I have recently engaged in a mental exercise online which has provided me with some fascinating insight into both myself and other people. I did a personality profile test, expecting to find some change with the passing years in who I am and how I approach the world. In fact, I have changed, but only slightly, and I continue to fall into that very small sliver of people known as INTJ on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator personality profile.
There is no right or wrong on this test, which takes the pressure off for perfectionists who hate to fall short on any job. Through answering a variety of questions about the way you approach both your life and the world, it can offer insight into what makes you tick, and why you do things the way you do. It becomes even more interesting when you combine your results with those of others, to see why your combination of personalities either does or does not work well together.
I have found it interesting primarily because, as I said, I've engaged in an online activity which requires me to put my mental abilities to the test, and propose outcomes based on information provided. Because I am a thinker by nature, this sort of task is right up my alley, and I have enjoyed it enormously. I gather every possible detail, gleaning each piece of information from the bits and pieces I can parse, and try to come up with an outcome which fits the situation proposed.
It is good for my mind to engage in this type of higher level thinking, of course. Like most people, I am often intellectually lazy, and it's easy to simply float through life without giving due consideration to the deeper meanings of things that happen around us.
But it has been most fascinating to see how differently people can interpret the same information. When I draw a conclusion which seems too obvious to even merit discussion, others will have an entirely different, sometimes completely opposite, point of view. When I sit back and take time to truly listen, I am often surprised to see that their alternative conclusion also fits the facts given, and allows for the same level of certainty. It is amazing.
I have heard of experiments where people are exposed to a random event, then asked to recall the details later. Typically, their recollections will be completely different, even down to basic details. Eyewitnesses to crimes are often spectacularly inaccurate, a fact which has caused untold grief to innocent victims jailed for years, even decades, on the basis of an erroneous identification. The human mind is quite capable of filling in the missing details, accurately or not, if they are not provided. The "recollection" can be so convincing we believe it's real, even if its totally false. I find that a little frightening, personally.
I am learning one of the key skills in sales, the general field in which I am trying to make my living, is convincing people that they want to do what you are guiding them to do. In my case, I am doing it to persuade people that I have the product that I genuinely believe is best for them, and my motivation is pure as well as adulterated by the reality that I need to make an income. A "good" sales person can sell ice to penguins in Antarctica, while a bad sales person may not be able to give water to a thirsty man in the desert. It is frustrating when you can see that water is what they need, but you can't make them drink it.
I have discovered through experience that it is not just about your initial approach, however. It is also about the follow through. In order to follow through effectively, you have to understand where they are coming from in the first place, or you will miss the opportunity.
As an introvert, I am very sensitive to the feelings and moods of others. But I am finding I do not always interpret what I have sensed appropriately. For example, I often equate silence with agreement, whereas the other person may, in fact, not even know where to start with the questions they have.
I am also finding that there are some generational differences. I'm not sure whether they are based more upon life experience, or if it's truly a generational divide, representing a quantum change in the way the generations approach life.
I find that older people are much more willing to ask questions, again and again, if need be, until they are certain they understand the decision they are making, and why. Once they make a decision, they are not interested in making a change any time soon. They have already spent their time evaluating the options, and they are prepared to live with the outcome they have engineered.
Younger people seem to prefer being a given a simple choice, A or B. They select the one they want with little regard to the details, and do not think about it again until they are forced to by circumstance. At that point, another judgment is executed, and they are done until another decision is required of them. (I really don't mean that to be pejorative, although I know it sounds that way. I think it's a fundamentally different approach to life, and younger people are more comfortable with making sudden shifts in direction.)
Intellectual exercise is a key component of keeping the brain healthy, and it's important for us to exercise those little gray cells frequently. What started as a way to challenge my mind and stimulate my brain has become a way to explore how I can do my job more effectively, and pushed me to understand people better.
Lifelong learning is never wasted effort. I would encourage everyone to find a new challenge to explore, and see where it takes you. Life is filled with wondrous things. Give yourself a seasonal gift of taking time to do something interesting for yourself. The fun you have will be your own!
