University of Dayton - MyLife

A good procrastination tool if you're interested!

Have you ever taken a Myers-Briggs personality test? If not, I suggest doing so...it's a simple test that helps you learn SO much about yourself. Even though I've taken the test a few times before, I like to take it again every so often to see if my personality has changed at all. And anyone that has known me for a few years can probably tell that my personality has changed a bit since then. Typically, personality tests are not meant to change an extreme amount during your life, but there are definitely changes that occur as you grow and experience new things. Originally when I took this test (before freshman year of college), I was an ESTJ. That may not mean much to those who aren't familiar with this scale, but basically this personality type is described as the "average white male."

I laughed when I heard that description, but there's much more to it than that. Basically, I am an extroverted person, I use my senses to find information, I value logic and reason more than feelings and emotions, and I am organized and the type who likes to plan things. Why this is the typical white male I have no idea.

Anyway, so those were my results freshman year. There are also different percentages of how much you are for each category. The opposite of E is I (for introverted), the opposite of S is N (for intuition), the opposite of T is F (for feeling), and the opposite of J is P (for perception). Since it has been almost three years since I first took this test, I took it the other day with my roommates to see what it said I was. Surprisingly, it gave me the result that I am an ENFJ. The S and T both changed to N and F! It's not as drastic a change as it may sound though, because my percentages of both of those were fairly small. The funny part about the test is how much more my extroversion and judging (planning, organizing, etc) traits increased. Somehow I managed to score 100% on extroversion, and 77% on judging...neither of which were that high when I first took the test. So it's very interesting to see how I've changed...and from there I like to try and determine what experiences shaped those changes in me. Obviously college is a big change in someone's life, so some personality traits are expected to shift a bit, but I still find it surprising that I've become more extroverted and more organized since I started college.

Anyway, the Myers-Briggs tests have been the talk of our house the past few days. It's fun to find out what "letters" your friends are because it helps you understand them better and even understand the way in which your friendship works. Plus, knowing your own letters gives you a way to make excuses for yourself when something happens. For example, if my roommates get annoyed with the fact that I'm a clean freak, that I can't live without to-do lists, or that I enjoy being around people ALL the time, I just blame it on the fact that I'm an E and a J! Being that I'm a psychology major, I really enjoy this type of stuff, so I apologize if this has become a bit boring. On that note, I'll end here so you can go ahead and take test for yourself. There are many different versions out there, but I suggest "googling" Myers-Briggs and see what you find!

Apr 23, 2008 4:41 PM Permalink