Why do people get so excited about personality tests?
- It gives you a language to talk about personality - It's not easy to distill the essence of your personality into a bite size nugget, let alone be able to then communicate that bite size nugget to others in a way that they will understand. This gives people a way to quickly and easily tell some important information about who they are, and for others to quickly and easily understand the information. (I've noticed that people who are really into reading and writing LOVE personality tests, and this is probably why - they are a language that allows for clear, concise communication of a complex topic.)
- Helps you understand yourself better - this is probably more true for some types than others (I'm an Enneagram 9, so it's hugely true for me because we do not know ourselves well and very easily take on the characteristics of others) - personality tests can help you understand your motivations, your strengths and weaknesses, your communication style, your conflict style, and so much more. This can help you recognize areas you need to work on, what type of jobs and volunteering you should seek to do, and why you are having successes or problems in various relationships.
- Helps you understand those closest to you better - Besides knowing what words and behaviors work best for you, it's really helpful to know what words and behaviors work best for your spouse, your friends, your family, and your co-workers. This won't prevent every problem, but there's some low hanging conflict fruit that can be easily picked off when you come to understand that the same actions and words can mean different things coming from different people.
- Shows you better ways to interact with acquaintances (as a leader, in the workplace, on teams, etc.) - People are motivated differently, communicate differently, have different strengths and weaknesses - the better you understand these things about the people you work with, the more effective you all will be in carrying out your mission.
- Gives you greater empathy in general - The more you remember that people are wired differently, the more you might give the benefit of the doubt to someone who, while not being abusive, is acting in a way that's not exactly to your preference. You might pick less fights on the Internet. You might show more kindness towards strangers. You might grow to appreciate that we need all these different personalities, as they all bring different strengths to the table (and they all help compensate for each other's weaknesses).
What are the objections to personality tests?
- They are useless - See the above section!
- People don't like to think they can be put into a box - While personality tests can tell you some very helpful information, they are NOT saying that everyone in a certain category is exactly alike. Everything about both your genetics and your life experiences is going to make you unique from others in your "category", as well as every other human on the planet. This is more like telling an important fact about yourself (which, what's considered an important fact will vary from person to person, but things like your religious beliefs, where you're from, what you do, your political views, etc.). It doesn't tell everything about you, and it doesn't say that you're exactly like everyone else in this group, but it communicates some important pieces of information about you.
- I would also say that some personality tests work better than others for any individual person. The Enneagram has been very helpful for me, but Meyers Briggs not so much because I'm close to the edge on both S/N and F/T. So it might be that if you don't find yourself fitting into a "box", you might need to try a different personality test. Or you might be an Enneagram 4 or 9 :).
- People use them to self obsess - the personality tests are just tools. If people get carried away with obsessing over themselves, they likely would have found a way to do this with or without a particular personality test.
- Personality tests give you a defense for acting badly / avoiding things that are hard - I think this is the most legit criticism - things like, "I'm an introvert, so it's okay if i always duck out of social occasions at the last minute." (I'm choosing this example because I am in fact an introvert and I'm frequently tempted to bail on social engagements.) Again, personality tests are just a tool. They provide information. Used well, people can use this information to grow and build relationship. So for example, maybe knowing you are an introvert will prompt you to set up social engagements at a slower pace you can handle with buffers of alone time built in before or after, but it shouldn't just mean avoiding people altogether and / or setting up plans and regularly bailing. Instead, it should allow you to build relationship in a more sustainable way.
What do you think about personality tests? What's your favorite, and what are your types? My favorite is the Enneagram (on which I am a 9w8), but I can also tell you that I am an IN(or maybe S?)FJ, a Golden Retriever, a Green, and a Connectedness / Individualization / Input / Learner / Harmony.
