Present Authoring: Faults

Introduction:
Welcome to the Present Authoring: Faults component of the Self-Authoring suite. This exercise has been designed to allow you to do an in-depth analysis of some of the negative aspects or faults of your personality.

The exercise may take up to three hours to complete. You may quit the exercise any time by clicking Exit/Home or shutting down your browser. If the current page is a page you have been writing on, remember to click Save before exiting. The text that you entered on previous pages will have already been saved.

You can come back to the exercise later, and resume your work. Just go to www.selfauthoring.com, click the Subscriber Login button (top right) and choose the Present Authoring: Faults exercise. When you return, all your previous work will be waiting for you, and you will be taken to the last point in the exercise you had completed


Faults Analysis

This program has been designed to allow you to do an in-depth analysis of some of the negative aspects or faults of your personality. It is the partner program to the virtues analysis section of the present authoring program. It is our hope that constructing a clearer picture of your faults will help you understand the impact of your personality traits on your life in the past, present, and future.

It is probably best to complete this exercise if you are in a normal to good mood, so that you can tolerate the self-criticism. If you are feeling sad, lonely, or depressed, you should probably do the virtues analysis instead. This exercise will take you 60-90 minutes, depending on your choices. You will be asked first to read some information about basic personality theory and then to select 2-10 faults from each of five lists of faults (one list per basic personality trait).

Then you will be presented with the faults you have selected, and asked to choose a final list of the faults you think have most interfered with your life. You will be asked to write for about 10 minutes, later, for each fault you choose, after you have rank-ordered them in importance. We recommend that you choose 6-9 faults (for 60 to 90 minutes of work), but you can choose as many as you like. Just remember that you will be asked to write about each one. You will be asked to describe how this fault has impacted you negatively, in the past; what you might have done differently; and what you could do now and in the future to rectify or eliminate this fault.


Completing the Exercise 1

During this exercise, you will be presented with a series of pages either providing you with information, or asking you to describe aspects of your personality and experiences.

You may proceed through the exercise by clicking the Next button.

You can go back to previous pages by clicking Previous.

Each time you click Next or Previous, the data you have entered on that page will be saved. You can also save your data while remaining on the same page by clicking Save. In addition, many of the pages where you are asked to write for longer periods of time will automatically save every minute or so.

You may quit the exercise any time by clicking Exit/Home or shutting down your browser. If the current page is a page you have been writing on, remember to click Save before exiting. The text that you entered on previous pages will have already been saved.

You can come back to the exercise later, and resume your work. All your previous work will be waiting for you, and will be taken to the last point in the exercise you had completed.



Completing the Exercise 2

On many pages, you will not be able to successfully click Next or Previous unless you have provided a minimum of necessary text. If you do not, you will receive an error message, and the text box in question will be highlighted in red.

Text boxes also have a maximum length. Pay attention, as you write, to the numbers above the text boxes. Numbers like [180 / 1000] indicate that you have typed 180 characters out of a maximum allowable of 1000. When you go over the maximum, the numbers above the text box become red. Clicking Next, Previous, or Save will result in an error message and you will not be able to proceed to the Next or Previous page. To resolve this, edit your text until the number of characters is less than or equal to the maximum. These limitations have been established so that you do not get stalled at any point in the process.

We do encourage you to write in some detail, however, subject to those limitations. Our research indicates that better results are obtained as the amount written by participants increases.

There is a progress bar in the top right portion of the screen, which displays the percentage of the exercise that you have already completed. If you hover over the bar with the mouse, you can see approximately how much time it will still take to complete the exercise.

You may use the Index to jump to any page you have already completed. Clicking the [Index] link will open the index. Clicking it again will close it. Remember to click Save to save any work on the current page before using the index to jump to another page.

After you have completed the exercise, you will be taken to a Summary page. You can use that page to email yourself a copy of your writing.

