En av mina chefer på Ankaret är liksom jag en ENFP-individ, en av de 16 olika personlighetstyper som förekommer i Myers-Briggs typologin, som jag tidigare bloggade om i samband med bravepeople.se
I likhet med mig är han tydligen fascinerad av det här psykologiska kategoriseringssystemet, så i fredags gick vi alla på Ankaret genom testet med de 70 frågorna som avgör vilka fyra bokstäver som kan anses beskriva vår personlighetstyp.
Om du går genom testet och sedan googlar på "din" bokstavskombination, dyker det upp en hel del läsbart! :)
Jag är mycket imponerad av träffsäkerheten i beskrivningarna och skulle nästan vilja påstå att detta är ett mera vetenskapligt accepterat sätt att uttrycka samma sanningar som ett horoskop gör!
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• Needs to focus on following through with their projects
• Habit of dropping a project when they become excited about a new possibility, and thus they never achieve the great accomplishments which they are capable of achieving
• Ability to intuitively perceive the truth about a person or situation, but when they apply judgment to their perception, they jump to the wrong conclusions
• Place no importance on detailed, maintenance-type tasks

AND, if you're an employer looking for someone with the below ENFP traits, you know who to look for :) I guess this is how my resume should sound like. Hmm. Maybe I'll just copy and paste this under my resume's "Profile" section..

* Project-oriented
* Bright and capable
* Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills
* Extremely intuitive and perceptive about people
* Able to relate to people on their own level
* Service-oriented; likely to put the needs of others above their own
* Future-oriented
* Dislike performing routine tasks
* Need approval and appreciation from others
* Cooperative and friendly
* Creative and energetic
* Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
* Natural leaders, but do not like to control people
* Resist being controlled by others
* Can work logically and rationally - use their intuition to understand the goal and work backwards towards it
* Usually able to grasp difficult concepts and theories

Do a 5-minute test here to discover your type.

Or better yet "25 things AND the kitchen sink"

Opening my mouth and saying the words "challenge me" isn't always a good  thing to do.  Ironically I still have a choice as to whether I do this or not but I am going to because it instils great fear within me - by that fear I know that this is important.

That said I have to do two things:

1. List 25 attributes that I really like about myself

2. List 25 attributes that other people like about me

Now in each of these they are meant to be good qualities, hell I can come up with a whole bunch of the bad things but no apparently this just won't do.  What I am about to do may come across as blowing my own horn (huh weird saying) - just so that you know this surpasses the last post, 25 feels like a million, a bit like crossing a river infested with crocodiles and hippo's.  If you don't agree with anything that I have written please correct me as always.

n.   at·tri·bute (āt'rə-byōōt')

1. A quality or characteristic inherent in or ascribed to someone or something.

25 attributes that I really like about myself (in no particular order)

1. I am good on my word, if I say I will do something I do it
2. If I go in on a challenge I do it fully, I don't back out.
3. I face my fears head on
4. I love fully and with an open heart
5. I am a giver, I will give you the last cent I have if you needed it
6. My sense of humour, although I can't remember jokes I can make a joke out of anything.
7. I am honest and I hate lies
8. The fact that I am blunt but always with sugar, I will say what needs to be said. If it is bad then it is always delivered or followed by something good.
9. My compassion for anything with a beating heart
10. My understanding of people, what makes them tick, why they do things and their emotions.
11. I always have time for others in need 
12. My honest interest in other people, if I talk to you then it is with my full attention
13. I think out of the box, often coming up with different ways of working or doing something that is better than before.
14. My creativity in both my thinking and doing
15. My memory, both a curse and a gift.  When I was a kid people looked at me funny because I could do the memory game in no time, remembered faces and names, dates, everything.  I used to care and started to hide it.  Now I don't.
16. I am positive in nature and always like to see the good in people and situations. 
17. My optimism also irritates so many, not me, deal with it
18. My ability to get a room full of strangers working together, talking, joking and ultimately encouraging their friendship with each other.
19. I am open minded with everything and anything
20. My willingness to try new things no matter what they are only deciding once I have done it whether I like it or not - within my moral compass of course.
21. My "label free" way of being, the fact that I take people for who they are not what they are
22. My ability to read situations and know the true intentions of others or the actual situation itself
23. My intuition has saved my life many times over, call it what you will, it's saved my bacon.
24. The fact that I will never use people to get ahead.
25. Does the ability to dance count? When I dance people stare, which is the part I don't like, but my body moves in ways that most people can't move.
26. I am spontaneous and love just doing, being in the moment
27. My inner child that is always close to the surface, I will always be young at heart as long as I climb trees, fly kits and build daisy chains.
28. The extra one is for brownie points and because I hate following rules, I live by my morals and not others and I am extremely stubborn.  Wait... I managed 27 - that is a bonus point.

That's it right?

25 attributes that other people like about me (in no particular order)

I can't really put words into other peoples mouths so I will keep these to a minimum of what I think others think about me - the good things

1. My creativity
2. My Ability to laugh
3. My Empathy
4. My Sense of humour
5. My playful nature
6. My Compassion
7. My Empathy
8. My Love of people
9. My Honesty
10. My vision of equality
11. My Optimism
12. My Positivity
13. My Communication skills
14. My inner child
15. My natural technical ability
16. My humility
17. The heart I put into everything I do
18. My ability to teach someone how to turn on a computer
19. My general knowledge
20. My memory
21. My willingness to learn
22. My dictionary
23. My willingness to try anything
24. The genuine friendship that I offer and that is always there
25. My fairness in all things
26. My daisy making skills
27. Not my coffee making skills
28. Come on I had to add the last one... ok replace it with my love of cookies?

Hmmm that challenge smacked of CBT... If any of this is true then ok I accept but it was really weird having to put that all together. I have never felt more uncomfortable in my life.

I am me, I have never really thought of the good things because we are always told to fix the bad things - fix the bad things enough you kind of forget the good stuff that makes you who you are.

I hand over the challenge to you, take it up if you want, if not that is also ok...

These have been an incredibly introspective few months. Normally, I like to share almost everything that's going on in my life with those around me. I talk a lot. These past few months... not so much. I've really only spoken with a few people to get some insight into various life altering changes. To those people... thank you.

I am - according to Mr. Jung,and the folks at Meyers Briggs - an extrovert. an "E." For those not familiar with the MBTI personality test, it is essentially a psychological tool used to asses how one interacts with and processes events and information. As an "extrovert," I recharge my proverbial internal battery by interacting with others. While others need personal time to reflect and recharge, my "down" time is usually spent with others. I've always been that way; save for some rare occasions, I've always felt lonely and anxious when I'm alone for extended periods of time.

So as an "E," I find it extremely odd that I've withdrawn from blogging and talking to people - even some of my best friends - over the past few months. At a time when I've required the greatest amount of recharging and reenergizing, I've drawn into myself and spent a great deal of time on my own. I stopped blogging. I haven't spoken with my family as much. I haven't spoken with my best friends. It has been a strange few months.

