BIG FIVE: The Personality Model I Trust
Why the Big Five Actually Works
If you’re curious which personality model is used by U.S. military psychologists — and why Facebook was fined $2 billion for how it was used — don’t skip this article.
You’ve probably heard of personality types — maybe even taken a test or two.
“You’re a blue,” “
You’re an INFJ,” “
You’re a Manifestor,”
“You’re 40% introvert, 60% fire sign.”
It feels fun, until you try to use it in real life — especially when hiring someone, building a team, or trying to understand your own patterns. The truth is, most popular personality models are… well, popular.
How can a coach interpret people, see their true nature, perceive their underlying qualities, offer them meaningful guidance, and help them see and choose the best options for their life?
Or how can a company decide whom to hire, whom to promote, and who will actually thrive in a specific role?
I use a psychometric theory that was once classified as a weapon in England by MI6 and led the U.S. Congress to fine Facebook over $2 billion.
This tool is called the Five Factor Personality Model, or simply OCEAN.
Today, it’s the only psychometric assessment that has undergone extensive research and possesses a truly robust statistical foundation.
“You’re a blue,” “
You’re an INFJ,” “
You’re a Manifestor,”
“You’re 40% introvert, 60% fire sign.”
It feels fun, until you try to use it in real life — especially when hiring someone, building a team, or trying to understand your own patterns. The truth is, most popular personality models are… well, popular.
How can a coach interpret people, see their true nature, perceive their underlying qualities, offer them meaningful guidance, and help them see and choose the best options for their life?
Or how can a company decide whom to hire, whom to promote, and who will actually thrive in a specific role?
I use a psychometric theory that was once classified as a weapon in England by MI6 and led the U.S. Congress to fine Facebook over $2 billion.
This tool is called the Five Factor Personality Model, or simply OCEAN.
Today, it’s the only psychometric assessment that has undergone extensive research and possesses a truly robust statistical foundation.
The Most Researched Personality Model We Have
The Big Five model didn’t come from a theory or a book. It wasn’t proposed by a single author or visionary.
It emerged gradually, through decades of linguistic and psychological research.
Researchers studied how people describe themselves and others — across different cultures, languages, and time periods. They analyzed thousands of adjectives and personality descriptors. Again and again, the same five patterns appeared. These patterns became known as:
Unlike many popular personality systems, the Big Five doesn’t divide people into types. It describes traits along a continuum. Every person has all five traits, just in different proportions, as a spectrum, not a label. That’s why the model is used not just in coaching and psychology, but also in military research, organizational behavior, and behavioral prediction.
The Big Five reflects how people actually are — not how we wish to sort them
It emerged gradually, through decades of linguistic and psychological research.
Researchers studied how people describe themselves and others — across different cultures, languages, and time periods. They analyzed thousands of adjectives and personality descriptors. Again and again, the same five patterns appeared. These patterns became known as:
- Openness - openness to experience and creative thinking
- Conscientiousness - the hard work and love for order
- Extraversion - the ability to experience positive emotions in response to stimuli in the external environment
- Agreeableness - care and compassion
- Neuroticism - emotional volatility and anxiety
Unlike many popular personality systems, the Big Five doesn’t divide people into types. It describes traits along a continuum. Every person has all five traits, just in different proportions, as a spectrum, not a label. That’s why the model is used not just in coaching and psychology, but also in military research, organizational behavior, and behavioral prediction.
The Big Five reflects how people actually are — not how we wish to sort them
Why the Scientific Community Chose the Big Five
Most personality systems fall apart under pressure. Ask three simple questions:
Most models fail.
The Big Five passes - consistently. It’s the only model that has gained broad scientific consensus among psychologists, neuroscientists, and behavioral researchers.
It’s also the least criticized personality model in academic literature. While others have been heavily challenged for their lack of precision or internal contradictions, the Big Five has withstood decades of scrutiny — and continues to be used in serious research and applied fields.
That’s why it has been used by:
When both military psychologists and behavioral scientists rely on the same model, it’s probably worth considering.
- What’s the empirical evidence behind it?
- Does the model cover the full range of human personality — and acknowledge what it doesn’t cover?
- Are the traits statistically independent from each other?
Most models fail.
The Big Five passes - consistently. It’s the only model that has gained broad scientific consensus among psychologists, neuroscientists, and behavioral researchers.
It’s also the least criticized personality model in academic literature. While others have been heavily challenged for their lack of precision or internal contradictions, the Big Five has withstood decades of scrutiny — and continues to be used in serious research and applied fields.
That’s why it has been used by:
- The U.S. Army – for role assignment and performance prediction under stress
- Facebook and Cambridge Analytica – to predict user behavior and political preferences (yes, that scandal)
- Researchers worldwide – to study outcomes in education, career success, addiction risk, relationship patterns, and even happiness
When both military psychologists and behavioral scientists rely on the same model, it’s probably worth considering.
What the Big Five Can Actually Predict
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just a personality test. It’s a predictive model — and in many cases, a surprisingly accurate one. When used properly, it doesn’t just describe how someone behaves. It gives insight into what’s likely to happen if nothing changes.
For example:
These aren’t fixed outcomes — they’re probabilities. And that’s the strength of the model: it shows the likely direction a person is moving in, not a rigid label of who they are.
For example:
- A person with high extraversion, low conscientiousness, and high neuroticism is statistically more likely to engage in impulsive or risky behavior — including substance use, infidelity, and emotional volatility.
- Someone with high conscientiousness and low neuroticism tends to show consistent patterns of academic success, emotional stability, and sustained job performance.
- People with high openness and low structure may experience bursts of creativity, but also cycles of confusion, identity crises, or existential anxiety — especially in environments that lack clarity.
- High agreeableness combined with low extraversion might predict a cooperative team member who avoids conflict but struggles to lead.
- High openness and agreeableness together often signal a person with strong empathy, emotional intelligence, and a natural drive toward meaning — but sometimes with a cost to assertiveness or boundaries.
These aren’t fixed outcomes — they’re probabilities. And that’s the strength of the model: it shows the likely direction a person is moving in, not a rigid label of who they are.
Do You Truly Know Yourself?
To know yourself — truly — means practicing determinism or self-leadership. It means that your actions are not dictated by external circumstances, but are focused on realizing your inner potential.
Each of us carries a kind of personal melody — something essential that wants to be heard. But over time, we become accustomed to listening to the noise outside: expectations, roles, pressure, fear. Determinism, in this context, is not about fate — it’s about tuning back in to that original melody and allowing it to shape the direction of your life. To become the person you were meant to be. To grow into it fully.
That is what self-leadership really means.
And the process of knowing yourself begins with understanding your temperament — the natural patterns shaped by your genetics, under the pressure of the environment you grew up in. For that, I rely on the work of two researchers — Paul Costa and Robert McCrae — whose model remains the most grounded and practical tool I know for helping people hear that melody again.
Each of us carries a kind of personal melody — something essential that wants to be heard. But over time, we become accustomed to listening to the noise outside: expectations, roles, pressure, fear. Determinism, in this context, is not about fate — it’s about tuning back in to that original melody and allowing it to shape the direction of your life. To become the person you were meant to be. To grow into it fully.
That is what self-leadership really means.
And the process of knowing yourself begins with understanding your temperament — the natural patterns shaped by your genetics, under the pressure of the environment you grew up in. For that, I rely on the work of two researchers — Paul Costa and Robert McCrae — whose model remains the most grounded and practical tool I know for helping people hear that melody again.
If you're curious to explore this model for yourself — or take the test and understand what it reveals — feel free to get in touch. I use it in individual coaching, team development, and candidate assessments.
