Are you type A or type B? An introvert or extrovert? Lisa or Lena? You may know your zodiac sign by heart or you might not care. But why do some people love personality tests?
Psychology Today claims that “A simple reason that we tend to identify with our personality test results is that we have an inherent need to belong.” People like hearing about themselves and being in categories. Being on a team, in a club, or having a good friend group can positively impact your life.
So what tests are most popular?
The Myers-Briggs personality test uses questions to determine how people interact with the world around them. For example, I am an INFP. The first letter determines if you’re more introverted (I) or extroverted (E). The second letter tells you if you’re more likely to use your senses (S) or rely on intuition (I). The third letter is either a T, for thinking, or a F for feeling. The fourth letter is a J or P, Judging or Perceiving. Are you more likely to judge before perceiving? I like Myers Briggs because I mostly agree with its assessment of my personality. I also like how there are 16 different archetypes.
The Enneagram personality test is another quiz with 9 personality options. The archetypes include:
- Type 1: The Reformer
- Type 2: The Helper
- Type 3: The Achiever
And so on.
I was assigned type 4, which I’m not sure I agree with. The Enneagram Institute describes The Individualist as “The Sensitive, Withdrawn Type: Expressive, Dramatic, Self-Absorbed, and Temperamental”. I’m not quite sure these traits are the most representative of who I am but I digress. So take the Enneagram, as long as you don’t mind getting your feelings hurt.
In this article, I also want to address zodiac signs. They’re not necessarily a personality test but the idea of being randomly assigned a personality based on your birthday is kind of cool. Some people get sort of offended when you ask for their zodiac sign while others rattle off fun facts about their placements. I’m a Taurus sun, stubborn, and dependable. I actually have a sort of pride about my sign but I guess you can feel however you want about yours.
Share your personality test results, or don’t. Maybe if you want a better gauge of who you are, ask your friends, family, and coworkers. They know you better than a Buzzfeed Quiz.
