Spirit Matters: One of a kind

Hello. My name is Jerrilyn, and I am a personality junkie.

By “personality junkie,” I mean that I am overly interested in what makes people tick, and any time I encounter something that might shed some light on this interest, I dive right into it.

To the point of obsession.

In fact, I am on a mailing list for one website that explores personality profiles in depth, and usually receive a daily email from it. And my Pinterest recommendations are often related to personality profiles as well, I guess because I tend to click on them all the time, forever seeking just a little more insight.

Personality profiles are often used by schools to determine a student’s abilities and interests. It is an excellent tool to help one get a general idea on which path to proceed in life, in terms of what careers will be most satisfying, and on the flip side, what careers might not be so satisfying.

They are also beneficial in helping people to recognize not only why they prefer things the way they do, but also to get insight into others who might have different preferences than they do. It can be a good tool in learning how to understand and get along with others, whether at home or in the workplace.

Two of the more prominent personality profiles that have been time tested, are The Myers-Briggs Indicator and the Enneagram. I will focus on the Myers-Briggs indicator in this column.

Myers-Briggs has broken personalities into 16 profiles, but they are not by any means comprehensive. While there is some critique of this profile by those who think it is too limiting for any human being, risking putting them into a box, it is a time-tested tool to get a general idea of how people interact in the world. Humans being what they are leaves plenty for originality and uniqueness and mystery.

This profile breaks a personality down to four preferences, based on a scale of how people answer a variety of questions.

  • Introversion/Extroversion — from where and how you primarily derive your energy. Most people in our society are Extroverted, gaining their energy from interaction with the rest of the world. But there are also many introverted folks, who are becoming more quietly vocal in standing up for themselves — who gain energy from regular silence and solitude. They are often drained by too much going on around them, and enjoy quieter jobs and hobbies. Both of these tendencies are rooted in which part of the brain is more active.
  • Intuitive/Sensing — how you perceive the world around you. Sensors see the world based on what is evident to their senses. They rely on what is concrete before them. Intuitives are more likely to see and make connections between things going on around them, that are likely not evident to our senses.
  • Feeling/Thinking — Feelers, while they do look at the facts, ultimately make decisions based on projected emotional impact. Thinkers go through an objective thought process of in what is the best logical decision for the issue at hand.
  • Perceiving/Judging — Judgers prefer neatness, orderliness and an established routine. Perceivers prefer flexibility and spontaneity. Judgers want things settled; Perceivers want things open-ended.

Most people are not strictly on one end of the spectrum for any of these preferences, but rather, lean toward one side more than another. None of the preferences are better or worse than the other. They all have their strengths and weaknesses, and none of them should be excluded because it is seen as “less than” or “weaker” than the other preference.

Throughout my adult life, I have consistently tested as an “INFP,” which means I tend to be introverted and intuitive, make decisions based on feelings and prefer to live my day-to-day life without a plan set in stone.

By nature, “INFP’s” tend to be more sensitive and in tune with the world around them. These folks tend to make good counselors, clergy, writers and artists, among other things. They are often referred to as “Idealists,” “Dreamers,” or “Healers”

Depending on how you look at it, these personality profiles could be considered “scientific” or “non-scientific.” And when you consider the unique fingerprint of the human spirit, it seems difficult to say all people fit into one of these categories.

Still, they can and do help provide guidance and insight in our lives, and can be excellent tools for personal growth. If this were not the case, colleges and universities everywhere would not use them as a foundation on which to help students decide which path to take.

If you are interested in taking the Myers-Briggs inventory, the most accurate place to take it is online at myersbrigg.org. There is a charge for the test on this website.

There are numerous other places on the internet to take a Myers-Briggs assessment for free; but it is often difficult to determine the accuracy of these assessments. One of the more often used sites is 16personalities.com. The website I get a daily email from is psychologyjunkie.com, which also has some tests available.

  • SPIRIT MATTERS is a weekly column that examines spirituality. Contact Jerrilyn Zavada at jzblue33@yahoo.com to share how you engage your spirit in your life and community.