Week 9 Blog Chapter 12

 

I found Chapter 12 “Personality Assessment” a very interesting chapter to read. I never really thought about what the definition of the word “personality” means. Obviously, many people have over time and they have come up with such varied answers. Personality is a complex issue and thus many different definitions have been given and many varied assessments have been constructed over the years. Personality is what makes us unique. You could have a room full of so called extroverts, and yet they could all be quite different. I feel that personality is hard to define and type at some levels but I love reading about the assessment tools that try to define personality.  Drummond and Jones write, “Probably at the heart of defining personality is consistency. Personality is generally considered to encompass stable and enduring behaviors.” (2010) This statement makes sense to me as I think about the few personality tests I have taken in my life.

Years ago, I took the Meyers-Brigg  Type Indicator. I was 24 years old and in graduate school. I remember scoring very high on the Extrovert scale and thinking to myself that here I was in seminary and the odds of me being reflective are not so great. I am going to have to work on that skill and I did. I took the test again years later and while still a strong Extrovert I was more in the mid-range. I think I came up as an ENFJ (Extrovert, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging). This makes sense to me. When my husband Scott took the test, he came up my complete opposite (ISTP). We laughed at this saying “opposites attract” but it our types have caused some friction between us over the years. I sometimes have to remember that we just look at things quite differently.

My book club goes on a retreat once a year. Two years ago the twelve of us went to the beach. Our focus for the weekend (besides drinking wine and having fun!) was to take the Ennegram type indicator. I am a Seven (accomplished, extroverted, spontaneous, acquisitive, and scattered) if I remember correctly. It was interesting that some folks knew very quickly what number they were and did not question the description. Others really struggled. We used the group and resource books to help us process our questions and concerns. It was really interesting and I gained a new level of understanding about some of my dear friends. I think that is really what it is all about; gaining a deeper or new level of understanding about ourselves and others. Wasn’t it Plato who said, “An unexamined life isn’t worth living”? I believe that so many years later, this is still so true. At least for me.

 

 

Drummond, R. J. and Jones, K. (2010). Assessment procedures for counselors and helping professionals. (7th ed.).

           Upper Saddle RIver, NJ: Pearson.