Personality

Ever taken a personality test? My adult children are very interested, maybe obsessed, with figuring out their personality type and the meanings of the tests. So, for the umpteenth time I took a personality test online the other day at https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test. I have taken these in management classes, in psychology classes, and just for fun with almost always the same result – I think INFJ was my common result. I was surprised to find that not only had my “personality” changed (https://www.16personalities.com/isfp-personality), but that the results came out with the title “Everyone is an Artist but not everyone knows it”, and the description was spot on, like they knew me!

So now I have everyone at work taking it and it’s really fun to see people start thinking about how their personality is, how different personalities interact, and how some are more compatible than others.

I think in the past I was always striving to give the “right” answers rather than the “true” answers. Now that I’m older, have had two children, have gone through many years of marriage (32!) and have watched my child struggle with mental illness, watched my mom struggle with poor health and aging, and all the other things the Lord has walked with me through, it makes sense that my answers would change. Watching suffering makes you more empathetic. Watching processes, daily struggles, and allowing those experiences to shape you changes your perspective.

I encourage you to go online and take the test. The results may stimulate your self-awareness, explain what others see in you, or help you grow. One of the employees I totally did not expect to take the test – truthfully I took it as if I was him today and ended up with the exact description of him. But when he later took it himself it was totally different than the result he got. So is it his self-perception or my observation of him that is off? I know he should know himself better than I do, but don’t we see ourselves and others so differently? His answers would indicate he is an entrepreneur! That would be awesome. How much of our lives is a result of choices we made that went against our “personality”.

When I was in high school I took the SAT, like most people, and you know when the guidance counselors “guide” you based on those results, I was always told I would be an accountant. I even started out studying accounting because it was what I was “supposed” to do- it came easily, I was good at it, but I certainly am not an accountant (thank goodness!!). My son-in-law became a lawyer – graduated- discovered he hated the idea of being a lawyer. He would, in fact, be miserable as a lawyer! He is sweet and kind and soft-hearted! Now he is a dentist! What if he would have just decided to pursue the legal field? He would not be able to be a lawyer! He is from Brazil… how would he possibly practice law in America? But, he can be a dentist, and he will be a wonderful, caring, compassionate dentist once he gets through the immigration nightmare (total other topic).

So much of life is wasted not knowing who we really are. Or maybe not wasted. Because how do you learn who you really are until you have gone through the battles, struggles, and failures? These indeed shape your personality. We may stay introverted or extroverted – I am pretty sure that isn’t a usual change, but our intuition, sensing, individual-ness comes through life experience – having children or losing them, walking through storms with others, and all the crazy stuff life throws at us.

Get to know yourself! Get to know your spouse and children in a whole new way! Take a personality test and comment here to let me know if the results surprised you, enlightened you, or motivated you in any way!

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