I've got personality!

There are so many different personality tests on the web. They vary in validity, accuracy, and as I noticed, cost. Some tests are meant to market their product to a large group and happen to have a free version online to sample. Others are meant exclusively for fun. I remember a site years ago, which does not seem to be up anymore, that had personality tests aimed at determining when you would die, how strong your mafia connections were, or how promiscuous you were. The questions were so absurd that they could only be for entertainment (apparently my penmanship was too nice to qualify me for strong mafia ties), but they still said something about your personality at the end. On this site, the end result may have been how much you missed the point by, as the “IQ test” was only based on how many times you answered the same questions over and over again before you finally quit. For the purpose of this activity, I settled on two tests that came up on Google under a search for “personality tests.” They were both modified versions of the original and were entertaining.

The first test I chose to take is a modified version of the Meyers-Briggs Personality Test, which was listed as the Jung Typology test (http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes3.asp). I remember taking this test for the first time back in 1995, and at that time, I was rated an ENFP, which was extroverted/intuitive/feeling/perceiving. I felt at the time that this assessment was correct, and still feel as though I am today. However, in taking this shorter version today (68 questions), my results changed from extroverted to introverted. Therefore, I am now INFP. I figured I would reach this result, as many of the questions dealing with wanting to find quiet time and finding solace in my personal space were answered affirmatively. In the 15 years since I first took the Meyers-Briggs, I have become more withdrawn and quiet, valuing my personal space and down time. I don’t consider this to be a bad thing; rather, I find it to be a sign of maturity. When I first took the test, I was fresh out of high school, in my first semester in a community college, and was still bouncing off the walls. I was working at Disneyland, where the social scene is just as big a part of the job as the job assignment itself. I often socialized with my coworkers after work, and some of them are still my best friends today. I am no longer in such a social job, so I don’t have as many opportunities to go out and enjoy time with my co-workers. Even if I did, I think the scene would be different because we are all older. We do not have the same goals that we did when we were in our twenties. We now have families and responsibilities. Considering all of this, it makes sense that my rating of extroversion changed to introversion. However, when it comes time to go out and have a good time, I am still very much the extrovert.

The second test I took was the Kiersey Temperament Sorter, found at http://www.kiersey.com. This site bills their test as the “world’s leading assessment for individuals, teams, and organizations.” This is the kind of test, in its complete form, would be given to companies for employee evaluations. I again took a modified version of the test and got some results for free, but would have received more complete results if I purchased them, which I chose not to do. According to the Kiersey test, my personality type is the Idealist, meaning I am passionately committed to personal growth and development. I enjoy working with others, helping them find and fulfill their potential. I dream of a world of harmony, and have a gift for helping people solve their problems through friendly means, avoiding conflict whenever possible. I am an incurable romantic, but I see things more as they are than as I want them to be. I am an ethical person and hold myself to a strict standard of integrity. I seek and take comfort in warm, sensitive relationships and find “soul mates” rather than just acquaintances. In the workplace (this is a test for employees, after all), I am comfortable taking on a leadership role and seek opportunities to turn “what is” into “what can be.”

I find this personality assessment to be much more in line with my personality, but I also feel it does not cover as much of my personality. Instead, it focuses on the emotional part of me rather than the intellectual. (I might know more if I paid for a set of results.) I do constantly look for the good in others and try to turn “what is” into “what might be.” I am a very selfless person, looking for ways to make others happy without expecting something in return other than gratitude. I usually don’t enjoy celebrating myself, and have found discomfort in others celebrating me. I also agree with the work assessment, especially in my most recent job. I was left to fend for myself without much management oversight for most of my time there, and I relished in the opportunities to improve on the place and to make my team happy. Unfortunately, lack of oversight meant lack of appreciation for just how much I did there, and I was let go after a year and a half. This is one of those times where taking some notice in me would have been appreciated, though I don’t dwell on it.

One thing I did find particularly funny is that this personality assessment happens to perfectly describe a character I am writing in my current novel. My main character is a hopeless romantic who is practical and realistic to a fault. She wants to take a leap of faith but does not want to take it at the expense of those around her. I think this personality assessment will help me to continue to develop her as well.

Between these two tests, I thought the Kiersey test made me feel like it “got me” more than the Meyers-Briggs test did. Because this test is meant for employees, I would feel good about a test like this going to a prospective employer or boss. I think this test speaks to my desires to grow a successful team, to make things happen, and to make sure the team is as harmonious as can be. I am a leader, and being a leader does not mean forgetting about the people you choose to lead. I think that is a very important quality I have worked hard to understand. The Meyers-Briggs seems to be formulated to understand different dimensions of your personality, and for that, I appreciate its accuracy. However, I think it can backfire if is taken out of context. The opposite of Perceiving in that test is Judging, and a judgmental quality can be looked at as something to avoid. If I am considered introverted, will I not fit in to a hectic workplace where things are constantly moving and people need to keep up with the vivid personalities?

Ultimately, I don’t believe any personality test will ever truly “get” me, but I think the various tests will do well to understand certain parts of me. According to Funder, One Big Theory (OBT) is likely to be wrong because it attempts to include everything and therefore does not work to understand one single aspect well enough. The same can be said for personality tests. The Kiersey test was aimed at determining what kind of employee I would be. The Meyers-Briggs is aimed at looking at personality as a whole. The Meyers-Briggs may be one of the closest to truly knowing as much of one person as possible in a test.