And yet, this sudden, seemingly strange change in my behaviour is also extremely comforting for me. Over the past few months (really years), I have been engaged in a great internal debate. If I hadn't noticed a change in my normal behaviour, I fear my choices might have wound up being a little too callous or arbitrary. So while I am growing increasingly tired of people hiding behind their MBTI "bar code," claiming that "oh, I'm an 'F' you'll have to excuse me while I go hug someone...", I am also quite relieved to have been acquainted with it, as it has been of great assistance to me.

Over the course of these months, I have reached the culmination of one of the greatest personal challenges I have ever faced. It has been an ongoing struggle - one that has lasted for many years. Three weeks ago, I woke up at camp and was pleased to realize that I had finally made a decision that I had been pondering for years. I made what is likely going to be one the most important decisions of my life. Three weeks ago, I called my directors at school and withdrew from my studies at the National Theatre School of Canada.

And I feel good. Great, really. To get a sense of how long it took me to come to this decision, look at this post of mine from two years ago. Or this one, from three and a half years ago. The internal debate has been raging for quite some time now, and thankfully, it is over.

Over the course of the year at theatre school, I had felt as though I've been sacrificing a little too much of myself for the sake of theatre. For someone who has lived and breathed theatre for as long as I can remember, this was a very painful revelation. So while theatre will remain close to my heart (and body), I will be returning to Jewish youth work, where the sacrifices will be more rewarding and hopefully a little less painful.

And that's the story of the past few months.

Outside of my personal developments, I am pleased to note that this has been the greatest summer at camp I have ever had. I will write more on that later.

In response, I "wasted" another half of a day researching possible causes.  I came up with, this has always and forever been a part of my personality.  Sure enough, after taking another Myers-Brigg personality test, I rang up an ENFP as usual.  Every description I read is 100% accurate to how I function, react, relate, etc...  Major problems for ENFP's, especially at work, are in the areas of boredom, follow-through and details.  While I consider myself "detail oriented," I only mean that in terms of "no detail escapes my notice."  I said nothing about that I actually do something about the details nor that I continue to pay attention to them once I've noticed.  While I'm smart and strategic, I don't care to see projects through to completion.  Discovery is way more interesting than the minutia of bringing the project to life. 

Hence hating my job.  If my job was truly and 100% about client management, I'd be fine.  Nothing makes me happier or energizes me more than helping clients and keeping them happy.  However, handling contract details, calling and making sure the other people do their job and actually look at the contract, and fulfilling the contract details is just simply not my thing.  We also have a new system that I simply "can't" use.  I hate forced systems.   I hate being boxed in and having too many processes (not of my choosing) that I have to follow.  While I see the need for such things in general and the big picture benefit, I still can't stand to use them. 

I need to focus on a new career.  If I had really thought through everything at 17, I wouldn't have gone to the same college of my ex-husband (then boyfriend).  I wouldn't have majored in such a generic area (communications).  I would have probably gone to Duke or Kansas University... and majored in criminal justice and psychology with the intent of becoming a profiler.  Either that or I should have gone to law school like I wanted to before I was stupid enough to give up my dreams to graduate early (college in 3 years) and get married.

Hindsight 20/20.  So what have I learned?  Stop applying for jobs that require detail management and seeing projects to completion.  Smart doesn't translate into long-term "doing." Stop applying for jobs at family owned companies masquarading as corporations.  Stop applying for jobs in big companies that don't have a good centralized system of management.  Stop applying for jobs in industries that are grossly affected by economic up and downs.  Start assessing my God-given strengths in terms of best career matches.  Start looking for small-mid sized companies where employees love to work.  Interview employees that work there to assess management.  Really research a company's benefit package before deciding to work there.  And above all...I need to find something I can be passionate about long-term.

Jo, det är resultatet av min personlighetstest som jag tog på bravepeople.se.

Resultatet finns här. Klicka bara på texten eller knappen!

Ta gärna ett eget test! ENFP är en av de 16 personlighetstyper som förekommer i Myer-Briggs Type Indicator, som i sin tur bygger på Carl Gustav Jungs typologiska teorier.
Läs även andra bloggares åsikter om Personlighetstest, bravepeople.se, Carl Gustav Jung, Personlighetstyper, ENFP, Myer-Briggs Type Indicator, Typologi, Teorier, Egoorienterat, Wikipedia

I decided to do a Myers Briggs personality test and see if I agree with the findings.  In fact, I decided to do 3 Myer Briggs tests to see if the results were consistent.  What I found was that based on wording of questions and how they were scored, I got 3 different results.  Funnily enough, I could find truth in all of the results. 

For those that know me or think they know me, which assessment do you think is more accurate?

Test 1 Results - INFP

The Idealist

 
You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world.
Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships.
It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close.
But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop.

In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards.
You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings.

At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values.
You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist.

How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual

When other people don't get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

Test 2 Results - ESFJ

Providers take it upon themselves to insure the health and welfare of those in their care, but they are also the most sociable of all the Guardians, and thus are the great nurturers of social institutions such as schools, churches, social clubs, and civic groups. Providers are very likely more than ten percent of the population, and this is fortunate for the rest of us, because friendly social service is a key to their nature. Wherever they go, Providers happily give their time and energy to make sure that the needs of others are met, and that social functions are a success.

Highly cooperative themselves, Providers are skilled in maintaining teamwork among their helpers, and are also tireless in their attention to the details of furnishing goods and services. They make excellent chairpersons in charge of dances, banquets, class reunions, charity fund-raisers, and the like. They are without peer as masters of ceremonies, able to speak publicly with ease and confidence. And they are outstanding hosts or hostesses, knowing everyone by name, and seemingly aware of what everyone's been doing. Providers love to entertain, and are always concerned about the needs of their guests, wanting to make sure that all are involved and provided for.

Friendly, outgoing, neighborly - in a word, Providers are gregarious, so much so that they can become restless when isolated from people. They love to talk with others, and will often strike up a conversation with strangers and chat pleasantly about any topic that comes to mind. Friendships matter a great deal to Providers, and their conversations with friends often touch on good times from years past. Family traditions are also sacred to them, and they carefully observe birthdays and anniversaries. In addition, Providers show a delightful fascination with news of their friends and neighbors. If we wish to know what's been going on in the local community, school, or church, they're happy to fill us in on all the details.

Providers are extremely sensitive to the feelings of others, which makes them perhaps the most sympathetic of all the types, but which also leaves them somewhat self-conscious, that is, highly sensitive to what others think of them. Loving and affectionate themselves, they need to be loved in return. In fact, Providers can be crushed by personal criticism, and are happiest when given ample appreciation both for themselves personally and for the tireless service they give to others.

