Final answer:
The concept of 'collective character' portrays a person's personality, including enduring traits and behavior patterns. Personality traits are stable and influenced by both genetic factors and cultural norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The pattern of collective character, behaviors, emotions, and mentality a person portrays to others reflects their personality. Personality is the sum of long-standing traits and patterns that cause individuals to consistently think, feel, and behave in certain ways, making them unique.
These personality traits are long-term, stable, and are thought to be not easily changed. The concept of collective unconscious refers to the common psychological tendencies passed down from one generation to another, influencing these personal traits and behaviors.
Trait theorists suggest that personalities can be comprehended through the lens of characteristic ways of behaving or traits. These theorists, like Gordon Allport, have categorized traits into three types; cardinal traits that dominate a person's life, central traits that make up our personalities, and secondary traits which are evident under specific circumstances. Additionally, class traits, or class markers, reflect an individual's social standing based on behaviors, customs, and norms that define each class.
It is important to note that societal norms and cultural influences shape these personality traits and class traits to a large extent. These influences are highlighted by symbolic interactionists who study how individuals and societies interact, often focusing on visual symbols and the collective nature of interactions within specific cultural or social contexts.