Risk & Business Magazine General Insurance Services Spring 2020 | Page 13

HAPPINESS
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n psychology these days, one of the
most respected models is the “Five
Factor” model, also called the “big
five.” It describes personality in
terms of five major dimensions:
openness
conscientiousness
extraversion
agreeableness
neuroticism
Helpfully this creates the acronym
OCEAN which is a useful mnemonic.
This is a very interesting model, and I
have many thoughts about it! But right
now, I’ll mention one thing that really
has struck me.
When you look at the model, it’s clear
that the factor “openness to experience”
is something that’s deemed good. It’s
described as “appreciation for art,
emotion, adventure, unusual ideas,
curiosity, and variety of experience.” I’ve
also seen it described as “the depth and
complexity of an individual’s mental
life and experiences, or intellect or
imagination.”
On the other hand, I’ve seen a
description that suggests that people
with low openness “seek to gain
fulfillment through perseverance and
are characterized as pragmatic and data-
driven—sometimes even perceived to be
dogmatic and closed-minded.” I’ve also
read that these folks “probably prefer
routine over variety, stick to what they
know, and prefer fewer abstract arts and
entertainment.”
One thing I’ve learned in my own
observations of human nature is always
to look for the bright side and the dark
side of anything I see. I see something,
I ask: What are the benefits, what are
the strengths of a particular pattern
of human nature, and given that, what
are the accompanying limitations and
drawbacks? Every plus has its minus. But
sometimes I really have to think about it.
So, as I was thinking about the Big Five,
I asked myself, “What’s the positive side
of being of low ‘openness to experience?’
How might we all gain, as humanity,
from this aspect of human nature?”
And I thought of a passage which gives
a perfect example. I came across this
passage during my research for my
biography Forty Ways to Look at Winston
Churchill.
to the world that would otherwise be
lost.
And when we understand that, we can
have more compassion and respect for
other people, and why they may see the
world the way they do, even when it’s
different from our own way, and even
when we disagree with it. +
This is an observation made by the
prominent British politician, diplomat,
and writer Harold Nicolson, in his
Diaries on October 17, 1940. Note
the date: this was in the early days
of World War II and during the Blitz,
the persistent German bombing of
London. (I believe he was serving as
Parliamentary Secretary at the time.)
In this period, London was reeling from
the constant bombs, and people were
struggling to figure out how to deal
with it. This was the era of “Keep calm
and carry on.”
In this passage, to set the scene,
Nicolson is talking about the state of
a London street, a street called King’s
Bench Walk, and the reaction of his
housekeeper, Mrs. Groves.
King’s Bench Walk is still all right and
Mrs Groves is there, as determined as
usual to pretend that all is unchanged. I
used to be irritated by the Cockney love
of the familiar, feeling that it closed
their minds to new experiments, but
now their obstinate clinging to the rock
of our tradition fills me with pride.
Recently, too, I’ve been reading the
work of novelist and essayist Wendell
Berry. In particular, I recommend the
terrific novels Jayber Crow and Hannah
Coulter. The protagonists of these two
novels certainly wouldn’t score high
on “openness to experience,” and in
the novels, we see the beauty in their
perspective.
Gretchen Rubin is the author of
several books, including the block-
buster New York Times best sellers,
Outer Order, Inner Calm, Better
Than Before, The Happiness Project,
Happier at Home, and The Four
Tendencies. She has an enormous
readership, both in print and online,
and her books have sold more than
3.5 million copies worldwide, in
more than 30 languages. She makes
frequent TV appearances and is
in much demand as a speaker. On
her weekly podcast Happier with
Gretchen Rubin, she discusses good
habits and happiness with her sister
Elizabeth Craft.
GretchenRubin.com
Given the circumstances, sometimes,
what we might think of as a limitation
can actually be a strength, or what we
think is a strength might prove to be a
limitation. Or it might add a dimension
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