Classic ISTJ

Last Friday, I attended an all-day team building event that involved getting a copy of my results from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality profile. I didn’t know quite what to expect at all, but I found myself enjoying the day.

Three weeks ago, I completed the paperwork with more than a slight suspicion of how in the world my personality was going to be assessed based on whether I preferred one word over another. So admittedly I was skeptical as I opened my assessment packet on Friday, but as I read the report, I discovered a lot of truth within. I was an ISTJ: Introvert, Sensing, Thinking and Judging or better known as someone who is most often "doing what should be done." (NOT my words here, but the definition of my profile type. AHEM!)

INTROVERT: not really a huge surprise here, but I was curious where I would fall on the scale between 1 and 30. I was a 5. The basic premise at the heart of the introvert vs. extrovert question is where a person gets recharged. Some of us get refueled by spending time with others while others prefer to slip away on their own to recover from the blur of the day. I fall into that latter category. Yes, I enjoy being with people and can actually be a social butterfly if the occasion calls for it, but the truth is that at my core, I enjoy the solitude just as well.

SENSING: this one was not a surprise either. I ranked in as a 9 on sensing vs. intuition but it was interesting to see my wide range on the breakdown of this dichotomy. Yes, I definitely prefer more concrete ideas to the abstract, and while I have a vivid imagination, I do live in the real world on most accounts. However, I ranked high on the “conceptual” side for intuition vs. the “practical” side on sensing, and I also had a preference for “original” (intuition) vs. the “traditional” (sensing).

THINKING: this one was another curiosity for me. I was not exactly sure where I would find myself in the thinking vs. feeling realm. I was a 3 on the scale, and so this is a slight preference for me. Honestly, I think this is a newer trend for me in my adult life. I think I’m harder on myself and others than I used to be. I’m more cynical and less likely to base a decision on feelings vs. the facts. I guess I would rather be logical than follow my heart sometimes, which is perhaps not always the most compassionate route. See, even here I am waffling. HA!

JUDGING: now this one made me laugh, even though this "judging" is not quite what my sister and I joke about all the time. AHEM! Sure, I knew that judging would be my diagnosis here vs. perceiving, but I didn’t know exactly where I would pan out on the scale. Well, I was a 28 out of 30. HA! My personality preference is very clear on this score. I definitely prefer decisiveness and closure, and while I can be a bit flexible and am able to adapt as I go, I am hard-wired for a more planned and scheduled routine vs. spontaneity. Yeah, this is certainly not news to anyone.

One final thought, I loved the ISTJ prayer that was shared with me at our event: GOD, help me to begin relaxing about the little details tomorrow at 11:41:32 AM. That is classic me, and I know my sister would agree with that! Hee hee!