That wasn't really a question that I intended for you readers to answer about me. I probably don't want to know what you think, anyway. NOT because you don't have valid, accurate ideas (so don't close out of this window in offense). On the contrary, you are all geniuses and would end up revealing too much about me for my ego to handle (or accept). So answer it if you want, but know that I had no intention of you doing so; it was just a title.
This week in my psychology class we have been studying personality. And what would a personality lesson be without a personality test? So we filled out a questionnaire, giving 4's to the word most and 1's to the words least like us (giving 3's and 2's to the two words in between).
For example:
I am:................................. logical...............practical..............idealistic................creative
I value: ............................fairness..............tradition..........personal growth..........pleasure
I am annoyed by:.............. illogical people.......messy people.........rude people........negative people
I have a lot of: .................. natural wit.........commonsense..............love..................energy
For me, I am most logical, then practical, then creative, and least idealistic. So my scoring goes as follows: logical=4, practical=3, creative=2, idealistic=1. Got it? Good, now take the extremely shortened version above(ours had 23 questions).
What do your scores mean? Add up the columns. If you have the most in the:
1st column: Surprise! You are considered rational.
2nd column: Ta-dah! You are considered organized.
3rd column: Yay! You are considered loving.
4th column: Hoo-rah! You are considered energized.
What's the next step? Hypothetically, you would receive a packet that explained what type of person you were.
When I read mine, I was so happy to find how well the rational description described me. It said, among other things, that I was "typically calm and clear headed," I have "high performance standards," and am "meticulous and exacting." It was speaking directly to me, and it was eerily accurate (well, except for a few things, like I don't "speak in theoretical and complex terms...[and] talk over the heads of others." I don't think I could do that if I tried).
But really, why should that surprise us? We took the test. We gave our answers. Of course these "revealing" paragraphs about our personality are going to describe us!
Did you do the test above? Why? Did you not know what you were like? Of course you know your personality- you know if you prefer big or small groups, physical or cognitive connections, clear-cut rules or absolute freedom. Still, we jump at the chance to fill out yet another questionnaire.
Perhaps it is not so that we can describe ourselves, but so that we can understand others. Isn't it easier to say, "Oh, the test said I was rational person," than, "The test says I am content being alone, dislike being controlled by my feelings, and am often thought of as a perfectionist"? If someone said the latter, we would see them as too self-disclosing (I just met you, and I didn't want to know all of your inner struggles, thank you very much.....I'm just going to go.....somewhere......yeah........). With the first answer, it gives a small glimpse at others, while revealing ourselves in a more acceptable fashion.
Personally, I LOVE taking these tests (is test the right word? there's no right answer, after all). True, I know what I'm like, but that's not the point. These tests give you the chance to see how you compare to others. Are you similar? Polar opposites? As humans, all of us need connection with others at some time or another. Being able to share our "personalities" with one another, we may so happen to find someone else who loves to be antisocial in a corner just as much as we do.
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