Illustrations from Vintage School Book “Today’s Health” 1960 Laidlaw Brothers Publishers

Candidate’s personalities play a big part in voters choices

Citizens are extremely focused on both President Obama’s and Governor Romney’s personality as a deciding factor in their vote. The medias reportage often concentrates on the personality of the candidate over other issues.

Whether Obama’s lackluster performance in the first debate or Romney’s strong arm bullying, both candidates personalities can use some tweaking. As the presidential candidates prepare for their next debate and pundits vie with one another as to the best approach for each candidate, maybe we can learn something from mid-century children’s schoolbooks that were chock full of advise on developing desirable personality traits and keeping mentally fit.

No matter what kind  of work you planned to do, we were told, desirable personality traits will help you be more successful.

A few tips to help in the debate.

It is important to be well liked and to make a good impression. We all want others to like us. We all want to be popular and to feel we are part of a group.

The foundation for an attractive mature personality is good mental health. A mentally healthy person expects to like and trust others and takes it for granted that others will like and trust him too.

 Stand firmly for opinions if you feel they are right but respect those of others. Others will be more receptive of your ideas if you are willing to listen to theirs with appreciation for new and different viewpoints.

Keeping Mentally Fit

The person who is mentally fit does not take himself too seriously.

It is your responsibility to develop good mental health habits through gaining self-confidence, setting reasonable goals for yourself and learning to adjust cheerfully to your surroundings.

The mentally fit person is willing to take a reasonable amount of constructive criticism and to improve himself. He does not run away from problems but tries instead to face reality and to adjust to it. He understands the emotional needs of others and tries to be considerate and courteous in his relationship with them.

He is a cooperative person.

Learn to use your emotions wisely and keep them under control is an important step in personality development.

Stay Tuned: Personality and Your Vote Count Pt II Winning the Undecided Vote

On the Kindergarten Campaign Trail