Difference between Personality and Temperament
By Theydiffer - November 28, 2015

Without doubt, the temperament and personality of a person are inter-related. Also, both these are developed at a young age. Yet, they are different from each other. It is you who decides what to do with your personality. But, your temperament is not up to you. You receive it from your family and sometimes, from your schoolmates. Anyhow, you need to develop both your temperament and personality from your early days. After all, they go along with you throughout your life.

Definitions

Personality can be defined as a pattern of behaviour, thoughts, and emotions that differs from individual to individual. The behavioural characteristics of a person in different situations are referred to as Personality Traits.

Personality is generally segregated into five components which are dubbed the Big Five. These include extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience. Your personality reflects on what you have learnt over the years.

Temperament, unlike the aforementioned, indicates the different personality aspects of an individual. A person’s temperament is innate. He cannot learn it. A person builds his personality in protraction of his personality. If your temperament is your canvas, your personality is what you paint on that canvas. In general, how a person behaves emotionally defines his temperament. One’s temperament can let one know about his positives and negatives.

One’s temperament is definitely under one’s own control. Therefore, one can work on improving his temperament, even though it is inherent.

Personality vs Temperament

What’s the difference between personality and temperament?

A person can only himself work on developing his personality. Multiple factors including socialization, irritability, education, and peer pressure, may play a notable role in shaping the personality of a person. But, when it comes to temperament, the major part in developing it is played by an individual’s parents.While your temperament hints at the way you behave in a particular situation, your personality describes why you behave that way.

Two major areas are focused at when you study personality. These areas comprise understanding individual differences in specific personality traits, and how a person appears, i.e. his build.

Anyone can bring change to his personality according to his education and observations. The characteristics of an individual’s temperament, on the contrary, do not realize a major change. These may see an alteration in their quality, but never in their type. Temperament traits of a person tend to remain the same for his whole life. When you understanding other peoples’ temperaments, you can better communicate with them. Also, you can run your interpersonal relationships well. However, it is difficult to understand others’ personalities.

Comparison chart

Personality Temperament
Includes thoughts and behaviour of a person that he carries throughout his life.Includes various aspects of personality such as introversion/extroversion, and frankness.
It takes years to build a personality.It is inherited.
Fundamental characteristics may include consistency, particular behaviours, and different expressions.Fundamental characteristics may include regularity, mood, attitude towards initiation, and sensitivity.