Personality Type Blog

What Makes an Extravert an Extravert?

01 December 2014 / By Jacki Christopher Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on December 01, 2014

Recent research on extraversion and what it really means to be an Extravert has us questioning our notions of what the “People People” are really all about.

Most of us think of Extraverts as people who are noticeably friendly, outgoing and chatty. When psychologists talk about extraversion in the context of the Big Five model of personality, they're referring to a collection of traits encompassing sociability, processing externally (i.e. thinking out loud) and talkativeness.

Category: Latest Research

Study Shows that Many of Us Wish We Had Totally Different Personalities

24 November 2014 / By Jacki Christopher Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on November 24, 2014

As the New Year approaches and we head into resolution season, you may be thinking about changes you want to make in your life. You may be considereding simple behavioral changes, like getting up early and going to the gym, spending less time on Facebook, or being more patient with your kids. Or maybe you're aiming higher. Maybe you'd actually like to change fundamental aspects of who you are. Have you ever wished you were more extroverted, less impulsive, or less prone to depression or anxiety?

Category: Latest Research

You Are What You Post: What Your Social Media Engagement Says About Your Personality

16 November 2014 / By Jacki Christopher Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on November 16, 2014

What do your posts on Facebook say about you? Can experts really predict your personality traits simply from looking at your social media accounts?

Strangely, the answer is yes. While it all feels pretty random, what you like and what you post says more about you than you think. Social media engagement isn’t just an expression of your personal interests or your idealized self; it’s a window into your personality.

Category: Latest Research

Good News: You Don't Have to Be a Sociopath to Succeed in Business

10 November 2014 / By Jacki Christopher Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on November 10, 2014

Do cheaters really prosper? Does the nice guy always finish last?

Recently, a few provocative studies have suggested that these old tropes are true. It seems that those very people we avoid in our personal lives—the shameless self-promoters, the manipulators, the endlessly self-absorbed—are actually rising to the top in the business world. These new studies examine anti-social personality traits (particularly narcissism) in relation to workplace outcomes, and suggest that the so-called "dark traits" can possibly mean a bright future in business.

Category: Latest Research

An ENFP Escapes the Cubicle for an Organic Farm (And—Sort of By Accident—the Writing Career She’s Always Dreamed Of)

30 September 2014 / By Nathan Falde Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on September 30, 2014

Many have dismissed the Law of Attraction as overly simplistic. But there is one aspect of this controversial principle that undoubtedly has merit: if you want your dreams to come true you have to pursue them with a clear focus and a full commitment. Safety nets make sense in the circus but in life they can hold you back, and if you are unwilling to act until you have them, you may never take any meaningful action at all.

Category: ENFP

Cheaters Gonna Cheat. Here’s Why.

28 August 2014 / By Jacki Christopher Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on August 28, 2014

Here’s the thing: anecdotal evidence is powerful, but if you really want to prove what most of enlightened society already knows to be true, you need to get a scientific study going. So for all of you who’ve been denying the truth about cheating partners, or your cheating self, here’s real science that backs up what most people already knew: cheaters cheat. And if you’ve formed a relationship with a partner you snagged from someone else, just avoid signing any binding documents.

Category: Latest Research

Should I Become a Nurse?

13 February 2014 / By Truity Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on February 13, 2014

Does helping other people bring you immeasurable joy and satisfaction? If so, you should seek out a vocation that would allow you to indulge your “selfish” desire to improve the lives of your fellow human beings. To use a popular metaphor, if you are a compassionate person a career in a caring profession might be just what the doctor ordered - and if you choose to become a nurse you could literally be what the doctor ordered.

Category: Finding Your Career Path

Should I Become a Writer?

19 December 2013 / By Truity Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on December 19, 2013

For many people a career choice is based on deliberate calculation. But with writers the situation is entirely different. Writers have an irresistible itch that they just have to scratch, and when they make that fateful decision to invoke the alchemical energies of the written word to help them pay the bills it is not so much a choice as it is a response to an imperative demand.

Category: Finding Your Career Path

Should I Become an Engineer?

19 December 2013 / By Truity Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on December 19, 2013

Here’s something we can assert with full confidence: it takes a lot of chutzpah to pursue a career in engineering. Engineers are expected to confront and conquer significant and meaningful challenges on a daily basis, and only a person with a lot of spunk and nerve would be willing to step forward and don the mantle of responsibility that a respected engineer comes to take for granted.

Category: Finding Your Career Path

Should I Become a Lawyer?

19 December 2013 / By Truity Clinically Reviewed by Steven Melendy, PsyD. on December 19, 2013

The rule of law is the glue that holds our society together. Without laws and rules we would lose our cohesiveness, and the structure that protects our freedom and provides us with opportunity would be hopelessly compromised. Legal codes are also expressions of morality and ethics and they embody our highest ideals. For these reasons the practice of law is unquestionably a noble profession, and if the thought of becoming a lawyer seems attractive to you it is clear that you are interested in actually serving and improving society and have no desire to simply go through the motions.

Category: Finding Your Career Path

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