If you haven't heard about the Myers-Briggs personality typing system you are going to be hearing a lot about it now because it's my new favorite toy.
For the past few months I have been simultaneously crushed and uplifted by the volume of MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) knowledge I am swimming in. Like a typical ENFP I said "That looks like fun!" and I dove in without even checking the temperature or changing into my suit. Since you can Google things now I won't have to bore myself researching how Myers-Briggs came about so I can tell it to you here. I did read it once or twice. I do know it. But details, details. Whatever. Instead let's jump to the chase! Learning my Myers-Briggs type has opened my eyes. My favorite test for finding out your Myers Briggs, Quistic, clocks me here: E 89%, N 88%, F 88%, P 78% That's 89% extroverted (gotta talk so I know what I'm thinking), 88% intuitive (big ideas and future-looking), 88% feeling (feeeeeeeeeelings), and 78% P (I-can't-get-anywhere-on-time-don't-fence-me-in). Other tests put me even higher in score like, oh, 100% extroverted. I seem to be very ENFP. Learning my MBTI simultaneously crushed and freed me. Here I thought my unbounded optimism, incredible ability to read people's emotions, and unquenchable desire to understand how to be a better human made me this unique being. Turns out I'm a TYPE. Just like 8% of women out there. WHAT?! Boo hiss. But just as my ego took a massive right-hook and my unicorn self-image deflated like a party balloon I felt an incredible lightness lift me up. If I'm a type... something that can be defined and quantified... that means... There is nothing wrong with me. All of my unrealistic-to-everyone-else ideals, look-shiny-thing!, emotionally processing, clutter-filled, late-again traits are a part of what make ME. An ENFP. And being an ENFP is great because you need us to help create balance. There are 16 Myers-Briggs types after all and together they make a functioning society. (Or, if they were smashed together, one perfectly functioning human being I imagine. Like Superman. Except he wasn't human come to think of it.) So, like, without the ENFPs where would society be?! (Don't answer that.) The more I read the more I discovered that being an ENFP means you can shine a whole heck of a lot of inspiration and you-can-do-it glitter on the world. Huh. Kind of like a unicorn. It may also mean you fall asleep in algebra class. Or that just me? My point is this: Finding out my Myers-Briggs type healed me in ways I never knew I needed. Instead of pushing against my traits I instantly embraced them. Since I was no longer pushing against them miraculous things started to happen. Like understanding WHY I was always late. Did you know that a "P" is often late not because they don't know what time is is (I do) or because they don't care (I do) but because of their relationship with time they often think things like: "Oh, I don't have to leave for another 10 minutes. I know! I'll finish cleaning out the laundry room before I go..." not realizing that cleaning the laundry room is not a 10 minute job. It is a 25 minutes job. And now you're 15 minutes late. I swear you could see an actual light bulb over my head. Now I find myself looking at the clock saying, "No, you are not going to start that project before you go. Just go." A "J" might think this is obvious. I think it's a miracle. Come to find out being on time not a curse, it's strangely satisfying. But wait, there's more. Knowing my Myers-Briggs type has taught me that true balance comes from our least-natural trait (for ENFP that would be physical sensing - so, um, get that yoga going, girl). I really DO need that moment of introspection to make a decision and if you keep talking at me in the store we are never going to get out of here with a new set of curtains. And yes, I actually do know what you're feeling, so stop trying to deny it. I have learned what I am but more importantly I have learned what I am not. You are not going to get me to care too much about logical reasoning. Sure, it's logical. And yes, it's reasonable. And I can follow along, I'm not dumb, but really, HOW DO YOU FEEL?! And man, oh, man I wished I knew this long ago. I wish knew this when adults tried to get me to care about school in the way they thought mattered and I thought I was stupid. I wish I knew this when I was dating and I made ALL THOSE EMOTIONAL MISTAKES. (It really was me, not you. Sorry, guys.) I wish I knew this when I thought being promoted from a Project Manager to a Manager of Operations would be a good move for me. I wish I knew this when I was trying to communicate with a S, a T, my parents, or frankly, any authority figure who needed me to reassure them I wasn't just a flake. (OK, sometimes I was just a flake.) But I don't dwell in the past. No, not me. That's what the "N" in the ENFP stands for. It stands for NEVER LOOKING BACK. Maybe. I'm kind of making this up. I have only skimmed the Myers-Briggs so far so don't quote me on anything. But it doesn't matter anyway because now I feel great. HOW DO YOU FEEL?! Find out your Myers-Briggs and see. P.S. I do not assume all ENFPs are like me. Unless you are taking a lot in the center of a crowd with your arms waving about. In which case, gotcha. P.P.S. No, really, I'm just kidding. ENFPs are terribly worried they will hurt someone's feelings. Probably because they are empathic. Since an ENFP feels what people are feeling then hurting their feelings is like punching yourself in the face. P.P.P.S. Ug. Was that too much? I'm sorry. Here are some emojis. ❤️❤️❤️😂😂😂 P.P.P.P.S. How many ENFPs does it take to stop talking? P.P.P.P.P.S. I love you.
Nicholas
4/26/2017 02:34:04 am
Great post. BEST set of 'PS's evuh :):):)
Alora
4/27/2017 07:46:36 am
Hahaha! Thank you! :) Comments are closed.
|
Really Good
|