[@PrinceAlexus] A counterpoint, but saying a character sheet is a big investment also goes hand in hand that participating in an RP is a big investment. I feel more comfortable taking a chance on someone who put effort into their sheet instead of someone who half-assed it.

A good rule of thumb is check the GM's posting history prior to even signing up
 If they have run long-term RPs, they're worth taking a chance on. If the RP dies within a few weeks/ couple months, maybe give it a pass.

As I mentioned in my last post, I view character sheets as snapshots of a character at the [i]start[/i] of an RP and not a total representation of them for the duration. I expect characters to grow and evolve as the story progresses.

[@Karkinos] I tend to treat personality sections as fields for character quirks, habits, and other things that don't change easily that doesn't fit in the bio or appearance section. Stuff that just helps with character consistency and offering tells, such as they wring their hands when they're uncomfortable, or break eye contact when they're lying. It's a good place for fears and phobias, prejudices, and things of that nature. It can be useful for other players as a reference, such as catching your character in a lie or reacting accordingly to certain body language or attitudes.