Our personality - a result of our history and experiences
In the opening of my last post I mentioned that everybody is different. Yes there are various personality types, so as usual, my next step was to do research on the subject. I am working in the corporate sector for quite some time, and were asked to complete a personality test on many occasions .
There are a variety of tests to choose from - typically the Myers Briggs (MBTI) type tests. Please understand that I am definitely not an expert on the subject, - I only find the subject interesting. My personal opinion is that we are a result of our own history. Everything that happens in our lives has an impact on our personalities.
Does our personality change through our lifes?
So I was wondering if our personality type changes during our life as a result of our various experiences . I took the Myers Briggs test back in 2007 and my result was an ENFP - Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling and Perceiving. In my personal opinion, the most difficult of character trades to change is the Extrovert becoming an Introvert and vice-versa.
Various Personalities
There are various personalities in our world. Apparently all of us can fit into one of only sixteen categories.
As part of my research, I was looking for a free online personality test. I decided to take the test again, to satisfy my curiosity - That is now to see if if my personality type have changed over the past few years? So let's do the test ... I am now busy taking the test :)
And we have the results
I just finished the online test... I have changed, but not much!. I am now ENTP - Extrovert, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving
Background on my life
When I took the test the first time in 2007, I did not have much experience in the corporate world. I travelled most of Europe between 1998 and 2005. At this point I was a software developer in the Defence Industry, and although I was working in a corporate environment I was more the "Wearing Sandals and T-shirt type", so I did not take much notice of the politics in the corporate world.
I entered the Management realm at the end of 2005 and by 2007 I have not really experienced the real "political games" in the corporate world. Now nearly 10 years later it is sad to say that I have learned how navigate the corporate world and how to move up the ranks. What a terrible thought! If I think about the change in my personality, sadly I think this definitely might have something to do with it!
Thinking even more about it … I hate it! It's time for a change!
I want to give credit to the website where I took the test 16 Personalities . This is a wonderful site, with a breakdown of each of the abovementioned personality types. Please take time and visit the site. I actually have a challenge to all the Steemit users and readers of my post, take the Test Here - It's free
Post a comment on your results if you feel comfortable to do so.
For me, well, I need to go now as it it is time to find a debate somewhere !
If you enjoy my posts and topics I write, please follow me on my blog @jacor
Nice! I'm more an INTP, I think, but haven't taken the test in a while.
I was working on an article about Myer Briggs, but I'll scrap that now.
@liberosist . do yorself a favour and take the test using the link provided in my post. They provide you with a lot of valuable information on your specific personilty type . Chat soon!
I did! Got a INTJ-A. Pretty sure I'm INTP on a more thorough physical test though. But close enough!
Reading through the details, there are some hits, some misses. 16 types is just a broad outline, some of us are much more varied beyond the 16.
I agree with you. I don't believe we can be catgorised in specific categories and that it will be spot on. It might be a guideline but that's about it!
Ps: I wonder what the marketing guys from the 16 Personality Types website is oing to think about all the hits over the weekend :) Probably that there latest marketing campaign campaign paid off :)
I got an ENTJ, although to be honest I feel like an ADIL :)
Thanks for posting this!
It depends on how high you measure on one of the characters. If you have tested a J but feels you are a P, it might be that you are very near the middle. Circumstance can then determine which one of the two you fall in with the testing. To be in the middle is a good thing as you get qualities from both.
I suppose that's true. I do think I'm in a middle of some of these variables.
Please continue with your article on Myers and Briggs. There are still a lot to say which is not said in this article.
@liberosist , please continue with your article on Myer Briggs! You can even reference to this post ... Remember I am just interested in the topic and definlty not a specialist.
Thanks for the test, I enjoyed it!
I am an INTJ - sometimes it is a curse other times it is a blessing.
What I have noticed and I also see it in the responses that it is usually the initiative (N) personalities who tend to find this type of information interesting. Jung (on whose theory Myers and Briggs based their work) was also an INTJ/P. He was a very strong N.
Thanks jacor for the interesting post.
Very interesting, thanks @krabgat . I find this very interesting. Especially that your personality changing slightly over time. I guess life experience has a lot to do with it.
There are two types of analysis you can do. The one is this personality model (as describe in this article), and the other is a behavioral model. The behavioral usually exist out of four components namely Sanguine, Choleric, Melancholic, and Phlegmatic. Plato identifies these. Behavioral analysis has a lot to do with your experience. I saw in myself how it changed when my circumstances changed. The personality test you describe here has more to do with your genes. Yes, it can change over time, but not as radically as the behavioral test.
I had thought about something similar. Personality is the sum total of your experiences since childhood. A person is like a block of stone when he is born. And as he grows, he is shaped into a particular personality type just as an artist carves a statue out of a block of stone by chiseling. The chisel being the experiences and the artist being life itself! Cheers :)
Lovely comment. Thank you @sauravrungta ... Fully agree!
I took the test btw, and I got "The advocate". It says in the personality test that less than 1% of world's population falls under this category. Kinda makes me feel special :) hehe thank you for introducing me to this site.
Amazing, my wife took the test and is also "The Advocate" . Now I know 2 people out of the 1% of the world!!! Thank you for you comments.
:)
MBTI is one of my favorite subjects in Psychology, and led me to the mysteries of Jungian psychology.
ENTP is what I consistently type as. I've been involved in the MBTI community on Facebook for the last several years, and found that the depth of MBTI has hard to cover, since each type has their own unique depths.
One of my favorite dynamics about MBTI, is that it manages to classify people AND find roles which those classifications will have the most utility and purpose. I'm not naive enough to believe every person can be stuffed into a little box, but I do recognize that certain cognitive thought patterns are better suited for certain activities than others.
I would imagine that Steemit will be loaded with personalities which have Independence and Freedom as core values. I think the next wave of Steemit community members will be more oriented towards community building, since that is just the natural next step in the development of systems where Humans are involved.
Thanks for the reply @shneakysquirrel . It seems that you have done some more indepth study of the subject . We definitely need to talk some more as I am fascinated by the subject. Just followed you by the way! Chat soon.
Not only new members. Maybe all that want a community and not a money race. Money for the sake of money is just a trap. A not so complex one.
U are right :)
@lukeec , do yourself a favour and take the test :)
Okay I will
great post :)
@dragonslayer109 , thanks for the comment. Go take the test - it is very insghtful...
Great. Thank you for information :)
Brilliant like allways!
@ elyaque , Thank you very much for you comment. Means a lot actually, as I love the platform, and always hope that I write about something people would enjoy!
its good to know ourselves, thanks for your post