The Sims 2/Personality

Personality is what drives most sims. The complex structure of sims' personality affects so many things. This article looks at each personality and its effects on sims day-to-day lives.

Personality Basics
A sim's personality is defined in the sixth panel of Create-A-Sim. You have 25 points to mix and match in five personality types. Each personality type can have ten points added to it. Later, when you're playing the sim, you can see their personality in the simology panel. Knowing what personality affects can help you make decisions as to what you desire for your sims. At a glance personality affects. Personality is also shown in the sim's zodiac sign. Each sign comes with a pre-selected personality type. However, once you start to choose personality, the zodiac sign changes with the personality.
 * Neat/Sloppy
 * Outgoing/Shy
 * Active/Lazy
 * Playful/Serious
 * Nice/Grouchy
 * Autonomous Behaviour. This is the main element of what personality affects. The higher the personality score, the more often sims perform behaviours pertaining to their personality.
 * Social Interactions. Sims of different personalities perform different socials. Also, some interactions require personality requirements to be accepted.
 * Skills. Different personalities affect different skills by making them easier to learn. Because of this, personality also makes them suited to careers that rely on the personality-affected skill. In a maximised personality, skill building should take half the time.
 * Needs. Needs decay at different rates depending on personality.

Personality can be changed with the Encourage interaction. The stronger the personality is in the teacher, the easier it is to alter the learners personality. It's also easier if both sims have a good relationship and there's a large age gap.

Neat/Sloppy

 * Autonomous Behaviour. Neat sims will clean any object autonomously. As well, they gain fun from cleaning those objects. When cleaning these objects, high-neat sims will spawn bubbles from their hands. This means that the object is harder to dirty. Neat sims also clean objects before they get dirty. By contrast, sloppy sims make objects dirty. In fact, it becomes easier to make an object dirty when a sloppy sims been using it. Sloppy sims also eat dirty food and out of the trash. They also lose fun from cleaning and will complain if you tell them to clean. Finally, sloppy sims will gobble their food and fulfill their bladder need while using the cheap shower. In short, expect a messy house if sloppy sims live in it.
 * Social Interactions. Neat sims autonomously change diapers and groom sims. Sloppy sims autonomously gross out sims.
 * Skills. Neat sims gain cleaning quicker. Sloppy sims find it harder to gain cleaning skills. Sims with neat, because they gain cleaning quicker, are more suited to the Science and Medical careers.
 * Needs. Neat sims lose hygiene slower. Sloppy sims gain hygiene faster.

Outgoing/Shy

 * Autonomous Behaviour. Outgoing sims love socialising. Shy sims prefer not to. Outgoing sims, to name a few behaviour, may get into the hot tub, naked, can forget to put clothes on after using the hot tub, will usually lecture sims using the telescope during the day and may even fulfill bladder on a bush. Outgoing sims will talk enthusiastically about their interests as well. Shy sims, when starting some interactions, waste a lot of time before initiating those interactions. They will also flee the room if a fight is going on in it.
 * Social Interactions. Outgoing sims will brag a lot. They love to dance as well as nag. They're more likely to read to toddlers and shove other sims. Romantic socials, they'll do, include serenading, sweet talking and romantic hugs and kisses. Shy sims, that don't like socialising, don't have autonomous socials.
 * Skills. Outgoing sims gain charisma faster. Shy sims have no skill effects. The charisma gain suits outgoing sims to the athletic, business, military, politics and slacker career.
 * Needs. Outgoing sims need to socialise faster. Shy sims don't need to socialise as much so their social need doesn't go down as fast.

Active/Lazy

 * Autonomous Behaviour. Active sims gain the Run Here interaction letting them run anywhere. Active sims will perform activities towards the physical such as swinging, exercising and dancing. Lazy sims instead will watch T.V. They'll also autonomously stuff their face at the fridge.
 * Social Interactions. Active sims will attack enemies more often, make out, play more games such as tag and red hands and toss toddlers in the air. Lazy sims won't perform socials that require a lot of effort.
 * Skills. Active sims gain body quicker. Lazy sims don't have a skill gain. Active careers include the athletic, criminal, law enforcement and military careers.
 * Needs. Active sims need to satisfy hunger faster while lazy sims do not. As well lazy sims need to satisfy energy and comfort more often while active sims can go on longer.

Playful/Serious

 * Autonomous Behaviour. Playful sims gain the Skip Here interaction and love to play games and do activites. Serious sims prefer quieter activities such as chess and reading.
 * Social Interactions. Playful sims give backrubs, play more games, will joke more often, do the goose interaction, will give noogies and generally have lots of fun. Serious sims prefer to read to their kids.
 * Skills. Playful sims gain creativity faster. Serious sims gain logic faster. Logic careers are business, culinary, law enforcement, medical, politics and science. Creative careers are the business, criminal, culinary, politics and slacker careers. Interestingly the culinary career can only have one skill boost as the cooking skill doesn't have a boost and the other two have contrasting personalities.

Nice/Grouchy

 * Autonomous Behaviour. Nice sims will act kindly towards other sims. Grouchy sims, on the other hand, will taunt people playing games, will steal your garden gnome and will kick over the trashcan on other lots.
 * Social Interactions. Grouchy sims will irritate and fight with other sims. They're also more likely to gossip and tease other sims. Nice sims instead prefer more gentler interactions such as family kisses, and snuggling their children. As well, they will autonomously apologise and console sims with bad memories.
 * Skills. This is the only personality that has no skill gain.
 * Needs. The Nice/Grouchy personality has no need effects.