One of the most worthwhile things you can do, to live a deeply fulfilling and satisfying life is to “know thyself” as the Greek philosopher, Socrates said. What exactly does this mean and how do you do it? There are many different tools out there to help you do this but one of the easiest and most fun is by working out your basic personality type using the Myers Briggs instrument.
What Is Your Personality Type? By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Kristen_Claire_Jones]Kristen Claire Jones
One of the most worthwhile things you can do, to live a deeply fulfilling and satisfying life is to “know thyself” as the Greek philosopher, Socrates said. What exactly does this mean and how do you do it? There are many different tools out there to help you do this but one of the easiest and most fun is by working out your basic personality type using the Myers Briggs instrument. The test is based on the work of Carl Jung and was later refined during the Second World War. Since then, it has become one of the foremost personality tests helping people work out who they are and what work best suits their natural temperament. We all have special gifts. Sometimes it’s just hard to uncover and see them for ourselves. Once you understand your basic “type” of which there are sixteen, it becomes easier to recognise your own strengths and weaknesses. So, why bother understanding these? One good reason is that you will bring into your conscious mind those parts of yourself, that you know aren’t great or well developed. It’s really about learning to love and accept yourself. Once you’ve done this, life seems to become so much easier because you are not fighting the elephant in the room or forcing yourself to live a life or lifestyle not suited to you. It also helps you to see more clearly your personal strengths and how to play to them and live a life that uses and compliments them. In other words, it’s another tool for living your most authentic life! So, let’s have a look at the framework of the test. There are four basic aspects to the human personality
1. How we interact with the world. 2. Where we direct our energy. 3. The kind of information we naturally notice. 4. How we make decisions and whether we prefer a more structured way of life or a more spontaneous way.
Some people call these four aspects “dimensions” because each one can be pictured as a continuum or line between two extremes like this.
(E) Extroversion——-+—–Introversion (I) (S) Sensing————+— -Intuition (N) (T) Thinking———–+—–Feeling (F) (J) Judging————+—-Perceiving (P)
When you do the test, you will end up with four letters in a particular sequence which will give you the basic scaffold of your “type” You will either be an E or an I, an S or an N, a T or an F and a J or a P. I’m going to explain what those words/letters mean because it’s slightly different from normal usage.
1. The I/E dimension The first continuum is that of extraversion and introversion. These words are often loaded with positive and negative connotations which are not helpful. One is not better than the other, just different. Extroverts are outward turning, they get their energy from spending time with people. They are action oriented and seek breadth of knowledge. They tend to act, then reflect, then act further. If they are inactive or spend too much time alone, their motivation tends to decline. Some E types who test as extroverts have an introverted need for time alone for reflection. These people tend to sit very close to the middle of the continuum but if they sit on the E side, they will still obtain their energy in this way. In contrast, introverts obtain their energy from “inside” of themselves and from time spent alone. Their flow is directed inward toward concepts and ideas. They are thought not action oriented. They seek depth and not breadth of knowledge and influence. Extraverts prefer frequent interaction. Introverts prefer substantial interaction. Introverts reflect then act then reflect again in the opposite sequence to extraverts. Think of an extravert as a mountain. If you look closely, you can see the whole thing. In contrast an introvert is like an iceberg, the biggest part of it is submerged beyond your vision.
2. Sensing/Intuition Sensing/Intuition skills are the information gathering functions. They describe how new information is understood and interpreted. Those closer to the sensor end, trust the information their 5 senses understand. They like and trust facts that are certain and concrete. They take on new ideas only if they have some kind of practical application. They value realism and common sense. They like to use and hone well established skills. They respond best to information presented in a logical step by step manner. Those closer to the intuitive end, trust inspiration and inference and understand abstract and theoretical concepts. They like new ideas and concepts just for their own sake. They value imagination and innovation. They like to learn new skills and get bored easily once they’ve mastered skills. They trust their own flashes of insight and look for meaning in how new information fits various patterns or theories. It should be becoming clear that people really do take in and understand information in very different ways. You can probably think of different friends or family members who fit one or other of these information gathering approaches.
3. Thinking/Feeling The thinking/feeling dimension is the way we make decisions and come to conclusions. Here “thinking” means making decisions impersonally or logically, based on facts. “Feeling” here isn’t referring to making decisions based on emotions. Rather it means basing decisions on things that are important or of value to the person as an individual. Remember, people who prefer thinking are not better thinkers and people who prefer feeling are not better at dealing with their emotions. The issue is about “how” we reach decisions and the criteria we look at. The thinker uses a more detached objective approach and the feeler looks at the things that matter to him or her when making the decision.
4. Judging/Perceiving This concerns whether we prefer to live in a more structured way or a more spontaneous way. People with a preference for judging are not more judgmental. Rather they prefer to live in a more orderly way and are happiest when their lives are structured and matters are settled. They like to make decisions and are very good at getting things done and completing things. People with a preference for “perceiving” like to live spontaneously and are happiest when their lives are flexible. They like to stay open to many options and seek to understand their life rather than control it. Obviously most of us fall somewhere in between these two extremes as with all the dimensions. Everyone uses both judging and perceiving in daily life but each person will have a natural preference.
So, this is a brief overview of the Myers Briggs instrument. There is a lot more to learn if you are interested. Not only can it help you understand your own temperament better, but a basic understanding can also help you understand what other people’s dominant functions are and how to recognise when they are using them. Many of the upsets and misunderstandings between people in life boils down to a failure to understand how someone else perceives a situation and what their default reaction patterns are, based on their dominant function. It’s a fascinating insight into our many differences and the best ways we can resolve them.
Kristen Claire Jones
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?What-Is-Your-Personality-Type?&id=6570150] What Is Your Personality Type?
