Have you ever taken a personality test, like the Herrmann Brain Dominance Instrument or the Myers-Briggs Personality Test?

I thought it would be fun to take a few and see how the results stack up. Would the description of my type be spot-on or just general enough to be applied to anyone. Here’s what I found out…

Keirsey Personality Type

Result: The Rationals

Rationals are abstract and objective thinkers that seek knowledge. You strive to learn as many subjects as possible and you have an incredible knack for strategic thinking. You’re most likely tech savvy, down to earth, and very reliable. As a rational, you also excel in any kind of logical investigation. This makes you perfect for anything that involves a deep level of thinking or strategizing. You either tend to be an attentive mastermind and use your intelligence for coordinating people and things or you’re a true architect at heart with incredible intellectual potential.

My thoughts: This result definitely speaks to how many random interests I have (sometimes to my detriment…just PICK something!) and my need to get to the bottom of things. I’m definitely not tech savvy, as much as I want to be, but I do think I’m reliable and good at coordinating people. However, this short description doesn’t mention the result of all this thinking and strategizing. I’m not a thinker for thinking’s sake, more problem-solver than philosopher.

Myers-Briggs

Result: INFJ-T (“The Advocate”)

Advocates indeed share a very 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 Extroverted 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.

My thoughts: Above is just a small excerpt from a rather exhaustive break-down of this type. My Myers-Briggs type absolutely rings true for me. I am totally someone who comes across as a quiet Extroverted type but inside I’m an introvert through and through. This result speaks to my adaptability in social situations but a preference to exercise influence from behind the scenes. (Busted!) This result also notes,  “INFJs regard problems as opportunities to design and implement creative solutions.”

Hartman Personality Profile

Result: Red – Lifeblood of Humanity

Reds are motivated by Power. They seek productivity and need to look good to others. Simply stated, reds want their own way. They like to be in the driver’s seat and willingly pay the price to be in a leadership role. Reds value whatever gets them ahead in life, whether it be in their careers, school endeavors, or personal life. What reds value, they get done. They are often workaholics. They will, however, resist doing anything that doesn’t interest them.

Reds like to be right. They value approval from others for their intelligence and practical approach to life, and want to be respected for it. Reds are confident, proactive, and visionary; and but can also be arrogant, selfish, and insensitive.

My thoughts: My main confusion with these results stem from the fact that you’re supposed to answer the questions for this assessment based on yourself as a child. Therefore, the results I got seem a lot more true of my kid-life–bossy, unconcerned with others, practical. Maybe most people change less between childhood and adulthood but I only found these results to be partly true. However, I WAS interested to see that this part – “resists doing anything that doesn’t interest them” – reiterates what I discovered about being a Questioner.

All in all, I’d say there were some interesting points to glean from all three of these personality tests. If you need a little distraction today, and want to see if these assessments have you PEGGED, then WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!

Go find out your personality type.