Just a Little About Me..:)

The following is a case study I wrote in my General Psychology class at Patten University. I really enjoyed this topic!

A Pal and a Confidant by Kevin Bounds

In the beginnings of the twentieth century Psychologist Carl Jung developed a test to identify individual personality types. There are sixteen different typologies. After completion of a test modeled after Carl Jung's Typology Test, I discovered my personality profile to be an INFJ. INFJ is an abbreviation for of Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, and Judging. As the old expression goes, “This hit the nail on the head”. I was astounded at how accurate this test was in describing my personality!

The following is a brief explanation of each personality trait. The INFJ personality could be defined as an idealist, counselor,or confidant. The word introverted describes a person who focuses on their inner self, instead of the outward world. Intuitive people read between the lines and process information through patterns and impressions. The feeling aspect deals with how one makes decisions that they are faced with in life. Their actions are governed by the heart and how they feel about a situation, rather than logic. Judging people like order and organization. They are sequential thinkers. Having things planned out and settled is the way judging people prefer to live life.

There were many things that surprised me about my typology. For instance, “Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones.” (Idealist Portrait of a Counselor) It amazed me how very few people have the INFJ personality. Even Carl Jung had an INFJ personality! I always felt that I was a little different in some way, but now I have proof. This was the most significant surprise to me during my research.

During, my research I solidified various things about my personality. One of such things was my inability to socialize without any time for solitude. “Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. ”(Idealist Portrait of a Counselor) As a member of clergy I often struggled with this. I thought I was being antisocial, but really I just needed time to be alone to process things. Another thing this test solidified was I have always enjoyed thinking on deep things and writing my thoughts down. In writing, I have often excelled, going to Young Author's Conferences when I was in grammar school and writing poetry during my teens. Thirdly, “Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential.”(Idealist Portrait of a Counselor) I have always had a soft heart for others. I have experience the ability to “read” people's feelings without them saying a word. Even when I was in school I befriended the new kid at school and often defended the weaker kids against bullies. This research has greatly reiterated many things about myself I take for granted.

I believe this study can be beneficial to myself and others for the simple reason we can be true to ourselves and to our abilities. When we examine our personalities we can find in which area(s) we excel in and also those we struggle with. It is wise for one that has a weakness in a specific area to seek help from an another which has strength in this area. We could also see how each would act to a certain stimuli. This would aid in avoiding conflict or help resolve conflict when it occurs.

I have, as most INFJ's a tendency to “always be right”. “Because the INFJ has such strong intuitive capabilities, they trust their own instincts above all else. This may result in an INFJ's stubbornness and tendency to ignore other people's opinions. They believe that they're right.”(Portrait of an INFJ) I believe one strategy would be to take time to listen to others input before I make a decision. I have to admit this is difficult for me to do. “On the other hand, INFJ is a perfectionist who doubts that they are living up to their full potential. INFJs are rarely at complete peace with themselves - there's always something else they should be doing to improve themselves and the world around them. They believe in constant growth, and don't often take time to revel in their accomplishments.” This sates another thing in which I must improve on. I am always pushing myself to better myself and the world around me. I often fall into the habit of being a workaholic. I need to take time to embrace my accomplishments and celebrate the here and now!

In conclusion, this study of personality typologies has greatly increased my awareness of who I am as a person! I believe I am more in tune with who I am suppose to be than ever before. Conversely, this study has opened my eyes to different view points and personalities. As I continue to learn about myself and others I will take in consideration all the information I have gained in this case study!