Test 3 Results - ENFP

outgoing, social, disorganized, easily talked into doing silly things, spontaneous, wild and crazy, acts without thinking, good at getting people to have fun, pleasure seeking, irresponsible, physically affectionate, risk taker, thrill seeker, likely to have or want a tattoo, adventurous, unprepared, attention seeking, hyperactive, irrational, loves crowds, rule breaker, prone to losing things, seductive, easily distracted, open, revealing, comfortable in unfamiliar situations, attracted to strange things, non punctual, likes to stand out, likes to try new things, fun seeker, unconventional, energetic, impulsive, empathetic, dangerous, loving, attachment prone, prone to fantasy

With the results of each of these tests, I can see myself in all of them. 

But did I really learn anything about myself?  Hard to say, really.  If I had done 3 tests and come out with same results each time I might be more apt to believe in the test.  Considering I did 3 tests and answered all the questions honestly, who is to say which one is right - or are any of them right?  Shouldn't I just trust myself? 

It's scary that companies use tests like these to determine if you are a good "fit" for their company's culture.  How do they know that the test they are using is going to give them the best definitive answer of that individual's personality?  Clearly, depending on which test you take, the results can differ, and would that have an effect on your ability to be hired?  Does knowing you are taking a personality test change your answers?  I hope these are all good questions.

However, there really is only one true Myers-Briggs Type Indicator but I didn't want to pay $150.00 to take it.  I guess I'll just have to settle for being an enigma.

I like to say that most of the world is brainwashed by the garbage that society puts out as correct behavior but he is not. He actually uses his own brain. When I first met him he would ask me random questions about myself. As much as I hate talking about myself, I didn’t mind with him. He strung together questions and responses in such a way that I felt completely comfortable talking to him (even though I’m not nearly as good as stringing together questions and responses as him). Most people who try talking to me annoy me after a while. He hasn’t annoyed me (so far). I actually ask him questions about himself, which is rare for me. Usually I don’t care about people’s lives. I actually look forward to talking to him more so I can pick his mind on different philosophical concepts and social problems.

It’s funny that he wasn’t aware of my introversion until I told him. I act extroverted at work for the purpose of making sales. He said he thought I was outgoing but it began to make sense to him as he started to remember some of the things I told him. (like not going out much and spending my time writing)

I never thought I’d meet another person I can have a good conversation with. Unfortunately life has told me all that all platonic friendships with men end in disappointment, so I’ll see how this goes. I could have a really good friend in the future here or nothing at all.

I scored ENFP nothing new there. I've always scored that personality type. What's funny is that their aren't many ENFP's in the world. and Most tend to become politicians. Interesting. OH and a perfect match for a friend for an ENFP is an ENFJ... which is what Carrie is! things do indeed work out.

On theologian I scored Barth. Which is fine by me. I love 'ol Karl. I may have preferred to have scored Bonnehoffer, but don't think he was an option. And I was surprised that I am closer to Schielermacher than Moltman. But hey it was only a 30 question quiz.

Just google these quizes if you want to take them. and post your results if you like.

ok bye

It has occurred to me that the aspect of my personality that I lack the most self-confidence in is being an extrovert.  While I absolutely thrive from being with people and being around people, being in the limelight sends me into an utter panic.  I am not self-confident enough to open myself up to critique and criticism.  I do not have enough confidence to believe that I am who I am regardless of what others say about me.  I need others to reaffirm that who I am is okay.  I am working on that.

Here's what they have to say about me.  (I underlined the things I see in myself)

ENFPs are friendly folks. Most are really enjoyable people. Some of the most soft-hearted peopleare ENFPs.

ENFPs have what some call a "silly switch." They can be intellectual, serious, all business for a while, but whenever they get the chance, they flip that switch and become CAPTAIN WILDCHILD, the scourge of the swimming pool, ticklers par excellence. Sometimes they may even appear intoxicated when the "switch" is flipped.

One study has shown that ENFPs are significantly overrepresented in psychodrama. Most have a natural propensity for role-playing and acting.

ENFPs like to tell funny stories, especially about their friends. This penchant may be why many are attracted to journalism. I kid one of my ENFP friends that if I want the sixth fleet to know something, I'll just tell him.

ENFPs are global learners. Close enough is satisfactory to the ENFP, which may unnerve more precise thinking types, especially with such things as piano practice ("three quarter notes or four ... what's the difference?") Amazingly, some ENFPs are adept at exacting disciplines such as mathematics.

Friends are what life is about to ENFPs, moreso even than the other NFs. They hold up their end of the relationship, sometimes being victimized by less caring individuals. ENFPs are energized by being around people. Some have real difficulty being alone , especially on a regular basis.

ENFPs sometimes can be blindsided by their secondary Feeling function. Hasty decisions based on deeply felt values may boil over with unpredictable results. More than one ENFP has abruptly quit a job in such a moment.

Functional Analysis:

Extraverted iNtuition

The physical world, both geos and kosmos, is the ENFP's primary source of information. Rather than sensing things as they are, dominant intuition is sensitive to things as they might be. These extraverted intuitives are most adept with patterns and connections. Their natural inclination is toward relationships, especially among people or living things.

Intuition leans heavily on feeling for meaning and focus. Its best patterns reflect the interesting points of people, giving rise to caricatures of manner, speech and expression.

Introverted Feeling

Auxiliary feeling is nonverbally implied more often than it is openly expressed. When expressed, this logic has an aura of romance and purity that may seem out of place in this flawed, imperfect world. In its own defense, feeling judgement frequently and fleetly gives way to humor. ENFPs who publicize their feelings too often may put off some of the crowd of friends they naturally attract.

Extraverted Thinking

Thinking, the process which runs to impersonal conclusions, holds the extraverted tertiary position. Used on an occasional basis, ENFPs may benefit greatly from this ability. Less mature and lacking the polish of higher order functions, Thinking is not well suited to be used as a prominent function. As with other FP types, the ENFP unwary of Thinking's limitations may find themselves most positively mistaken.

Introverted Sensing

Sensing, the least discernible ENFP function, resides in the inner world where reality is reduced to symbols and icons--ideas representing essences of external realities. Under the influence of the ever-present intuition, the ENFP's sensory perceptions are in danger of being replaced by hypothetical data consistent with pattern and paradigm. When it is protected and nourished, introverted sensing provides information about the fixed. From such firm anchoring ENFPs are best equipped to launch into thousands of plausibilities and curiosities yet to be imagined.

Perhaps the combination of introverted Feeling and childlike introverted Sensing is responsible for the silent pull of ENFPs to the wishes of parents, authority figures and friends. Or perhaps it's the predominance of indecisive intuition in combination with the ambiguity of secondary Fi and tertiary Te that induces these kind souls to capitulate even life-affecting decisions. Whatever the dynamic, ENFPs are strongly influenced by the opinions of their friends.

