Friday, April 17, 2009

What Are You?



I have always believed that, if understand a person's personality type, you'll very easily understand what makes him or her tick, as well as why he or she makes the certain choices in life. This is often good knowledge to have in the business world, particularly as I engage clients of increasingly different hues.

One way to reach such a level of understanding even about yourself is through a Myer-Briggs-Jung typology assessment--or for all you commoners, a personality test. LOL. I try to take it annually, just to determine if age and life experiences are changing me fundamental outlook and personality type. So far, though, I am the same guy that I was when I first took a variation of this test as a college freshman.

Here is a very simplified, yet tremendously accurate, version of the personality test...


Well, how did you score? Let us know with a comment. (Remember that you are looking for the four-letter combination, not numbers, as the resulting score...Mr. Guillory.)

Here is mine, as well as an explanation from one of the companion websites that you'll see:

ENFJ

Extraverted iNtuitive Feeling Judging
by Joe Butt

ENFJs are the benevolent 'pedagogues' of humanity. They have tremendous charisma by which many are drawn into their nurturant tutelage and/or grand schemes. Many ENFJs have tremendous power to manipulate others with their phenomenal interpersonal skills and unique salesmanship. But it's usually not meant as manipulation -- ENFJs generally believe in their dreams, and see themselves as helpers and enablers, which they usually are.

ENFJs are global learners. They see the big picture. The ENFJs focus is expansive. Some can juggle an amazing number of responsibilities or projects simultaneously. Many ENFJs have tremendous entrepreneurial ability.

ENFJs are, by definition, Js, with whom we associate organization and decisiveness. But they don't resemble the SJs or even the NTJs in organization of the environment nor occasional recalcitrance. ENFJs are organized in the arena of interpersonal affairs. Their offices may or may not be cluttered, but their conclusions (reached through feelings) about people and motives are drawn much more quickly and are more resilient than those of their NFP counterparts.

ENFJs know and appreciate people. Like most NFs, (and Feelers in general), they are apt to neglect themselves and their own needs for the needs of others. They have thinner psychological boundaries than most, and are at risk for being hurt or even abused by less sensitive people. ENFJs often take on more of the burdens of others than they can bear.

TRADEMARK: "The first shall be last"

This refers to the open-door policy of ENFJs. One ENFJ colleague always welcomes me into his office regardless of his own circumstances. If another person comes to the door, he allows them to interrupt our conversation with their need. While discussing that need, the phone rings and he stops to answer it. Others drop in with a 'quick question.' I finally get up, go to my office and use the call waiting feature on the telephone. When he hangs up, I have his undivided attention!

Extraverted Feeling

Extraverted Feeling rules the ENFJ's psyche. In the sway of this rational function, these folks are predisposed to closure in matters pertaining to people, and especially on behalf of their beloved. As extraverts, their contacts are wide ranging. Face-to-face relationships are intense, personable and warm, though they may be so infrequently achieved that intimate friendships are rare.

Introverted iNtuition

Like their INFJ cousins, ENFJs are blessed through introverted intuition with clarity of perception in the inner, unconscious world. Dominant Feeling prefers to find the silver lining in even the most beggarly perceptions of those in their expanding circle of friends and, of course, in themselves. In less balanced individuals, such mitigation of the unseemly eventually undermines the ENFJ's integrity and frequently their good name. In healthier individuals, deft use of this awareness of the inner needs and desires of others enables this astute type to win friends, influence people, and avoid compromising entanglements.

The dynamic nature of their intuition moves ENFJs from one project to another with the assurance that the next one will be perfect, or much more nearly so than the last. ENFJs are continually looking for newer and better solutions to benefit their extensive family, staff, or organization.

Extraverted Sensing

Sensing is extraverted. ENFJs can manage details, particularly those necessary to implement the prevailing vision. These data have, however, a magical flexible quality. Something to be bought can be had for a song; the same something is invaluable when it's time to sell. (We are not certain, but we suspect that such is the influence of the primary function.) This wavering of sensory perception is made possible by the weaker and less mature status with which the tertiary is endowed.

