Do what you are

Something I find very useful about personality types is that it helps me to value other people for their unique abilities and outlooks on life. Okay, so there are certain people that I can't stand for certain reasons, and it's hard for me to let that go. But on the other hand, I think every person has something positive to offer the world if they can learn what that is. INTps can greatly improve the world with their scientific discoveries. ESFjs are wonderful with children and make great nurses. ESFps entertain us and keep us young. ESXjs counterbalance the ENTp's desire to change and improve everything they see. ISFps make all sorts of beautiful art. XSTps work with their hands to fix the things we break. And the list goes on.

[+/-] read/hide the rest of this post
Sure, I've got my favorite types and I definitely relate to some better than others. And some types are more likely to cause problems. But just like the church, this world needs every type of person to make society work... as well as it does at least (there are lots of things I'd change, but I try to remain optimistic.)

I've also found that learning personality types has helped me with group work. Different people have vastly different skills and working styles, and understanding this can greatly help when assigning roles in a group project. For instance, this last quarter, rather than trying to have our whole group of five design our site plan, Devin and I (both xNxp's) decided to work together on this and it turned out wonderfully. The rest of the group, who are the detail-oriented artisans to the best of my knowledge (that is, xSxp) did a great job putting together the reports and 3d models. Not only did this minimize the scheduling difficulties, but we were able to all work to our abilities and not get burnt out. Which is one of the most important aspects of discovering our types.

When we try to fit into a mold and choose a career based on who we think we should be, we inevitably get burnt out. Attempting to be an engineer earlier in college led to some serious depression because I was trying to do something that was outside of my interests and nature. I soon realized that picking a career because of the money I could make was completely contrary to my personality. However, once I discovered City and Regional Planning, I found a career path where I could use my intellect and creativity to benefit humanity in a tangible way. All of a sudden I was in a major that lined up with my abilities and values, and I flourished.

Discover who you really are, and find a way to do what fits your personality. Perhaps you are indeed built to be a business executive (although I doubt any of those people actually read my blog!) Do it! Live life to the best of your abilities (and serve God in that way!) But many of us are not and we shouldn't try to convince ourselves that this is the only way to be a valuable member of society! And remember, anyone who has made a huge positive change in society likely has struggled to fit in (and has been martyred, but that's a whole other can of worms).

[+/-] read/hide the rest of this post