The two main individual differences that have influenced my development to the greatest extent are temperament and parenting style (Simpson, 2008). I have selected them as they were intertwined for me. The temperament is one of the conditions for the formation of certain properties of the psyche of a person. Conduct disorders are determined by education, and the likelihood of their occurrence depends on the properties of temperament. In disharmony of the parenting style and features of temperament, severe behavior disorders can appear leading to nervous breakdowns and psychological illnesses or serious psychological distortions.
I am a choleric person; thus, I am persistent and determined. It has always been difficult for me to find compromises, and I always aspired to independence. The main features that were dominating when parents or teachers tried to educate me without considering my temperament were incontinence and sharpness. The attitude towards a choleric child should be full of patience and tranquility as well as of vigorous activity, which was often not possible in my case and I had difficulties coping with my energy.
The contradictory parenting styles and attitudes of my parents and at the school met the greatest opposition to my temperament (Simpson, 2008). For instance, one of the parents considered me an adjective and tried to influence my development. This authoritarian style aroused a feeling of depression in me, which I tried to resist. Unlike the previous style of education, the other parent acknowledged my right to autonomy, activity, and creativity. With such a democratic approach, I felt myself the participant in the dialogue. It taught me to trust and interact. Now I am old enough, and I am driven by the same democratic principles when dealing with people in order not to infringe upon or inhibit their differences.
References
Simpson, R. A. (2008). MIT young adult development project. Web.