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Part I: Background Knowledge

To complete the following exercise, there are a number of things that are useful to know. (you may have encountered this information previously if you have completed the virtues analysis program, but it might be worthwhile to review it):

Everybody's personality is composed of two higher-order traits. The first higher-order trait is known as plasticity, and can be thought of as the tendency to be flexible, exploratory, curious, and quick to adapt. The second higher-order trait is known as stability, and can be thought of as the tendency to be structured, organized, emotionally stable and focused.


Plasticity - the first higher-order trait, can be further broken down into two sub-traits: Extraversion (the tendency to be enthusiastic and dominant) and Openness (the tendency to be open-minded and intelligent).

Extraversion (Outgoing vs Reserved)

- Sociable
- Active
- Adventurousness
- Positive
- Excitement-Seeking
- Gregarious

Openness (Original vs Traditional)

- Fantasy-prone
- Aesthetically-minded
- Philosophical
- Creative
- Intuitive
- Intellectual


Stability - the second higher-order trait, can be further broken down into three sub-traits: Conscientiousness (the tendency to be orderly and industrious), Emotional Stability (lack of negative emotional volatility and the tendency to withdraw), and Agreeableness (politeness and compassion, as opposed to belligerence or aggression).

Conscientiousness (Conscientious vs Carefree)

- Competent
- Orderly
- Decisive
- Achievement-oriented
- Self-disciplined
- Deliberate
- Industrious

Emotional Stability (Calm vs Nervous)

- Anxious (reversed)
- Angry (reversed
- Hostile (reversed)
- Depressed (reversed)
- Self-Conscious (reversed)
- Vulnerable (reversed)

Agreeableness (Agreeable vs Assertive/Aggressive)

- Warm
- Trusting
- Straightforward
- Altruistic
- Modest
- Compliant
- Tender-minded
- Nice


Impact of Personality Traits

There are advantages and disadvantages to each trait, particularly at the extremes. Extremely sociable, extraverted people can be dominant and impulsive, while introverted, quiet people can easily become isolated and depressed. Extremely open people can be scattered and overwhelmed by their own thoughts and ideas, while closed-minded people may become narrow and inflexible. Exceptionally conscientious people can be obsessive about order, judgemental and rigid, while their more carefree counterparts may be messy, undisciplined and careless. People very high in emotional stability may engage in risky, dangerous behavior, while those who are more neurotic can become so preoccupied by anxiety and pain that they are unable to function. Finally, extremely agreeable people may never stand up for themselves, while those who are too assertive can be aggressive, callous and bullying.


Change

Personality is reasonably stable over the lifespan, and is also powerfully influenced by hereditary or genetic factors. Despite this, personality can broaden or even transform. As people age, for example, they tend to become more agreeable, conscientious and emotionally stable.
Changing personality means changing habits of action, presumption and perception. Personality change requires the formulation of clear future goals, as well as discipline and practice. People who are too agreeable can learn to stand up for themselves. Disorderly people can become more conscientious. Introverted people can become socially skilled. People who experience paralyzing levels of negative emotion can learn to explore.

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Part II: Select Traits

Extraversion/Introversion

Select Relevant Items - Please select habits that apply to you. You can select up to 10 habits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the bad habit descriptions do not really apply, as you will get to specify the most typical habits later, when you make your final fault selection, prior to writing.

+ Sometimes act without thinking
+ Sometimes talk too loudly
+ Can spend too much money
+ May exaggerate the truth
+ May dominate the conversation excessively
+ Find it difficult to spend time alone
+ Could be a better listener
+ May spend too much time pursuing fun and excitement
+ May attract too much attention to myself
+ Do not let the quieter people have a chance to talk
+ Try too hard to be the center of attention
+ Can be too theatrical or dramatic
+ May be too dependent on the admiration or attention of others
+ Can be a little grandiose
+ Talk about myself a lot
+ Often feel uncomfortable around others
+ Keep in the background
+ Have too little to say
+ Lose opportunities because I am too isolated
+ Am too quiet around strangers
+ Find it difficult to approach others
+ Don't laugh much or have fun
+ Bottle up my feelings
+ Am a very private person
+ Wait for others to lead the way
+ Feel drained by social interactions
+ Am not very enthusiastic
+ Could be more socially skilled
+ Have a difficult time starting conversations
+ Have a social circle that is too small



Openness/Traditionalism

Select Relevant Items - Please select habits that apply to you. You can select up to 10 habits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the bad habit descriptions do not really apply, as you will get to specify the most typical habits later, when you make your final fault selection, prior to writing.

