My personal favorite personality test is the Myers Briggs. It factors in enough elements that it offers 16 different personality types. For the level of specificity in can offer, I think it does a good job.
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The test offers four areas of comparison.
Extraverted or Introverted - Are you energized by the outside world, or by quiet time alone?
Intuitive or Sensing - Do you think in terms of concepts and ideas, or facts and reality?
Feeling or Thinking - Do you value cooperation with others, or personal competence?
Judging or Perceiving - Do you like to follow a plan, or go with the flow?
EXTRAVERTED VS. INTROVERTED
Most people think of introversion as shyness and extraversion as being out-going. In practice it often plays out this way, but this is a highly deceptive over-simplification. The question is over what energizes a person.
I'm highly introverted. So groups of people exhaust me, but at the same time I'm very comfortable with public speaking. At an event with a lot of people I'm highly likely to stay until the very end because I want the crowds to thin out so I can have a few deep conversations. Small talk is just tiring.
INTUITIVE VS. SENSING
I don't know why they picked those two words to describe these two areas, but the section above framed things rather well. Do you in terms of ideas or facts and details? The intuitive person processes the world around them based on big ideas. The sensing person uses their senses and hard facts.
When describing an object, the intuitive person will likely talk about functionality and future potential while the sensing person will describe what they see, feel, and smell.
I'm highly intuitive. This makes me very annoying to sensing people who ask me questions. I frequently struggle to give concise answers because they always feel incomplete. To answer a question, I need to know why you are asking so I can offer the specifics you are actually trying to get at. Therefore, I frequently answer questions with questions.
In a very practical sense, taking this test is extremely difficult for me. It involves deciding which word best describes you. My highly theoretical mind quickly comes up with ways which both describe me. I just answered one comparing "Traditional" and "Original." Well I have traditional values, but I like to be original in my application of traditional values.
FEELING VS. THINKING
This is another one where the terms can be misleading (and I wouldn't use the questions in the section above). This category relates to how you make decisions. This is where it gets confusing. Being a feeler doesn't mean you're highly emotional, and being a thinker doesn't make you highly logical.
The thinker defaults back to fundamental principles while the feeler factors in circumstances, points of view, and values.
Here I'm a thinker.
JUDGING VS. PERCEIVING
This is another one with totally useless names. To make it simple, JUDGERS like things decided and planned. PERCEIVERS enjoy openness and flexibility.
While planning a vacation, the judge will create a precise schedule mapping out exactly when they will be doing everything. They go to amusement parks and schedule times to ride each ride. The perceiver may do lots of research on options, but they don't want to decide when they're going to do something until they get there.
Or to give a personal example, a couple of weeks ago I went on a trip to Denver with my wife. The last day we were there we were kicked out of the hotel at 11:00 a.m., but our flight didn't leave until 8:30 p.m. We had an entire day to kill time and absolutely no rush. That morning my wife wanted us to pack everything as soon as possible and decide an exact plan. She wanted it decided (J) and couldn't relax until it was. I, however, wanted to wait until the last minute to pack, and simply drive into the mountains. I was getting stressed out at her insistence that make a plan and pack instead of relaxing (P).
This is actually the only of the four categories where I'm moderate. I tend to be extreme with my personality points, but on this one I have at times drawn a dead even on m P and J scores (I did today). I suspect that that is a function of how my NT plays out in work settings. The test is intended discover your preferences. I prefer openness (P), but in work settings I want to be efficient and therefore, I gravitate towards some P tendencies. I my computer files are highly organized and I HATE junk drawers, but I can't for the life of me stick to a work schedule or routine (though I'm very good at creating them when I choose to).
I AM INTP OR INTJ (but probably INTP)
INTPs are philosophical innovators, fascinated by logical analysis, systems, and design. They are preoccupied with theory, and search for the universal law behind everything they see. They want to understand the unifying themes of life, in all their complexity. INTPs are detached, analytical observers who can seem oblivious to the world around them because they are so deeply absorbed in thought. They spend much of their time focused internally: exploring concepts, making connections, and seeking understanding. To the Architect, life is an ongoing inquiry into the mysteries of the universe.
It's not terribly surprising to me to also learn that my personality type (one of the most analytical) is most likely to not be affiliated with either political party. 49% do not associate themselves with either party.
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I AM YODA! ...or sometimes The Emperor.
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