At the risk of having someone on the playground accuse me of being a copycat, I thought it would be fun to reproduce here the results of an online test that I took in response to a post over at MusEditions. This is based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, a personality test that I love and have taken several times. The reason I like it so much is that it gave me a framework to begin to understand different personality types, how they differed from me and how they were the same. As an empath I’ve always been aware of how people are feeling, but I haven’t always had a strong sense of what they were thinking–why they do what they do, what motivates them, how they think. This was especially true when I was younger. So, when I learned about the MBTI I grabbed hold of it like a life-preserver in the high-sea of psychological and social patterns I often felt I was drowning in. I used it not so much for labelling people (which I did quietly in my own mind) but for learning about the different ways that people think, are motivated, solve problems, etc. It was eye-opening to say the least! Something as seemingly simple as understanding that there are more people in the world who think their way through problems than feel their way through was a profound insight for me at the time. Now, in mid-life I’m much more confident and much more adept at reading and understanding people at all levels, not just emotional. But, I still enjoy a good personality test and sharing them with others! 
) So, my profile follows. What are you?
You Are An INFP |
 The Idealist–You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world. Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships. It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close. But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards. You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings. At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist. How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual- When other people don’t get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak |
Hey, Joyful, it is indeed insightful to know about how different people relate to the world. I think we have a tendency to think others relate the way we do, because that’s all we know until shown otherwise.
Well, from one INFP to another, Happy Val. Day, and thanks for linking over!
Muse, you are so right about assuming that others relate to the world the same way we do! Even when we’re working hard to be aware of and sensitive to difference we can make unfortunate mistakes in relating to our fellows. Some stuff just seems to be so deeply hardwired that it never occurs to us to question it. A big part of my motivation in life is to root out those “hidden” assumptions and question them. The goal is to be totally conscious. I know I have a long way to go, but the journey is certainly entertaining!
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Hey, very cool. I’m an INFJ.