A common issue among college students is an inability to answer the question “who am I?” Maybe I’m the only person who has had an identity crisis…. multiple times… this semester… but I don’t think I am. We all wish we could understand ourselves better, so how on earth can we do that? Here’s the answer. Now, I realize this simple solution to a never-ending problem is a valuable thing to be had, but I offer it free of charge. Five words: The Myers Briggs Personality Test. You’re welcome.
If those five words above mean absolutely nothing to you, read on! I will elaborate! When you are done reading this fantastic article, you will open up a web browser and type in the following website: www.16personalities.com. You will then spend 7-10 minutes (depending on how indecisive you are) answering random but very pertinent questions about yourself. Next, you will read a plethora of information about a person and you will say, “Hey! That sounds just like me!” Then, you will realize, it is you!
“Sadie, you mean to say that in just three steps, I can understand things about my personality that have confused me for the past forever?”
“Yep. I am.”
Now, grasshopper. You must understand that there may be a sentence or two in the description where you think that’s not me at all! That’s okay. That may just mean that this mystical, all-knowing test may not be entirely all-knowing. Give it a break! It’s dividing the entire human race into sixteen categories! You better hope it isn’t dead-on in every aspect for every person of that personality type because that would mean there are about 500 million people with your exact personality. Talk about ruining your sense of individualism.
I, personally, took the test twice while researching, and my results were type ENFP both times. The only difference was the levels on each area (Mind, Energy, Nature, Tactics, and Identity). I took the test several weeks apart, so my guess is that the levels of each area varied because I’m a young, college student who is changing a little bit everyday! Now, If you have a thing against people with the name Sadie or think that short brunettes don’t know anything and you doubt my reliability, then maybe some of our other Aggies can reassure you. When I asked other USU students, 76% of them said it was dead on or in Alex Nissim’s words, “freaky accurate.” 20% of them said it was pretty accurate, but there were one or two things that didn’t quite fit-but remember we decided to be a little forgiving if it wasn’t exact. And only 4% said it was absolutely wrong. Those are some good odds if I do say so myself!
Harper Forsgren, a fellow USU student, described many specific parts of her personality description that were spot on. Her ability to immediately connect with others and her want for them to be able to do the same, her deep concern for the people she loves, and her difficulty in choosing her major because of her wide range of interests were just a few parts that she mentioned.
One interesting case was with Liv Garrido who said, “I got ISFP, I felt like it wasn’t the best fit so I took the quiz again and got ISTP. I think ISTP fits better. I’m not as social, artistically inclined or opinion oriented as the first one suggested. The second one had a lot of similar qualities with the first but it toned down how charismatic I supposedly am, and fit better with why I generally break social norms.” So one thing to consider while taking the test is to assure that you truly consider each answer you give. We all know that sometimes we get tired of taking tests, even the short ones, so we don’t put as much thought into our answers. This is the kind of test, much like your chemistry exam, where if there isn’t genuine thought put into your answers, the result may not be what you hoped for.
Grace Michaelson said, “I’ve taken this test before, and I got ENFJ. It is really accurate for the most part, with the exception of maybe romantic relationships.” She further described a few parts of her given personality description and explained that some details didn’t coincide with what she has noticed in her relationships, but she still felt that the test was still pretty accurate.
To further assure you of this wonderful test and it’s astounding accuracy, I asked all of my co-workers one day to take the test. (It was a slow and boring day, so what else could we be doing?) With each of my dear co-workers, we read their descriptions and laughed hysterically at the truthfulness in them. So not only was this a great bonding moment in the work area, but it was another moment where I said to myself, “Man, this Myers-Briggs guy is really smart!” (Just kidding… it was two women… Girl Power!!!)
Overall, I’ve concluded that this test found at www.16personalitites.com is a great source to go to when we just don’t understand ourselves and need a smart person to explain it to us. This isn’t one of those tests that you take where you get a two-sentence description like “You’re outgoing and popular. You love big parties and having a good time!” This test will provide you with heaps of in-depth information about yourself concerning numerous aspects of your life. So, remember what I said at the beginning of this article? Now it’s your turn! But I do have just one other thought… could this be the next way to track down your soul mate? I mean, find the personality type that is most compatible with yours and you’ve got a match right? I’ll let you know when the Myers-Briggs-Hughes Soul Mate Finder makes it’s way onto the web.
