As an aside, on Facebook recently, there has been a rash of people doing the Myer-Briggs Personality assessment. It basically is an inventory of questions that divides you into 16 personality "types". Each of those four initials has an opposite.
Many years ago at work, we did the full blown day long version and interpretation so that we could understand our colleagues better!! This was one of several personality inventories we did as managers. My score on the FB version was the same as I got at work (only we did a lot more of the detail assessment and pluses and minuses of the type) plus application to the work environment. One of the dimensions was that this type loves to write (which I at the time HATED to do). Hmmmmm... And now I am a frequent blogger and love to write.
The bottom line (and I love bottom lines) is that I am the rarest and the least understood of people! The analysis says that although creative in thought, I am compelled to implement (that is actually a failing in some cases as some things should not be implemented). Also, although being very decisive (I am), I feel it necessary for people to get along and am a team player (also true). One thing people have often said about me is that I am very extroverted (but I always contend that I am introverted as I only asked one question or answered one question in four years of college). That is a characteristic of this personality model -- people think you are outgoing when you are the shyest of the types!! Ahaaaaa! Take that, all you naysayers who used to laugh at my pronouncements! It takes great energy for me to be "out there" and social.
Here is the writeup that I got from one site (which I believe quoted it from another undocumented site):
Jung-Myers-Briggs: INFJ Introverted Intuiting Feeling Judging INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn. (
I stopped doing this.) INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people - a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type. Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil. The most important contributing factor to this uncanny gift, however, are the empathic abilities often found in Fs, which seem to be especially heightened in the INFJ type (possibly by the dominance of the introverted N function). This empathy can serve as a classic example of the two-edged nature of certain INFJ talents, as it can be strong enough to cause discomfort or pain in negative or stressful situations. More explicit inner conflicts are also not uncommon in INFJs; it is possible to speculate that the causes for some of these may lie in the specific combinations of preferences which define this complex type. For instance, there can sometimes be a "tug-of-war" between NF vision and idealism and the J practicality that urges compromise for the sake of achieving the highest priority goals. And the I and J combination, while perhaps enhancing self-awareness, may make it difficult for INFJs to articulate their deepest and most convoluted feelings. Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the "inspirational" professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership (
that will be the day). Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall, INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths. Perhaps the best example of this occurs in the technical fields (
that is where I was). Many INFJs perceive themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with the mystique and formality of "hard logic" (
no problem here as that is my husband), and in academic terms this may cause a tendency to gravitate towards the liberal arts rather than the sciences (
I do like the sciences best but did major in LA). However, the significant minority of INFJs who do pursue studies and careers in the latter areas tend to be as successful as their T counterparts, as it is *iNtuition* - the dominant function for the INFJ type - which governs the ability to understand abstract theory and implement it creatively.In their own way, INFJs are just as much "systems builders" (that was what I did for a living) as are INTJs; the difference lies in that most INFJ "systems" are founded on human beings and human values, rather than information and technology. Their systems may for these reasons be conceptually "blurrier" than analogous NT ones, harder to measure in strict numerical terms, and easier to take for granted -- yet it is these same underlying reasons which make the resulting contributions to society so vital and profound.B. Idealist Portrait of the Counselor (INFJ)Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people (
I am not like this or I wouldn't be publishing my results), with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them. Counselors tend to work effectively in organizations. They value staff harmony and make every effort to help an organization run smoothly and pleasantly (
me, to a fault). They understand and use human systems creatively, and are good at consulting and cooperating with others. As employees or employers, Counselors are concerned with people's feelings and are able to act as a barometer of the feelings within the organization(
that was how my vp boss at EDS used me). Blessed with vivid imaginations, Counselors are often seen as the most poetical of all the types, and in fact they use a lot of poetic imagery in their everyday language (
again, my husband and not me). Their great talent for language - both written and spoken - is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way. Counselors are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them (
absolutely, absolutely, absolutely). Counselors themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena (
I love Maslow and his Toward a New Psychology of Being) .
When Warren asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday, I asked to go to the Buffalo Zoo which I hadn't been to in probably 30 years! After seeing so many beautiful animals in the wild in Africa, it was hard to see animals caged in zoos when I came back. I would like to say that the past few years have brought about astonishing changes in our zoos -- these animals looked so robust and healthy and better than the ones I had seen on the African plains. It is clear that the keepers really care about their environment. The Zoo was much different than it was thirty years ago -- there are so many flowers and plant life growing everywhere.
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