Famous ENFPs:

Franz Joseph Haydn
Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
Will Rogers
Buster Keaton
Theodor "Dr." Seuss Geisel (The Cat in the Hat)
Mickey Rooney
James Dobson ("Focus on the Family")
Andy Rooney
Carol Burnett
Paul Harvey
Elizabeth Montgomery (Bewitched)
Bill Cosby (Ghost Dad)
Dom Delouise, actor
Dave Thomas, owner of Wendy's hamburger chain
Lewis Grizzard, newspaper columnist
I. King Jordan, president of Gallaudet University
Martin Short, actor-comedian
Meg Ryan, actor (When Harry Met Sally)
Robin Williams, actor, comedian (Dead Poet's Society, Mrs. Doubtfire)
Sandra Bullock, actor (Speed, While You Were Sleeping)
Robert Downey (Heart and Souls)
Alicia Silverstone (Clueless)
Sinbad
Andy Kaufman
Regis Philbin
 
Fictional:
Dr. Doug Ross (ER)
Balkie (Perfect Strangers)
Ariel (The Little Mermaid)
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Steve Irkle

So in taking the test, I've always found myself to be an ENFP (Extroverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiver) and according to the nicknames given for each personality type, I'm the Inspirer, Catalyst, or Champion. (Secretly, these nicknames really feed me my ego). So the point of this post is to show you how completely true of me it is that I am an ENFP. Let me preface all of this by noting some key components of an ENFP.

They are beings of curiosity which leads them to seek discovery. They are full of enthusiasm and always children at heart. They are never ones to follow the rules and always like to have their options open. They are ones for creative expression, never measured obligations. They are learners of all different kinds and styles, always in search for that ultimate truth and knowledge. They are never conventional, but instead seeking ways to rethink the traditional. Does that give you a good picture?

Now on to what tipped off this post. I was perusing through my facebook profile and it dawned on me. I am the poster child ENFP!! let me explain by first showing you my facebook profile.

evidence I am an ENFP

Activities: my attempt at child-likeness. the evidence that I never seek to live a serious moment, and have yet to abandon my child-like ways.

Interests: is that not the ENFP's motto?

Favorite Music: these are all bands that are defined by their ability to improvise. they bend the traditional genres they are often placed in. they are delightfully unpredictable, just like an ENFP

Favorite TV Shows: I'm not sure about Sportscenter, but the rest of the shows are all about life's limitless possibilities. They're about what could happen; dreams coming true; and a bunch of regular guys living out what they've always dreamed of.

Favorite Movies: Forrest Gump (an ENFP's signature movie about how life's pregnant with possibilities), Shawshank & Schindler's (all about the human element, how life is viewed through the lens of human relationships), Dumb 'n Dumber (it rings true to the childlike heart in me)

Favorite Books: All seem to fall in line with Christian thinkers/writers, but what's Roald Dahl doing in there? I guess it's a cry from the child in me.

Favorite Quote: You may often hear an ENFP saying, "Let's see if we can do this a new way...shall we?"

If you want to do a full test to see what you are go here Personality Test

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer    You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends.You are also unconventional, irreverent, and unimpressed by authority and rules.Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives.You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're quite the storyteller! In love, you are quite the charmer. And you are definitely willing to risk your heart. You often don't follow through with your flirting or professed feelings. And you do break a lot of hearts. At work, you are driven but not a workaholic. You just always seem to enjoy what you do. You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist. How you see yourself: compassionate, unselfish, and understanding When other people don't get you, they see you as: gushy, emotional, and unfocused

Dear Orpheus,

    The rain is gently falling right now. There’s nothing better, and as soothing, as the sound of raindrops hitting the canopy of trees. Even if that canopy is a bit bare right now.

I imagine someday building a house somewhere near Babar’s Kingdom, between the land of Tranquility and land of Dreams. I like everything that’s contained on the continent of Wisdom. Don’t care too much for the land of Reason. Every summer I’d take off to visit other locales around the subcontinent. I don’t think I’d be much of an intercontinental flyer. I’d probably keep a second home, a place I could get away and write, somewhere in the Shakespearean Mountains near the land of Imagination. Actually, I think I’d be rather gypsy like, and never really settle down. I mean I’d keep two homes, but I’d need to travel a lot. Weekend jets to the land of Eros. Definitely lots of camping near Lake Da Vinci and Cezanne’s Vistas. Speaking of Cezanne.

Last night I was sharing with Cho about my project I’m working on. And plans for possible major change into photography And just general life talk. That project involving colors, mandalas, and cross-cultural symbolism. Of course, a cold front is moving in, so my head won’t clear until it actually rains. I don’t know why. I think this is why I was banished from the land of Reason. I’m a dreamer. A day dream believer. Only, there’s not too much room for my kind in this world anymore.

Still, this map is in keeping with the idea of surrealism. I’d say that’s definitely a term that defines the way I look at this world. Another one of the things Cho and I discussed. I guess what really interests me is the way other people view the world, which in turn is why I find art so interesting. Mainly music, the fine arts, and writing. I can hear, see, and think what someone else is feeling. On Myers-Briggs, I alternate between INFP and ENFP. I’ve known I teetered between extrovertism and introvertism. The NFP is in stone, the I and E alternate. (Try the Test) It has me pegged as a dreamer, so I knowI’d fit in the land of Dreams and the land of Imagination. And, I guess, explains my love of surrealism. I’m scatter brained today. Perhaps I’ll get to a point eventually.

Back to my discussion with Cho. Discussing the interest of knowing how others perceive the world. It is but one of the things we can’t do. We have approximations, through art, on how other people experience the world. For some people, it is meaningless to know how other people experience the world. I think this ties into what Amy and I talk about. Some people are nurturers, and others are ones to be nurtured. That’s where we share similarities. We don’t necessarily like to take care of people, but it comes very naturally. Perhaps as a result of having a younger sibling. Who knows. Anyways, I think those with a nurturing nature have an inclination to want to know how others feel and perceive the world, if only to help in nurturing them and creating a safe environment. Eliminating perceived threats. What not.

I guess the thing with nurturing is it helps, for Amy and me at least, to focus less on ourselves. I spend an awful lot of time thinking. Perhaps all the time. The whole reason this blog exists is my obsession with thinking about everything under, over and inside the sun. If you’re helping someone else, then you can focus on them, their mindset and what will make them happy. It’s just a shift of obsessions. There are some manner of things we can’t do for ourselves (change who we are), but there are actions we can do for others. Transference, really.

On the continent in the land of Dreams, outside Morpheus City, is where I reside. In a house I call Château de Rêves. With a poofy bichon frisé named Orpheus and a slate grey cat with cornflower-blue eyes named Baudelaire. And a lover to call my own. This gives me the idea for a short story I’ll need to remind myself to actually begin later on. This weekend will be good for me. Hopefully I’ll get up to Wilmington soon and see the Moon.

