Just a Code

It seems so strange to me that a four letter code can sum up my personality. At first, I was very skeptical of this Myers-Briggs test. It just seemed too.. easy? After discovering that my four letter code was ESFP I just had to investigate. What did this test have to say about me.

After doing some research over the internet, I found some surprisingly accurate characteristics that I have. Here's what I found:

• ESFPs love communicating with other people and can spend hours upon hours chatting about various topics. 
• (Very true. I can talk for hours.)
• There is no clearer tell-tale of an ESFP than the fact that someone has just spent the last hour talking about everything but the topic that was supposed to be the main reason for the conversation.
• (Also true. I get distracted veeeery easily while talking.. I feel sorry for my friends!)
• They are immersed in a never-ending performance, trying to cheer other people up.
• Very observant, able to notice and respond to someone’s distressed emotional state.

While I do agree with these traits, I feel as if this test was not 100% accurate. Sure, I do enjoy hanging out with my friends and talking non-stop, however I do not agree with the lack of organization often associated with ESFPs. My teachers and friends often tease me for how organized my notebooks and planners are. While I am very organized with my school work, I am not organized when it comes to making plans. I like to play everything by ear, which is most likely why I am Perceiving. 

"When we put people in boxes where they can only be one or another, we miss the opportunity to see people as diverse as they are"

While I do not agree 100% with my four letter code, I do think that it is very helpful to know what your personality type is. It was helpful hearing what jobs would be good for those with my personality type. As for the personality codes making people seem less diverse, I don't agree with that statement. Just being you are categorized into a certain personality type, does not mean that you fit into that personality type 100%. We also have different levels (or percentages) of each letter in the code, which makes us more unique from one another. 

Overall, I really enjoyed learning what my personality type was. While I do not agree with everything presented before me, it still very helpful and informing to learn about my strengths and weaknesses. With a better understanding of how I work, I believe that it will be easier to work in a group by knowing what my strengths and weaknesses are.