Introverted Thinking

Introverted Thinking is least apparent and most enigmatic in this type. In fact, it often appears only when summoned by Feeling. At times only in jest, but in earnest if need be, Thinking entertains as logical only those conclusions which support Feeling's values. Other scenarios can be shown invalid or at best significantly inferior. Such "Thinking in the service of Feeling" has the appearance of logic, but somehow it never quite adds up.

Introverted Thinking is frequently the focus of the spiritual quest of ENFJs. David's lengthiest psalm, 119, pays it homage. "Law," "precept," "commandment," "statute:" these essences of inner thinking are the mysteries of Deity for which this great Feeler's soul searched.
Famous ENFJs:
David, King of Israel


U.S. Presidents:
Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan
Barack Obama


William Cullen Bryant, poet
Abraham Maslow, psychologist and proponent of self-actualization
Ross Perot
Sean Connery
Elizabeth Dole
Francois Mitterand
Dick Van Dyke
Andy Griffith
James Garner
William Aramony, former president of United Way
Gene Hackman (Superman, Antz)
Dennis Hopper (Speed)
Brenda Vaccaro
Craig T. Nelson (Coach)
Diane Sawyer (Good Morning America)
Randy Quaid (Bye Bye, Love; Independence Day)
Tommy Lee Jones (The Fugitive)
Kirstie Alley ("Cheers," Look Who's Talking movies)
Michael Jordan, NBA basketball player
Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Oprah Winfrey
Bob Saget (America's Funniest Home Videos)
Julia Louis-Dreyfus ("Seinfeld")
Ben Stiller (The Royal Tenenbaums)
Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts quarterback
Matthew McConaughey (The Wedding Planner)
Pete Sampras, Tennis Champion
Lauren Graham ("Gilmore Girls")
Ben Affleck (The Sum Of All Fears)
John Cusack (High Fidelity)

Fictional ENFJs:
Joe Hackett, Wings

11 comments:

JohnAlex said...

I am ESFP.

And that description is so totally true.

Nick Bailey said...

INTP

efos said...

INTJ

"My mind is made up. Don't confuse me with the facts!" Definately sounds like me.

Jus said...

My type is ENFP.

"ENFPs hate bureaucracy, both in principle and in practice; they will always make a point of launching one of their crusades against some aspect of it." This sounds sort of familiar, eh, Gary?

Taylor said...

ENFP

ryan mcnure said...

i took the test just for the hell of it. i am a ENJF whatever the hell that means. it says that i scored:

extraverted- 28%
intuitive- 38%
feeling- 25%
judging- 1%

this is also what it said:
You are:

--slightly expressed extravert
--moderately expressed intuitive personality
--moderately expressed feeling personality
--slightly expressed judging personality

just thought i would share it with you. later-

Mashoud said...

I am an ENTJ, and according to the profile, I have this procivility for planning and telling other people what to do. Hm. Yes, that's me all right.t

mike carson cares said...

According to this test, I am an ENTP personality type.

What is more interesting to me is yours, Taylor. It's not a wonder you can hold a man since you are so "easily intrigued and distracted by new friends and acquaintances". HA!!!

Just picking, baby.

Jonathan B. Melancon said...

I'm a ENTJ.

Jonathan B. Melancon said...

Want to know something funny and kinda strange...

I took this test over the weekend and submitted the results. Well, by Monday I asked Gary if he had received my post of the results. He said he hadn't. I couldn't remember the sequence of letters labeling my personality type but knew that if I had the list of personality types I would recognize the sequence of letters marking mine. So I just randomly selected yes and no answers to the question without reading them in order to rush through and get to the results page.

The funny thing is that even when I answered the test randomly with no regard to the questions, I still scored the ENTJ personality profile! Weird...

Travis LeGrand said...

I am entp......i should read more about it........but im busy enjoying my alone time right now :)

Popular Posts

The Invisible Hand: Management, Economics and Strategy for the Thinking Person (Audio only)