What is 'personality type'?
Personality type is about understanding some of the things that make us different from each other. In this system, there is no right or wrong type, just a way of describing some of the key differences in how we interact with the world and make decisions. Nor does it describe everything about you, for many things make up who you are. But it does give a logical framework for understanding why everyone else doesn't see the world the way you do.
The personality type theory discussed here is based on the work of Carl Jung, and has been expanded and clarified through the Myers-Briggs system. There are several typing systems around, and many of them are based on the Jungian model, though Myers-Briggs is one of the best known.
Personality type preferences are a bit like a preference to use one's right or left hand.
Some people naturally draw their energy from the outer world of action, people and things, which we call Extraversion. Other people draw their energy from the inner world of thoughts and feelings, known as Introversion.
Other differences revolve around what information we most easily notice - what their senses are telling them is right in front of them (Sensing), or what their hunches tell them about implications (iNtuition).
We make decisions differently, too. Some start with objective criteria (Thinking), others start with what matters to them (Feeling) - although most of us use a combination of both at different times.
Finally there are the natural differences in lifestyle preference. Some of us need to plan our lives (Judging) and are more comfortable when we know what is happening. Others of us need space for spontenaity and flexibility (Perceiving) and are more comfortable with taking things as they come.
These preferences are expressed as letters. So a person with a preference for Extraversion, iNtuition, Feeling and Judging has a type of ENFJ. Some systems use descriptive words instead, but the meaning underneath is the same. (See Type resources for some books and places on the web if you want to understand more.)
How is this useful?
In some ways, type is
like a kind of map for understanding the ways that we differ. It doesn't tell
us everything, but what it does tell us can be very useful.
By understanding these differences we can improve our communication with other people, make sense of why they are as they are and be more relaxed with those differences. This can help improve our relationships.
It can help us to understand ourselves better, and learn to accept ourselves. "So that's why I'm like I am! And it's OK too!" This helps with our self confidence and ability to trust ourselves.
It can help us recognise our special strengths, enabling us to play to those strengths. At the same time we can see our weaknesses and what needs work for us to develop. These insights can be very useful for career exploration and life choices.
Clearly each of us have more to us than a personality type system will be able to encompass, just as there is more to any place than a map can show. But if we have the right map for where we are, it is a useful tool that can lead us into new discoveries.
Does our type change?
According
to the theory, our core personality is inborn - we are in some sense made
to be who we are, with preferred ways of perceiving and deciding and of
relating to the world, which are as natural to us as preferring to use
our right or left hand to write.
Just as an oak tree will never grow into a palm tree or maple, we retain the same underlying type throughout our lives, but it develops and matures as we go.
Our environment affects how we express our type, according to whether it supports or suppresses the natrual expression of who we are, in the same way that a tree in its natural environment may look different from the same type of tree growing in a pot.
Finding the right type
Doing a questionnaire, on its own, may not give you the right type - there is a 40 - 70% chance of getting all four letters correct, depending on a number of variables. If you choose a type description that doesn't quite fit, it will not feel right. Nor will it tell you much that is very useful - because it is effectively talking to someone else, not you.
So it is important to find out which type really fits you best (called a 'best fit type').. All questionnaires are indicative (showing the right direction to look) rather than definitive (that is, they are not guaranteed to be totally right first time). If you do any questionnaire, it is useful to find a qualified person to discuss the results with you. Alternatively you can study the theory and weigh things up yourself.
For some people discovering their best fit type is straightforward, for others it is more of a journey. In addition, the four preference dimensions are not simply additive, although some of the simpler descriptions make it appear like that. Delving a bit deeper into the theory may help to clarify things, for some people. And for a few people, this system may not be at all useful.
Type resources will point you towards some books and web sites that can help you with your exploration, or contact me to discuss possibilities for working together.
© 2007 Christine Rigden