Truth, Beauty, Purpose
This morning I read an article about this personality type called INFJ which is supposedly rare (a very little % of people coincides with it), and as I read some of the characteristics of these individuals I felt there were coincidences with my own so after doing research online I found a personality test online at 16 Personalities and the result didn't surprise me much:
According to the result I AM an INFJ type known as INFJ-T "The Advocate" (sounds ominous, doesn't it?)
The Summary says,
Role: Diplomat
Strategy: Constant Improvement
The INFJ description says the following:
"The Advocate personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. As members of the Diplomat Role group, Advocates have an inborn sense of idealism and morality, but what sets them apart is that they are not idle dreamers, but people capable of taking concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting positive impact."
"Advocates indeed share a unique combination of traits: though soft-spoken, they have very strong opinions and will fight tirelessly for an idea they believe in. They are decisive and strong-willed, but will rarely use that energy for personal gain - Advocates will act with creativity, imagination, conviction and sensitivity not to create advantage, but to create balance. Egalitarianism and karma are very attractive ideas to Advocates, and they tend to believe that nothing would help the world so much as using love and compassion to soften the hearts of tyrants."
"Advocates find it easy to make connections with others, and have a talent for warm, sensitive language, speaking in human terms, rather than with pure logic and fact. It makes sense that their friends and colleagues will come to think of them as quiet Extraverted types, but they would all do well to remember that Advocates need time alone to decompress and recharge, and to not become too alarmed when they suddenly withdraw. Advocates take great care of other’s feelings, and they expect the favor to be returned - sometimes that means giving them the space they need for a few days."
It also describes strengths:
"Advocates are likely to find that most corporate career paths are not designed for them, but for those focused on status and material gain. This doesn’t mean that people with the Advocate personality type struggle to see viable options though. In fact, they are likely to face the opposite problem - many Advocates struggle to begin a career early on because they see ten wildly different paths forward, each with its own intrinsic rewards, alluring but also heartbreaking, because each means abandoning so much else."
(How I wish I had taken this test right out of high-school to have a better understanding of myself!)
"First and foremost, Advocates need to find meaning in their work, to know that they are helping and connecting with people - an Advocate Ferrari salesperson is a non-sequitur. This desire to help and connect makes careers in healthcare, especially the more holistic varieties, very rewarding for Advocates - roles as counselors, psychologists, doctors, life coaches and spiritual guides are all attractive options."
"Advocates’ needs don’t end at meaning though - any productive work can be rationalized to be meaningful, as any productive work helps someone, somewhere. Advocates crave creativity too, the ability to use their insight to connect events and situations, effecting real change in others’ lives personally."
"These needs are hard to meet in a corporate structure, where Advocates will be forced to manage someone else’s policies alongside their own. For this reason, people with the Advocate personality type are more likely to, despite their aversion to controlling others, establish their independence by either finding a leadership position, or simply starting their own practice. As independents, sole proprietors in the parlance of business, Advocates are free to follow their hearts, applying their personal touch, creativity and altruism to everything they do.
This is the most rewarding option for Advocates, as they will step out of the overly humble supporting and noncompetitive roles they are often drawn to, and into positions where they can grow and make a difference. Advocates often pursue expressive careers such as writing, elegant communicators that they are, and author many popular blogs, stories and screenplays. Music, photography, design and art are viable options too, and they all can focus on deeper themes of personal growth, morality and spirituality.
Where Advocates fall flat is in work focusing on impersonal concerns, mundanity, and high-profile conflict. Accounting and auditing, data analysis and routine work will leave people with the Advocate personality type fidgety and unfulfilled, and they will simply wilt under the scrutiny, criticism and pressure of courtroom prosecution and defense, corporate politics and cold-call sales. Advocates are clever, and can function in any of these fields, but to be truly happy, they need to be able to exercise their insightfulness and independence, learn and grow alongside the people they are helping, and contribute to the well-being of humanity on a personal level."
