Personality tests

[woodsgnome]

One caveat to the personality tests that I think worth mentioning is the tendency to consider the findings as if they're a permanent label. They do show tendencies; starting points more than destiny.

Most of the descriptions include positive/negative aspects of each category. Therein lies the rub--I remember nodding in agreement to the 'good' stuff, but freaking out at what was suggested along the downside. In other words, my inner critic had a field day encouraging my self-hate.

In a similar vein, these are reminiscent of what Pete Walker suggests in his 4f descriptions (fight/flight/freeze/fawn) regarding cptsd types. There tends to be a predominant pattern (mine is freeze) that might seem obvious, but some aspects of all 4 bleed into each other at times. Nonetheless, it seems wise to learn what the dominant factors are and go from there. As Walker also points out, recovering from cptsd can be a lifelong project.

[DecimalRocket]

You're right, w.g. Personality tests aren't horoscopes after all, and the best users of them just use it as a guide.

I haven't really mentioned my strong use of personality typing before since I dropped it already. It wasn't that it wasn't useful. It was more that I've gained the full understanding of myself I could have gotten from it, and so I put more of an effort to understand myself as an individual.

These tests measure tendencies of major motivations, how we make decisions, and what information we're more attracted to learn about. But it doesn't talk about how all those are maifested in specfic interests/hobbies, childhood backgrounds, relationships with different people, career, cultural influence, personal/political/religious beliefs, generation, mental disorders, disabilities and so much more.

I found a sense of belonging in finding people similar to me, but I found I wanted to fit in with them too much. Follow stereotypes. But I wanted to grow from that and develop things I didn't have a natural tendency for. In the end, even those within a type who share similarities are widely different in some way or another.

It's true Rainagan. The most intense personality typing is complicated because people are complicated. While I respect your choice whether to explore it further or not, it was a worthy guideline that allowed me to view myself in its complexity. It was a field that respected how complex we are, whether how surprising it is in how we're the same and how we differ.

[Rainagain]

Here's a personality quirk.

I've always had an enquiring mind but never felt the need to become expert in anything, its always been 80/20 with me, if I understand 80% of a thing my curiosity is satisfied and something else attracts my attention.

Maybe that's what has happened with personality types, I have the gist of it now, full understanding would require a lot more effort.

In work I would push for at least 100% knowledge, I would also improve things and push for new approaches etc., for myself a working knowledge is enough somehow.

I need a reason to go the extra distance and its not something I have within.

Just thought I'd over share that......

[DecimalRocket]

I'm glad you made your own decision.