Type A and Type B Personality

A simple division of preference or personality type is into Type A and Type B, which is based
broadly on anxiety and stress levels.
The Leader - The "A" Type Personality
A temperament characterized by excessive ambition, aggression, competitiveness, drive,
impatience, need for control, focus on quantity over quality and unrealistic sense of urgency. It
is commonly associated with risk of coronary disease and other stress-related ailments.

The Type A personality generally lives at a higher stress level. This is driven by
o The "A" Personality enjoys change, and one of their biggest fears is falling into a
routine.
o They are very focused on what they are doing and are almost always relatively
insensitive to others that might be around them. If they tell somebody something, or
explain it, they'll say it once and expect that everybody listening understood because
they're ready to move on.
o They enjoy achievement of goals, with greater enjoyment in achieving of more difficult
goals. They are thus constantly working hard to achieve these.
o They find it difficult to stop, even when they have achieved goals.
o They feel the pressure of time, constantly working flat out.
o They are highly competitive and will, if necessary create competition.
o They hate failure and will work hard to avoid it.
o They are generally pretty fit and often well-educated (a result of their anxiety).
"A" type personalities are often found as business owners, managers, sales people or any
position requiring a very "direct" person that typically "takes charge" and forges ahead. They are
very decisive and persistent in getting what they want and need.
The Socializer - "B" Type Personality
A personality typical of those persons who tend to be relaxed and who appear free of hostility,
aggression and they lack a compulsion to meet deadlines. This personality is driven by:
o The "B" type loves to party, travel, and be part of groups, and is often the center of
attention.
o They love excitement and are often impatient and demanding as a result of being a "high
energy" type.

They love the limelight and the "hype" and often do very well in sales, advertising,
marketing, public speaking, party planning, travel, and other positions where they can
have a "good time" while working.
o The type B personality generally lives at a lower stress level and are typically:
o

o They work steadily, enjoying achievements but not becoming stressed when they are not
achieved.
o When faced with competition, they do not mind losing and either enjoy the game or back
down.
o They may be creative and enjoy exploring ideas and concepts.
o They are often reflective, thinking about the outer and inner worlds.
A good example of a "B" personality was the part Bette Midler played in the movie
"Beaches" where her character was a big success in movies and on the stage. An outstanding
line from the movie was, when having her best friend over who she hasn't seen in years, she
takes her on a whirlwind tour of her elaborate apartment then says: "... enough about me, let's
talk about you. So, what do you think of me?"
o Certainly, most "B" personalities are not that "strong", but it does provide a good mental
picture of some of the characteristics to look for in the "B" type.
o This type often does well in sales as they tend to be very talkative and outgoing with
people and are normally quite persuasive.

Wellbeing
Definition:
Wellbeing is often simply defined as feeling good and functioning well. This includes having a
fair share of material resources, influence and control, a sense of meaning, belonging and
connection with people and place and the capability to manage problems and change.
Contrary to popular belief, wellbeing is different from happiness. Happiness can come
and go in a moment, whereas wellbeing is a more stable state of being well, feeling
satisfied and contented.
Broadly, well-being has been defined from two perspective. The clinical perspective
defines well-being as the absence of negative conditions and the psychological
perspective defines well-being as the prevalence of positive attributes. Positive
psychological definitions of wellbeing generally include some six general characteristics:
o The active pursuit of wellbeing
o A balance of attributes
o A positive affect or life satisfaction
o Prosocial behavior

o Multiple dimensions
o Personal optimization
Subjective well-being refers to how people experience the quality of their lives and includes
bothemotional reactions and cognitive judgments. Psychologists have defined happiness as a
combination of life satisfaction and the relative frequency of positive and negative affect. SWB
therefore encompasses moods and emotions as well as evaluations of one's satisfaction with
general and specific areas of one's life. There is evidence that health and SWB may mutually
influence each other, as good health tends to be associated with greater happiness.
Elements of the personal wellbeing are satisfaction with:

health

personal relationships

How safe one feels

standard of living

What one is achieving in life

Feeling part of the community

future security

high level wellness involves giving good care to our physical self, using our mind constructively,
expressing our emotions effectively, being creatively involved with those around us and being
concerned about our physical, psychological and spiritual environments.