1. Self and personality refer to the characteristic ways in which we define our existence. 2. They also refer to the ways in which our experiences are organised and show up in our behaviour. 3. From common observation we know that different people hold different ideas about themselves. 4. Our interaction with other people - our experiences - and the meaning we give to them - serve as the basis of our self. 5. These ideas represent the self of a person. We also know that different people behave in different ways in a given situation - but the behaviour of a particular person from one situation to another generally remains fairly stable.