How do you pick your sims' traits?

I either start with a story in mind - vagabond artist, shipwrecked, homeless teen - and build the sims to fit the story giving them traits to help/hinder as I see it. Or I decide I want to play a specific type of sim (usually based on someone I know) and put those traits together to see how it goes. Either way, I am in tight control. No randomness in my life. :p

for my sim i personally play i like to pick them depending on the backstory i create for her

the rest i just click randomize and roll with it :D

I had to think about this, but usually I have some sort of life goal planned for my sims and I'll pick traits based around that. But I nearly always give one “negative” trait, and I say that tentatively because I love the negative traits! They add that little extra something to each individual character ;) it keeps the game interesting!

I don't really...Know what I do...Anymore? It's been since early this year I've played sims to the point I had to choose traits for newborn sims, longer ago perhaps (I have a very good memory, I swear, but It's just a while ago I've actively played sims)

But, in my 'attempts' to start playing again and make a new sim, I randomize a bit until there is something that fits with the look of the sim and doens't have terrible traits that do nothing or are just plain annoying. There are some traits that literally only give you some 'be enthousiast about x' interactions, and those are just stupid and spacewasting.

I have to admit though, that through time, when I get to 'know' a sim a little better, I often change traits when I see them better fitting for that particular sim.