#concept
Conscientiousness >> the way in which we control, regulate, and direct our impulses. [1] It is one of 5 academically supported personality traits.
Conscientiousness is linked with: [2]
- Better academic performance
- Better job performance
- Longer life
- Better physical health
- Later onset of Alzheimer’s disease
- Lower crime rates
References
- https://www.personal.psu.edu/~j5j/IPIP/
- https://headstuff.org/topical/science/practical-psychology-conscientiousness-success/
Notes
So why aren’t more people talking about conscientiousness? It seems like a superhuman trait that leads to happy lives in a peaceful society.
I think one reason why is because most people assume that conscientiousness and other types of personality traits are immutable.
Indeed, most personality psychologists claim that personality traits stay largely stable over a person’s lifetime.
However, clinical psychologists have been changing personality traits for decades, particularly for the trait of Neuroticism (linked with anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses). You could also argue that the self-improvement industry is largely based on increasing Conscientiousness levels.
How might we improve the average level of conscientiousness in our communities?