The Normal Personality

the long version

A great foundation for understanding personality based on your motivations and values. Contrary to main stream personality theory where diversions are seen as abnormal, this basis personality on motivation and values which gives a far broader range of "normal". From the introduction - "In The Normal Personality, Steven Reiss argues that human beings are naturally intolerant of people who express values significantly different from their own.Because of this intolerance,psychologists and psychiatrists sometimes confuse individuality with abnormality and thus overdiagnose disorders. Reiss shows how normal motives – not anxiety or traumatic childhood experiences – underlie many personality and relationship problems, such as divorce, infidelity, combativeness, workaholism, loneliness, authoritarianism, weak leadership style, perfectionism, underachievement, arrogance, extravagance, stuffed shirt, disloyalty, disorganization, and overanxiety. Calling for greater understanding and tolerance of all kinds of personalities, Reiss applies his theory of motivation to leadership, human development, relationships, and counseling." "Professor Reiss’s theory of motivation is an expansion of the anxiety sensitivity construct to motives other than anxiety."