Openness To Experience, A Trait For Exceptional People

The study of human personality has always aroused great interest. People tend to categorize themselves, and others, on the basis of different attitudes and traits. This is how one of the most important personality classifications emerged, and one that we will look at today: the personality trait that is openness to experience.

We can say that this is the classic trait of people who are curious, open and eager to experience different emotions. They are hungry for knowledge, have several interests and always have something to contribute and learn.

Want to know more about how this trait manifests? Keep reading!

Openness to experience, one of the five great personality traits

The model for the five major personality traits is one of the most important used to understand and classify personality. It emerged from research conducted by Goldberg and resulted in the following attributes :

• openness to experience
• planning
• extroversion
• sociability
• neuroticism

As we mentioned above, today we are going to talk about the first one on the list. Although not known, it shapes human personality in an important way and gives those who have it certain benefits.

What is openness to experience?

On the one hand, people are highly open to experiencing fluency, flexibility and creativity. They are always looking for new stimuli, new knowledge and new emotions. Because of this, they are always ready to embrace change and are open to different ways of thinking and acting.

On the other hand, those who score low in this personality trait are less tolerant individuals. They are linked to traditions and routines and have more conventional thought patterns.

Aspects of personality traits for openness to experience

• Creativity. First, people who score high in this dimension are creative, imaginative and have a rich inner world. They are divergent thinkers and are able to link ideas that do not seem to have any apparent connection. They are always finding new ways to move forward. Besides, your creativity is not limited to the artistic level. Great researchers and professionals from all fields with innovative perspectives show high openness to experience.
• Intelligence and knowledge. Second, these individuals show great intellectual curiosity. They also tend to get involved in analyzing ideas and searching for answers. Because of this, they are constantly searching for knowledge and are open to different points of view. In addition, they have several and different interests and like to learn.

• Aesthetics. The gratitude for art, music and beauty is very characteristic of this type of personality. They seem to be more able to give full attention to situations and get into states of flow. As a result, it is more likely that they are fully engaged in the present, and are concerned about what activity they are engaged in.
• Emotions. They are more attached to their inner states and have a high capacity for introspection. Because of this, they are not afraid to get in touch with their emotions and allow themselves to experience them fully.
• Verdier. They are more open to different points of view and are more likely to question any dogma or belief, even their own. In addition, they submit to no authority without examining their values.
• Actions. Finally, they are more open to trying new experiences and activities. They are willing to try new flavors, get to know different cultures and step out of their comfort zone. In short, they seek stimuli and embrace change.

Exceptional personalities

Openness to experience is characteristic of visionaries, innovative and open-minded people and those who bring about change.

They are people who are able to analyze, reflect and examine everything that people take for granted. Moreover, they are curious people and have an insatiable desire for knowledge and progress.

These people tend to experience more positive emotions, and as a result, they enjoy greater joy in life. This is how they show us that it is worth opening up, arousing our curiosity and meeting the fear that change can cause.