Signed,

Apparently I have an ENFP (extroverted, intuitive, feeling, perceptive) type personality. Everything in the personality portrait seemed to be dead on for me, so perhaps the part about career paths holds some truth too...

Possible Career Paths for the ENFP:

• Consultant (Perhaps political consultant?)
• Psychologist (I'm probably too crazy for this)
• Entrepreneur (Sounds good)
• Actor (Awesome)
• Teacher (I'd be pretty lax on homework, that's for sure)
• Counselor (Doesn't sound too bad)
• Politician / Diplomat (Awesome)
• Writer / Journalist (This would work too)
• Television Reporter (Insert "Anchorman" quote here)
• Computer Stuff (I reworded this one a bit)
• Scientist (A mad scientist, perhaps)
• Engineer (I'll pass on the math, thank you very much)

Apparently Martin Luther King, Jr., Ghandi, Thomas Paine, Tim Burton, Stephen Spielburg, Dr. Seuss, Robin Williams, Bill Cosby, and Eleanor Roosevelt where all ENFP's.

However, there have been no American Presidents with this personality type (Kennedy was an INFP, the "I" standing for introverted). I did read that Barack Obama shares this personality type, so he might be our first black president and our first ENFP president.

Barack Obama—no one will be surprised to learn—is an Idealist. His specific type is an ENFP, what Keirsey 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. Here's Obama on leadership: "[W]e need leaders to inspire us. Some are thinking about our constraints, and others are thinking about limitless possibility."

-From Slate.Com

Here's Sherri Shepherd, showing that she doesn't understand the concept of B.C.

And here's Jacob Bronowski, in the early 1970s series THE ASCENT OF MAN, talking about the dangers of ignorance and dogma.

Primary Colors - Interesting in the context of personality types and presidential candidates.  Bill Clinton (an Enneagram Three Type and ENTP, Myers-Briggs type) is played by John Travolta (also a Three in real life).  Hillary Clinton (an Enneagram Type One and INTJ, Myers-Briggs type) is played by Emma Thompson (also a One in real life).  The casting for these roles is perfect.  If you want to understand the dynamics between Bill and Hillary, Bill's personality on the campaign trail vs. Hillary's you've got to watch (or rewatch this movie).  Great insight.  Watch how Bill Clinton (Three, ENTP) modifies (manipulates?) his handshakes, his manners, his speech to adapt to his audience in the film.  There's a connection between Obama and Bill Clinton as political campaigners given their similar personalities.  Both are Enneagram Type Threes (charming, seductive, charismatic, optimistic, hopeful, manipulative?, phony?, narcissistic?) .  Both are NF Myers Briggs types which means that they can "instantly connect" with voters.  They are intuitive and feeling oriented which means that they can pick up and "use" the energy of the audience to their advantage.  They come across as being compassionate, concerned and empathetic.  NFs are generally good counselors, "cheerleaders" and counselors because of their strong communication (listening skills) , empathy, insight and positive feedback.  On the downside,  personality types like Bill Clinton and Obama can come across as "phony", "dishonest" "lying" and "manipulative" - and, in fact, in  their unhealthy states "Threes" can be.  Monica Lewinsky comes to mind....  Threes tend to value efficiency and political expediency which means they can have a tendency to "cut corners", to "tell white lies" for the purposes of getting done what they want to get done.  If you watch Primary Colors with a critical eye you'll be able to see what I mean....   

Ralph Nadar: An Unreasonable Man - Great documentary.  I didn't know a lot about Nadar before I viewed the movie.  It was very inspiring to me.  He really is a largely "unsung" hero of the American people.  I bet most Americans have little idea as to the vast number of consumer protection and safety legislation and reform Nadar has successfully crusaded.  He has saved the lives of thousands of people from traffic accidents that would have otherwise resulted in fatalities had his safety legislation not passed Congress.  Nadar is the founder of the group Public Citizen, a watchdog agency that oversees consumer safety issues in most every aspect of Americans lives.  I greatly respect his intellect, determination and integrity.   Although, I don't believe that he should be president of the United States, I believe he makes a rational argument for the need for a three party system in this country.  He also makes the important point that true liberals are "shooting themselves in the foot" by moving to the center --> right to get votes.  Liberal politicans would actually be more successful if acted on integrity and conviction, if they stood for the issues that true liberal value, made sure that their platforms reflected interests of liberal voters rather than selling themselves and their party out to the right (and corporations).   

The Queen - Not really a great movie.  But interesting in the context of the "Obama as Savior" political phenomenon.  The British press has picked up on the "gushy" sentiments conveyed by many Obama supporters at the mere mention of his name...Obamites get weak in the knees...their hearts begin to race...  A similar phenomenon occurred after the death of Princess Diana.  Hordes of British dropping off flowers at the castles for weeks after her death,  camping out for days at the castle, crying, expressing strong sentiment for a woman they really didn't know but felt they did (Idol Worship?)  The fact that "royalty" is an antiquated concept having been replaced with a representational democracy seems to be have lost on the folks that idealized her.  There seems to be no contradication in emoting over the death of a woman who chose the life of a "princess" for the access to fame and power the royal family provided.  I am amazed that so many British people continue to believe in their own Camelot "fairytale" of royal goodness and benevolence.  The fact that Diana traveled as a world ambassador not so much as a promoter of charity, but rather for the benefit of public relations.  As Tony Blair acknowledges in the movie,  Princess Diana possessed charisma embodied people with a "sense of hope".  It was in the interest of England, and politicans like Tony Blair, at the time to maintain this "positive spin" of "hope" for England, "hope" for those oppressed in third world countries (even if England was responsible for the oppression), regardless of economic and political events that pointed to the contrary.  Royalty was able to use Diana to bolster their self image as well.   But the truth is that there really wasn't much depth or substance to Diana.  Her power lied in her ability to evoke "sympathy" (ironic given the unequal access she had to fame, power and wealth via the royal family - I guess she ended up using the royal family in the end).   Obama has been called "Princess Obama" in the British press because he is able to evoke similar emotions on the part of Americans - the idea of "hope", "progress", "benevolence" and "kindness" without having to produce a single act - a specific policy or a specific plan which would legitimately engender those feelings, in my view.   Would "hope" be enough to move this nation forward in a progressive fashion?  Not so IMO, when the candidate in question has sold out to corporate interests, but his supporters still haven't figured it out...

