No Personality Test Needed to Tell Me That

Coming from a fairly large family, and now having six children of my own, my understanding that people are born acting and thinking differently has been an up close and personal, first hand experience. It doesn't take a personality test to confirm that.

No, duh--Families are not a group of people that think and act alike. Some children come out kicking and screaming and do so (in one way or another) throughout their lives while a sibling seems placid and pretty content with life from womb to tomb. No family is perfect but when a reasonably functional, loving family that puts high priority on family relationships is thrown for a loop by a stubborn, demanding child, it can be, in some cases, just a matter of perspective.

Misbehaving can simply be a cry of "please understand me." Sometimes the best thing a family can do to improve relationships is increase understanding of the way each one views the world. Parent-child relationships get better when parents and children learn and communicate about different personality types. It's a way to pro-actively parent. Knowledge of personality increases patience with individual differences. Personality assessments open our eyes and take us to a new level of enlightenment in a fun, interactive way!

Upside Down, Rush, OReilly, Ferraro and Penguins

If you had told me that someday conservative talk show hosts like Rush and O'Reilly would defend Geraldine Ferraro I might have said something like, "yea, and did you know that we had a penguin living in our backyard in L.A.?" It's an upside down world if you ask me! So what does this have to do with personality tests? I'm not sure. Perhaps it will come to me before I'm finished.

As an impressionable twenty-something year old many years ago--frankly, Ferraro scared me. She was a loud, brass, outspoken Lib: leader of N.O.W. (National Organization for Women) and that wasn't an organization that represented this woman in any way. What a funny thing...in view of her comments she now has the conservative giants backing her statements about Obama. You knew she had to be let go after Obama's mishap with Powers, who called Hillary a monster and was let go from the Obama campaign because of it.

All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergartan, by Robert Fulghum just came to mind. I wonder if anyone reads that anymore or if most of us just missed those lessons. Sometimes I wish all those who missed the lessons could go back and redo Kindergartan.

I really didn't start this blog with the intention of dwelling on politics. It's just that this is the season. I will change the subject...someday. Right now the greatest nation bar none ever to exist in the history of man is facing another important election and I'm concerned. I love America! I want it to stay great. I want it to be the nation that all others can look to as the ideal; something to strive for so that they too can be great and offer liberty, opportunity and justice for all within their borders. I want us to be able to put down oppressive threats in the world and help those who are willing to help themselves. But I see our power and greatness slipping away.

Our nation is great because it was established under God with his hand guiding its formation. We are not responsible for our country's greatness--He is! It was a miracle. But we are now stewards of this gift and have a responsibility to keep it great, and I'm concerned. God has been generous in giving what he has because we have been far from perfect. But we can do better, if we just will.

Okay, now I know what this has to do with Personality Tests. You just discovered my personality--in part anyway. I will tell you (according to the MBTI) that I am an NF: an idealist with an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others. Personality tests can be amazingly accurate!

Same Personalities: McCain and Bush

According to Emily Yoffe in an article entitled Profiles in Personality that she wrote eight years ago, when we were facing another Presidential election, she claims that applying the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI--personality test) to George W. Bush renders him an ESTP. This is the same as John McCain. Since there is a chance that an ESTP may once again occupy the White House what do these letters stand for anyway?

Of course every personality type has criminal and saint within it's boundaries (and I'm not suggesting that either of these men are either of these, or that they're not:) Within the same personality type you can find people with different interests, habits and beliefs. For example JFK and Lyndon Johnson according to David Keirsy, a famous author of books about the MBTI, were also ESTP's.

The MBTI is a way to assess psychiatrist Carl Jung's belief that personality is composed of four poles of temperament preferences. So, what do we know about E, S, T, and P?

A simple explanation of the Bush and McCain personality is this. They are extroverted or expressive (E), observant or sensing (S), tough minded or thinkers (T), and they look for alternatives and like to keep their options open (P). One thing Keirsey has to say about this personality type; "They are decisive and little bothered by second thoughts and self-doubt...." Since [they] do not reflect very much on their errors or analyze their mistakes to any great extent, it is difficult for them to learn from their errors, and so they can become caught in a loop, repeating their mistakes." (resource: http://www.slate.com/id/2184696/pagenum/all/)

Great...I'm not really looking forward to this election. Not just because of personality (it's not really something to base an election on!) but because of several things. As I see it, my option to choose a good Presidential candidate come this Fall is just not there.

Personality Test, Rush, and the "Dream Ticket"

Rush Limbaugh has been criticized for his statement that the so called "dream ticket" (Hillary and Obama as running mates, not necessarily in that order) is nothing of the kind. He claims it's a way for the dems to lose the election. Different liberal democrats speaking out about Rush's assessment have each mentioned that whatever Rush has to say is of no consequence anyway and shouldn't even be considered. Then why are they talking about (i.e. considering) it? What Rush has to say is always considered in political circles. And a personality test offers evidence as to why.

According to the personality test I like to refer to most--the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator--Rush is an ENTJ. This is what Myers calls The Fieldmarshal. They are the "leaders of leaders....superleaders...They are super efficient in marshalling forces in the service of a clearly defined objective....the basic driving force of these Fieldmarshals is to command forces that promise to be effective in achieving the objectives that they are able to visualize."

"[ENTJ's] base their self-image on being ingenious, autonomous, and resolute...[they're] hungry for achievement, seek knowledge...they are prone to practice strategy far more than diplomacy, tactics and logistics." With a minimum waste of effort and maximum progress these leaders "cannot not push to implement their goals." They are unusually good at communicating their vision to others.

Like him or not, it's apparent that Rush has an uncanny ability. He was born with it and it will be with him to the end: that's what personality experts say--temperament or personality traits are set: they are who we are in one sense . What Rush has to say will most likely always be of consequence because he has marshalled and will continue to marshall MANY forces in the field and effectively communicate a vision!

Personality Test and Barack Obama

One cool thing about personality tests is that they have something to say about everyone. I mean everyone has a personality! Right?

The race for the democratic nomination is heating up (or is it already at boiling point?) Who is this passionate, eloquent speaking, good looking, youthful, energetic black man that seemed to appear suddenly? Had you ever heard of Barack Obama before this campaign?

He certainly got quite a following quickly. He seems to appeal to the young voters in this country in a way that no one else has for quite some time now. It's not hard to see why when his declared "vice" is staying up too late every night to watch Sports Center, as opposed to others (old men compared to him) admitting to a vice of smoking cigars. I mean how cool is that!

In Katherine Mangu-Ward's article entitled Myers-Briggsing the Candidates she sums up Hillary's thorn in the side this way:

"Barack Obama—no one will be surprised to learn—is an Idealist. His specific type is an ENFP, what Keirsey [author of books about the personality test called the Myers-Briggs] calls 'the Champion.' ENFPs, says Keirsey, are 'filled with conviction that they can easily motivate those around them.' Champions work to 'kindle, to rouse, to encourage, even to inspire those close to them with their enthusiasm.' Idealists 'usually have a tongue of silver' and are 'gifted in seeing the possibilities' of institutions and people...."

Now is that not true? Personality tests are fun!

Barack is 45 years old and he may not need this...but, some of us do:)
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