Test 1: The MBTI
So when the world is your testing oyster, where do we start shucking? (I promise my metaphors will get better as we go.) I think it makes sense to learn something foundational first. Political and religious views are certainly informative, but they usually aren't all-encompassing definitions. I want something that speaks to what kind of person I am, at least on a basic level. I want something that covers my motivations, offers insight into my worldview, stuff like that. Also -- and this is key -- I want something free. I want to learn about myself, but come on, how much is knowing yourself really WORTH?
In order to get what we're looking for, there's just one test I can think of: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI. The aim of the MBTI, in the words of the Myers & Briggs Foundation, is to "make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people's lives." You guys got that? Yeah, neither did I, so I consulted our friend Wikipedia for some plainer English. Wikipedia tells us it's "an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions." Ah, much easier. It's basically like Economics*, only in test form.
*Quick sidenote: I was an Econ major in college. Almost every person I told about my choice said something to the effect of "Ah, you always were good at math, makes sense!" Which: I AM good at math, but you'd be surprised how little math there is, especially at the undergrad level. So how did we spend our time? What did we really learn? How people perceive the world and make decisions -- hence my seemingly inscrutable analogy the paragraph before**.
**Another quick sidenote: This is the first of many times I'll find myself apologizing for the inscrutability of my own analogies.
Anyway! The MBTI sounds like the perfect place to start. Better yet, there's a place you can take a version of it for free: 16Personalities.com. As the name implies, the test will classify you into one of the 16 possible personality types you can get. There are four categories (each with two predominant sub-categories) that are supposed to tell me who I am as a person. Or help me relate to Carl Jung better? I don’t remember. On with the test!
The Test
I toyed around with how best to handle the actual test part, and I think I’ve landed on a three-part process:
Take the test itself
Break down my explanations for some of the answers in a separate “deep dive” post
Fill the space with as many analogies as possible
To that end, I’m going to go take the test now. You guys can hang around while I do it, because for you it’ll look like it took me no time at all. Looks to me like I am a(n):
INFP (aka “The Mediator”)
Hooray! I’ve taken the first step toward learning just who I am and what it all means!
So, uh … what does this all mean?
A few things jump out right away here. For starters, I’m an 80/20 on the Introvert scale. That feels right to me — in fact, I probably could have told you that without the test. Now, is this just because my addiction kept me isolated for several years? No, but uh, spending five straight days in an apartment littered with empty bottles and cans probably didn’t help. Still: I was always more introverted than not. Social events take tons of energy from me … I can handle them, but only in short bursts. There’s a reason this is a writing project and not a Podcast, you feel me?
Energy is an interesting one. And by “interesting,” I mean “confusing.” I didn’t realize “Intuitive” was the opposite of “Observant.” That’s like saying “Confidence” is the opposite of “Verbosity” or “Blue” is the opposite of “Piano” or “Umami” is the opposite of “Schadenfreude.” What gives?
Let’s consult the test:
People with the Intuitive trait prefer to exercise their imaginations as they seek new ideas and possibilities … Their lives are ones of questioning, wondering, and connecting the dots in the “bigger picture,” and they love the theoretical.
So, okay, that tracks. I mean, I’m the one who thought it would be a good idea to learn about himself by documenting a series of Internet tests. I guess I’m not surprised I skew pretty heavily toward that side of the spectrum.
The rest actually makes total sense to me. On the Thinking-Feeling spectrum, there was a time I’d have slanted heavily toward Thinking. But that was before I spent the last seven years working with a therapist. Now I’m pretty comfortable with how empathetic I am.
As for the last two, it’s pretty crazy that each has a 51-49 split. By the slimmest possible margins, I lean more Prospecting than Judging and more Turbulent than Assertive. The optimist in me wants to believe that’s the sign of a well-balanced person, which sort of makes sense within the context of the “Mediator” label.
So … Now What?
For starters, I think it’s important you know which other famous people/characters are INFPs. This should help offer some context. Famous INFPs are said to include:
J.R.R. Tolkien (AND both Arwen and Frodo Baggins — write what you know, indeed)
William Shakespeare
Alicia Keys
Johnny Depp
Kurt Cobain
John Lennon
Mr. Fred Rogers
Roberto Clemente
Dirk Nowitzki
Derek Jeter
George Orwell AND Aldous Huxley
Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7
Isabel Briggs Myers (of Myers-Briggs fame!!)
This list delights me endlessly. I’m getting a joy out of reading through it even though I’m the one who just typed it all in there. But … I guess that makes sense. This list skews pretty heavily toward authors, actors and musicians — people in the creative arts, people who can tap into others’ emotions as well as their own, people who believe that any missed opportunities to make the world a better place are a sign of wasting your time on Earth. That FEELS right, to me, when I sit and reflect on it.
It’s hard to explain, but try it yourself: Imagine someone walks into a room, speaks with you for a few minutes, then casually observes how much you remind them of their old friend, Fred Rogers. Or how your overall spirit gives them Kurt Cobain vibes. If you’re an INFP and you’re anything like me, you don’t need to think about how valid that is — your body will tell you. Imagine the same situation, only your friend says you remind them of The Hamburglar or Josef Stalin. I’m gonna guess you will feel unmoved at best (and probably incredibly insulted for several reasons).
In the end, this is a good starting point, especially for someone like me. It gives me some fundamental sense of who I am (“You’re a wonderful active listener!”) without getting absurdly specific (“You’ll always regret letting your fear of vulnerability prevent you from working harder to establish a relationship with your aging grandparents!”). It’s a small-but-substantial first course, like a cup of corn chowder or a stuffed zucchini blossom — only the stuffing is SELF-AWARENESS.
I promise I’ll get better at metaphors. Really!