+ Pursue too many activities at the same time
+ Am interested in so many things that I don't know what to focus on
+ Have a hard time planning for the future because I am interested in everything
+ Am sometimes attracted by ideas that are radical but have not been thought through
+ Sometimes see meaning in things that probably isn't there
+ Jump around too much from topic to topic when I am talking to people
+ Have a hard time making up my mind because I can always see all the sides of an argument
+ Am so interested in creative activities that it is hard to concentrate on things that are practical
+ Can become possessed by an idea
+ Daydream too much
+ Sometimes every thought I have immediately suggests an overwhelming number of ideas
+ Have had experiences or thoughts that were strange enough to frighten me
+ Have had a hard time forming a clear identity
+ See connections between things too easily
+ Have done crazy things just because I was curious about what might happen
+ Am good at a too-narrow range of things
+ Am seldom interested in abstract, philosophical ideas
+ Avoid sophisticated fiction and stories
+ Do not attend movies or plays
+ Am unimaginative
+ Do not care for change
+ Do not involve myself in creative activities
+ Do not like to read challenging material
+ Do not really understand or value art
+ Seldom seek out new experiences
+ Try to avoid complex people
+ Will not probe deeply into a subject
+ Am unlikely to initiate a new project
+ Tend to think that creative people are strange
+ Always do things the same way once I have learned how to do them


Conscientiousness/Carelessness

Select Relevant Items - Please select habits that apply to you. You can select up to 10 habits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the bad habit descriptions do not really apply, as you will get to specify the most typical habits later, when you make your final fault selection, prior to writing.

+ Am too perfectionistic
+ Get obsessed with details and lose the big picture
+ Insist that everything be in perfect order
+ Dislike deviation from the rules, even when it is necessary
+ Have to plan everything
+ Seriously dislike having my routine or schedule upset
+ Cannot stand to be late for an appointment
+ Feel that I am being unproductive if I relax
+ Can be very judgemental
+ Get upset at myself when I misplace something
+ Will work on a project beyond what is useful and necessary
+ Believe that I have to be flawless
+ Always believe that failure is a consequence of insufficient personal effort
+ Cannot tolerate having to finish a task imperfectly or quickly
+ Can be contemptuous of other people and of myself
+ Do things in a half-way manner
+ Don't like to tidy up
+ Find it difficult to get down to work
+ Make a mess of things
+ Leave my belongings around
+ Surf the web or watch TV or waste time in other ways even if I have a project due
+ Am without real ambition
+ Neglect my duties
+ Frequently make excuses
+ Often procrastinate
+ Waste my time
+ Am sometimes willing to bend the truth to get out of an obligation
+ Feel unmotivated to complete my work
+ Have few clearly defined goals
+ Have no stable daily routine for sleeping or eating


Emotional Stability/Low Stress Tolerance

Select Relevant Items - Please select habits that apply to you. You can select up to 10 habits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the bad habit descriptions do not really apply, as you will get to specify the most typical habits later, when you make your final fault selection, prior to writing.

