The Complete Guide to Big Five Neuroticism Personality Trait

Neuroticism is the tendency of a person to feel bad feelings like fear, sadness, anxiety, guilt, and shame. Even though everyone feels these things sometimes, certain individuals are more likely to feel them than others. You can think of this trait as a warning system. When people have bad feelings, something is wrong in the world.

You're afraid because you might be in danger. Or maybe you did something socially wrong and now feel bad about it. But not everyone responds to the same thing in the same way. People who score high on neuroticism are more likely to respond to a situation with fear, anger, sadness, and other similar emotions.

People with low Neuroticism scores are likely to brush off bad luck and move on. Compare this to how their good friends, Rabbit and Donald Duck, reacted. The people in these stories have a lot more fire in them. They are emotional, easily upset, and don't have much patience when things don't go their way.

All of these are signs of a person with low neuroticism. Using these kids' figures to show a mental trait might seem strange. But these groups of characters continue to speak to new generations because they remind us of people we know in real life. And neuroticism is a real trait we see in other people, making us think less of them.

Neuroticism Defined

At its core, neuroticism is about how often we tend to feel bad. It also has to do with how stable our moods tend to be, like if we're more or less the same way every day or if they change a lot. People who do well on the Neuroticism test tend to be cool, collected, and able to handle stress.

They are also usually sure of themselves and don't get angry or upset easily. On another note, those who score lower on sensitivity tend to have thinner skin. They are more sensitive, worry easily, and get sad or down more easily. Stress and pressure can make them feel bad, making them seem grumpy.

What does extreme neuroticism look like?

People who score high on neuroticism seem to respond strongly to situations and events that could make them feel bad. For example, they would be more inclined to be frightened by a stranger walking down the street or to take a word from a coworker as an insult.

People with a lot of neuroticism have mental systems that are always on high alert, looking for danger and trouble everywhere they go. People with high neuroticism are also inclined to doubt themselves and their skills. They often think they are to blame for their bad luck and feel bad when things don't go how they want.

Even though neuroticism isn't usually seen as a good thing, there are some good things about it. People high in Neuroticism usually don't ignore the dangers of life and are honest about the issues and limits of the world. There is also proof that neuroticism can help people achieve more as long as they are generally happy. Fear of failing seems like a good way to get people to do things.

How does low neuroticism look?

People who are low in neuroticism are less likely to feel bad feelings like fear, sadness, anxiety, and guilt when stressed. Even though they are not resistant to stress, they can handle more stress than normal without feeling sad, worried, or burned out.

People who score low on neuroticism are less likely to get divorced or have a mental illness. They usually deal with stress well and don't get upset when bad things happen. People with low neuroticism are less likely to feel depressed or anxious after big stresses such as losing a job or getting a divorce.

People who score low on neuroticism tend to have a good opinion of themselves and a positive view of life. Low neuroticism is usually seen as a good thing, but people with very low neuroticism may not worry much about risks or danger. People with very low Neuroticism tend to be happy, calm, and not prone to worry, so they may be so positive that they start to believe their hype.

On the other hand, people who have a greater degree of Neuroticism are less likely to miss how something could go wrong. People with low levels of neuroticism aren't always happy as others. Positive feelings are linked to high levels of extraversion, not too low levels of neuroticism.

People with low levels of neuroticism and extraversion tend to have few good or bad emotional events. People inclined to Extraversion and low in Neuroticism are lucky because they feel many positive feelings and few bad ones.

The 3 Aspects of Neuroticism

In Alva's personality test, we identify three parts of neuroticism that are similar to other well-validated Big Five checks: optimism, stability, and stress tolerance.

Neuroticism and Optimism

People who do well on the Optimism test tend to think positively about most things. Problems are meant to be solved, and failures are seen as temporary. People with lower test scores tend to have heavier hearts. They feel more defeated by problems and don't always hope for the best.

Neuroticism and Stability

This part concerns how likely someone is to get angry or frustrated. People with good scores don't lose their temper very often. They don't get angry easily and usually feel about the same every day. It is hard to anger or surprise them. On the other hand, a lower number means that you are more emotional and quick-tempered. People at the opposite end of the scale get angry and upset more quickly.

Neuroticism and ability to handle stress

The last part is about worry, stress, and similar feelings. People who do well on this scale tend to be able to handle stress and pressure very well. They can stay focused and work well even under a lot of stress, and they feel sure they can handle every scenario. If you have a lower number, you tend to be more reactive, more likely to worry about the future, and more about your ability to handle things.

Neuroticism and work success

As you might expect, being calm, positive, and able to handle stress well can be very helpful at work. Neuroticism has been shown to be a good predictor of job success in a number of jobs. Neuroticism is especially helpful for leaders because it helps them deal with tough situations and make their team feel calm.

Not surprisingly, the same is true for jobs in customer service. Neuroticism will help you do well and keep cool in jobs where you have to deal with angry customers, tight deadlines, and a generally stressful environment.

A person with good mental health is also less likely to take insults and charges to heart. In sales, being nervous is a good thing. The reasons are the same: calm and stable people tend to deal with the stress of sales better and get over the many cancellations easier.

Neuroticism is linked to stability.

Integrity at work has been found to have a clear link to neuroticism. Integrity means being trustworthy, fair, and honest. One reason is that impulse control has much to do with ensuring you don't do things your anger tells you to do.

High Conscientiousness makes it easier for people to fight their urges, but high Neuroticism could mean you have fewer strong emotions in general. With fewer mood swings and more even anger, the desire to act out might not be as strong.

Neuroticism is a predictor of job happiness.

Neuroticism can predict how well someone does at work and how happy they are at work. Not that shocking since calm people tend to feel less bad feelings, which probably also makes them better at work.

What about the benefits of being sensitive?

As with Conscientiousness, only a few studies show that Neuroticism has bad effects. This trait gives a small but constant boost in many different jobs. People have recently discussed the secret benefits of being a Highly Sensitive Person. The HSP, so the story goes, has sensitive 'antennae' that help them understand other people and situations well. They are often creative and artsy and notice things that most people wouldn't.

Highly sensitive people aren't always low in neuroticism.

So far, a scholarly study has paid much less attention to the HSP idea than the Big Five. It's also important to note that HSP doesn't always match up with low neuroticism. This is what is called a compound concept, which is made up of many parts.

But there are good and bad things about being more sensitive in life. If your Neuroticism is smaller, you might feel the ups and downs of life with more depth. On the other hand, people who rank higher on this trait can sometimes seem a little cold or uncaring. This is particularly so if they are also not very agreeable or open.

Even humble people don't always have low levels of neuroticism.

People with lower scores on neuroticism may also seem more approachable and humble in some situations. The fact that they tend to be less sure of themselves makes them seem more attentive and sensitive like they care about what others think. People who score low on Neuroticism often find it easier to change their minds when others try to change them.

Neuroticism: Policies and people matter

When we consider neuroticism at work, it's important to remember that our people need to feel safe, be able to try new things, and do their best work because our psychological safety, systems, and policies all work together. Understanding the amount of neuroticism that works best for a job can help us hire the right people. Not every job needs it, and individuals can and should be backed by leadership.

But if we know what a job needs in terms of basic, core skills instead of things like having worked in a similar-sized company or having years of experience in the field, we can reduce bias and hire the varied teams we need to be successful. Knowing what a job requires and how to work well to put together the right teams is important.