Our Nature and Personality

in psychology •  8 years ago 

Hello everyone. This is my first proper post having done a small practice one just to see what Steemit was all about. I am  pleased to be here and taking part in a unique venture that has the potential to transform the world for the better. It's exciting to be playing a part in that, even if only in a very small way.

I'm kicking off by writing about our nature and personality as it directly relates to why I haven't written an "introduce yourself" type post yet, nor likely to. Being a very private person, talking about myself doesn't come at all easy. You could say it's not in my nature. Yet others find it easy and enjoyable to write their full bio with photos etc. Both approaches are fine. No "rights" or "wrongs" as we are all different with varying natures and personalities that we have "written" or "configured" for ourselves. What a boring place the world would be if we were all much the same. 

As regards personality and through gaining insights into my own, I have taken a few online tests and perhaps the most accurate is the Myers-Briggs one at http://www.16personalities.com. I am an INFP-A, which for those unfamiliar with the system means - introvert, intuitive, feeling and perceptive. The "A" standing for assertive rather than turbulent. The profile for this type fits me remarkably well as I am reserved and shy, seeking harmony with no desire to control others. The "dislike of phones" part amazed me as to its accuracy, having never really liked them, using only when absolutely necessary. Why, I'm even one of those rare people who doesn't have a mobile phone. The look on some people's faces when saying I don't is priceless. Wondering if I have teleported in from a far distant, archaic decade or something. In some respects I have as I'm at the upper end of middle-aged and remember when very little my grandparents not having a phone at all, not even the candlestick kind.

One thing that strikes me about all these personality tests is that they are not set in stone. As in the saying - "if it's written in stone bring your hammer and chisel." Rather like how a software program can have its "configuration file" storing all the settings needed to run according to one's wishes, so too do we have our own "config file" - a "state of  being" or, as I have also seen it described - "mind-pattern". Again, similar to software, we can alter the settings in our mind-pattern to optimum effect - providing we know how to access them. Some may be a lot deeper/more hidden than others.

To summarise then - a personality test only gives a snapshot of one's personality at the time of the test. If work is done on changing some of the parameters of our mind-pattern, then the test result may turn out different. Could an introvert become an extrovert, and vice versa? Or settle somewhere in the middle to get the best of both, so to speak? Yes, I think so. It may not be that easy, but certainly possible. 

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? I would love to hear them.


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