On Tuesday, I agreed to take a few online personality tests and reported the results here. My scores weren't consistent as I was deemed to have, at least, two different personality types. My scores were not consistent for two reasons: 1) My answers are dependent on the phraseology of the questions posed and 2) Because I possess a rather unique view of the world, some of the questions didn't make much sense to me and others wanted an up or down answer, while my answer was somewhere in the middle or not even offered.
For example, one of the surveys asked me to rate if I "inquire about others' well-being." This is a problematic question for an anti-social person. On the one hand, I don't engage in conversations with a lot people each day because I don't go out much. However, when I do go out, I not infrequently ask people how they are doing.
Of course, my questions of this nature seem to land me in trouble frequently. When most people say, "How ya doing?" they really don't want to know -- it's more of a standard greeting. However, when people ask me this question, I TELL THEM replete with all the interesting and/or gory details. I run into the same problem when I pose the question to others because I tend to follow it up with more probing questions.
Another question I had trouble with was "Compared to most people I know, I spend much more time appreciating beauty." How in the hell do I know? I don't talk to that many people and I certainly don't inquire of them how long each day they think about or appreciate beauty.
A different set of questions dealt with order, neatness and cleanliness. As it turns out, I'm a highly organized person who is cluttered and messy. I realize that sounds like a contradiction in terms, but in my life it isn't. However, in answering the questions in that section, I'm fairly sure my answers kept canceling each other out.
Here's another one I struggled with: "Know how to captivate people." I've been told that I have a very captivating personality, yet I personally don't really know what that means. It reminds me of when I was younger and my male friends would compliment me because a) I knew how to talk to girls and b) I was adept at flirting.
I have absolutely no conception of flirting. I genuinely have no idea what it entails. I simply talk to people (when I feel like it) and I address people in the same way regardless of their gender, age (unless it's an infant) or standing in life. So, what my male compatriots considered flirting, I considered routine conversation.
Finally, the section I had the most difficulty with in each of the tests concerned whether I considered myself a happy or a sad person. Fact of the matter is that I don't consider myself either! Just like most everyone else, I have happy moments and sad ones too, but most of the time I'm very even-keel. Not happy nor sad. So, how do I answer questions like that?
A lot of the questions I encountered were similar to "Do you still beat your wife?" If you answer yes, then it means you are a wife beater. If you answer no, then it means you USED to be a wife beater. If you've never beaten your wife, neither answer reflects your situation, yet you're asked to choose which "best" describes you.
I don't think I'm going to take any more of these tests. I'm just going to be me -- whatever that is!
For example, one of the surveys asked me to rate if I "inquire about others' well-being." This is a problematic question for an anti-social person. On the one hand, I don't engage in conversations with a lot people each day because I don't go out much. However, when I do go out, I not infrequently ask people how they are doing.
Of course, my questions of this nature seem to land me in trouble frequently. When most people say, "How ya doing?" they really don't want to know -- it's more of a standard greeting. However, when people ask me this question, I TELL THEM replete with all the interesting and/or gory details. I run into the same problem when I pose the question to others because I tend to follow it up with more probing questions.
Another question I had trouble with was "Compared to most people I know, I spend much more time appreciating beauty." How in the hell do I know? I don't talk to that many people and I certainly don't inquire of them how long each day they think about or appreciate beauty.
A different set of questions dealt with order, neatness and cleanliness. As it turns out, I'm a highly organized person who is cluttered and messy. I realize that sounds like a contradiction in terms, but in my life it isn't. However, in answering the questions in that section, I'm fairly sure my answers kept canceling each other out.
Here's another one I struggled with: "Know how to captivate people." I've been told that I have a very captivating personality, yet I personally don't really know what that means. It reminds me of when I was younger and my male friends would compliment me because a) I knew how to talk to girls and b) I was adept at flirting.
I have absolutely no conception of flirting. I genuinely have no idea what it entails. I simply talk to people (when I feel like it) and I address people in the same way regardless of their gender, age (unless it's an infant) or standing in life. So, what my male compatriots considered flirting, I considered routine conversation.
Finally, the section I had the most difficulty with in each of the tests concerned whether I considered myself a happy or a sad person. Fact of the matter is that I don't consider myself either! Just like most everyone else, I have happy moments and sad ones too, but most of the time I'm very even-keel. Not happy nor sad. So, how do I answer questions like that?
A lot of the questions I encountered were similar to "Do you still beat your wife?" If you answer yes, then it means you are a wife beater. If you answer no, then it means you USED to be a wife beater. If you've never beaten your wife, neither answer reflects your situation, yet you're asked to choose which "best" describes you.
I don't think I'm going to take any more of these tests. I'm just going to be me -- whatever that is!
I was thinking about Mu while I was reading this! I have a similar issue with these tests as a lot of the questions depend on your ability to compare yourself to other people, or standard perceptions of emotions. Also, my room is a mess, but I know exactly where to look for everything. Organized clutter.
ReplyDeleteIt would be fun if after so many contradictory, middling, muddling, balanced, off-balanced, unique answers the test result was
ReplyDeleteMaster of Tao.
I recently wrote about this, here's a snippet:
ReplyDelete"I don't believe the total depth of a person's character can ever be accurately summed up, neatly labeled and defined, by any human made, yes or no answer, multiple choice test. It's tricky. Many questions asked, I could say yes or no to both. Am I a private person, or an open person? Both. Sometimes I'm private, sometimes I'm very open, it all depends on the context of the situation. I think this is why many people get confusing results, because of poorly worded, ambiguous questions."
Actually I think what Iktomi said, about how it may be better, or more accurate to just read through the type descriptions, rather than relying on contradictory test results, and see which one resonates with you the most, that seems to describe you in the most accurate way to the best of your knowledge. When I did that, I found that I was not just an INTJ but also an INFJ, as both seem to resonate with me and describe me better than any other type.
Ultimately the whole thing is really is of minor importance, more of a parlor game then anything else, but one in which you might actually learn something about yourself you didn't know before. That is probably its greatest value, but not much more than that.
A lot of the questions I encountered were similar to "Do you still beat your wife?" If you answer yes, then it means you are a wife beater. If you answer no, then it means you USED to be a wife beater. If you've never beaten your wife, neither answer reflects your situation, yet you're asked to choose which "best" describes you."
ReplyDeleteLOL That is EXACTLY what the questions are like.
I had to take a personality quiz recently at a staff meeting at work. First I had a panic attack and then I just got mad and circled everything. The questions were impossible to answer.