Just Wanting to Fit in
For as long as people have roamed the earth, individuals have tried to determine “who they are” in relation to the world and other people around them. It is pretty obvious just walking down a city sidewalk in just about any center-town district in the world that we all have different personalities – ways in which we view the world and relate to other people. Then again, there are many people with whom we have many things in common including these differences.
Have you always wondered why two people can react to the exact same circumstances in completely different ways? Even those with similar personality types will have slightly different perspectives on things.
Knowing your personality type can help explain why you may or may not get along with certain people. It may also help you define which profession you’re better suited for, and for parents, how to help steer your children down the correct path, or perhaps explain how and why your children took the path they did.
Acknowledging these similarities and differences in each of us can open a world of understanding about our interaction with other people.
The Debate
Psychologists vary in their opinions as to which particular personality aspects are present from birth and when others develop through life experience, but “experts say that we typically develop our personality type – our preferred way of doing things – through the course of our lives in response to our surroundings and experiences…A common pattern is to develop the dominant aspects of our personality type – those that feel most comfortable – until middle age…However, life rarely allows us to rely solely on the personality traits that come to us naturally...” But psychologists also said “that it’s possible intentionally develop under-used parts of our personality type." (www.bbc.co.uk)
While discovering your personality type cannot be considered a diagnosis of any sort, it is interesting to find out why perhaps you’re more sensitive to others than your brother. Or why you seem to take the lead in things while others seem content to follow.
How to Discover your Personality Type
Throughout history, psychologists and experts have looked to many different means of helping people discover how they fit into the world around them. People looking for these answers believe this process will help them find the right job or the right mate – and they may be right, although there are no guarantees.
The next series of articles will look at the various personality tests available, and the significance of their differing perspectives on personalities, and how knowing these types can help you discover more about yourself and become more comfortable with who you are.
Sources: www.personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com; www.lifepositive.com; www.personalitytype.com; http://wilderdom.com; www.personalitypathways.com; www.bbc.co.uk