ence anger. They tend to be irritable and ill tempered, and may prove
hard to get along with.
T wo different emotions, sorrow and shame, form the basis of the
facets of Depression andSelf-Consciousness . As a trait, Depression is the
disposition to experience sadness, hopelessness, and loneliness; de -
pressed people often have feelings of guilt and of diminished self-worth.
Individuals high in Self-Consciousness are more prone to the emotionof shame or embarrassment. They are particularly sensitive to ridiculeand teasing, because they often feel inferior to others. (Self-Conscious -
ness is often called shyness, but it should be noted that people who are
shy in this respect do not necessarily avoid people. Introverts oftenclaim to be shy when in fact they simply do not care to interact withothers; they claim shyness as an excuse.)
T wo of the facets of Neuroticism are more often manifest in behav -
iors than in emotional states. Impulsiveness is the tendency to give in to
temptations and to be overwhelmed by desires. Because they have so lit-tle control (or perhaps because they experience such strong urges),impulsive people tend to overeat and overspend, to drink and smoke,gamble, and perhaps use drugs (Brooner, Schmidt, & Herbst, 1994).Vulnerability designates an inability to deal adequately with stress. Vul-
nerable people tend to panic in emergencies, to break down, and to be-come dependent on others for help.
Some individuals will be anxious but not hostile, or self-conscious
but not impulsive. But in general, those high in Neuroticism are likely tobe high in each of these traits. They are prone to violent and negative emo -
tions that interfere with their ability to deal with their problems and to get
along with others. We can envision the kind of chain of events such peo -
ple may experience: In social situations they are anxious and embar -
rassed, and their frustration in dealing with others may make them hos -
tile, further complicating matters. In compensation, they turn to the use
of alcohol or food, and the long-term results are likely to be depressing.Although the emotions and impulses which disturb them may not occursimultaneously , they succeed one another with distressing regularity .
There is sometimes a tendency to ridicule people high in Neuroti -
cism (think of the Woody Allen caricature) or to become impatient with
their constant complaining. But a high level of Neuroticism is a veryreal burden that ultimately deserves compassionate understanding. (Fora sensitive and insightful portrayal, see Michael Cunningham’s [1998]depiction of Laura Brown in The Hours .)48 PERSONALITY IN ADULTHOOD