1.2.5 Personality and Social/Cultural Factors

In addition to individual environments, our personalities are shaped, in part, by the culture and social factors common where we are raised. One commonly discussed personality tendency is time orientation. In some cultures, people are very laid back about time, arriving on time, finishing on time, etc. In the U.S., however, we tend to be quite paranoid about time. We must show up on time, we must finish on time, and we must be accountable for our time. A person raised in a society that is uptight about timeliness, but with a basically laid back personality, will either change or will be unable to achieve success in that culture.

I have heard funny stories about comic books in Japan for workers who dislike the group orientation in their work culture. They are individualists who conform at work but really want individual recognition and rewards. The legend claims that these comic books are sold under the counter, so to speak, because they are so offensive to the culture. To live in any chosen society, we must adjust our natural tendencies to the culture.