As I sat waiting in a doctor’s office today, I came across an interesting article in Psychology Today discussing the competing conceptions of who we are, whether it be based off of personal or public perspectives.  This, in essence, is how mixed signals and misunderstandings come to be.

The Bright Spot

This exists when both you and outside observers have the same ideology regarding your aptitude.  For example, if you are talkative and vivacious in public, others will see you as a just that.  If you are aware of this regarding yourself, then this is a bright spot.

The Dark Spot

Neither you nor another party is aware of this.  Dark spots usually refer to deep, unconscious motivations that drive your behaviors.

The Personal Spot

Things known only to you and not to others.  So, while others may observe what you’re doing, they don’t always know why you’re doing it.

The Blind Spot

Things others may know about you that you are unaware of, like defensiveness or hostility.

Why is this important?  Well, not only is it beneficial to be aware of how mixed signals originate, but this points out a very helpful tip for writers.  We create our characters with a purpose in mind and a preconceived notion of who they are.  In essence, we hold the truth to our creations.  So, Hank, the portly recovering alcoholic becomes that on the page.

However, when you look at the complexities of human interaction and the many interpretations of an individual, it becomes clear that true characters never stay static from person to person.  The trick (and the challenge) is to create a multidimensional human being with believable actions and the possibility of open interpretations.  Characters, like real people, fluctuate and contradict.  Realizing this is the first step to getting away from creating shallow, stereotypical and two-dimensional characters.

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