One day at the university, I was taught how to administer psychometric tools capable of evaluating candidates for a hypothetical job opening. Using the Big Five Personality Traits theory in search of the ideal candidate, I eliminated all the applicants who were most like me, and my professor praised me for it.
These are the Big Five Personality Traits: Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism. People who score high in Neuroticism are more affected by negative emotions such as fear, anxiety, shame, guilt, disgust, and sadness.
Depression, anxiety disorders, phobias, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder all show a high correlation with Neuroticism.
Researchers believe that Neuroticism was passed down genetically to preserve our species. An heightened diligence or a generalized anxiety could have protected you and your family in the Paleolithic period; however, this stress-response system is designed to deal with intense, short-term challenges. It is ancestral and ill-adapted to the stressors we face today.
But is it really possible that essential defense mechanisms, developed over millions of years, could suddenly become superfluous? In the spring of 2000, psychologist and professor Dr. Sean Egan, at the base of Mount Everest, administered the Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire to 39 climbers and they scored significantly low in Neuroticism and high in Extraversion. It is not known for certain how many people have attempted to climb the mountain, but approximately 300 people have died on Everest. Dr. Sean Egan was a professor of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa and passed away in 2005, at age 63, at Everest Base Camp during his first summit attempt.
A climber’s courage is worthy of admiration, but the fact remains that a low level of Neuroticism clouds their judgment regarding real dangers. It would then be plausible to assume that our ancestors with far below-average levels of Neuroticism were disadvantaged by natural selection due to their high mortality rate.
Studies show that writers, poets, and artists are groups with high rates of depression, which suggests a high degree of Neuroticism. Psychologist James McKenzie studied Neuroticism as a predictor of academic performance. The negative emotions students experienced—when paired with a high degree of Conscientiousness (organization and self-discipline)—seemed to serve as fuel for improved performance, provided their mindset transformed that fuel into action. It is worth noting, however, that in disorganized students, Neuroticism was a predictor of poor academic performance.
Silver lining
The Neurotic, therefore, tends to be more reflective and to analyze the world meticulously. The evolutionary maladaptation of Neuroticism can and should be channeled into modern times, provided the individual’s level of Conscientiousness is taken into account. Neurotics should not seek to “cure” themselves, as there are niches where their traits are extremely valuable. Your obsession can make you wealthy, your anxiety can protect your family, and your depression can be a creative tool. All these superpowers come at a high cost though: acute or chronic psychological suffering. With solid strategies that manipulate the environment and behavior, we can modify the production of key hormones and neurotransmitters for better adaptation. Through Psychoeducation, you can acquire knowledge and learn to use these strategies to leverage your idiosyncrasies and soothe your suffering.
References:
“The Depression Cure” (2019) By Dr. Stephen Ilardi
“Personality: What makes you the way you are” (2007) by Daniel Nettle