The End of Suburbia - Thought provoking. Similar to "An Inconvenient Truth", not a movie for the "faint of heart".  Provides a history of the development of American suburban society over most of the last century.  The consequences of this kind of community development is that it has left most Americans completely dependent on their automobiles as its primary source of transportation.  Quality of life has diminished as Americans are forced to drive hours a day to get to their workplaces.  The Walmartization of communities has occurred as small business are forced out of communities where they can no longer compete.  Natural resources are being depleted from the world at an alarming rate.  We have already reached the point of "diminishing returns" when it comes to the world's oil supply.  And when the world's oil supply is gone...it will be gone.  The so-called alternative fuel sources are not really practical, require more energy to produce and really will not resolve the problem.  Globalization becomes a questionable future in a scenario where the world does not have enough fuel (or fuel is too costly) to transport goods around the world.  We will have to find creative ways to become self-sufficient as communities else we will not survive as a nation.  Or we can all go to sleep and hope it was all a bad dream?

ENFP laiko intensyvias emocijas būtina gyvenimo dalimi – vis dėlto, patys jas patirdami dažnai jaučiasi nepatogiai, kadangi bijo prarasti savo tikrųjų jausmų (kurių turi itin platų spektrą) kontrolę.

ENFP nuolat stebi savo aplinką ir yra mažai tikėtina, jog koks nors bent truputį išskirtinis dalykas praslys jiems pro akis. Šio tipo žmonės yra puikūs stebėtojai, galintys itin stipriai susikoncentruoti ties kitu žmogumi ir kartu nepertraukiamai justi pokyčius savo aplinkoje. Reikia pastebėti, jog ENFP dėmesys visada yra tik tiesioginis – ne pasyvus ar atsitiktinis. ENFP dažnai gali „pagauti“ save analizuojantį praeities įvykius per kitų žmonių motyvų prizmę, taip ieškant paslėptos jų žodžių ar veiksmų prasmės. Dėl to, jog toks vertinimas paprastai yra neigiamas (o dar dažniau – klaidingai neigiamas), ENFP gali padaryti rimtų klaidų, vertindami kai kuriuos dalykus. Tokių klaidų kilmė – ENFP polinkis remtis kiek tendencinga informacija, pasąmoningai ieškant duomenų, patvirtinančių jų išankstines nuostatas.

Būdami itin jautrūs ir nuolat įsitempę, ENFP dažnai gali nuobodžiauti tiek tose pačiose situacijose, tiek su tais pačiais žmonėmis. Šio tipo žmonės mėgsta kūrybos procesą, tačiau jų nedomina sukurtos idėjos įgyvendinimas. ENFP paprastai yra būdingas didelis entuziastingumas, kuris, be kita ko, yra ir itin užkrečiamas. Tai dažnai tampa ir ENFP silpnybe – šio tipo žmonės paprastai yra apsupami žmonių, siekiančių ENFP skleidžiamos išminties, įkvėpimo, drąsos ar lyderystės; tačiau toks jų tikėjimas kartu užkrauna ant ENFP pečių gana didelę naštą. Vis dėlto, šis charakterio tipas išsiskiria aršiu nepriklausomybės siekimu, besipriešindamas bet kokiai subordinacijos formai.

Viena problematiškiausių ENFP sričių – būtinybė išmokti susikoncentruoti savo atliekamų darbų metu. Kitaip nei kitiems ekstravertiškiesiems tipams, ENFP kartas nuo karto reikia pabūti vieniems, kad galėtų susikaupti ir įsitikinti, jog juda kryptimi, suderinama su jų vertybėmis. Tie ENFP, kuriems tai pavyksta, dėl turimų savo talentų paprastai pasiekia gana daug; kitu atveju, ENFP gali įprasti nutraukti nebaigtą projektą, vos tik išvydę naują įdomią galimybę.

ENFP taip pat nemėgsta biurokratijos, tiek principiniu, tiek praktiniu požiūriu.

Dar vienas unikalus ENFP bruožas – jų turimas savotiškas „kvailysčių mygtukas“. ENFP gali būti itin intelektualūs, rimti, orientuoti į aiškaus tikslo siekimą, tačiau panorėję ir gavę galimybę, šio tipo žmonės gali akimirksniu „persijungti“ į „kvailysčių režimą“, pavyzdžiui, tapdami nepralenkiamais šėliotojais vakarėlyje. Kartais šiame „režime“ ENFP gali atrodyti netgi tarsi lengvai apsvaigę.

ENFP santykiuose su kitais žmonėmis

ENFP žvelgia į savo santykius labai rimtai, tačiau kartu ir su į vaikišką panašiu entuziazmu ir energija. Jie siekia ir reikalauja tikrumo ir „gilumo“ bei patys deda labai daug pastangų, jog viskas klostytųsi kuo sklandžiau. ENFP yra šilti, rūpestingi, palaikantys ir netgi kiek globėjiški žmonės, labai daug investuojantys į savo santykius su kitais žmonėmis. ENFP paprastai pasižymi puikiais bendravimo įgūdžiais bei sugebėjimu įkvėpti ir motyvuoti kitus, kad jie būtų geriausi, kokie gali būti. Energingi ir trykštantys džiaugsmu šio tipo žmonės gali kartais kiek „dusinti“ savo entuziazmu, tačiau paprastai kiti juos itin vertina dėl nuoširdžios ENFP šilumos ir aukštų idealų.

ENFP stiprybės

Geri bendravimo įgūdžiai
Itin išlavintas kitų žmonių minčių ir motyvų jutimas
Sugebėjimas motyvuoti ir įkvėpti kitus
Šiltas prieraišumas ir pagalba
Gaivus humoro jausmas, dramatizmas, energija ir optimizmas
Polinkis siekti „visi laimi“ sprendimų
Noras patenkinti kitų žmonių poreikius
Paprastai – lojalumas ir atsidavimas

ENFP silpnybės

Polinkis „dusinti“ ir iš dalies užgožti kitus
Galimas nerealistiškumas
Nesuinteresuotumas tvarkyti „žemiškų“ reikalų, tokių kaip valymas, sąskaitų apmokėjimas ir t.t.
Nesugebėjimas palikti blogų santykių net ir po ilgo laiko tarpo
Itin didelis priešiškumas konfliktams ir kritikai
Dėmesio savo pačių poreikiams nekreipimas
Nuolatinės „tobulų santykių“ paieškos gali paskatinti ENFP dažnai keisti partnerius
Polinkis greitai imti nuobodžiauti
Sunkumai drausminant ar baudžiant kitus

ENFP kaip romantiniai partneriai

ENFP yra šilti, rūpestingi ir aistringi partneriai, paprastai norintys ir galintys padaryti viską vardan kuo tobulesnių santykių. Šio tipo žmonės yra entuziastingi ir itin lankstūs idealistai, susikoncentravę ties kitų žmonių jausmais. Šie ENFP bruožai lemia, jog jie yra itin suinteresuoti teigiamais tarpasmeniniais santykiais bei tai, jog šio šipo žmonės turi sugebėjimų santykius stiprinti įdomiais ir kūrybingais būdais. ENFP labai rimtai žvelgia į savo įsipareigojimus ir paprastai yra nepaprastai lojalūs savo partneriams.

