The Savage Makeover: Your Personality

THE WORD “SAVAGE” means wild or uncontrollable. A Savage Makeover is unlike any makeover you know; it’s got nothing to do with changing your bedroom, makeup, or hair. A Savage Makeover is about your mood, thoughts, and feelings. Whether you want to or not, you – and all other teenagers – will experience a Savage Makeover because of the changes your body and brain go through during the teenage years. Being an adolescent can be challenging and leave you feeling crazy at times. I am here to help you understand the “savagery” a bit better so you can take advantage of these years and emerge a better you.

IN NEW ORLEANS, people love to wear masks. They allow us to transform ourselves into someone (or something) we are not— just put one on and see how even your physical posture changes to accommodate the character. The truth is that each one of us wears a symbolic mask every day, by way of our personality.

What is personality? In “simple” words, it is the essence of a person—one’s pattern of social, emotional, and behavioral tendencies—that emerges from and adapts to one’s interactions with the world. This means that your personality can change, although certain aspects often seem to stay the same—like how friendly or adventurous someone is. Personality is basically a constellation of habits. You probably change your habits every day (without realizing it) based on who you’re with and what you’re doing. Think for a minute about how your principal sees you versus your best friend? What about your mother versus your neighbor? These people may see you differently because you’ve learned how to control certain aspects of yourself to accommodate the situation.

Adolescence is the perfect opportunity to try different personalities, to experiment, and be intentional about the “mask” you wear. If you find you are not very open, maybe try being more spontaneous when given the opportunity to try something new. Or if you find you are more introverted and highly competitive, challenge yourself by joining a team that requires collaborative effort. Explore all of your personality potential!

Activity

DESCRIBE YOUR OWN PERSONALITY BY SAYING “I AM ____“ AND FILLING IN THE BLANK.

For more insights into your personality (and extra fun!), get together with a friend and have each of you complete the “I am ” statement five times (yes, write down five different things that are an important part of who you are!). Then each of you complete five “You are ” statements about each other. Compare your perception of your own personality to that of your friend’s perception of your personality. What are the similarities and differences? What would explain the differences?

Take this quiz to discover your NOLA Summer Personality

Select TRUE or FALSE for the following statements—whichever most accurately applies:

TRUE | FALSE – 1. I would rather follow my mother’s recipe for jambalaya than make up my own.

TRUE | FALSE – 2. I tend to rush through my work and often make careless mistakes

TRUE | FALSE – 3. I like to be the center of attention.

TRUE | FALSE – 4. I’m quick to forgive when someone has done something that hurts my feelings.

TRUE | FALSE – 5. I’m afraid to speak up in class for fear of sounding dumb.

TRUE | FALSE – 6. In the summer I wear what keeps me cool versus worrying about the way I look.

TRUE | FALSE – 7. I tend to forget to put things away when I’m finished using them.

TRUE | FALSE – 8. I tend to get in trouble in class for talking to my friends.

TRUE | FALSE – 9. I always try to see the good in other people.

TRUE | FALSE – 10. I often worry about what others think of me.

TRUE | FALSE – 11. I’d rather go to Voodoo Fest for the third day in a row than a one-time TED Talk.

TRUE | FALSE – 12. I tend to say things impulsively without thinking about the consequences.

TRUE | FALSE – 13. I tend to say “hi” when I pass others on the street versus being aloof.

TRUE | FALSE – 14. I believe you have to look out for others before yourself.

TRUE | FALSE – 15. I’m afraid to make mistakes.

TRUE | FALSE – 16. When sad, I prefer to do something fun versus think about what I’m feeling.

TRUE | FALSE – 17. I often wait until the last minute to start a project.

TRUE | FALSE – 18. I would rather go to the mall with my friends than read a book.

TRUE | FALSE – 19. I try to avoid arguments.

TRUE | FALSE – 20. I find it difficult to relax and have fun.

TRUE | FALSE – 21. I’d prefer a sno-ball with my three favorite flavors mixed versus a flavor I’ve never had.

TRUE | FALSE – 22. I tend to be late when meeting friends or for scheduled activities.

TRUE | FALSE – 23. I often say what I think even in front of people I don’t know well.

TRUE | FALSE – 24. I would rather have fun versus win a game.

TRUE | FALSE – 25. I get stressed out easily.

Scoring Key

Score 1 for TRUE and or 0 for FALSE for each question on the test!
Track which number (1 or 0) goes into each of the color bars (the question numbers for each of the color bar are listed below).
Total the number for each color bar for your final score (1 for TRUE / 0 for FALSE).
Check to see your high color scores below:

PINK – (Numbers 1, 6, 11, 16, 21) =

PURPLE – (Numbers 2, 7, 12, 17, 22) =

YELLOW – (Numbers 3, 8, 13, 18, 23) =

BLUE – (Numbers 4, 9, 14, 19, 24) =

GREEN – (Numbers 5, 10, 15, 20, 25) =

PINK

0-1 – OPEN = You tend to seek out new experiences and ideas and are very imaginative.
2-3 – QUIRKY = You are unpredictable and may have difficulty making decisions.
4-5 – COMFORT = You like what is familiar and tend to stick with what you know works for you.

PURPLE

0-1 – DISCIPLINED = You tend to be reliable and prompt because you plan ahead and are organized.
2-3 – SELECTIVE = You are strategic and methodical only about the things you’re excited about.
4-5 – SPONTANEOUS = You tend to “fly by the seat of your pants,” or act on instinct in the moment.

YELLOW

0-1 – INTROVERT = You tend to be self-driven and value your personal space and time.
2-3 – AMBIVERT = You enjoy socializing when you don’t have more important things to do.
4-5 – EXTROVERT = You are high-energy and prefer interacting with other people.

BLUE

0-1 – COMPETITIVE = You are competitive and may be perceived as distant and stoic.
2-3 – ASSERTIVE = You are generally agreeable but push back when it comes to strong beliefs.
4-5 – CHARMING = You are concerned with harmony and cooperation and tend to exude warmth.

GREEN

0-1 – OPTIMIST = You tend to be calm and optimistic and undeterred by failure.
2-3 – REALIST = You tend to see things as they are, for good or for bad.
4-5 – PESSIMIST = You have perfectionist tendencies and tend to be too hard on yourself.

Fill in the five blanks with the words that best describe you from each section to determine your NOLA Summer Personality.

Dr. Sarah Fontenelle

Developmental Specialist
Sarah is a native New Orleanian who earned her doctorate in experimental psychology at Tulane University. She is also a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi, Millsaps College, and Mount Carmel Academy. Her Healthy Purpose in life is to empower others to dream big and achieve their greatest goals, which is why she’s currently working toward licensure for independent practice in psychology. When she is not helping clients or studying, she enjoys writing music with her husband, giggling with her 3-year-old twin daughters, and walking along the levee by the river in her secret gem of a neighborhood, Holy Cross.