Why learn about personality types?

• Give your reasons….

Why?

• Learning about our Personality Type helps us to understand why certain areas in life come easily to us, and others are more of a struggle.

• It can help us to understand others better as well, therefore, making for stronger relationships.

Personality Types

There are 16 Personality Types

Two basic kinds of “functions”:

• How we take in information (how we “perceive” things.

• How we make decisions

Within these two categories, there are two opposite ways of functioning.

We can perceive information:

• Via Our Senses (S)

• Via Our iNtuition (N)

We can make decisions based on:

• Objective Logic, thinking. (T)

• Subjective feelings (F)

We can identify an order of preference:

We use all four of these functions in our lives, but each individual uses the different functions with a varying amount of success and frequency.

However, we all have “dominant” functions.

Auxiliary Function:

• The dominant function is supported by an auxiliary (2nd) function, tertiary function (3rd), and inferior (4th) function.

• The dominant function is so important, that it overshadows all the other functions in terms of defining personality type.

“Extravert or Introvert”

• Individuals either extrovert or introvert their dominant function.

To explain further:

• Every individual has a primary mode of operation within four categories:

• 1. Our flow of energy

• 2. How we take in information

• 3. How we prefer to make decisions

• 4. The basic day-to-day lifestyle that we

prefer.

Within these categories, we “prefer” to be either:

• 1. Extraverted or Introverted

• 2. Sensing or iNtuitive

• 3. Thinking or Feeling

• 4. Judging or Perceiving

Flow of Energy

• Defines how we receive the essential part of our stimulation.– Introvert: receive it from within ourselves– Extrovert: from external sources.

Take in Information:

• Trust our five senses (Sensing)

• Rely on instincts (iNtuitive)

Make Decisions:

• Based on logic and objective consideration (Thinking)

• Based on personal, subjective value system (Feeling)

Day-to-Day Living

• Organized, purposeful, more comfortable with scheduled, structured environments (Judging)

• Flexible, diverse, more comfortable with open, casual environments (Perceiving)

The theory of Personality Types contends that each of us has a

natural preference which falls into one category or the other in each of these four areas, and that our native Personality Type indicates

how we are likely to deal with different situations that life

presents, and in which environments we are most

comfortable.

ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT PERSONALITIES:

• Type A and Type B personality types were first mentioned way back in 1950s. However over the years psychologists realized that not all groups of people could be classified under these personality types. This lead to two more personality types being defined and classified, namely type C and Type D.

Type A,B,C, D Personalities

• Often people are assigned as a type A, B, or C personality instead of one of the previously stated types.

Type A

• These people tend to be extremely competitive and driven to succeed.

• They are more likely to develop stress related diseases

• Tend to be “leaders” or be employed in high level careers

Type B personality

• Tend to be calm and less competitive.

• Less likely to develop stress related illnesses.

• Tend to be employed in service related careers and lower stress level occupations.

Type C Personality

• Individuals with type C personality types are often known as the direct opposite of type B personality types. These individuals are often introverts and have an eye for detail. These individuals also tend to be perfectionists and strive for accuracy in whatever they do.

• Type C individuals are also thoughtful and are deep thinkers. They like to know the details of each and every task at hand and have a need to know why things are the way they are. Their personality traits makes them best suited for technical jobs that requires an exceptional eye for detail such as engineers or accountants. These individuals also tend to be patient, yet they are not capable of expressing their emotions freely. Most of the times, these individuals ignore their feelings.

Type C

• They also lack assertiveness and cannot hold their ground when faced with opposition, even if it means that they get hurt in the process. They also have an innate tendency to please people around them.

Type C

• As these individuals are not capable of expressing their feelings or emotions, they often tend to suffer from depression and stress when compared to other personality types. Asthma, Lupus and rheumatoid arthritis are some of the most common diseases to affect Type C individuals

Type D personality• Type D personality, first defined in the '90s,

is characterized by feelings of negativity, depression, anxiety, stress, anger, and loneliness. Type D personalities sweat the small stuff and often expect the worst. They have trouble making friends and often have low self-esteem. They are tense, chronically angry, and overreact to stressful situations; they also tend to conceal their feelings from others out of fear of rejection.

D stands for distressed

• Type D's have a negative outlook towards life and are pessimistic. A small event that is not even noticed by type B can ruin type D's day.Type D might become socially withdrawn as a result of fear of rejection even if they like to be around people. T

• Type D's are famous for suppressing their emotions and this makes them the most vulnerable type to depression.

Can personality types be changed??

• The quick answer is definitely. Whether you are a type A B C or D you can still change your personality or even change one single trait that is associated with one of those types but….

before you can do that you must be aware of the following:Don't let a quiz fool you: Many people read online quiz results and consider them God sent. Its very common that someone forms a limiting belief about his personality and becomes stuck doing a certain behavior just because a quiz result gave him false information about himself. In short, Human personalities are too complex to be assessed by an online quiz.We don't inherit personality: We don't inherit our personalities nor we are stuck because of our genes. A type A personality can have three children who are Type B, Type C and type D. So stop fooling yourself by believing that you can't change to the better as a result of your genes

Treat the underlying causes: For example, Type Ds by nature fear to talk about their emotions and to approach people as a result of their fear of rejection. In order for a type D to change his personality he first needs to build self esteem so that he stops fearing rejection and once he deals with that root cause his problem will disappear on its own.

Terms to Know

• Extrovert: gets energy from external sources. May be extremely friendly and outgoing.

• Introvert: gets their energy from themselves, such as reading, quiet time, listening or playing music, etc.

What questions do you have?

• Journal your thoughts on personality types. What are you most like? What parts of your personality are you happy with? What parts of your personality could use some improvement?

More terms to know:

• Optimist: someone who focuses on the positive and expects the best.

• Pessimist: someone who focuses on the negative and expects the worst