Vis dėlto, ENFP savo santykiuose dažnai susiduria su keletu problemų. Visų pirma, ENFP yra sunku nutraukti nesklandžius santykius. Jie yra linkę visas problemas perkelti į savo vidų ir ant savo pečių, tikėdami, jog santykių sėkmė ar žlugimas yra tik jų atsakomybė. Būdami perfekcionistai, ENFP nemėgsta pripažinti pralaimėjimo ir liks blogose situacijose ilgą laiką po to, kai jau turėjo iš jų išeiti. Tačiau net ir nutraukdami santykius, ENFP yra linkę tikėti, jog nesėkmė įvyko dėl jų kaltės ir kad tikrai turėjo būti kažkas, ką buvo galima padaryti, norint išsaugoti santykius.

Antra, daug ENFP tipo žmonių susiduria su sunkumais bandydami susikaupti ir atlikti darbus iki sėkmingos pabaigos. Jei ENFP negali susikoncentruoti ties savo sugebėjimais eiti aiškia kryptimi, jie gali susidurti su problemomis, likdami atsidavimu ir monogamija pagrįstuose santykiuose. Šio tipo žmonės taip puikiai jaučia visas įmanomas galimybės, kad jie dažnai gali nuolat fantazuoti apie tai, kad kažkur „žolė yra žalesnė“. Jei jų partneris ne itin mėgaujasi naujais įspūdžiais ar pasižymi tokiu pačiu idealistiniu entuziazmu, ENFP gali greitai imti nuobodžiauti. O nuobodžiaujantis ir nesusikoncentravęs ENFP bus labai nelaimingas, kas atitinkamai greičiausiai lems, jog šio tipo žmogus nuspręs nutraukti santykius.

Kadangi santykiai yra centrinis dalykas ENFP gyvenime, šio tipo žmonės bus labai įsitraukę bei puikiai jaus intymaus bendravimo subtilybes. Jie gali netgi turėti įprotį nuolat klausinėti partnerio, kaip jis jaučiasi, kas jam patinka ir pan. Toks elgesys, kaip jau minėta, gali truputį „dusinti“, tačiau kartu tai leidžia ENFP puikiai jausti santykių sklandumo (ar nesklandumo) lygį.

Seksualiniu aspektu ENFP yra kūrybingi, perfekcionistai, žaismingi ir aistringi. Turtingas šio tipo žmonių fantazijos pasaulis lemia, jog jie yra mieli ir kūrybingi meilužiai, dažnai netikėtai pateikiantys kokią nors naują idėją. ENFP visapusiškai mėgaujasi intymumo su savo partneriais galimybėmis, nuoširdžiai tikėdami, jog seksualinis bendravimas yra teigiamas ir smagus būdas išreikšti savo meilę ir prisirišimą.

Taip pat reikia pastebėti, jog ENFP paprastai turi teigiamo patvirtinimo ir užtikrinimo poreikį, dažnai pasireiškiantį „komplimentų žvejyba“. Jie mėgsta iš savo partnerio išgirsti, jog yra mylimi ir vertinami bei mielai daro tą patį.

ENFP kaip tėvai

ENFP labai rimtai, tačiau kartu ir žaismingai, žiūri į savo kaip tėvų vaidmenį. Kiekviename ENFP slepiasi savotiškas vaikystės džiaugsmas, todėl šio tipo žmonės paprastai itin mėgaujasi būdami ir žaisdami su savo vaikais. Vis dėlto, tuo pačiu jie laikosi nuostatos, jog vertybių ir tikėjimo perdavimas savo vaikams yra labai svarbi pareiga.

ENFP, bendraudamas su savo vaikais, gali pademonstruoti savotišką vaidmenų nepastovumą. Vienu metu, jis gali būti geriausias vaiko draugas, besikvatojantis kartu su juo; kitą minutę šio tipo žmogus gali pasireikšti kaip griežtas autoritetas. Šis nepastovumas yra tam tikras vidinio ENFP konflikto tarp nuoširdaus troškimo bendrauti su vaiku vaiko „lygyje“ ir savo vertybių sistemos laikymosi rezultatas. Kitaip tariant, ENFP nori būti geriausiu savo vaiko draugu, tačiau jei yra pažeidžiama kokia nors šio tipo žmogaus vertybė, jis gali greitai grįžti prie tėvo vaidmens, įsitikindamas, jog vaikas suprato padaręs pažeidimą. Vis dėlto, toks nepastovumas vaikams gali pasirodyti erzinantis ir nesuprantamas bruožas.

ENFP vaikai paprastai jaučiasi labai mylimi, kadangi ENFP suteikia jiems daugybę nuoširdžios šilumos ir palaikymo. Šio tipo žmonės paprastai vertina savo vaikus kaip individus, leisdami jiems laisvai augti kaip asmenybėms. Vis dėlto, ENFP entuziazmas ir prieraišumas kai kuriais atvejais jų vaikus gali erzinti, ypač tuo atveju, jei jie pasižymi stipriomis mąstymo ar pojūčių savybėmis. Šie vaikai gali ne tik nesuprasti ENFP „kunkuliavimo“, bet ir netgi jo šiek tiek gėdytis, kadangi ENFP yra linkę savo entuziazmą ir prieraišumą rodyti viešumoje.

Esant reikalui, ENFP gali rūpintis kasdieniais dalykais – vaikų nuvežimu į mokyklą, jų maitinimu ir pan. Vis dėlto, tai nėra įgimtas ENFP įprotis – greičiau jau nuobodi pareiga. Šio tipo žmonės taip pat gali susidurti su sunkumais, dėl kokio nors pažeidimo prireikus nubausti savo vaikus.

Turtinga ENFP vaizduotė ir kūrybingumas šio tipo žmogaus vaikams sukuria linksmą, dinamišką ir įdomią aplinką. Be to, stipri ENFP vertybių sistema vaikų pojūčius paverčia į naudingas pamokas jiems. Šio charakterio tipo tėvai savo vaikų greičiausiai bus prisimenami dėl savo šiltos ir malonios prigimties bei linksmo požiūrio į gyvenimą.

ENFP kaip draugai

ENFP yra šilti ir lengvai bendraujantys žmonės, puikiai jaučiantys kitų jausmus ir mintis. Jie yra energingi ir linksmi kompanionai, gaunantys daug pasitenkinimo palaikydami ir padėdami kitiems žmonėms. Kartu ENFP yra idealistai, savo santykiuose siekiantys tikrumo.

