WHAT TYPE ARE YOU?

Are you a Type A personality, or a B? Type C is rarely mentioned, but there's a new "D" category now. Are you a type D personality? Finding out your type is like buying a pair of shoes.

Does the question intrigue you? Why? Because you want another career? Because you're restless? Bored? Or do you wish you had another sort of life style? (I don't like being categorized, but probably I'm a Type A. )

Basically: Type A is a worrier, tense, stressed achiever, who may die younger than a Type B, who is patient, relaxed, easy-going, generally lacking an overriding sense of urgency. (This sounds like my husband.)

Type C thrives on details and accuracy; they are often accountants, engineers, who dress neatly, fashionably, and are very calculated, precise, reliable in just about everything they do. (The C's I know are irritating.)

The D personality does not like change, prefers guidelines, doing the same thing over and over. Type D's are motivated by security, are punctual, consistent, content with themselves, and life in general. (I know a couple of semi-D's, but I don't trust them -- I figure they're A's pretending to be happy.)

Initially the categories were defined by heart specialists, evaluating risk factors for heart attacks.

I tried two of the tests. I didn't learn anything about myself, but ... well ... you might find the tests interesting.

The Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) was developed by Isabel Myers-Briggs and her mother, Katharine Briggs, to present the personality theories developed by Carl Jung in a practical, useful way.

It measures:
introversion (I)
extroversion (E),
intuition (N)
sensing (S),
feeling (F)
thinking (T),
perceiving (P)
judging (J).

So you could be an I N T P and an E N TJ -- the questions were interesting, but it seemed awfully complicated. Also some of Jung's theories have been discredited, so before you take the MBTI test, try the "Big Five" theory.

This is based on the concept that there are five personality traits, as per these definitions:

Openness: appreciation for emotion, art, unusual ideas, adventure, curiosity, imagination, and variety of experience.

Conscientiousness: a tendency to act dutifully, show self-discipline, and aim for achievement; planned rather than spontaneous behavior.

Extraversion: positive emotions, energy, self-confidence, out-going-ness, and the tendency to seek stimulation and the comfort of others.

Agreeableness: a tendency to be cooperative and compassionate rather than antagonistic and suspicious towards others.

Neuroticism: a tendency to experience negative emotions easily, such as depression, anxiety, anger, or vulnerability; sometimes called emotional instability.

When you answer the questions, and the values are scored, you'll see a graph that shows you how you fit in, or don't fit in, with what's normal.

Click here for the free EBTI.
http://www.teamtechnology.co.uk/mmdi/questionnaire/

Read, insert your answers, submit; the report will l tell you about your personality. They say it's free but they offer you a chance to buy more information. (I couldn't figure out how to check out without buying an extra report for about $3.00. I suggest that you skip this test and try the next one first.)

Here's another link. I answered the questions and got an evaluation of my personality that was credible, but didn't tell me anything that I didn't know before I took the test.
http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/

But it's fun. It might be fun to take the test for your lover/friend/best buddy, and see if you're compatible.

Now that I've learned that I'm not compatible with my husband, or my son, or any of my friends, I'm amused, annoyed, and seriously mistrustful. I think trying to put myself in a category is like buying size 6 shoes when I know I wear a 7 and 1/2.

So, okay -- take the test.

If the shoe fits ...