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I've had the opportunity, over the last couple of days of listening in on some of your conversations and watching you interact with each other, and I think it's fair to say already that there are 47 people in this audience at this moment displaying psychological symptoms I would like to discuss today. And I thought you might like to know who you are. But instead of pointing at you, which would be gratuitous and intrusive, I thought I would tell you a few facts and stories in which you may catch a glimpse of yourself. I'm in the field of research known as personality psychology, which is part of a larger personality science which spans the full spectrum from neurons to narratives. And what we try to do in our own way is to make sense of how each of us, each of you, is in certain respects like all other people, like some other people and like no other person. Now, already, you may be saying of yourself, I'm not intriguing. I am the 46th most boring person in the Western Hemisphere. Or you may say of yourself, I am intriguing, even if I am regarded by most people as a great thundering twit. But it is your self-diagnosed boringness and your inherent twittiness that makes me, as a psychologist, really fascinated by you. So let me explain why this is so.

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I've had the opportunity, / over the last couple of days of listening in on some of your conversations / and watching you interact with each other, / and I think it's fair to say / already / that there are 47 people / in this audience / at this moment / displaying psychological symptoms I would like to discuss today. // And I thought you might like to know who you are. // But instead of pointing at you, / which would be gratuitous / and intrusive, / I thought I would tell you a few facts and stories / in which you may catch a glimpse of yourself. // I'm in the field of research known / as / personality / psychology, / which is part of a / larger / personality / science / which spans /the full spectrum / from neurons / to narratives. // And what we try to do / in our own way / is to make sense of how / each of us, / each of you, / is in certain respects / like all other people, / like some other people / and like no other person. // Now, already, / you may be saying / of yourself, / I'm not intriguing. / I am the 46th most boring person / in the Western Hemisphere. // Or you may say of yourself, / I am intriguing, / even if I am regarded by most people as a great / thundering / twit. // But it is your / self-diagnosed boringness / and your inherent twittiness / that makes me, as a psychologist, / really fascinated / by you. // So let me explain why this is so. //

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One of the most influential approaches in personality science is known as trait psychology, and it aligns you along five dimensions, which are normally distributed, that describe universally held aspects of difference between people. They spell out the acronym OCEAN. So O stands for open to experience versus those who are more closed. C stands for conscientiousness, in contrast to those with a more lackadaisical approach to life. E, extroversion, in contrast to more introverted people. A, agreeable individuals in contrast to those decidedly not agreeable. And N, neurotic individuals in contrast to those who are more stable. All of these dimensions have implications for our well-being, for how our life goes. And so we know that, for example, openness and conscientiousness are very good predictors of life success, but the open people achieve that success through being audacious and occasionally odd. The conscientious people achieve it through sticking to deadlines, to persevering, as well as having some passion. Extroversion and agreeableness are both conducive to working well with people. Extroverts, for example, I find intriguing. With my classes, I sometimes give them a basic fact that might be revealing with respect to their personality. I tell them that it is virtually impossible for adults to lick the outside of their own elbow. Did you know that? Already, some of you have tried to lick the outside of your own elbow, but extroverts amongst you are probably those who have not only tried, but they have successfully licked the elbow of the person sitting next to them.

Let's follow Brian Little...

One of the most influential approaches in personality / science / is known as trait psychology, / and it aligns you along five dimensions, / which are normally distributed, / that describe / universally / held / aspects of difference between people. // They spell out the acronym OCEAN. // So O stands for / open to experience versus those who are more closed. // C stands for conscientiousness, / in contrast to those with a more lackadaisical approach to life. // E, / extroversion, // in contrast to more introverted people. // A, / agreeable individuals / in contrast to those decidedly not agreeable. // And N, / neurotic individuals / in contrast to those / who are more stable. // All of these dimensions have implications for our well-being, / for how our life / goes. // And so we know that, / for example, / openness and conscientiousness are very good predictors / of life success, / but the open people achieve that success / through being / audacious and / occasionally / odd. // The conscientious people / achieve it / through sticking to deadlines, / to persevering, / as well as having some passion. // Extroversion and agreeableness / are both conducive / to working / well with people. // Extroverts, / for example, / I find intriguing. With my classes, / I sometimes / give them a basic fact that might be revealing / with respect to their personality. // I tell them that it is / virtually impossible / for adults to lick the outside / of their own elbow. // Did you know that? // Already, some of you have tried to lick the outside of your own elbow, / but extroverts amongst you / are probably those who have not only tried, / but they have successfully licked / the elbow of the person sitting next to them. //