Virgo Season

The United States is not the only country with some level of superstition surrounding the development of people's personalities and an external force that is not the person's family. Have you ever heard someone say something like "never trust a Gemini" or "Virgos are all so picky" and wondered what being born in June or August/September has to do with personality? You may have even noticed the zodiac sign (also referred to as astrological signs) references in western media. Zodiac related horoscopes are very popular in western culture as the United States and most of Europe make references to them in media, clothing, appearance, and even food. That's right- you can get clothing, food, and even a haircut that is suited to your astrological sign.

So, does your astrological sign determine portions of your personality? We regret to tell you that scientifically, astrology has nothing to do with personality and personality development. If it is not predictive, what is the draw to astrology and understanding your zodiac sign? Conformity and the need to fit in plays a big role in this. You may also be asking yourself that if the zodiac signs aren't real, why are they so accurate when describing a person with a specific sign? The zodiac features are so vague that they could be considered prophetic in that many people would consider themselves to be practical, flexible, adaptable, and resourceful even if they are not a Virgo, Pisces, Gemini, or Sagittarius. The existence of those traits is not only present in those astrological signs and are so broad that it is easy to "fit the box."

Is there a version of the zodiac signs in other cultures? Interestingly enough, the Western world is not the only one with superstitions concerning personality type. For example, did you know that in some Asian countries that personality is said to be related to blood type? Is there science behind that? Not quite; there is no known link for blood types and personalities either. In Japan and South Korea, blood type can be a big deal due to this belief, but it is about as impactful as being an office worker and a Virgo. In other words, how seriously people take your zodiac sign or blood type depends on your workplace environment and how much weight management and the other workers put into their personality type beliefs.

We know what you're thinking: "Is there any science behind how personalities are developed?" The answer is... kind of. Much like our understanding of how hormonal pathways work, the more we learn about human development and behavior the more we realize we don't know. Personalities and trying to understand how they work dates back well before our time to the origins of philosophy. Aristotle and Socrates were pondering why people are the way they are well before any of us were born and still could not quite get a grasp on what it is that makes us work the way that we do. Yes, to a certain extent we behave based on hormones, neurological signals, and genetics - but what makes some people more sociable than others? Why are twins raised in the same household observed to have different personalities? These are the questions that science is still exploring. The more you know!

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