Successful personality development with the Reiss Motivation Profile®

The Oracle of Delphi says: "Become who you are". But only thosewho know what really drives them can shape their lives accordingly and someday sum up: "I did it my way."

Steven Reiss assumes that our life motives are laid out in us very early on, taking into account culture, society and individual experiences. By the way, this is also supported by current studies in neuroscience. We are, so to speak, who we are at a very early stage. However, this does not mean that something cannot be changed orthat we cannot do something about it.

Our 16 life motivesare independent dimensions ("factors") that have a very high explanatory value in relation to human behavior and also have a high predictability of behavior. Thus, just as each person has his/her genetic "fingerprint", each person has a motivational fingerprint. The various motivators are combined in each person in a way that is specific to him or her and are more or less pronounced. Thus, the individuality of people is taken into account and no attempt is made to divide people into groups and to assign certain characteristics and certain behaviors to each group.

Yes - we are obviously quite complex beings as humans. (Sometimes we notice this just when we observe other people). AND there is no good or bad, or right and wrong. In this respect, Steven Reiss' theory is a plea for tolerance: he pleads for understanding and accepting other people's motives. Because we tend to classify our own values as desirable and to hold those of others in low esteem.

It always becomes exciting when we mentally project ourselves into a special environment, put ourselves in a special context, so to speak. Then we come very close to everyday situations where we experience in our behavior that something works and functions or does not. Although there are no per se critical personality traits, some aspects of our individuality -depending on the situation -will support us more easily or perhaps even hinder us. With the RMP we have the opportunity to reflect on our behavior based on our individual personality traits. This will oftenbe able to help us in such a way that we can find new ways in our actions, which can simply let us master challenging situations better, or even point out what we do not need to pursue, because it may not make us happier or more satisfied at all.

The RMP supports us in the reflection of our behavior and does not lead to becoming a different person. However, it often leads to becoming better, more successful and happier with our own personality. In other words, to contribute to our individual personality development.

We are often asked whether it is possible for people to change. After all, each of us knows someone who says: "I have become a different person" -is that possible?From the perspective of personality psychology, we would answer: "Changes in behavior are possible, but the personality remains quite stable. So we are always recognizable as who we were in younger versions of our lives.

Then, are the motives our fate into which we must submit? Yes and no. Yes -everywhere where the will, the need, plays a role. Because wanting cannot be learned. I can't learn to want more social contact. But of course change at the behavioral level is possible, just not to a degree that makes us different people. For example, I can learn to have socially acceptable interactions and, in fact, some people may then get the impression that I have changed. So it is possible to change the way I deal with a subject, and with a fair amount of effort, work on becoming more reliable and finding ways to maintain this new learned behavior, especially if it makes me more successful in life.

But honestly - it's not easy. On the contrary -any of us who have ever tried to change an already familiar lifestyle know how difficult it is. And yet, it is possible. It may not be feasible to become a different person, but to find a way of dealing with oneself that -especially in the case of problematic behavior -enables me and my fellow human beings to step out of dead ends -so-called behavior patterns -and to take new paths.