Age Defines Personality and the Way We Perceive Different Aspects of Our Lives
Age defines our personality in different ways. When we are growing up, we have different believes in life, the careers we think about when we are in primary schools, the aspect of marriage, my responsibility as a person and so many other aspects of life. Some events take place in our lives that changes the way we view all the aforementioned. These occurrences can be either happy or unhappy ones. I used to believe that only happy events are the only ones that will affect my life positively. As Ronit Baras says, at times bad things that happen to us boost us to do bolder things and move faster in life (Baras, “Family Matters- Practical Parenting Blog”)
There are childhood experiences that determine the kind of a person one grows up to be. For example, at the age of five years, my parents separated. The reason for separation was that my Dad wanted to get a second wife and my Mum did not agree with him. When our father walked out, our life changed drastically. Personally, I had it rough because I was very young. Researchers say that the kind of support and especially emotional help that a child gets at their early ages affects their social life, education and even their romantic life, in relationships and marriages up to the age of 30 years (Singh, “NPR”). Up to date, I know another woman in life will break my family, and my child suffers because of my absence.
As study has proven, culture shapes people’s thoughts and beliefs (yml, “Serendip Studio”). After growing up in the village, knowing only that one culture of my people. I used to hear my big brothers talk about other tribes in my country, saying how bad this tribe is and many other things. At the back of my mind, I knew for sure those tribes they used to talk of were terrible. When I moved to the city, at the age of sixteen, I was already filled with hatred for other Kenyan tribes like the Luo and the Kikuyu. After interacting with the different people in the city, learning their culture, their languages and many other things about them, I came to realize they werent bad people; it was just the perception of my brothers towards them.
Peers contribute a lot in shaping person’s personality (Reitz, Zimmermann and Hutteman 3). When I was growing up, my life was hard, with the everything insufficient, food, bad houses and ragged clothes. I thought going to school was the only thing that could change my status, move me from poverty and help me improve the life of my family. I was not wrong, but I was not entirely correct. When I moved to Nairobi city I made friends, friends who helped me open my eyes and see the world in a way completely different from what I believed in. I have to admit; it sounded absurd for someone to tell me that spending four years in campus I shouldn’t look for an office job. They were right, and they changed my view of career development.
From my personal experience, with affirmation from the aforementioned real life events, I can conclude that age defines the kind of a person one becomes. Events that take place in someone’s life regardless of their age at the moment can affect their life either positively or negatively. Most of the time it depends on how strong the person is. Events that will build another person’s personality can destroy another one’s life completely. Personally, I was strong enough even as a child that my bad experiences defined the real man I am today.
Bibliography
Baras, Ronit. Make a list: Events that have shaped my life. 4 September 2009. 14 July 2017. <https://www.ronitbaras.com/emotional-intelligence/personal-development/make-a-list-17-events-that-have-shaped-my-life/>.
Reitz, Anne, et al. “The Role of Peer Groups and Peer Relationships in Personality Development.” How Peers Make a Difference (n.d.): 3.
Singh, Maanvi. Some Early Childhood Experiences Shape Adult Life, But Which Ones? 19 December 2014. 14 July 2017. <https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/12/19/371679655/some-early-childhood-experiences-shape-adult-life-but-which>.
yml. Culture shaping our perception. 5 July 2010. 14 July 2017. <http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/exchange/yml/culture-shaping-our-perception>.