Relevance. The continuing interest in the subjects of the pedagogical educational process and the transformation of their role in the conditions of digitalization of society leads to the need to study the historical development of pedagogical ideas of the potential of the individual. It is revealed taking into account the genesis of this concept and its interdisciplinarity from the standpoint of philosophical, psychological, acmeological sciences, as well as pedagogical marketing and information pedagogy. The article presents the results of a comparative historical review of the stages of personality research and its potential, which became the purpose of this study. The following methods contributed to the realization of the goal: abstract-logical, systematic and historiographical approaches. From the position of the indicated approaches, a person can replenish and preserve his potential, activate and expand it. The application of these methods allowed us to determine the main stages of studying the personality potential (philosophical, psychological, acmeological, marketing, information and value) and trends in changing scientific interest in its problems. The conclusion contains conclusions about the lack of a clear boundary between the stages and the unifying focus of scientific research – the primacy of personality and the value of its potential (it includes internal resources and the targeted orientation of their use), as well as the possibilities of its development. The degree and quality of realization of opportunities represent the stages of personal development.