Tikėtina, jog darbo vietoje ar kitose aplinkose ENFP lengvai sutars su beveik visų tipų žmonėmis. ENFP nuoširdžiai domisi kitais žmonėmis ir puikiai juos „jaučia“, dažnai netgi iki tiek, jog gali lengvai suprasti visus charakterio tipus ir bendrauti su jais jų „kalba“. Tikėtina, jog ENFP kituose žmonėse pastebės tai, kas juose yra geriausio – ir, kas dar svarbiau, „iškels“ tai į paviršių. Vis dėlto, ENFP gali būti sunku suprasti žmones, pasižyminčius stipriu mąstymo bruožu ir dėl to ne itin stipriai atsakančius į entuziastingą ENFP šilumą. Vienetinis toks atvejis ENFP nuostatų „mąstytojo“ atžvilgiu greičiausiai nepakeis, tačiau situacijai pasikartojus kelis kartus, ENFP gali visiškai atsiriboti nuo jo nesuprantančio žmogaus.

ENFP taip pat gali jaustis pažeidžiami, bendraudami su stiprią apibrėžtumo savybę turinčiais individais. Būdami linkę bet kokią kritiką priimti asmeniškai, ENFP greičiausiai pasijus nejaukiai, tokiam žmogui išreiškus neigiamą nuomonę apie jį. ENFP gali tikėti, jog tokia nuomonė yra nukreipta asmeniškai prieš jį patį.

Ieškant artimų santykių ENFP tipo žmones labiausiai traukia kiti išvystytas intuicijos ir jausmų savybes turintys žmonės (NF tipai) bei ekstravertai. Kaip ir kiti NF tipo žmonės, ENFP tarpasmeniniuose santykiuose vertina autentiškumą ir „gylį“. ENFP taip pat yra linkę labai vertinti ir intuityviųjų mąstytojų (NT) tipų kompaniją.

Keletas garsių ENFP:
Fransas Džozefas Haidnas
Will Rogers
Buster Keaton
Mickey Rooney
Andy Rooney
Carol Burnett
Paul Harvey
Elizabeth Montgomery
Dom Delouise
Dave Thomas
Meg Ryan
Robin Williams
Sandra Bullock
Robert Downey
Alicia Silverstone

However, what I find fascinating right now, is that I am apparently an INTP the "Architect". I say this because after taking 4 different tests they have all come back to this type. I'm fairly sure I've done these things before and gotten INTP then too, though its been a while now. In anycase, after reading several of the descriptions of architect's I have to say that it does seem to fit me fairly well, though its apparently a fairly rare type to be, especially as a woman (which might be why so many see me as so wierd...). But, what I find most exciting is that in the results of the last test I took was a link to a forum for INTP's, which looks very fun.

My results from SimilarMinds.com  are as follows:

Introverted (I) 76.92% Extroverted (E) 23.08%
Intuitive (N) 60% Sensing (S) 40%
Thinking (T) 66.67% Feeling (F) 33.33%
Perceiving (P) 65.63% Judging (J) 34.38%

"INTP - "Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population."

I took a very quick, very un-official Meyers-Briggs test.

Evidently, I'm an ENFP:

"ENFPs are introspective, values-oriented, inspiring, social and extremely expressive. They actively send their thoughts and ideas out into the world as a way to bring attention to what they feel to be important, which often has to do with ethics and current events. ENFPs are natural advocates, attracting people to themselves and their cause with excellent people skills, warmth, energy and positivity. ENFPs are described as creative, resourceful, assertive, spontaneous, life-loving, charismatic, passionate and experimental."

I'm an 'EFNP'.

What does that mean? Here's a one-liner:

"ENFPs are warm, enthusiastic people, typically very bright and full of potential. They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things. Their enthusiasm lends them the ability to inspire and motivate others, more so than we see in other types. They can talk their way in or out of anything. They love life, seeing it as a special gift, and strive to make the most out of it."

What really surprises me is how accurate it seems... not just about me but about my colleagues. But maybe that's just a first response, it all seems so great when it's shiny and new.

What an ego boost.  I posted the results once before on my myspace blog, but this explanation is slightly varied.

This one is offered by Keirsey.com:

The Portait of the Champion (ENFP)

The Champion Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in accomplishing their aims, and informative and expressive when relating with others. For Champions, nothing occurs which does not have some deep ethical significance, and this, coupled with their uncanny sense of the motivations of others, gives them a talent for seeing life as an exciting drama, pregnant with possibilities for both good and evil. This type is found in only about 3 percent of the general population, but they have great influence because of their extraordinary impact on others. Champions are inclined to go everywhere and look into everything that has to do with the advance of good and the retreat of evil in the world. They can't bear to miss out on what is going on around them; they must experience, first hand, all the significant social events that affect our lives. And then they are eager to relate the stories they've uncovered, hoping to disclose the "truth" of people and issues, and to advocate causes. This strong drive to unveil current events can make them tireless in conversing with others, like fountains that bubble and splash, spilling over their own words to get it all out.

Champions consider intense emotional experiences as being vital to a full life, although they can never quite shake the feeling that a part of themselves is split off, uninvolved in the experience. Thus, while they strive for emotional congruency, they often see themselves in some danger of losing touch with their real feelings, which Champions possess in a wide range and variety. In the same vein, Champions strive toward a kind of spontaneous personal authenticity, and this intention always to "be themselves" is usually communicated nonverbally to others, who find it quite attractive. All too often, however, Champions fall short in their efforts to be authentic, and they tend to heap coals of fire on themselves, berating themselves for the slightest self-conscious role-playing.

Joan Baez, Phil Donahue, Paul Robeson, Bill Moyer, Elizibeth Cady Stanton, Joeseph Campbell, Edith Wharton, Sargent Shriver, Charles Dickens, and Upton Sinclair are examples of Idealist Champions

IDEALIST NFs, being ABSTRACT in communicating and COOPERATIVE in implementing goals, can become highly skilled in DIPLOMATIC INTEGRATION. Thus their most practiced and developed intelligent operations are usually teaching and counseling (NFJ mentoring), or conferring and tutoring (NFP advocating). And they would if they could be sages in one of these forms of social development. The Idealist temperament have an instinct for interpersonal integration, learn ethics with ever increasing zeal, sometimes become diplomatic leaders, and often speak interpretively and metaphorically of the abstract world of their imagination.

They are proud of themselves in the degree they are empathic in action, respect themselves in the degree they are benevolent, and feel confident of themselves in the degree they are authentic. Idealist types search for their unique identity, hunger for deep and meaningful relationships, wish for a little romance each day, trust their intuitive feelings implicitly, aspire for profundity. This is the "Identity Seeking Personality" -- credulous about the future, mystical about the past, and their preferred time and place are the future and the pathway. Educationally they go for the humanities, avocationally for ethics, and vocationally for personnel work.

Social relationships: In their family interactions they strive for mutuality, provide spiritual intimacy for the mates, opportunity for fantasy for their children, and for themselves continuous self-renewal. Idealists do not abound, being as few as 8% and nor more than 10% of the population.

Do you guys need any more proof that I am going to be the next Gandhi?

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world.  Indeed it is the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead.