The Body Type - Personality Relationship

This is actually one of many topics I’ve been thinking about for a while - another problem with taking a break over a month. But I noticed this a lot as I moved back into college. Those first few days, there are all the initial introductions, and keeping up with names is challenge enough. But after a week or two, you really get to start to know some people. And as I get to know more people I really start to notice similarities between people I already know. This absolutely might just be me, but I so often think “wow, person X really reminds of person Y from high school”  And it’s not just because they act the same, it’s because the look similar too. For me, Person X and person Y share key traits in appearance and character. So I’m wondering does body type play a fundamental role in shaping up personality? Maybe it’s vice versa? Or maybe, better yet, it’s neither, and just largely in my head. Let’s consider each of the possibilities:

• Body Type » Personality
  • The concept is simple enough - based on the limitations your body places on you, there are consequences to what you can do and subsequently who you become. For example, take an athletically gifted child. From the start, this kid is going to play spots, get involved in teams, and spend key moments of his/her life with teammates and on the field. This is going to lead to a certain type of personality, and certain types of behaviors, that will probably carry over to personality and character development. Similarly, think of someone who is fairly big, not necessarily obese, but tall and large. This person is typically going to be bigger than any peers, and this could lead to different type of personality development, maybe one that’s more leadershipesque. Similarly, those with smaller figures might get used to being adored, but unfortunately these people might not be taken too seriously because of a short stature. Is this person more likely to be turned away from leadership and more towards charming people?
• Personality » Body Type
  • Even as I was writing the previous section, I realize there are obvious exceptions, some famous to all, others very notable to me personally. And it’s definitely too much of a generalization, there are many diminutive leaders, just as there are large laborers. Which makes me think maybe is is personality that is dominant, and that affects our bodies. Someone with a very easy going, accepting personality will probably take life as it goes. They’ll eat what they want, take part in physical activities, but not stick to some strict workout regiment. Depending on metabolism and daily diet, they might be average or obese. On the other side, someone who has the personality of a perfectionist, they might regulate their body and workout routine extensively to have a very fit body.
• It’s in our heads
  • Ultimately (and I kind of came to this conclusion while writing this article) a lot of it is mental. I feel that people in general have a desire to find connections, and in terms of this, it’s exaggerated. We see a few notable similarities that are reasonable, but then we start to see similarities that are stretches, and some that simply aren’t there. And through these errors in our memory, we make two people much more similar than they really are. To address the earlier ideas (the effect of body on personality and vice versa), I think they have legitimate applications. In some instances, personality can really be defined by body, and body can really be modified by personality - but in no way is either school of thought universal. Overwhelmingly, personalities are too complex to attribute purely body type, and a lot of the similarities we see in people are creations from our desire to connect. So next time you meet someone new and think they are exactly like someone you already know - be careful - that might be an error on your part more than anything.