Personality Type – a new common lingo 1

[UniqueFD]

At our church the staff have all been ‘profiled’ (using Myers Briggs Personality Profiling) which has lead to an interesting side-effect – the introduction of type descriptions when talking about/to one-another.

For example:
“I’m an ESFP”, or “most of the male staff members are P’s and their wives J’s”. Those in the know (like me – although I’m not on staff) nod sagely, but this must sound very strange to an ‘outsider’! Has anyone else come across this phenomenon, or are we just weird?

(Incidentally, I find the whole subject of personality profiling fascinating – for the record I am an INFP, according to Myers Briggs.)

 

[SkipVought]

Not knowing the acronyms in Myers Briggs Personality Profiling, but having my own, I'd respond...

FUNEX?

PT, VF0NEX!

O8! VFB10X.

Skip,
[sub]
[red]Be advised:[/red]When Viscounts were guillotined just as they were disclosing where their jewels were hidden, it shows to go that you should...
Never hatchet your Counts before they chicken! [/sub]

 

[CajunCenturion]

I'm familiar with the MB profiling, but this is the first time I've heard it used in conversation as such.

Good Luck
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[strongm]

FUNEM?

S VFM!

 

[UniqueFD]

Skip,

LO M8! VR0CNEX

That was funny, once I'd unstitched it. It's a good job someone previously referred to

http://www.acronymfinder.com/

or I wouldn't have a clue what on earth you were typing about!!

Tony

 

[UniqueFD]

BTW, if you're interested, a variant of the MB profiling test can be found here:

http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

I'd be interested to know what you come out as.

Tony

 

[BJCooperIT]

Tony,
Thanks for the link. It was very interesting to learn I am an ISTJ (Inspector). In my case this is very accurate.

[sup]Beware of false knowledge; it is more dangerous than ignorance.[/sup][sup] ~George Bernard Shaw[/sup]
Sr. App. Developer Analyst/Custom Forms & PL/SQL - Oracle/Windows
Author and Sole Proprietor of: Emu Products Plus

 

[edfair]

I've heard that it is used in the dating scene as a pickup line.
It was used at my church as guidance for getting all of management and staff understanding each other. As the lone "T" among 16 "feelies" my time there was short.

Lots of people use the indicator without realizing that very few people are pure anything, just a tendency towards a type and that they are in control by willpower. And some use their type as an excuse for bad behaviour.

There is another set of tests in common use, called the Annagram, and an expansion of the MBTI by a psychologist named Samuelson (if I recall correctly) that adds 2 types.

For those who have never taken the test, it is designed to give you some indication of how your brain is put together and indicate how you make decisions. It can be a great help in relationships and work.


Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[SkipVought]

EZ,

2BR02B!

Skip,
[sub]
[red]Be advised:[/red]When Viscounts were guillotined just as they were disclosing where their jewels were hidden, it shows to go that you should...
Never hatchet your Counts before they chicken! [/sub]

 

[bjd4jc]

A lady in college (not one of my professors) insisted that I take the MB test. I thin I tested out as ISTJ. I don't remember what the 2nd and last initials are.

UniqueFD-

My church uses the DISC to profile our members. It is also used extensively in our pre-marital counselling to better prepare the couples to be... I, like you, am very facinated by personality profiles.

 

[craigsboyd]

I used to work for a company where the CEO was given to profiling everyone and using things such as "ESFP" in conversation and during meetings. Heck she would even describe certain customers this way and abscribe problems or issues to the MB results for that person. Drove me nuts and I laughed/grimaced when I saw this thread.

If you ask me, it's about as useful as knowing someone's astrological chart or reading tea leaves.

http://www.sweetpotatosoftware.com

 

[Sheco]

If a scientologists approaches you on the street and offers to give you a free personality test the best thing to do is prentend that you are deaf.

If you humor them and are afraid to be rude, they will try to waste the next 30 minutes of your life explaining why YOU should be a scientologist!

 

[UniqueFD]

bjd4jc:
Thanks for that link; never heard of DISC before. Incidentally, pre-marriage training is how I was introduced to MB type profiling. My wife and I were asked to help on a course (after 9 years of marriage) and things like this were a revelation - my wife finally realised I wasn't being awkward, I just see the world differently! We now run the course - next one starts tonight.

Craig:
I symathise with your position and am concerned that the way your old CEO was is where our church is leading. As Ed rightly pointed out earlier:

Lots of people use the indicator without realizing that very few people are pure anything, just a tendency towards a type and that they are in control by willpower. And some use their type as an excuse for bad behaviour.

I personally have found it a useful take on my strengths and weaknesses, especially in communication. There is an excellent book "I'm not crazy, I'm just not you" which takes great pains to explain that we all have ALL the traits described, just have a preference for some over another (like being left or right-handed) - it calls them 'Habits of Mind'.


Sheco:
Shouldn't pretending to be deaf apply when anyone approaches you on the street? ;-)

Tony

 

[bjd4jc]

>>it's about as useful as knowing someone's astrological chart or reading tea leaves

I happen to disagree with this because the best predictor of how someone will react to a situation is past behavior (which is what is examined in these tests). Things such as an astrological chart do not rely on people's past behaviour as the personality profiles do.

I would agree that these test's main strengths are being able to help with communication and being able to understand where a paticular individual is coming from.

Sheco-
What happens when the scientologist knows sign language and you do not? ;-)

 

[edfair]

In resolving some other issues I ended up with "New Personality Self-Portrait" by Oldham which I would suggest to those who are interested in the application of the knowledge gained from type testing. The "Conscientious Style" seems to be overly represented in the I/T area and the Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder that can follow from it is also prevalent.

 

[Sheco]

Sorry i hope I didn't offend anyone with the Scientology remark.

 

[bjd4jc]

Sheco-

I wasn't offended, I was just being fececious.

 

[UniqueFD]

Sheco:
no offence taken on my part. I think you have a point - we are all trying to convert others to our 'cause', whatever that may be.

At the risk of causing offence myself, I would love to know if you are like me:
- I am easily swayed by an emotional argument
- I tend to play the role of 'peacemaker' in discussions, trying to find common ground and consensus
- I am collaborative in decision-making
- I tend to put other people's needs before my own

Knowing this, I try and play to my strengths (create a happy team) and avoid the obvious pitfalls (being too soft!!!).

(By the way, I have written this post at least four times so far. Whilst my curiosity has got the better of me, I am trying to find the least offensive way of asking. I sincerely hope you don't mind.)

Tony

 

[CajunCenturion]

I think we're beginning to stray away from language.

Discussion on personality types and traits might be a good fit for Squaring The Circle (forum1229).

Good Luck
--------------
To get the most from your Tek-Tips experience, please read FAQ181-2886
As a circle of light increases so does the circumference of darkness around it. - Albert Einstein

 

[UniqueFD]

CC:
Sorry about that - my 'F' (trying to be all-inclusive) got the better of me {back on course - yes?}.

Tony