Over-generalizations that only once in a while offer something constructive
I took the BBC's personality type quiz earlier this week. Like all of these quizzes, the methodology is predictable. I knew what they were going to say about me even as I was answering the questions. It was very similar to a Myer's-Briggs personality test. I remember first trying that test some six years ago. I have taken lots of tests and done lots of reflecting since that time, even dabbled in understanding the Zodiac a little. One of the difficulties that occurs when we take these tests is that they generally over simplify the complexity of human experience. I might be an rational thinker, but I'm not only a person that looks at logic. I think to a large extent, the beauty of life is that we can grow in all areas of thinking and personality.
I might have greater experience in artistic expression, but that doesn't mean I can't also cultivate people skills. As I reviewed the different personality types listed at the end of BBC quiz, I could recognize different aspects of my behavior in about half of them. Sometimes spontaneous, other times rigidly structured and traditional, sometimes self-caged in my own world, sometimes the arrogant blabber-mouth of the party, I didn't know what value the attribution of personality types offered. Each personality type is made up of four traits: either the INTJ's and ESFP's of one system, or the spontaneous/planner, ideas/facts, heart/head, extro-/introvert of the BBC's system. Since I knew I could take on any of these traits in any number of combinations with the other traits, grouping them into personality types seemed to loose all value.
Today, as I was thinking about the work I enjoy doing and the work I like doing, I struck upon something as I was contemplating a return to real estate management: while I am an ideas-guy, I am very much a provider. I like fulfilling needs. I like making sure that the needs of a system are met. While I might be a great addition to a PR firm, a place that looks for lots of ideas, I need the reassurance of working someplace where I can constantly fill needs, needs I can anticipate and plan for. Working in publicity would allow me to come up with lots of great ideas, but whether or not these ideas fulfilled needs would always be in question. That is the nature of jobs in sales, marketing and media--abstract conglomerations sent off into the nebulous of popular culture only to return in who knows what form. I need the grounding of a product, of physical facilities.
Thinking back to the BBC personality types, however, I realized that of all of the options listed, I could really break my behaviors and tendencies down into two different types: provider and strategist. When I was being an extrovert it was because I was exercising love and I was using facts to plan. When I was being an introvert, it was because I was thinking through a lot of great ideas on spontaneous whims, free associations, random connections.
In thinking through what kind of jobs I wanted, the atmosphere and responsibilities I would hold, I felt very comfortable with taking on the role of provider, and that that was precisely the part of my personality that I wanted to nurture in my day to day job. On the other hand, the strategist in me, the ideas-guy, that is that part of my personality that likes to play and run, and goes well with recreational time and community building purposes. I really like both sides to my personality. I want to do something constructive and meaningful as both a strategist and as a provider. I guess the simple thing to do would be to provide as a strategist, but that doesn't work insomuch as one part functions with other people around and the other part functions when they are not--at least that is how it has been up to this point.
Fulfilling my need to be one and the other could play out in numerous ways. Right now, I am meeting my need to be social by working in retail sales. I am a strategist by trying to get a job. Overall, I am telling myself that I will one day be providing for people if I get all of this right. If I get work as a translator, I will spend time alone strategizing while also providing for clients and for myself. I will have to fulfill my need for productive person to person interaction in other ways. This only further proves the point that what makes a job is not the job itself but your awareness of how you make a match for it. And that is something you have to consciously strive for no matter what, whether before or after you get the job.
I might have greater experience in artistic expression, but that doesn't mean I can't also cultivate people skills. As I reviewed the different personality types listed at the end of BBC quiz, I could recognize different aspects of my behavior in about half of them. Sometimes spontaneous, other times rigidly structured and traditional, sometimes self-caged in my own world, sometimes the arrogant blabber-mouth of the party, I didn't know what value the attribution of personality types offered. Each personality type is made up of four traits: either the INTJ's and ESFP's of one system, or the spontaneous/planner, ideas/facts, heart/head, extro-/introvert of the BBC's system. Since I knew I could take on any of these traits in any number of combinations with the other traits, grouping them into personality types seemed to loose all value.
Today, as I was thinking about the work I enjoy doing and the work I like doing, I struck upon something as I was contemplating a return to real estate management: while I am an ideas-guy, I am very much a provider. I like fulfilling needs. I like making sure that the needs of a system are met. While I might be a great addition to a PR firm, a place that looks for lots of ideas, I need the reassurance of working someplace where I can constantly fill needs, needs I can anticipate and plan for. Working in publicity would allow me to come up with lots of great ideas, but whether or not these ideas fulfilled needs would always be in question. That is the nature of jobs in sales, marketing and media--abstract conglomerations sent off into the nebulous of popular culture only to return in who knows what form. I need the grounding of a product, of physical facilities.
Thinking back to the BBC personality types, however, I realized that of all of the options listed, I could really break my behaviors and tendencies down into two different types: provider and strategist. When I was being an extrovert it was because I was exercising love and I was using facts to plan. When I was being an introvert, it was because I was thinking through a lot of great ideas on spontaneous whims, free associations, random connections.
In thinking through what kind of jobs I wanted, the atmosphere and responsibilities I would hold, I felt very comfortable with taking on the role of provider, and that that was precisely the part of my personality that I wanted to nurture in my day to day job. On the other hand, the strategist in me, the ideas-guy, that is that part of my personality that likes to play and run, and goes well with recreational time and community building purposes. I really like both sides to my personality. I want to do something constructive and meaningful as both a strategist and as a provider. I guess the simple thing to do would be to provide as a strategist, but that doesn't work insomuch as one part functions with other people around and the other part functions when they are not--at least that is how it has been up to this point.
Fulfilling my need to be one and the other could play out in numerous ways. Right now, I am meeting my need to be social by working in retail sales. I am a strategist by trying to get a job. Overall, I am telling myself that I will one day be providing for people if I get all of this right. If I get work as a translator, I will spend time alone strategizing while also providing for clients and for myself. I will have to fulfill my need for productive person to person interaction in other ways. This only further proves the point that what makes a job is not the job itself but your awareness of how you make a match for it. And that is something you have to consciously strive for no matter what, whether before or after you get the job.
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