Multiplicity: The New Science of Personality, Identity, and the Self

by Rita Carter

Multiplicity presents an entirely new view of our selves. Instead of seeing each person as a single personality, Carter argues that we all consist of multiple characters, each one with its own viewpoint, emotions and ambitions. The mother who feeds breakfast to her children, for example, has quite different concerns and opinions from the woman taking part in a boardroom discussion two hours later, and from the woman she will be with her husband that night. Yet all three may share the same body, and none is any more "authentic" than another.

Personality changes in a person are conventionally frowned upon, but Carter shows that in today's world our ability to switch from one personality to another according to what is demanded of us is a huge strength, providing one's personalities work together as a team rather than against each other. In addition to its groundbreaking scientific thesis, Multiplicity contains extensive exercises designed to help readers achieve this harmony.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Science, Mental Health, Neuroscience

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Rita Carter is a science writer, lecturer and broadcaster who specialises in the human brain: what it does, how it does it, and why.

Reviews

[VBergen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book from Rita Carter that I read and I like a lot the way she brings some science to the common understanding but without treating the readers as dummies. This book has a fair amount of explanations and examples. It feels like the part with the exercises could be longer though ;) Some remarkable paragraphs from the book:

- Human behavior is much more under the control of situational forces than most of us recognize or want to acknowledge (...) It is not so much the kind of person a man is as the kind of situation he finds himself in that determines how he will act.

- the 'many sides' view holds that although people may change on the surface, deep down in each of us there is a solid, singular and unchanging 'authentic' self. A visual metaphor of this model would be a cut gem turning slowly in the light. Its angled surfaces sparkle in turn as the light changes, but in the center there lies an unchanging core. Multiplicity, on the other hand, recognizes that we consist only of our 'faces' - there is no 'real' self lurking behind them. One self may look back on the embarrassing doings of another and bewail them. In some people one personality may even watch another and bewail their actions as they occur. But the bewailer is no more 'authentic' than the bewailed - it is just that in retrospect we prefer to identify with one cluster of characteristic than another. (pag. 35)

- Experiences are not things that happen to us but our responses to those things - the sensations, emotions and thoughts that our brain produces in response to events. Our responses depend largely on our previous experiences, which in turn depend on the ones before that and so on. But they also depend to some extent on the way we are made. For example, the structure of a persons' visual cortex - the density of their color -encoding neurons, say - will affect their perception of a visual image even before the sight is recognized and assessed in terms of what it is and what it means. Hence an identical external event can produce quite different experiences in two different brains. (pag. 61)

- what feels like a decision, is really only the conscious recognition of a decision your brain has already made without any help from a conscious personality. The conscious thought seems to dictate the action because it occurs in the split second between your body being prepared for it and the muscle fibers actually contracting and carrying it out. (pag. 85)

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5. stars. A lot of interesting ideas, but not a lot of factual support. More an act of creative thinking than a scientific endeavor.

[Dierregi · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a bumpy start and dragged on reading, I finally made it to the end. Despite my initial lack of enthusiasm, the book is quite interesting (and also short, which is an added bonus).

It is roughly divided in two parts: the theory and the practice. The explanation about major and minor personalities may seem far fetched, but it all comes together in the second part.

According to the theory, only five “dimensions” are needed to give a more or less complete picture of a personality and these are:

- Openess to Experience
- Conscientiouness
- Extroversion
- Agreeableness
- Neuroticism

You can decide how you fit in each dimension, according to which “roles” you play in your life. For instance, you play the role of “Worker” during office hours, “Parent” throughout the day, plus other minor roles such as “Partygoer”, “Gardener” etc… according to your hobbies.

For another basic explanation of the multeplicity, think about Clark Kent. Boring office worker, he is also the owner of a “Superman” personality, to replace the Kent personality when needed. The same is true – albeit in a less dramatic fashion - for most of us.

In the second part you get to work on your Personality Wheel and actually see how your different personalities fit (or not) together. You can give yourself marks for all the dimensions, selecting a series of adjectives that describe your behaviour in one of your “roles”.

For instance in the Extrovert to Introvert dimension, you can select any adjective among: Shy, Quiet, Reserved, Gregarious, Assertive, etc… which will give you your position on that dimension.

For me it was a pleasant surprise to discover that I actually have an upbeat and extroverted side, which is usually hidden by my “every day” Worker personality.

