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RELATE KNOW YOURSELF TO KNOW OTHERS
WRITER: ROBERT H. BLANCHETTE, ED.S.; M.ED.
In June, I introduced you to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a self-report inventory created during World War II to assess and determine 16 possible broad categories of personality types. In that issue, we discussed the significant role and influence of personality type as it relates to couple and family relationships.
Now, we’ll dig deeper into how a working knowledge of personality type helps us understand ourselves at a much deeper level. The fundamental principle behind the Myers-Briggs framework is to view and understand ourselves through the “lens” of our individual personality type. After understanding ourselves at a deeper level, we are in a better position to learn, appreciate and anticipate — as well as honor — differences in others.
People are very complex and have different personality types. Knowing yourself opens the door to understanding others and then, walking through the door, leads you to establish more successful relationships.
The Myers-Briggs framework addresses four personality types. Each is further broken down into two opposite preferences — one of which describes us better than the other.
• First, it assesses where you prefer to devote most of your attention and where you recharge your energy. This answers the question: “Are you introverted or extroverted?”
• Second, it asks how you prefer to take in information. This would determine whether you are more oriented to “sensing” (focusing on what is more tangible and real), or to “intuition” (looking at the relationships between things and creating patterns between them).
• Third, it assesses how you make decisions. Do you prefer “thinking” (looking at the pros and cons) or “feeling” (basing decisions on personal values)?
• Fourth, it asks how you organize and deal with the outside world. It questions you on your preferences in terms of “judging” (living in a planned and systematic manner) or “perceiving” (exercising flexibility and spontaneity in most situations).
When combined, these four areas provide a useful representation of your personality type.
People tend to more fully develop behaviors, skills, abilities and attitudes associated with four of the eight possible preferences assessed by the MBTI. However, though we might have a particular preference, our personality types are adaptable: When the situation and circumstances require flexibility, most of us are quite capable of operating out of our preferred comfort zone and engaging the opposite preference as needed.
Developing self-awareness of how individual personality type operates is important and matters because it impacts everything we think, say and do. It helps in accepting yourself and feeling good about who you are. Everyone does best when working with innate strengths. But we all can and do act outside our personality preferences.
In fact, knowing your personality type gives you the insights to address both areas of natural preferences and your blind spots — which tend to be associated with our opposite or “shadow” preferences.
Personality type is at the heart of good and bad relationships — both personally and professionally. It impacts group dynamics and helps form the culture of organizations. It is partially responsible for how we act in conflict, under stress and during times of change.
Aristotle was reported to have said: “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Knowing who you really are and what makes you tick will help to fortify your courage to stand by and act upon your convictions in times of personal challenge and turmoil, instead of responding like a “flag fluttering whichever way the wind is blowing.”
Personality type is not the answer to everything, but just one more tool to help you grow, achieve and prosper in your life.
More information: personalitypage.com.
