Who are you?

The first time I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Keirsey Temperament Sorter was  in 1995, then in 1999, again in 2006 and finally in 2009 (30 minutes ago, in fact). These are personality tests that assess who you are as an individual, how you communicate with others, and your likely pattern of action. These tests have been used over 40 years and by more than 40 million people worldwide.  

The purpose of these tests is to make the theory of psychological types described by Carl Jung understandable and useful in people's lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.

The identification of basic preferences of each of the four dichotomies specified or implicit in Jung's theory:

Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).

Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).

Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).

Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).

The first three times I took the test, I consistently sorted into the INFJ category. This last time, I was sorted into the ESFJ. I didn't think that was possible to shift from introversion to extraversion as well as from intuition to sensing. 

In large part, I think the outcome has to do with the fact that the MBTI and the KTS-II are two different instruments based on two theories, although Keirsey Temperaments build upon the 16 categories defined by MBTI. The first three times I took the MBTI, while this last time, I took the KTS-II. Secondarily, I wouldn't be surprised if I have evolved somewhat, and it's also a matter of degrees. Once you exceed 50% on a particular dichotomy, you become dominant in one dimension over the other. This does not mean that I no longer experience intuition for example, but just that sensing plays a greater role most of the time. As for the fact that I scored over 90% in extraversion, well, there's no explanation for that really. 

Worth checking out, I think, to find out who you are.

Punchlines

I had no idea you and I shared a love for...

...dust. Can't get enough of the stuff!