Dr. James Kaufman describes his “Charlie Brown Theory of Personality” in Psychology Today, referring to the popular Peanuts characters representing various personalities such as neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness and openness to new experiences.
Of course Kaufman is not the only one to take notice that every one of Charles Schultz’s characters seem to represent a particular personality. There are numerous quizzes that can be found online that can help you determine which character you’re most like.
Charlie Brown is the neurotic character, prone to anxiety and depression as well as paralyzing bouts of over-analysis. He’s always worried about whether or not he is liked, tries to please everyone and continues to trust Lucy despite the fact that she moves the football every time he tries to kick it, much to his dismay.
If you’ve got a personality similar to Charlie, you might want to try incorporating meditation into your life to ease those worries and boost your immune system. People who have a passive personality tend to have a weaker immune system. Regular physical activity is as effective as taking an antidepressant, so instead of holding that ball, move more often and try to exercise on a daily basis. Eating plenty of antioxidant rich foods will also help.
Snoopy represents the virtual opposite of Charlie Brown as the typical extrovert who is rather daring and flamboyant. He tries to join in at every opportunity and conversation, possibly outgoing to a fault. Kaufman says that for “reasons potentially stemming from his long-ago abandonment of his mother,” he aggressively pursues food and friendship. Of course, there are few dogs that don’t represent these traits, but you could certainly say that Snoopy is usually the life of the party.
Snoopy personalities have a tendency to be impulsive and not deal with stress well. If you’re like Snoopy, it’s important to incorporate stress-reducing techniques like deep-breathing or meditation into your day and also make healthy food choices.
Bossy Lucy is known for her disagreeableness and fiery temper, a type A personality like this is at a higher risk for gastric ulcers and other health problems like heart disease. A prescription like Snoopy’s that includes stress reduction practices and eating healthy foods, as well as paying close attention to what’s going on with the body is essential for good health.
Linus is open to new experiences and prone to passionate monologues. He’s rather determined too, sitting in that pumpkin patch for hours upon hours waiting for the Great Pumpkin while all of his friends are out trick-or-treating for candy.
Linus is intelligent and perhaps gifted, but he often lacks assertiveness which could lead to low self-esteem and mental issues like anxiety and depression. Personalities like Linus could borrow from Charlie Brown’s prescription that includes regular exercise, meditation, and healthy food choices.
Figuring out which Peanuts character you are may help you get to know yourself on a deeper level and even improve your health. At a minimum, you’ll have something fun to talk about at that next party when the room is silent.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/and-all-jazz/201003/the-charlie-brown-theory-personality
