It’s in the deeds: what we do shapes who we are | Brian R Little

Personality traits aren't the only things that define us, says Brian R Little: the projects we choose are also key

Did you know that it is virtually impossible to lick the outside of your own elbow? More significantly, how you respond to this piece of information - and how you attempt the pursuit - can offer a glimpse of the stable traits you are born with and that form the bedrock of your personality.

According to personality psychologists, these traits can have major consequences for how our lives play out. The "Big Five" dimensions spell out an acronym - OCEAN (or CANOE if you prefer): openness to experience, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. Because the same dimensions emerge in virtually all countries, cultures and linguistic groups, they can be regarded as universal. Individuals are aligned with each trait on a spectrum, with most of them piled up in the middle and fewer appearing at the extremes.