When people do what we would identify with as "normal" we have no have no reason at all to question their behavior. Doing "normal" things like arriving to work on time, going out on dates with their girlfriends, spending time with their children, and going to concerts to have a good time does not require you to have a personality theory. What I am saying is that you do not need a theory of personality to explain why people do what it is that you would expect them to do. However, when a person ceases to act what we would identify with as "normal," then a personalty theory would prove to be quite handy.

Which approach to a person's personality offers the best explanations? It is quite sad to say, but none of them provide the whole truth. All perspectives, including the cognitive, humanistic, and the psycho-dynamic will aid you in understanding personalities from a different perspective, which means you will need to utilize each of them.

Imagine you are a counselor, you are working at a college counseling a young woman who informs you that she is currently contemplating suicide. Let's explore a few ways that your understanding of personality could help you to understand her.

From the humanistic point of view, you would be inclined to explore all of her needs that may have been unmet. Such feelings as loneliness, or low self esteem could be a good place to start. From the humanistic point of view you would also feel the need to explore the possibility of the person feeling unloved.

The cognitive perspective emphasizes perception and social learning would first suggest that her suicidal thoughts may be closely linked to a suicidal family member or role model in the girls life. It also might suggest that it was caused by a major life threatening event.

From the psycho-dynamic point of view of things, you would most likely first consider your clients internal motivation. Whether or not she is a hostile person, or if she is still dealing with problems from her childhood like anger towards one of her family members would be the first place to start.

Ultimately, there can be no one sure fire answer to understanding what motivates a person's unusual actions. However the advantages of understanding personalities will definitely help you a lot.