This is the 2nd entry to my personality traits series. In this part, my interest is on Conscientiousness and the effects I see on people.
My interest in this trait is because I'm also a fan of Japan and Japanese culture, a place where this trait is in abundance, so much so, that it is actually the norm. Much of Japanese cultural teachings is based around being Conscientious.
People who are Conscientious display some very important behaviors and lead to very successful results. They are high achievers, self-disciplined, neat and careful. These in turn make for very a hard-working and reliable person. This trait is so vital in people who are leaders and you find it abundantly in people like Jackie Chan. From a start in extreme poverty and working hard all his life despite the many injuries he's had. Jackie is now a global star and philanthropist with 2 charitable foundations. The Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation that helps victims of natural disasters and helps secure medical aid for people in need. The Dragon Heart Foundation which assists the elderly and children in China, Europe and Africa.
Conscientious people excel at setting goals and being extremely persistent at attaining those goals even in the face of setbacks. If they realize that goal is unattainable, they'll readjust their goal to a more attainable one instead of becoming discouraged. Either way, the goals are typically well within the acceptable range of employers.
Being very organized and adept at planning ahead, allows for consistency in every aspect of life, from work to personal hygiene.
According to the National Institute of Aging, Conscientiousness is linked to income and job satisfaction. Being punctual and thorough in ones work, along with consideration for colleagues, makes conscientious people vital in group roles in any capacity. The very nature in how they handle their role, increases the productivity of everyone else.
Conscientiousness is extremely good also because people who exhibit this trait, are also less likely to commit crimes as they like rules and structures and are typically conformists. Anyone who has been to Japan would instantly understand why it's such a pleasure being there and why Japan has the lowest crime rate of all first world countries.
However, while conscientiousness is terrific in many aspects, like anything else, too much is not necessarily good. Too far on the conscientiousness scale brings on OCD and frustrations. Think of an elastic band that's pulled too tight, at some point it will snap!
These people are usually over serious and too uptight. This leads to the inability to enjoy much of the things life has to offer. Spontaneity gives excitement and enjoyment on levels that are unrivaled. Sometimes we just want to be surprised and enjoy the moment. A person who is overly conscientious will find a spontaneous activity too discomforting. They will be unhappy and want to return back to order, where they can expect the activity to happen. They want to be able to plan every moment of every aspect of life. While this makes for a very effective person, it doesn't quite make for someone who would be a pleasure to be around when attaining a goal isn't the main focus. Most people I know wouldn't care much to spend off time with someone too serious. For people who are too conscientious, they need to learn to loosen up.
On the other end of the spectrum, people who lack conscientious typically display a lazy and slob like behavior. They don't care to follow rules and order, and don't quite take good care of their own personal hygiene. They don't set goals because don't care to achieve them, they also give up easily in the face of even the slightest challenge. It's not surprising to think that people of this type don't amount to much success in life, whether it be personal or professional.
Much of the problem I see with people of this type, is that it is developed: They grew up as a spoiled child. Had everything handed to them. All of life's challenges that teaches vital survival skills were filtered out of their life. They became entitled and believed entirely that they are "special" and invulnerable. Every time reality would rear it's head, they hated it and retreated back into their bubble. At some point in their life, when the people who created the bubble for them are no longer around or unwilling to continue sustaining that bubble, it popped. These people were faced with reality, but with no skills to survive in it, they end up suffering, badly.
Conscientiousness needs to be fostered, though our base personality would make some of us predisposed to it, without fostering this overly important trait, we could lose it. And with that, any chances of real success.
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