I’ve always been a good test taker. I never had a problem with test anxiety, always made sure I had enough time to prepare for the subject to be tested, and actually did fine, regardless of whether the test was multiple choice, fill-in-the blank or essay. The only tests that have caused problems are those they say you can’t fail: personality tests.
Actually, they don’t call them personality tests anymore. They disguise them with names like ‘human metrics’ or ‘personality inventories,’ but really what they are doing is judging you and your behavior. I took one of these tests more than 30 years ago and was so emotionally scarred from the results I’ve avoided them successfully until the last couple of years. But now that I am trying to figure out what I want to do with the second half of my life, the first place to start is apparently with one of these tests.
First up is the Myers-Briggs. For years, I’ve heard people rattle off things like, “Well, it is hard for me to work with them because I’m an INTJ and she’s an ESTJ.” (Don’t contact me if I have this all wrong and those two people should work really well together; my memory is not that good). I never had anything to add to those conversations (well, other than I thought the person they were talking about was just smarter than them, so that was probably the real issue). I never really wanted to know my ‘letters’—or anyone’s for that matter. I had to get along with everyone at work, and with two small kids at home, I didn’t have the time to figure out everybody’s working style so I could adapt to it. (Oh, who am I kidding? I had plenty of time to figure out how to get along better with others, I was just stubborn and thought if the job got done, who cares if we didn’t really like each other?)
Anyway, I recently took the Myers-Briggs test and I am an ENTJ, which means I am driving, critical and assertive, among other characteristics. But here’s the deal: I don’t want to be those things. I would rather be an INFP, which means I would be compassionate, creative and empathetic! I really think if I re-took the test I could answer the questions to at least get closer to empathic and further from critical. But apparently they discourage you from trying to skew the results. Seems unfair, especially if you feel as passionate about it as I do!
I am participating in a course, and they asked us to take another personality test. I thought for sure I had this one all figured out. I would answer honestly but try to take it so I would end up the person I wanted to be, not the person I am. Well, I got the results and now I am not sure who I am.
The test, which was a survey of character strengths—offered through an accredited university, I might add—showed my top strength as being ‘humor and playfulness.’ The second was ‘creativity, ingenuity and originality.’ Where was fairness, leadership or justice? None of those were even in my top five. What? I need to go back to the Myers-Briggs test and see if perhaps those characteristics were included in my ENTJ category. Maybe that test was right? Actually, maybe I should just stop taking these tests and go back to the way I was before: clueless with an undefined personality except for what people said behind my back. Yes, that’s what I will do.
Contact Patty at phannum@townandstyle.com.