One day at work, our boss told us about the Myers-Briggs personality test that he recently took, and he wanted us to take the test on our own time, whenever we got the chance. My boss was impressed with how it seemed to explain his personality, his strengths, and his weaknesses in near-perfect detail. I have not taken the Myers-Briggs personality test in years, but I thought it would be a good idea to revisit the test and see what personality I most closely match. My boss and I took the test here.
To explain, the Myers-Briggs Personality Test is an evaluation where you answer a number of questions, and the test will place you in one of sixteen predetermined personalities based on several main factors, including how we interact with our environment, how we direct our mental energy, and how we make decisions and cope with emotions. The test placed me as having the 'Turbulent Defender' personality (ISFJ-T). As I was reading the description for the Defender personality, there were some points that perfectly described me, and a couple of points that did not describe me at all. I am going to go over some of these points and give some insight on my personality in relation to those points.
Things the test got right about me:
Defender personalities (especially Turbulent ones) are often meticulous to the point of perfectionism, and though they procrastinate, they can always be relied on to get the job done on time. Defenders take their responsibilities personally, consistently going above and beyond, doing everything they can to exceed expectations and delight others, at work and at home.
I always believe that the work that you do is an extension of yourself. I am not satisfied with just being good enough. If I am not able to perform a task, or perform a task poorly, it is something that I cannot easily let go, because I feel like it is a part of me. It is important for me to do things to the point of complete satisfaction, because it is a personal reflection of myself.
Defenders utilize excellent memories not to retain data and trivia, but to remember people, and details about their lives.
For every person that I meet, I try to remember an interesting quirk or tidbit about them for future interactions. Those same people seem to be quite astounded when I retell that interesting quirk or tidbit to them. For example, I would semi-regularly talk to the same Starbucks barista while she makes my hot chocolate, and she mentioned that she was going to take her driving test over the weekend. She was impressed when I asked her how she did on her driving test at the beginning of the next week.
Defenders’ standards for themselves are also so high that, knowing they could have done some minor aspect of a task better, they often downplay their successes entirely.
I never celebrate my accomplishments. Because I set my standards for myself so high, and that I am my harshest critic, I never like to dwell on any positive progress that I make. I always immediately look forward to the next challenge.
Defenders have trouble separating personal and impersonal situations – any situation is still an interaction between two people, after all – and any negativity from conflict or criticism can carry over from their professional to their personal lives, and back again.
This is an area where I am currently struggling. Sometimes, I catch myself thinking about work situations and conflicts away from work, which is not healthy for me. In addition, I sometimes bring the stresses of my personal life into my professional life, which degrades my work performance, and creates friction among my co-workers.
When the goal is right, Defenders take all this support, reliability and imagination and apply it to something they believe will make a difference in people’s lives – whether fighting poverty with a global initiative or simply making a customer’s day.
For myself, this very website is my outlet for creativity and imagination. I am not hoping that some of these posts will change anyone's lives, but I do hope that it can put a smile on people's faces.
Things the test got wrong about me:
People with the Defender personality type are private and very sensitive, internalizing their feelings a great deal. Much in the way that Defenders protect others’ feelings, they must protect their own, and this lack of healthy emotional expression can lead to a lot of stress and frustration.
Although I am a private and sensitive person, I try not to internalize my feelings anymore. In fact, if I feel someone is bothering me, I have to tell him or her about it. Although it is painful to address issues with another person at first, it saves me a great deal of stress and frustration.
The test also mentioned that Defenders are surprisingly social, despite their introversion. Although I am social with my close circle of friends, I ultimately despise all people. If I did not have to interact with another person in the world for the rest of my life, I would be the happiest person alive.
Ultimately, I was surprised to see how much the Defender personality applied to me, as well as the explanation of the Defender's personality in terms of relationships, parenthood, and careers. The test also mentioned a strategy that I should undertake in order for me to work on my weaknesses. This was an interesting exercise, and I learned a bit more about myself.
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