As individuals, we all have something within us that sets us apart and makes us unique: our personality. Maybe you've met someone who isn't easy to get along with and someone says, “Don't take it personally; they were born with a bad personality.” While some believe that personality depends entirely on your parents, your friends, and simply how you were born, people overlook the science behind personality traits. Personality is defined as an individual's characteristic pattern of thinking, feeling, and acting. It is through personality that we are able to explore our innermost being and determine why we act and react to things the way we do, and what drives us to make the decisions we choose. Sigmund Freud is one of the most famous and accredited scientists in the world. history of psychology. When Freud looked for how to treat his patients, he discovered that there were some patients who had nothing physically wrong with them. Freud began to explore the possibility that these patients might be suffering from a mental rather than physical disorder and this led him to the discovery of the unconscious. Freud determined that the unconscious was a pool of thoughts, feelings, memories and desires that were mostly unacceptable. Other psychologists believe that unconsciousness is simply information that we process and are not aware of. Part of the exploration of the unconscious was to analyze the dreams that patients were having. Patients were able to convey the deepest parts of their mind using free association. Free association is when a person completely relaxes and reacts as they want without feeling shame or embarrassment. It was through free association and freedom of expression that Freud was able to determine the patient's personality. For......middle of paper......Freud's theories are no longer entirely valid and many are debated, many of his ideas remain in contemporary psychology. Research continues to seek to promote the development of psychological personality and its theories. While Freud took a psychoanalytic perspective, psychologists Abraham Maslow and Carl Rodgers saw a humanistic perspective on personality. Maslow believed that the reason for personality was that human intentions formed a hierarchy of needs. This meant that once basic needs were met, people strove to achieve a state of peace and tranquility, knowing that their basic needs were met. Rodgers believed similarly to Maslow. He believed that people were essentially good. He believed that extending a positive, open environment to another person leads to unconditional positive regard, which is an attitude of complete acceptance towards a person.