"Personality," writes Mary Baker Eddy in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 491), "is not the individuality of man. A wicked man may have an attractive personality." This distinction between material personality and spiritual individuality is found to be essential to truly Christian living as well as to healing.
Individuality, according to Christian Science, relates to spiritual identity. It is a prime quality of God and is infinitely expressed in each of His complete ideas, called man. When understood and applied humanly, it shows forth, not in sensuality, aggressiveness, egotism, or a talent to excite envious attention; rather it is expressed in selflessness, inspiration, intelligence, kindness, joy, beauty, and humility and invites genuine respect and love.
The word "personality" is also used in Mrs. Eddy's writings in reference to God and to His reflection and, when so understood and applied, it is an utterly good and beautiful term. However, Mrs. Eddy more frequently uses the word, and it is so commonly used, in reference to corporeality, to mere physical distinctions, sometimes good, sometimes bad. The corporeal sense of personality is a perversion of the spiritual.
