Excerpt Four

1) How would Zimbardo’s birth order and ethnic background affect his personality?

2) What does Zimbardo mean by the phrase “at life’s party”?

3) Zimbardo uses the phrase “my job” twice. How do you think he feels about his role? How would you feel about it? What was your “job” in your family? How did you feel about it?

Exercise 38. Work with a partner. Look at the words listed below that can be used to talk about personality and temperament. Write each word in the most appropriate category on the chart. Some words may fit in more than one category.

assertive

bashful

bold

gloomy

gregarious

inhibited

killjoy

life of the party

negative

open

outgoing

positive

reserved

reticent

self-conscious

shrinking violet

sociable

social butterfly

standoffish

talk a blue streak

timid

upbeat

wallflower

whiny

INTROVERT*	EXTROVERT	PESSIMIST	OPTIMIST

Exercise 39. Read the questions below. Discuss the answers and defend your opinions.

WHO WOULD YOU RATHER HAVE?

1. for your doctor?

Someone who is…

highly experienced, reticent and standoffish?

OR

a recent graduate, outgoing and positive?

2. for your teacher?

Someone who is…

talkative, gregarious, but also at times gloomy?

OR

reserved, confident, but also at times a bit self-conscious?

3. as your spouse?

Someone who is…

sensitive, kind, but also reticent and introverted?

OR

the life of the party, gregarious, but also at times arrogant and cranky?

4. as your guide on a tour of a foreign country?

Someone who is…

extremely knowledgeable, detail-oriented, but a killjoy?

OR

sociable, assertive, but inexperienced and a bit disorganized?

Exercise 40. Give a character sketch of a person you know and like (dislike). Use the topical vocabulary. Remember: the sketch should be informative and convincing enough. A mere outward description of a person is not a character sketch. You should present a sort of critical analysis and pass your own well-grounded judgement of a personality.