Enjoy the cake, but don’t ask what it’s made of.
When I was at AMV many of the staff took the Myers Briggs test, a series of questions that would place you in one of 16 different personality groups.
Many big companies use this test because the theory goes that you could interact better with others if you took their personality type into account. For example, if you spoke of an idea in terms of its abstract potential, that would not persuade a personality type that lived for concrete logic, so instead you would look for more a more solid context in which to express yourself, and the whole process would become smoother.
It was kind of interesting (although Ken Robinson is not really a fan) and because so many of us had done it, you could have a bit of a chat about it with colleagues and perhaps find a way to get though any differences more effectively. My only problem was that I was really bad at working out other people’s types, so my attempts to take their perspectives into account were rarely successful.
Anyway, one day a Myers Briggs lady called a few of us creatives together to discuss our recent testing. I’m not sure what the overall point was, but something didn’t quite work for me: I understood what they thought we could get out of this information, but I wanted to ask another question: why are we the types we are? This enquiry was brushed off because apparently it was not a matter that was covered by Myers Briggs, and why care so much about the means if we already had the end?
Well, I just thought that even more accurate analysis could be gained from that knowledge. But then it’s far harder to find out that kind of information.
What separates the good from the bad, or the good from the great? Why are some of us driven and others content with the status quo? Why are some of us neurotic and others carefree?
Of course, these are questions that man has struggled with since the dawn of civilisation, so we weren’t going to solve them that day, but I don’t like to accept things as complicated and important as that without a little more thought. The fact that this system had got so far without that further degree of curiosity seems to me a curiosity in itself.
But maybe that’s just me (and that fact that I’m an ENTJ).
Is one’s personality type determined by others subjectivity or objectivity?
funny you brought this up ben. Few of us when through the test last week. Someone was sent from the UK to administer the test to us (in Singapore). Yeah this thing is still kicking up and about.
I think all these things are good. Makes you more aware of yourself and those around you. However I take most of these things with a pinch of salt.
There is alot of ‘believing things you want to believe in’ I feel, especially after speaking to those who just completed the course – like reading the horoscope.
I remembered doing it when I was in the UK and I felt that sub-consciously I had put on a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy and belief perseverance mindset. It’s not that I can help it.
And it made me really curious. Do people answer the questions with what they deemed as the right answer (or the answer they wish to be associated closest to), at the back of their minds?
I did it years ago. Don’t remember which combination of letters i was categorised into. But whenever I shared them with any of my work colleagues, nobody seemed surprised. The long-term value of doing it? None whatsoever.
I have a system based on the myers Briggs but much simpler.
You are either a C.U.N.T or you’re not a C.U.N.T from this you can then work out how to navigate the person.
If they are a CUNT then you do your best to smile at them in the kitchen.
And if theyre not then you find common ground naturally.
Interestingly no CUNTs think they are CUNTs and are surprised to learn that they are.
Psychology is just a load of bollocks.
Think of it this way.
You are a psychology grad. You are really good at psychology.
But now you need some money.
And there’s not really any place for a psychologist to make money. Not really. So you create the need for your black arts in advertising (oh, persuasion! that’s psychology that is!), or in team management (oh, that’s teamwork, that’s psychology that is).
It’s a bunch of snake oil that its purveyors need to believe in in order to justify their existence and that semi-science that they’ve devoted their life to.
You could group agency people into star signs too and see many broad similiarities. How many creatives, for instance, are aquarian or libran? Fucking loads, that’s how many.
But despite the similarities, in an empirical society, it must be cast aside as bullshit. Same with all this shit.
from my perspective, there are two personality types: good-spirited (i.e. not a cunt, hi anonopopolous) people and not so good-spirited people. i would prefer this any day over any other category system.
what does it matter if you are extroverted, introverted, swearing like a drunken sailor, are intuitive, or not, if you are a personality who is looking for advantages at whatever costs, maybe not realizing you are biting the hands that feed you.
im sure it got much to do with life and the choices you made. why did you make those choices? because of your past experiences? cant be, because not everyone who had a horrible childhood will become an asshole, for example. not everyone who had the most loving parents in the world will lead a meaningful life. its attitude! why do we have a certain attitude? i might say its due to intellect. but thats a subjective point. someone tell me when they find out.
what j said. if you know your personality is being tested for a category, you might as well try to make yourself appear in a category which you feel comfortable with, for whatever reasons. good-spirited or evil-minded person, or not.
totally love the fact that the lady didnt want to elaborate on your question, ben. for a not so good-spirited reason: it would reveal that detailed psychological categorization down the rabbit hole is shenanigans, but a valuable income source nonetheless.
there are, however, models in psychology, like all those concerning cognitive bias, for example, that can be of value in understanding people and their behaviour, and yourself. but it is by far not as simple as just applying these models and thats it. people are complex. which is why im annoyed when i read about this brave new world that behavioral economics must be.
Once again, anonymouse, I find myself agreeing with you. But then I am a Pisces. Holy shit, it’s easy this isn’t it?
BBH once instigated ‘Star Sign Lunches’ – where people had, once a month, to lunch together with other Aries/Librans/Aquarians (insert joke here) in one of the posher rooms there. This was nothing to do with social engineering other than the desire to get people to make friends in the otherwise pitiless environment.
I fucking hate all this categorization. Big Corporate love it though. I don’t want to be told who I might get along with. I’d rather find out myself if it’s all the same with you. And obviously I don’t care if it’s all the same with you because I am an Alpha Male. Grrrrr (to fade).
the ken robinson link seems to be as dead as robinson wishes myer briggs to be? the author has deleted his blog! google cache is still there. the part where he mentions mb.
“Another topic that Robinson appears to be against is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Although I agree it’s not perfectly accurate, I do think there is something behind the MBTI. Everybody I’ve talked to that has taken the MBTI has found their “type” description to be very accurate, and most of us test very consistently when we take similar but different tests. However, Robinson disagrees; he does mention, though, that he finds the Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument to be more useful. For the record, my MBTI result is INTJ.”
the book hes referring to is the element by robinson.
Somebody said I was like Cloughy. What does that make me in the Myers-Briggs world?
I’m a Virgo. Bugger.
interesting article loosely affiliated to this subject in the latest edition of shots.
@mary: I read ‘my MBTI INsult is INTJ.’ and thought, she’s right.
I’ve made the Mayer_Briggs test 3 times in my life. The results were different every time. Once I was a ISFJ, and once I was INTJ – and this type is considered to be the rarest about 1-4% of the population. The first type is warm, generous, and dependable – the perfect friend. The second is ambitious, self-confident – isolationist.
I think the world of business embraces all types of tests because they give some form of system, and order based on the notion that life is predetermined, logical, easy to plan. Ergo – safe, and risk-free.
Genetics is the next psychology.
Hey, Ben – I recall a funny test story. I had different instructors and trainers from all around the world during the years. One of the best of them was an English planner from AMV, and yes – his courses start with a test.
The test tries to determine things as: positive/negative thinking, openness, readiness to learn.
When he made the test in Bulgaria from a group of 30 people only one had the minimum, and all others were below it. He used it once more with the same result.
Than I’ve met the same guy in Spain where he made the same test with a group of people from around 15 countries. He started with: “Are there any Bulgarians in the room?” Three hands went up. He said: “Bulgarians can skip the test.”
The bear minimum of it is 800+ points. My result every time is around 600.
After a week of training in Spain there was an exam. I was in top 3 performers. The person with the highest test score wasn’t.