Demonstrate Self-Confidence by Learning How to Identify Your Personality Type - The Four Preferences

Have you ever wondered why certain tasks or activities you perform come easily and others are a pain in the old proverbial “neck.” Perhaps, you have often struggled with communicating with a certain individual. Thus, you may have wondered how to get through to them. Well, do not be so hard on yourself because that task or activity may not be your natural preference; therefore, you may be operating in an area of weakness. We all have natural preferences: what stimulate you, how do you process information, how do you make decisions, and how do you operate in your environment daily. “The theory of Personality Types contends that each of us has a natural preference which falls into one category” our native personality also indicates how we are likely to react to various life situations. Thus, in order to effectively communicate with others and understand how they function, it is a good idea to know their personality type.

Learning about your personality type will help you to understand yourself; why some things come easy to you and other things are a struggle; how you make decision when faced with life situations; and how to effectively communicate with others. Personality Theorists Carl Jung, Katherine Myers, and Isabel Myers Briggs developed the theory of Personality Types. They stated in this theory, “every individual has a primary mode of operation within four categories:

Categories:
1. Flow of Energy
2. How we take in information
3. How we prefer to make decisions
4. The basic day-to-day lifestyle that we prefer

Within each of these categories we “prefer” to be either:

Mode of Operation:
1. Extraverted or Introverted
2. Sensing or iNtunitive
3. Thinking and Feeling
4. Judging or Perceiving

A combination of our four “preferences” defines our personality type. There are sixteen personality types and each individual has a natural preference to one of these personality types.

It is extremely useful to obtain a basic knowledge of the various personalities types. This knowledge has a variety of applications. A career guidance counselor will be more equipped to advise individual what type of tasks they are more suited to perform.. On your job as a manager or supervisor you will have the capability to assess your employees’ natural abilities. Therefore, you will know what type of job will be more rewarding for them. Your personal relationship will improve since you will understand others behavior based on their personality type. If you are an educator you should be able to develop effective teaching methods based on the various personality types. Counselors should be able to identify strengths and weakness in individuals based on their personality.