“Talking about me, I sometimes feel like it is scary to know more about me. I’ve found out who I am through very difficult situations so I have an association.”
My hunch is Ericka had many times when information and experiences came to her in her life on gentler carriers than those with this kind of emotional trauma. But she didn’t notice. The coming of kindly delivered insights are easily absorbed and drop from consciousness.
“I feel I overlook those and pay more attention to the bad things.”
It’s like gratitude, a muscle that grows when deliberately developed. That is why we call it the exercise of gratitude. When we deliberately practice noticing, (flex,) recognizing, (now we apply a little fragrant oil to the lovely bulge,) one more rep, (Oh yes! Look out Venice beach!) practicing gratitude, indeed, increases self insight.
Ericka and I had this discussion in context of discussing her career. The starting point of exploring career choices brought us to look at the different paradigms that may be used to understand our identity, as well as it’s strengths and weaknesses. Poor Ericka felt that using the paradigm of “Personality Typologies” to be like inviting a bully into her living room. One that confined her, boxed her, took away her windows and doors. However the paradigm of personality typologies is just a paradigm, useful or not, with the power or lack of power that we allow it. It is not a concrete cell, that defines us. It is one more way of increasing self insight, among others.
“Footsie” by Carl D’Agostino, at, “I know I Made You Smile.”
How to Approach the Myers-Briggs:
Take Three times. Each time, read the descriptors to hone accuracy. (It’s a biased test. Taking it multiple times, as well as reading the descriptions helps eliminate the bias.)
The fourth time, the test is to be taken by someone who knows you the best in the world, answering the questions as if they were answering in your stead, with you standing by. Then read descriptors together.
This approach helps diminish the inherent test-bias in the Myers-Briggs personality test.
Example of free online test, (there are several, http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp
We don’t have have to give it more power than you are comfortable with
2. Read, Please Understand Me, vol II
-Keirsy
3. Go have fun and…
Keep on!