I hate my job but I need the money, so for the moment I have no choice but go to work “wearing” my shitty personality. Let’s say I am a grumpy Clark Kent from 9 to 5-Mon/Fri. My “Superwoman” side is pretty much hidden from my co-workers who dislike me intensely and probably would be surprised to discover my sunny side.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that I am only skimming this one. Started with the second section, since the author noted the book could be read according to one's desire. The second section is the practical one with questions and instructions for diagramming one's personalities. The first section is in-depth explanation of the theory of how our brains form personalities and that we all experience multiplicity at some point along a continuum from singular major personality to the extreme of multiple personality disorder.

I think of the book as the "scientification" of an idea that is rather intuitive. We've nearly all, at some point or another, said "I wasn't myself that day" or something similiar. We all perform multiple roles and functions in our lives requiring us to pull from aspects of personality other than those we prefer when relaxed into ourselves.

[Kim Engle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great introduction to the topic of (non-pathological) multiple parts to our personalities. Exciting to read when I first understood the concept, and motivated me to look further into the idea. Good exercises to start an exploration. Probably the only book available at its time of publication. But, she’s a science writer, not a mental health professional. I wouldn’t buy the book, but since my library had it, it was well worth the read.

The multiple part personality concept has become a form of therapy for ordinary people, so there are better books written by actual therapists, particularly under the topic “internal family systems.” I recommend “Self-Therapy” by Jay Earley.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book presents an interesting take on what goes on in the inner world of people's behaviors and identity. Carter explains how she believes there are multiple personalities present in every individual, arguing that most people's inner personalities tend to be able to work together, while for those diagnosed with mental disorders MPD or DID, their personalities are more separate from each other and struggle to be under control.

The second half of this book describes the common types of major and minor personalities that may be present in a person and includes guided and detailed exercises for those who want to get to know the different personalities within themselves. It also provides tips for each personality and ways for the multiple personalities to work better together in harmony.

I definitely felt skeptical as I went through the first half of the book, where the author tries to support her idea of multiplicity with studies on hypnotism and other studies from the last century. Unfortunately, this book did not seem useful for me, but I imagine the second half of this book will help people who have yet to put time and effort towards higher self-awareness and getting to know the different sides of themselves well.

[Richard Alfonso · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me pareció excelente desde una nueva forma de ver y comprender lo que sucede en nuestro cerebro. Al no ser psicólogo me pareció un libro muy sencillo de leer y aprendí mucho de el

[Jonathan Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially very interesting, but tailed off for me.

[Crunchylump · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ego-states or personalities as Carter calls them neatly explain why we all have such contradictory traits, why we are sometimes at odds with ourselves, feelings come upon as "for no discernable reason" and we occasionally do things which are "completely unlike" us.

I am one of those who experience contradictory thoughts constantly battling it out in here, trying to beat each other into submission. That would be different ego-states not getting the team work vibe.

Multiplicity explains the concept of and guides you through becoming aware of/conscious of your ego-states so you can better get to know yourselves and get the teamwork going.

Ego-states have been known about for a long time but there seems to be a tendency to associate these personality clusters/fragments with trauma and mental illness. I can't wait to read more about ego-states as seen in the healthy brain.

An exciting, thought provoking but light read and fun with personality testing to boot :-)

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The more I read this, the more I began to think it was making me crazier than I previously thought I was. I think it's interesting how some roles might turn into personalities, but I'm not so sure about giving them names or talking to them in the way Carter suggests. I'd like to think not everyone is actually telling their Party Pooper personality to sleep during the next birthday bash you go to, but I don't remember Carter actually mentioning it, so it made me wonder if she really was suggesting we talk to our separate personalities as people or something. Other than that, I think Part I of the book is very interesting, the personality tests were kind of fun, and the personality profiles are informative. One thing that I really enjoyed about this book were the mini "case studies" or examples of different types of personalities.

[Michael K · Rating 3 out of 5]

The proposition here is that the individual personality, previously modelled as a set of conflicts, can better be modelled as a set of conflicting personalities. While this doesn't seem at first to be a great breakthrough, it certainly seems to be a much more useful model of personality and one which has probably reached a commonplace understanding (in humorous asides like 'He's an interesting bunch of guys')before it arrives, here, as a 'new' understanding by psychologists.

Carter's introduction to this model is as it should be...unspecialist and unacademic.
Hopefully the first in a sequence by her.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up to look at the issues and challenges of multimembership (in communities online and off) and dove into a great explanation of this complex thing we call "personality." I've gotten a lot of insight and am only half way through.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about the author's theory that we all have different "personalities" that come out in certain situations or when we are feeling a certain way. Her ideas provided a really interesting framework for me to think about my own multiple "personalities" or ways of being.

[Foreign]

UK: trade paperback original

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

a mind blowing read!

[T.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really interesting insights and info in to personalities, although the exercises in the last part mean you need to have people you are very comfortable with and who know you well.