A summary of the conclusion which I think I can relate to A LOT!,
"Few personality types are as sensitive and mysterious as Advocates. Your imagination and empathy make you someone who not only cherishes their integrity and deeply held principles but, unlike many other idealistic types, is also capable of turning those ideals into plans, and executing them.
Yet, as an Advocate, you are likely to be easily tripped up in areas where idealism and determination are more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is navigating interpersonal conflicts, confronting unpleasant facts, pursuing self-realization, or finding a career path that aligns well with your intricate inner core, you may face numerous challenges that at times can even make you question who you really are."
Have you ever had a personality/aptitud test done? Do you guys think these online tests could actually be accurate?
According to the result I AM an INFJ type known as INFJ-T "The Advocate" (sounds ominous, doesn't it?)
The Summary says,
Role: Diplomat
Strategy: Constant Improvement
The INFJ description says the following:
"The Advocate personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population, but they nonetheless leave their mark on the world. As members of the Diplomat Role group, Advocates have an inborn sense of idealism and morality, but what sets them apart is that they are not idle dreamers, but people capable of taking concrete steps to realize their goals and make a lasting positive impact."
"Advocates indeed share a unique combination of traits: though soft-spoken, they have very strong opinions and will fight tirelessly for an idea they believe in. They are decisive and strong-willed, but will rarely use that energy for personal gain - Advocates will act with creativity, imagination, conviction and sensitivity not to create advantage, but to create balance. Egalitarianism and karma are very attractive ideas to Advocates, and they tend to believe that nothing would help the world so much as using love and compassion to soften the hearts of tyrants."
"Advocates find it easy to make connections with others, and have a talent for warm, sensitive language, speaking in human terms, rather than with pure logic and fact. It makes sense that their friends and colleagues will come to think of them as quiet Extraverted types, but they would all do well to remember that Advocates need time alone to decompress and recharge, and to not become too alarmed when they suddenly withdraw. Advocates take great care of other’s feelings, and they expect the favor to be returned - sometimes that means giving them the space they need for a few days."
It also describes strengths:
- "Creative - Combining a vivid imagination with a strong sense of compassion, Advocates use their creativity to resolve not technical challenges, but human ones. People with the Advocate personality type enjoy finding the perfect solution for someone they care about, and this strength makes them excellent counselors and advisors.
- Insightful - Seeing through dishonesty and disingenuous motives, Advocates step past manipulation and sales tactics and into a more honest discussion. Advocates see how people and events are connected, and are able to use that insight to get to the heart of the matter.
- Inspiring and Convincing - Speaking in human terms, not technical, Advocates have a fluid, inspirational writing style that appeals to the inner idealist in their audience. Advocates can even be astonishingly good orators, speaking with warmth and passion, if they are proud of what they are speaking for.
- Decisive - Their creativity, insight and inspiration are able to have a real impact on the world, as Advocates are able to follow through on their ideas with conviction, willpower, and the planning necessary to see complex projects through to the end. Advocates don’t just see the way things ought to be, they act on those insights.
- Determined and Passionate - When Advocates come to believe that something is important, they pursue that goal with a conviction and energy that can catch even their friends and loved ones off guard. Advocates will rock the boat if they have to, something not everyone likes to see, but their passion for their chosen cause is an inseparable part of their personality.
- Altruistic - These strengths are used for good. Advocates have strong beliefs and take the actions that they do not because they are trying to advance themselves, but because they are trying to advance an idea that they truly believe will make the world a better place."
- "Sensitive - When someone challenges or criticizes Advocates’ principles or values, they are likely to receive an alarmingly strong response. People with the Advocate personality type are highly vulnerable to criticism and conflict, and questioning their motives is the quickest way to their bad side.
- Extremely Private - Advocates tend to present themselves as the culmination of an idea. This is partly because they believe in this idea, but also because Advocates are extremely private when it comes to their personal lives, using this image to keep themselves from having to truly open up, even to close friends. Trusting a new friend can be even more challenging for Advocates.
