Saturday, July 16, 2011

What's your type?

Yesterday was hot.  I mean, almost unbearably hot, and since we didn't have our driver we decided to stay home and do as little as possible, so as not to sweat any more than absolutely necessary.  :)

Sitting inside like that led to some great discussions, one of which was nature vs. nurture and personality differences.  We decided to take a personality test.  Have you heard of Myers-Briggs?  It's a really good personality test.  We took the test here.

In one of my Child Development classes, we discussed the idea of Nature vs. Nurture in great detail.  Personalities are all different and while some aspects are learned, others are most definitely inborn.  Understanding them better helps us to better understand ourselves and in turn become better people.  It's easier to see our weaknesses and work to improve them.  It's also nice to see our strengths laid out in front of us.  I also think that understanding the different personalities of our children can make us much better and more effective parents.

I don't believe that taking a test like this is or should be used as an excuse for doing (or not doing) certain things.  Saying things like, "it's just how I am" or, "that's just my personality" is incredibly immature and irresponsible.  However, I do think that it can be beneficial to learn and understand more about your "personality type."

My Myers-Briggs personality type is INFP - the Dreamer.  A few descriptions of this type are here, here, and here.  It's actually really interesting - I feel like it fits me almost to a T.  However, I've definitely noticed other "learned characteristics" not on the list that have helped me overcome improve some of my weaknesses.  Some of the lists are fun because they list some famous people - real and fictional - with the same personality type.

Just a couple from my list are: Homer, Mary (mother of Jesus), Shakespeare, Neil Diamond, and the one that excited me most (from the fictional list)... Anne of Green Gables!  (ok, I am a little obsessed)

So, what's your personality type?

2 comments:

  1. My two oldest nephews (ages 19 and 21) are extremely obsessed with the Myers-Briggs personality type stuff, actually. They read this book that explains in detail all of the different personality types and as a result, they love to identify people's personality types in order to better understand them. It's kind of fun, but I always feel like I'm labeling people when I do that. Besides, it's not something I think about. The other day I was at institute with them when one of them asked me, "Did you notice how much of an 'S' our teacher was?" Why yes, that was my first thought.

    Anyway, I'm an ENFP. I like the way the ENFP profile described it: "ENFPs have a great deal of zany charm." It made me feel super awesome. Some people in my list are Robert Downey, Jr., Mark Twain, Sandra Bullock, and Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid.' So that's neat. I've always wanted to be a mermaid who has always wanted to be human.

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  2. I thought this was fun - I tested Ben and found out that he is an ENFJ. Then I found this - I guess we really are made for each other;)...

    Although two well-developed individuals of any type can enjoy a healthy relationship, ENFJ's natural partner is the INFP, ENFJ's dominant function of Extraverted Feeling is best matched with INFP whose dominant function is Introverted Feeling. An ENFJ and INFP are ideally matched, because they share the Intuitive way of looking at the world..

    General Relationship Weaknesses:

    ENFJ:
    Tendency to be smothering and over-protective
    Tendency to be controling and/or manipulative
    Don't pay enough attention to their own needs
    Tend to be critical of opinions and attitudes which don't match their own
    Sometimes unaware of social appropriateness or protocol
    Extremely sensitive to conflict, with a tendency to sweep things under the rug as an avoidance tactic
    Tendency to blame themselves when things go wrong, and not give themselves credit when things go right
    Their sharply defined value systems make them unbending in some areas
    They may be so attuned to what is socially accepted or expected that they're unable to assess whether something is "right" or "wrong" outside of what their social circle expects.

    INFP:
    May tend to be shy and reserved
    Don't like to have their "space" invaded
    Extreme dislike of conflict
    Extreme dislike of criticism
    Strong need to receive praise and positive affirmation
    May react very emotionally to stressful situations
    Have difficulty leaving a bad relationship
    Have difficulty scolding or punishing others
    Tend to be reserved about expressing their feelings
    Perfectionistic tendancies may cause them to not give themselves enough credit
    Tendency to blame themselves for problems, and hold everything on their own shoulders

    General Relationship Strenghts:

    ENFJ:
    Good verbal communication skills
    Very perceptive about people's thoughts and motives
    Motivational, inspirational; bring out the best in others
    Warmly affectionate and affirming
    Fun to be with - lively sense of humor, dramatic, energetic, optimistic
    Good money skills
    Able to "move on" after a love relationship has failed (although they blame themselves)
    Loyal and committed - they want lifelong relationships
    Strive for "win-win" situations
    Driven to meet other's needs

    INFP:
    Warmly concerned and caring towards others
    Sensitive and perceptive about what others are feeling
    Loyal and committed - they want lifelong relationships
    Deep capacity for love and caring
    Driven to meet other's needs
    Strive for "win-win" situations
    Nurturing, supportive and encouraging
    Likely to recognize and appreciate other's need for space
    Able to express themselves well
    Flexible and diverse

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