Are you familiar with DISC profiles?
They make up the personality analysis system developed nearly a century ago by William Moulton Marston, the psychologist and – wait for it – inventor of Wonder Woman. And like Marston’s comic book heroine, they’re just as relevant today as the day they were first inked.
A well-rounded person learns from each personality type. I’m going to zoom in on Perceivers and Judgers for two reasons. First of all, a firm grasp on a few Judging traits is very practical, and Perceivers could benefit from assimilating some of their assertive, pragmatic methods of behavior. Secondly, most people don’t fully understand the difference between Perceiving and Judging. It will be simultaneously prescriptive and psychoeducational—an exciting two-for-one deal for counselors like myself.
Being ourselves is much more difficult than it seems. We’re constantly bombarded by external factors and people who want us to say this, act like this, be like that. How many times has someone got in your face about something they perceived as a shortcoming on your part?
“Cheer up, miserable!”
“Why are you always so persnickety?”
“You need to pay more attention to detail!”
You’re an ENFJ, the well-known “Teacher” personality who fights for the good of your people. Whether it’s at work or in your personal life, you take the wheel when a problem needs to be resolved and have a strong moral compass that gets your passengers safely and successfully where they need to go.
Not only is leading others part of your natural talent, it’s also something that you truly love doing. Leadership roles add to your day-to-day happiness—so much so that for an ENFJ, it might be hard to imagine working a job that doesn’t embrace your natural knack for guiding others.
On the 16-type scale, I type as an INFJ. This is one of eight introverted types, and it’s not a common type of Introvert. Yet do an internet search on “INFJ,” and you’ll see that it’s promoted as the holy grail of personality types. The way some commentators describe my personality, you’d think it transcends humanity itself!
It’s not just INFJ, either. Many types have this hyperbolic appeal to them. It’s their relative rarity that gives them their appeal.
Your Enneagram type influences your relationships, your career choices; it even influences your speaking style. But did you know it has a lot to do with the way your house looks? Here are the style predispositions of each type.
In many cultures around the world, youth is associated with energy and passion. Reflective and calm personality traits are associated with being older and wiser. We are comfortable with these stigmas; however, we are slightly less comfortable when someone flips the switch.
It's hard to miss the developing story around Facebook and data mining firm Cambridge Analytica, who are at the center of a dispute over the harvesting of personal data - specifically, whether it was used to sway the outcome of the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
While Cambridge Analytica has denied any wrongdoing, the company has been accused of misusing data to identify the personalities of U.S. voters, a "secret sauce" it then used to influence them through highly personalized ads and campaign material.
Lots of people notice their personalities are a little different at work than at home. You hear people say, “I’m an Extravert for my job, but really I’m an Introvert” or “I’m pretty assertive with friends and family, but I can’t seem to act that way at work.”
If you feel similarly, you’re not necessarily two-faced or insincere. It’s just necessary to change roles when we clock in and out of work. As a result, we draw out personality traits at work that we don’t need at home.
INTPs are the idea mills of the personality world; always examining, always questioning and always musing about some theory. They live in a world of "what if" and possibility. When there's really no answer, INTPs are the most interested.
But often, "what if" is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it's a clear strength that you're able to keep your options open. You wouldn't be able to philosophize, categorize and objectively analyze the possibilities before you if you made snap decisions based on half the facts.