- Perfectionistic - Advocates are all but defined by their pursuit of ideals. While this is a wonderful quality in many ways, an ideal situation is not always possible - in politics, in business, in romance - and Advocates too often drop or ignore healthy and productive situations and relationships, always believing there might be a better option down the road.
- Always Need to Have a Cause - Advocates get so caught up in the passion of their pursuits that any of the cumbersome administrative or maintenance work that comes between them and the ideal they see on the horizon is deeply unwelcome. Advocates like to know that they are taking concrete steps towards their goals, and if routine tasks feel like they are getting in the way, or worse yet, there is no goal at all, they will feel restless and disappointed.
- Can Burn Out Easily - Their passion, poor patience for routine maintenance, tendency to present themselves as an ideal, and extreme privacy tend to leave Advocates with few options for letting off steam. People with this personality type are likely to exhaust themselves in short order if they don’t find a way to balance their ideals with the realities of day-to-day living."
"Advocates are likely to find that most corporate career paths are not designed for them, but for those focused on status and material gain. This doesn’t mean that people with the Advocate personality type struggle to see viable options though. In fact, they are likely to face the opposite problem - many Advocates struggle to begin a career early on because they see ten wildly different paths forward, each with its own intrinsic rewards, alluring but also heartbreaking, because each means abandoning so much else."
(How I wish I had taken this test right out of high-school to have a better understanding of myself!)
"First and foremost, Advocates need to find meaning in their work, to know that they are helping and connecting with people - an Advocate Ferrari salesperson is a non-sequitur. This desire to help and connect makes careers in healthcare, especially the more holistic varieties, very rewarding for Advocates - roles as counselors, psychologists, doctors, life coaches and spiritual guides are all attractive options."
"Advocates’ needs don’t end at meaning though - any productive work can be rationalized to be meaningful, as any productive work helps someone, somewhere. Advocates crave creativity too, the ability to use their insight to connect events and situations, effecting real change in others’ lives personally."
"These needs are hard to meet in a corporate structure, where Advocates will be forced to manage someone else’s policies alongside their own. For this reason, people with the Advocate personality type are more likely to, despite their aversion to controlling others, establish their independence by either finding a leadership position, or simply starting their own practice. As independents, sole proprietors in the parlance of business, Advocates are free to follow their hearts, applying their personal touch, creativity and altruism to everything they do.
This is the most rewarding option for Advocates, as they will step out of the overly humble supporting and noncompetitive roles they are often drawn to, and into positions where they can grow and make a difference. Advocates often pursue expressive careers such as writing, elegant communicators that they are, and author many popular blogs, stories and screenplays. Music, photography, design and art are viable options too, and they all can focus on deeper themes of personal growth, morality and spirituality.
Where Advocates fall flat is in work focusing on impersonal concerns, mundanity, and high-profile conflict. Accounting and auditing, data analysis and routine work will leave people with the Advocate personality type fidgety and unfulfilled, and they will simply wilt under the scrutiny, criticism and pressure of courtroom prosecution and defense, corporate politics and cold-call sales. Advocates are clever, and can function in any of these fields, but to be truly happy, they need to be able to exercise their insightfulness and independence, learn and grow alongside the people they are helping, and contribute to the well-being of humanity on a personal level."
A summary of the conclusion which I think I can relate to A LOT!,
"Few personality types are as sensitive and mysterious as Advocates. Your imagination and empathy make you someone who not only cherishes their integrity and deeply held principles but, unlike many other idealistic types, is also capable of turning those ideals into plans, and executing them.
Yet, as an Advocate, you are likely to be easily tripped up in areas where idealism and determination are more of a liability than an asset. Whether it is navigating interpersonal conflicts, confronting unpleasant facts, pursuing self-realization, or finding a career path that aligns well with your intricate inner core, you may face numerous challenges that at times can even make you question who you really are."
Have you ever had a personality/aptitud test done? Do you guys think these online tests could actually be accurate?