffee drinkers were discovered to possess more narcissistic, antisocial and psychopathic traits than people who take cream and sugar, who are more agreeable and open. Personality is the reason behind even the smallest things we do every day, without realizing.
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To learn more about who you are and why you do the things you do, here are 11 weird things you should know about personality.
Caiaimage | Rafal Rodzoch | Getty ImagesYou’ll earn more if your personality matches the traits needed for your job.
Finding the right job is like finding your soul mate: Things have to line up. The more chemistry you have, the better you are together. According to recent research, the same is true in the working world. The more your personality matches the traits required by your job, the higher your income will be. A study published in Psychological Science looked at a group of nearly 8,500 individuals, comparing each person's personality traits to the demands and traits required by their jobs. In the end, the researchers discovered that people whose traits best matched that of their jobs earned higher incomes than those who didn't.
Mitchell Funk | Getty ImagesThe weather from where you grew up affects your personality.
Cold and nasty winters can often make us cranky and unhappy. To the contrary, 70 degrees and sunny makes us happy and smiling. While it's been known that weather impacts our moods in the short term, it turns out it also has a long-term impact. Research published in Nature found that people who grow up in warmer weather are typically more agreeable, open and less neurotic, while people who grew up in cold climates are less nice and essentially, colder.
Blend Images | John Fedele | Getty ImagesYour personality can cause you to lose and gain weight.
Certain personality traits are linked to a person's weight. A study by the American Psychological Association found that people with high levels of neuroticism and low conscientiousness are likely to go through various cycles of losing and gaining weight throughout their lives. People with high levels of "impulsivity," which entails people who enjoy taking risks and are cynical, competitive and aggressive, are more likely to be obese. "Impulsive individuals are prone to binge eating and alcohol consumption," said study author Angelina R. Sutin. "These behavioral patterns may contribute to weight gain over time."
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Hero Images | Getty ImagesYour personality influences what you study in school.
Research suggests that what someone studies in college can say a lot about who they are. It turns out, the stereotypes are true: According to a study, art students are moody, psychology majors are open and economists are untrustworthy. Comparing the personality traits of more than 13,000 students with their areas of study, researchers found people in arts and humanities were neurotic, meaning moody, irritable and emotionally unstable, while people who studied law and economics were untrustworthy and less agreeable. Pre-med students were more likely to be extroverted and sociable.
Peter Mason | Getty ImagesYour political views are influenced by your personality traits as a child.
From religion to politics, how you're raised has a major influence on what you believe in. A study published in Psychological Science, which analyzed data from more than 16,000 respondents in the U.K, discovered that a person's political beliefs as an adult are linked to their temperament as a child. Researchers found that people who had "conduct problems" growing up, meaning aggression, fighting and stealing from peers, were more economically left-leaning as well as discontent with the political system.
Westend61 | Getty ImagesCertain personality traits are linked to longer life spans.
People who possess certain characteristics such as openness and agreeability are more likely to live longer than others who don't. Examining data from an earlier study and conducting their own survey, a group of researchers discovered four key traits connected to life longevity -- two specific to women and two to men. For women, emotionally stability and agreeableness resulted in a longer life span, while for men, it's conscientiousness and openness.
Alexey Dulin | EyeEm | Getty ImagesYour personality influences how you use social media.
How you use social media says a lot about who you are as a person. One study found significant differences in the ways extroverts use social media, compared to introverts. According to the research, extroverts were nearly twice as likely to use social media to meet people, share their personal lives and grow their professional networks. Another study yielded similar results: extroverts were more likely to engage on social media through instant message and video chats than introverts. This study also found that anxious and unstable people tended to rely on social media, however were less likely to actually engage with others on them. These people typically used the platforms to create fake personas of themselves to make them seem cooler and happier than they actually feel.
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Willie B. Thomas | Getty ImagesHow you take your coffee can say a lot about what you’re like.
Research shows that your coffee preferences can say something about your personality. According to an earlier study, people who prefer black coffee and other bitter flavors are more likely to exhibit antisocial, narcissistic and psychopathic personality traits. To the contrary, people who prefer cream and sugar in their coffee are likely to be more open, agreeable and thoughtful of others.
shapecharge | Getty ImagesYour personality influences your musical tastes.
Our personalities are major influencing factors on the types of music we listen to. A three-year study that compared the musical preferences and personality traits of more than 36,000 people found that classical fans are typically introverted and have high self-esteem, while hip-hop fans are usually extroverted and also have high self-esteem. Indie rock fans are usually creative and open to new experiences but have low self-esteem and poor work ethic, while punk rock fans are intense, energetic and have little empathy. People who prefer folk, jazz and blues are typically reflective, open-minded, highly creative and enjoy new experiences. Country fans are most likely to be hard working, close-minded and empathetic.
Tichakorn Khoopatiphatnukoon | EyeEm | Getty ImagesHow you hang your toilet paper is impacted by your personality.
From biting your nails to taking morning showers, your daily habits can say a lot about who you are. In fact, even the way you hang your toilet paper can determine your assertiveness. In 2016, Dr. Gilda Carle conducted an experiment, "The Toilet Paper Personality Test," where she asked around 2,000 people if they hung their toilet paper roll over or under and then had them rate on a scale of 1 to 10 how assertive they are with other people. The results? If you hang your toilet paper "over," you're more likely to be dominant in nature. If you hang it under, you're likely more submissive.
Steve Smith | Getty ImagesYour personality influences where you vacation.
If you're more of the beach vacation type, then it's likely you're an extrovert. If you prefer mountains, trees and forests, then you're probably an introvert. An earlier study found that introverts prefer quieter and calmer destinations with mountains and forests, while extroverts like arousing and noiser vacations that involve beaches and oceans.
