I have been a remedial therapist for many years and my out-of-the-box teaching methods are carried out for the very reason that nobody belongs to any particular box.
I do, however, feel that by getting to understand a colleague, friend and child better and which “box” they fit into, you can adapt your methods of communication, teaching or parenting without making them feel uncomfortable or verbally expressing it.
For this very reason a few of my friends, parents and colleagues took part in these assessments to give me greater insight into what appeals to and/or repels these individuals.
The first experiment was for my colleagues. We are all in the teaching field for our love of educating, nurturing and moulding these young individuals to be valuable assets to our fragile world.
The craziest result of all was how people who all shared the same passion and career could have totally different personalities. Every one of my results was different. Not one was the same.
I, however, share the same result with one of my colleagues, which I would have never guessed. This truly opened my eyes.
What you see is not necessarily what is buried underneath. By reading these results I feel more equipped on who they are, what they feel uncomfortable with and what inspires them.
I did the same with the children, not by questioning them, but merely by observing them and interacting with them.
Here the same rule applies. The child who cowers when approached by children, loves his own company and thrives after having alone time, this does not make him antisocial or shy, it makes him an introvert who feels overwhelmed by group activities or constant probing and fears public speaking.
What comes out of his mouth or on paper is no reflection of what is happening in his mind.
This can sometimes be clouded as a learning barrier when in actual fact he is reserving his information rather than expressing it.
By not understanding the dynamics of somebody’s personality, you can very easily cross boundaries that you are unaware were there.
Here are some examples:
Extrovert: The “socialiser”. The person who is always outgoing and expressive.
Ambivert: The “balanced” person. Defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a person having characteristics of both extrovert and introvert”.
Introvert: The “quiet” one. The person who is reticent or shy.
I have been in the humanities field for so long and even I have fallen prey to overstepping boundaries.
There are some mammoth mistakes you can make when not understanding a person’s identity:
Introvert
● Avoiding phoning an introvert for answers.
● Avoid “show up” without prior arrangement.
● Avoid message unnecessarily.
● Be straightforward.
● Don’t beat around the bush.
● Do be the first to initiate the conversation.
● Do not hurry the introvert up. Their best asset is thinking, so they may take longer to respond than most.
● Do not expect him or her to speak off the cuff publicly; the introvert thrives on methodical planning.
● Do not assume. As with anything, assumptions are inaccurate. For this reason do not misconstrue an introvert's quietness with boredom, depression or irritability.
An introvert is wired this way, so he or she will not change.
Do not try to change this person to suit your needs.
The best way to get along with him or her is by accepting them, giving them their space and when he or she feels comfortable in your presence, he or she will open up.
The most interesting observation of all is that the introvert behaves like an extrovert in selected company.
If you are close to an introvert you are truly lucky, because this person has given you the gift of sincerity.
Extrovert
The extrovert is equally misunderstood.
The extrovert is extremely friendly and sometimes friendliness may be confused with flirting.
The extrovert is always bubbly, and the life of the party so when the extrovert has been hurt or affected in some way he or she will not be “allowed” to be sad.
If the introvert is sad, he or she can be misread as sulking.
Just because an extrovert is social and loud, one often stereotypes them as insincere and sometimes imprudent.
Extroverts can be as philosophical as introverts, but thrive on company rather than time to process their thoughts.
Extroverts crave other people and conversations but, like introverts, are not into small talk.
The extrovert has the halo of being “self-assured”.
Just because an extrovert is most often confident, it does not mean this is a standing trademark.
The extrovert may fake it when he or she feels out of their depth, whereas the introvert will withdraw more.
Ambivert
The ambivert possesses the qualities of both the introvert and the extrovert.
He or she will understand how to adapt and extend themselves to each of the polar personalities. The ambivert adjusts most easily to any environment.
The ambivert is the most balanced of the three.
It is imperative to understand other beings to form authentic relationships and understand one another without judgement.
How one person lives does not necessarily work for another.
More importantly you need to understand yourself to live honestly and happily.
Below are the links of these tests.
Learn about who you are, love who you are and accept others for who they are.
● www.16personalities.com
● www.psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com
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Word play
● "Sensing" means taking information from the external world, whereas "intuition" means formulating opinions based in imagination.
● "Thinking" means making decisions from logic, whereas "feeling" means making decisions based on emotions.
● "Judging" means organising life according to plans and rules in a regimented way.
● "Perception" is adapting and modifying to explore options.
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Rise of personality tests
Just when you thought you had your husband’s, friends’, children’s and colleagues’ personalities down to a T, I now reveal 16 other vessels they can fit into.
In the mid 1900s, Kathryn Cook Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, first published an assessment, inspired by the work of the influential psychiatrist, Dr Carl Jung.
The Jungian theory of personalities states that everyone is different in the way they see, perceive, receive and reach verdicts in the world.
What better way to understand and engage with people in a post-war climate?
This is when the Myers-Briggs personality test was developed.
To this day it is used in executive environments, marital counselling, psychology and education.
According to Jungian theory, each personality of the 16 personality types has four divisions.
● Extrovert or introvert
● Sensing or intuition
● Thinking or feeling
● Judging or feeling
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