Perhaps you have seen personality quizzes popping up all over the internet.  What are they all about?  Have you ever taken a crack at one of them?  Did it reveal anything to you?

I have taken personality assessments several times throughout my life and the results are always the same.  I am an ISTJ (Introverted, Sensory, Thinking, Judging) lovingly termed “The Organizer”.

So what does all this mean?  Why does it matter?  Here are 3 reasons you might want to take a personality assessment.

1.   Enhance your personal development

A popular personality type tool is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (my results were a result of this tool).  This tool is based on the research of the renowned psychologist Carl Jung.

One of the principles of Jung’s model is that each person has an innate urge to grow.  We must learn how we operate in order to do this.  By discovering how you operate, you are armed with the knowledge you need to more easily grow and happily achieve your potential.

For example, as mentioned before, I am an ISTJ.  A short description of my personality type is: “Responsible, organized, and objective.  Has the patience and follow-through to confirm that the plans are realized.  Love of precision and an ability to handle detail.  Loyal to their close associates.”  I thrive in routine.  I love structure.  My circle of friends is small.  With this knowledge I can easily assess opportunities that cross my path to see if they are a good fit for me.

In contrast an ENTP, described as “Restless, argumentative, creative, and cutting-edge.  Has a lot of energy and thrives on debating and challenging others.  Good at putting things together in innovative ways.”, is not going to grow in the same environment as I would.  Put this person in the “box” that I enjoy and they would have a hard time breathing.  Structure and routine are stifling to this individual.

2.   Avoid and resolve conflicts

Once you understand how you “tick”, and that others may “tick” differently you can easily see why differences arise at home or at work.

If I am a T (Thinking) and my spouse is an F (Feeling) personality type, conflict may arise from time to time.  I am going to be looking at the facts of a situation and my spouse will be more focused on how it makes him feel.  We will likely see things very differently.  Understanding this can prove helpful in dispelling disagreements if we choose to accept that we see things differently.  It doesn’t make either right or wrong.  It is 2 different perspectives and perhaps we can each learn from the other.  At the very least we can understand that we don’t “think” the same way and that’s ok.

3.   Feel comfortable in your own skin

Do you ever feel like you just don’t belong?  You are so different than everyone else?  Wonder why you don’t fit in?

Understanding your personality type can give great insight as to why that might be and why that might be a good thing!

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator is divided into 4 sections.  For each of these four sections you fall into one type or the other:

Extroverted (E) or Introverted (I)
Sensing (S) or iNtuitive (N)
Thinking (T) or Feeling (F)
Judging (J) or Perceiving (P)

If you are and ENFJ and everyone around you is an ISTP of course you are going to feel different!!  And that is wonderful!  Embrace your difference.  Now you know you aren’t weird or from outerspace, you just beat to a different drummer.  Some might say now you can “justify” your behavior.  I like to say now you have clarity for your path!

Understanding how you tick, what makes you feel like “you” can be so very freeing.  It relieves the stress of trying to “fit in”.  You already “fit in” and now you know how.

I am reminded of the lyrics of a song by Tick Pony “I feel more like me”.  These words resonate through my being every time I embrace my “weirdness” and give me a little “high”.  That is when I feel comfortable in my skin.

Now that you are interested in what your personality type is, take 5 minutes for a personality assessment.  I like this particular one because is it only 70 questions and it is much quicker to take than many of the other assessments I have found.  Here is the link: take the quiz

Now, passionately march to the beat of your own drummer with confidence!!

Carolyn

Carolyn Tyger is an Energy Intuitive & SimplyHealed™ Practitioner.