Individuality is expressed through unique behavior commonly known as personality. At its core personality refers to the set of behavior, cognitive, and emotional patterns that make individuals different from one another. In order for one to truly understand personality, they must first comprehend the system of concepts, assumptions, ideas, and principles that explain individuality, commonly referred to as personality theories. In regards to personality, this paper will address the life of Henry David Thoreau through the lenses of trait, social cognitive, and human perspective theories.
Bibliography of Thoreau
Born on July 12, 1817, in Concord Massachusetts, Henry David Thoreau was the third child to John Thoreau and his wife Cynthia Dunbar. Together with his two siblings, Thoreau grew in the town of Massachusetts. At the age of 18, Thoreau enrolled at Harvard University where he had a reputation of a student who followed his own will and was different from others. After graduating from Harvard University in 1831, Thoreau became a school tutor. While in the teaching career, Thoreau took a canoe trip during which he reflected on his life and decided he would not pursue the career. Instead, he chose to become a poet of nature. Furthermore, he loved nature and would sometime spend time getting in contact with nature.
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Following his decision to pursue poetry, Thoreau spent some time with Ralph Emerson who was not only a friend but also a poet. Emerson mentored Thoreau in numerous ways. For instance, he exposed him to transcendentalism which led him to publish some of his works in The Dial, a transcendentalist magazine back then. Additionally, Emerson gave Thoreau access to lands that would later be an inspiration to some of his greatest works. In 1845, Thoreau moved to the infamous Walden Pond, where he spent the next two years writing one of his masterpieces, Walden (as cited in Gale, 2018) .
Besides the transcendentalist nature of Thoreau, he was also defiant of the government and the principles on which the United States had been founded. This revelation is brought forth by his arrest in 1846, following the refusal to pay for a non-poll tax that had been assigned against every voter annually (Thoreau, 1993). According to Thoreau, the tax was unjust because he felt the government is not supposed to decide what is morally right for its people.
Personality Theories
Humanistic Perspective Theory
Based on the life of Thoreau, one of the theories that describe his personality is the humanistic perspective. At its core, the humanistic perspective theories propose that every individual has a unique creative force termed as self. As it develops and grows, the self seeks expression. Additionally, it highlights the potential of individuals as well as their free will and self-awareness. Lead by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rodgers the humanistic perspective views humans as innately good. Thoreau’s personality fits into Maslow’s description of self-actualized people. Maslow hypothesized that the hierarchy of self-actualization is characterized by individuals who are creative, accept themselves and others, enjoy and appreciate the positive aspects and love privacy and independence (as cited in Abraham, 2017). As a transcendentalist Thoreau spent a significant amount of time in the woods away from people. During this time he was independent of the materialistic nature of people. Instead, he depended on nature. Also, Thoreau appreciated nature, loved it, and treated it as some sort of deity.
Trait Perspective Theory
Another personality theory that fits into the unique behavioral and cognitive characteristics of Thoreau is the trait perspective. Traits are an umbrella term for characteristic behaviors and conscious motives that make up an individual’s personality. Raymond Cattell developed a trait theory that has 16 traits among them reserved-outgoing, serious-happy, practical-imaginative, and relaxed –Tense. Based on Cattel’s personality traits, Thoreau’s personality can be described as reserved. This arises from his ability to consistently remain in the woods for two years without having to meet and interact with people. Also, Thoreau can be described as both imaginative and practical. This characteristic stems from his exposure to Transcendentalism when he went ahead and began to practically live accordingly. Besides, Thoreau was imaginative because from nature he came up with some of the best poems and essays that are of historical importance to Americans to date. Additionally, he was able to use nature and imagination to develop, Walden, one of his best books. Notably, Thoreau’s personality also fits under the introverted-stable trait. This is a trait theory proposed by Eysenck based on a person’s ability to direct attention to inner experiences (as cited by Revelle, 2016). Thoreau directed his energy, time and attention to experiences that focused on himself other than people. At Harvard University, for instance, Thoreau set himself apart from the rest of the students.
Social Cognitive Theory
Coined by Bandura, the social cognitive theories reveal Thoreau’s personality because he learned through observation. Bandura posits that reinforcement is actually the provider of information given once the behavior is repeated. Additionally, Bandura suggests that the environment causes behavior. This chief concept is referred to as reciprocal determinism (as cited in Schultz & Schultz, 2017). Thoreau, for instance, learned to be become a transcendentalist by observing Ralph Emerson. Once he agreed that the way of a transcendentalist life was acceptable to him he began to connect with nature and eventually his environment from Concord to living in the Walden Pond.
In conclusion, the personality of Henry David Thoreau is viewed through the lenses of trait, social cognitive, and the human perspective of personality theories. Based on the life of Thoreau, he was a transcendentalist that loved his personal connection with nature. Also, Thoreau learned from fellow transcendentalists and later focused on attention to himself other than the people of Concord. Through the set combination of the above personality theories, one is able to comprehend the personality of the prolific American poet, writer, and transcendentalist, Thoreau.
References
Abraham, S. (2017). Unit-1 Human Need for Self-actualization. IGNOU.
Gale, C. L. (2018). A Study Guide for Henry David Thoreau's" Walden" . Gale, Cengage Learning.
Revelle, W. (2016). Hans Eysenck: Personality theorist. Personality and Individual Differences , 103 , 32-39.
Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2016). Theories of personality . Cengage Learning.
Thoreau, H. D. (1993). Civil disobedience, and other essays . Courier Corporation.
