After a comrade suggested the idea that the human brain is just as adaptable and similar across all humans; I think that “personalities” are just social traits adapted to the material conditions of the human environment.

A human developing in the capitalist environment develops greed (as capital necessitates) merely for survival; not as a default trait.

In socialist and communist environments, humans develop collaborative traits.

Applying this idea further, the characteristics of how much work people put in is influenced by the environment; being stuck in a petite-bourgeois environment means that a person would develop laziness as a result of lacking the need to work.

In a socialist or communist economy a person would be more willing to work; as a result of the proletariat being the ruling class and thus treating workers well.

So technically, I could change my lazy ass into a worker just by changing the environment to a socialist one.

  • Psychotronics@lemmygrad.ml
    12·
    2 years ago

    Well, yes, but also, no. Personalities do indeed exist. They are shaped by the material environment around us, especially during our infancy. But the fact that they are shaped by material conditions doesn’t mean they no longer exist. You won’t magically change your behaviours just by changing environments. That’s a mechanist view of the relationship between person and environment. You can see, for example, how siblings, despite being raised in much the same environment, are different in personalities.

    • Edith_Puthie@lemmygrad.ml
      4·
      2 years ago

      I think I would only add to this that a mental environment of psyches interacting is a part of the material environment. I.e.: it is easier to be a “new you” in places where people do not have pre-existing notions of your capabilities. See also confirmation bias and systemic racism/misogyny

  • CountryBreakfast@lemmygrad.ml
    7·
    2 years ago

    I say yes. Its like when people try to say that people “choose” to be homeless. Well yeah, but they don’t make that “choice” in a vacuum. People accepting their thrown conditions and adapting to them doesn’t really tell us much about any essence of a person.

  • DankZedong @lemmygrad.ml
    7·
    2 years ago

    I can see your point and I agree that a lot of personality traits are linked to the society you grow up and live in.

    But I also think there are certain traits that make you the person you are, regardless of what kind of society you live in.

    I think it kind of depends on what you mean by personalities. A socialist society might not necessarily change dickheads or shy people or more introvert people per se.