Phun-size Philosophy # 57 – Mannerisms

Mannerisms are basically how your personality, beliefs, and values will impact how you will act. It is a behavioral attribute that is distinctive and peculiar to an individual. These include the way in which one walks, talks, thinks, etc and almost all aspects of life have different methods of acting and behaviors that will be unique to a certain person and vary on a case by case basis. Almost everything has an underlying context or purpose for why it happened whether conscious or unconscious. There are probably some ulterior motives that you may or may not realize that determines and pretty much creates an excuse or alibi for why you acted a certain way at a certain time. The important thing to know is that they are specific actions, thoughts, etc that are distinct to you and that your mannerisms are unique to you alone because it is derived from your upbringing and nature. I have had the nature vs. nurture debate plenty of times and have come to the conclusion that both the genes that you are comprised of as well as the events and experiences you are exposed to will play a huge role in the mannerisms that you have when you grow. What you learn and live with as a child will set the stage for what you will become later in life. The genes and one of your parent’s biggest contributions to you come in the form of hereditary characteristics that, in addition to your upbringing, will also lay the framework for your mannerisms. While your mannerisms at one point won’t necessarily mean that your certain humor as a teenager will stick with you through adulthood, it can be pretty good indicator of how you will act in the future. Of course if you crack immature jokes when you are 17 doesn’t mean you will continue to do so when you’re 57 but it still gives a sense that you find certain subjects funny. If you know someone’s mannerism pretty well you can usually accurately predict what one will do, think, etc in a given situation placed in the right environment under the right variables. The motivations for what they do and why they do it is a good indication of what they’ll do in the future. It is important to keep in mind that everyone has their own unique quirks and signature styles meaning they will not always be interested in the same things you are so you shouldn’t expect it all the time. This is a good thing though because these unique aspects of individuals make life interesting and exciting. I like to think of the Fairly Odd Parents example of when everyone was a grey blob life was a dull drum but everyone’s personalities shown through their physical casings and still proved to make life fun and interesting. Check out more at http://humanpoweredpodcasts.squarespace.com/!

-Allan Nicholas