Personal development, growth and development of the individual is the most general concept that describes all positive changes in the personality as a result of internal processes and external influences. This is all that unfolds in a person with age itself, which is formed under the influence of the outside, which develops in joint activity with others and develops in oneself by the person himself. It is not always clear what happened to a person - whether it was growth itself, whether it was development, transformation or formation, but in some cases, it can be said: personal development has occurred. This means that there has been a strengthening of the core and an increase in the potential of the individual, the ability of a person to live inwardly richer and better manage his life. "What is personal growth? If a person has more: - interests, and with it, incentives to live - the meaning of life, - the ability to analyze - to distinguish one from the other, - the ability to synthesize - to see the connections of events and phenomena, - the understanding of people (oneself including), and with that the ability to forgive, - inner freedom and independence, - responsibility assumed voluntarily, - love for the world and people (including oneself), this means that a person grows personally.

1. Personal Development
Personal development, growth and development of the individual is the most general
concept that describes all positive changes in the personality as a result of internal
processes and external influences. This is all that unfolds in a person with age itself , which
is formed under the influence from the outside , which develops in joint activity with others
and develops in oneself by the person himself .
It is not always clear what happened to a person - whether it was growth itself, whether it
was development, transformation or formation, but in some cases it can be said: personal
development has occurred. This means that there has been a strengthening of the core and
an increase in the potential of the individual , the ability of a person to live inwardly richer
and better manage his life.
"What is personal growth? If a person has more: - interests, and with it
incentives to live - the meaning of life, - the ability to analyze - to distinguish one from the
other, - the ability to synthesize - to see the connections of events and phenomena, - the
understanding of people (oneself including), and with that the ability to forgive, - inner
freedom and independence, - responsibility assumed voluntarily, - love for the world and
people (including oneself), this means that a person grows personally. Synonyms: mentally,
spiritually" - wrote V.L. Levy.

2. The book "Where to live. Man in chains of freedom. Note that those shown, which were
noted by V.L. Levy, may not be the result of personal growth itself, but may be the result of
the development and formation of personality.
The main characteristics of personal development are its stages , focus , activity, levels and
scale.
Stages . One of the most important results of personality development is socialization . At
the same time, while developing, a person goes through certain regular stages : an infant, a
child, a teenager, a young person, an adult - with their own psychological characteristics.
Which? And do they always pass? Different researchers describe these processes in their
own way .
Orientation . There is a direction of personality , and there is a direction of personal
development: These are different things. Suppose now a child is wholeheartedly striving for
computer games and other entertainment - this is the actual orientation of his personality.
But the direction of his personal growth is still moving towards adulthood, and in a few years
some hobbies will give way to others. The direction of personal growth is the direction of a
person's development in accordance with his natural inclinations. However, it is always
difficult to distinguish what is in the development of a person from his biological nature, and
what is formed as a result of social influences, and, apparently, in most cases it is more
correct to speak not narrowly about the direction of personal growth, but more broadly: about

3. the direction of personal growth and development. There are many questions here: is the
direction of personal growth and development always the same, or can it be different
directions? Personal growth and development has only direction, or are there peaks of
development (for example, Enlightenment)? If suddenlythere are vertices, how many are
there ?
Activity . Personal growth and development has not only its own direction, but also its
own energy, greater or lesser activity . Unlike the natural personality, whose development is
based on passive personal growth , the developing personality practices active personal
growth .. In passive (natural) personal growth, the intellect and psychological culture grow
naturally, just as the human body grows. Life goes on - buttocks grow, hair grows,
intelligence slowly develops, and gradually, in the process of life, psychological culture is
naturally formed. In active (productive) personal growth, a person has an idea, an intention is
formed, many set goals - after which a person independently engages in self-improvement
or undergoes classes and trainings that develop the skills and abilities he needs. Active
personal growth is a transitional form to the process of personality development, since it
combines a natural orientation coming from within a person and the use of external means
by a person for self-development.
The level of personality development. The main indicator of the level of personality
development is the development of the author's position , the ability of a person to determine
his own life , to live independently and be stronger than circumstances. It is determined by
the strength of the core of the personality and the development of the periphery of the
personality . Specific indicators of the level of personality development are the development

4. of intelligence, possession of emotions and the ability to control oneself, the development of
initiative and responsibility, the level of culture, the rise of motives, and much more.
Scale . Personal growth has different scales : it can be improvements within a personal
norm, or it can be a way out of it. The man was sick, gradually recovered and returned to
normal. In a psychological metaphor, this is not personal growth, but recovery, successful
psychotherapy. A healthy person went to fitness and removed his tummy: in a metaphor, this
is personal growth, but within the norm. He is among the best, but still not an athlete. If a
person went in for sports and began to stand out significantly in terms of indicators, became
different from the majority, in a metaphor this is personal growth that rises above the norm.
Personal development