+ Am sometimes not afraid of things I should be afraid of
+ Have found myself in dangerous situations because I was not paying attention
+ Might have done fewer stupid things if I felt shame more often
+ Things that should bother me don't seem to
+ Am easy-going to a fault
+ Sometimes think if I was more worried about things I might do better in life
+ Don’t appear to learn as well from my mistakes as others do
+ Can do careless or inappropriate things without seeming to experience guilt
+ Don't worry about things that should bother me
+ Don't pay enough attention to costs and potential future dangers
+ Am sometimes too calm about things
+ Am often too optimistic
+ Criticism, even when warranted, does not seem to affect me
+ Often take counterproductive or unnecessary risks
+ Do not seem to benefit from negative feedback
+ Am easily disturbed and upset
+ Am frequently irritable or angry
+ Am too moody and emotionally unstable
+ Am too self-conscious for my own good
+ Blow little things out of proportion
+ Feel ashamed of my body
+ Feel hurt often, even by little things
+ Feel inadequate when introduced to new people
+ Feel too fearful, afraid and anxious
+ Compare myself unfavorably to other people
+ Get stressed out easily
+ Grumble and complain about things
+ Have a hard time calming down after becoming upset
+ Let my fears stop me from doing things I want to do
+ Often feel depressed and blue



Agreeable/Assertive

Select Relevant Items - Please select habits that apply to you. You can select up to 10 habits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the bad habit descriptions do not really apply, as you will get to specify the most typical habits later, when you make your final fault selection, prior to writing.

+ Avoid conflict even when it is necessary
+ Find myself making excuses for other's inappropriate behavior
+ Cannot negotiate for myself very well
+ Will sacrifice my own feelings for the comfort of others
+ Can bottle up my feelings until I become resentful
+ Can be overly sentimental
+ Am polite to a fault
+ Feel sorry for people who may not deserve it
+ Find myself too upset after I have a conflict with someone
+ Would probably help me if I could be more competitive
+ Am sometimes dominated by other people
+ Don't know how to deal with mean people
+ Trust people too easily
+ Find myself believing that people are basically good, even when there is evidence to the contrary
+ Am loyal to a fault
+ Have a hot temper
+ Can be indifferent to the feelings of others
+ Am not interested in other people's problems
+ Am too suspicious of other people's motives
+ Will charm people to get my way
+ Can be detached and cold when others are hurt and upset
+ Am quite critical of others
+ Don't generally show gratitude
+ Can be vengeful
+ Am willing to manipulate others for personal gain
+ Infrequently help others
+ Insult people
+ Can be aggressive and domineering
+ Tend to always put myself first
+ Could be better at cooperating

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Part III: Select for Analysis

HABIT SELECTION

Take a complete listing of your selected faults (from Part II) and select a set of faults that you would like to work on improving. Click the faults that you think are most typical of you, or are most important to you. We recommend selecting 6 to 9 items, but you may select a greater or lesser number. Remember, however, that you will be asked to write for about 10 minutes for each fault you select. When you have selected the most typical or important faults, click Next. After you have finished this section, you will be asked to write about how this fault affected you negatively in the past, what you could have done differently, and how you could address this in the future.

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Part IV: Rank Selection

Prioritize Your Selection

Take the list of your most typical or important faults (from Part III), and rank order them from most to least relevant or important:

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Part V: Analysis of Traits

In the order that you determined in Part IV, please do the following for each of your most typical or important faults:

(a) Describe an Experience - Please write a short story (approximately 1,000 characters) about a time in your life when this fault created a situation that had a negative impact on your life.

(b) Alternative Outcome - Write a short paragraph about what you might have done differently in that situation, to minimize the effect of this fault.

(c) Guidelines for general improvement - Now that you've thought about how you might have behaved differently in that particular situation, please think about this fault in more general terms. How could you work on improving this fault in general, so that such situations do not repeat themselves?

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Conclusion

You have now completed the habits identification section of the self-authoring suite. Everything that you have written is available in the report. You may find it helpful to review the faults you have identified, as well as the ways that you plan on improving them.

You may also want to consider completing the virtues analysis (the remainder of the present authoring section), the past authoring or autobiography exercise, or the future authoring exercise, which will help you understand what you want in the future (and how you might get it).