Belief Systems: Personality Effects

There are many ways in which belief systems affect the personality of individuals, however, the most overarching and poignant way is the ability or lack of ability of a person to gravitate towards hope and figuring out personal solutions. Unfortunately, there are many people who believe that they are not able to make positive changes in their lives, and these individuals become stuck in cycles of maladaptive thoughts and behaviors (Metcalf & O'Hanlon, 2008). They believe that there are no solutions or actions which can be taken personally to help remedy and positively alter their own lives.In these types of situations, people can become prone to destructive thoughts and behaviors which impede their own life functioning and sometimes also the lives of people in their environment. Destructive behaviors which are linked to negative thinking are physical, observable signs that people’s belief systems are faithless and contributing to their own demise. Some people may demonstrate a signal to others that they possess the lack of believing in the value of self control when they decide to discipline their children through spanking, an antisocial and abusive behavior.Another example of damaging thought is the belief that men do not need to support women through childbirth and raising children, contributing to male narcissism and also to woman and child deprivation of care and finances (Sklare, 2004). It makes sense for people who are stuck in cycles of harm and abuse to help to pull themselves out and to heal their harmful personalities by positively changing the ways in which they think and act. There are many ways in which people’s negative thinking in regard to formulating their belief systems disrupts the relationship of self with self and the relationship of self with others.It is important for people to find hope in their everyday thoughts and actions which lends to the bettering of their own lives and the lives of people in their environment. Life a nd development is only positive, its opposite being death and destruction, and focusing on the paths to workable solutions is the best way for people’s beliefs to contribute to their surviving and thriving, to their characters, even under difficult circumstances. References Metcalf, L. & O'Hanlon, B. (2008). Counseling Toward Solutions. John Wiley and Sons. Sklare, G. (2004). Brief Counseling That Works. Corwin Pre