Some time after finishing my academic training and near the beginning of being a probationer, I remember having to take a Myers-Briggs test.    While I was training for another task within ministry around 5 years ago, I was invited to retake the test.   On both occasions the results came back with the same result, and INFp.

For those unfamiliar with Myers-Briggs (although I know it is used in many professional spheres), it is a personality assessment focussing on psychological types.   It uses a set of multiple choice questions that looks at how individuals focus their attention or get their energy (extraversion or introversion); how they take in information ( are they sensing or perceiving); how they make decisions (thinking or feeling); and how they understand themselves within the surrounding world (are the judging or perceiving.)

In it’s use within our training, the Myers-Briggs is supposed to help us to discover how we operate as individuals within the world and in our relationships with other people.   It should be helpful in enabling us to think about the decisions we make, how we communicate with others, and how people might understand us. It’s also helpful in knowing some of the other personality types and their characteristics, as occasionally when a relationship with another person is tough it gives an opportunity to think about why communication is struggling.

My personality type suggests that I tend towards introversion (which doesn’t mean I hide in corners, but just that when its been a tough week I need to find space for myself to regain the energy I’ve used), that I operate in abstract thought preferring intuition (I like to look at the big picture rather than the detail), that feelings are important to me (that sound to me like I’m too busy worrying about how others might be affected by a decision that is to be made), and that when it comes to making a judgement you may have to wait awhile as I’m busy being perceptive (and, oh yes I like to keep my options open rather than bring something to a close).  Can you sense the smile as I’m writing, because while I might like ti dismiss that notion that people can be summed up in personality types, I can entirely recognise now leading modes of operating in those qualities.   In fact it’s those leading modes of operating that have kept me from making decisions I should have made on a number of occasions, because rather than accepting that something can go no further I’m busy trying to please everyone (and failing) and keeping my options open.   I laughed when I discovered that my personality type is “healer”.

Would I say that knowing this information has truly helped me?   I think on occasion it has.   Some of those who have worked most closely with me have talked about my two personalities – the one that exists in the vestry prior to worship, and the one that appears in worship.   I understand entirely were that are coming from, because I too sometimes feel like two people.   However I also wonder if if knowing a personality type unconsciously allows someone to play more to type.

I do ask daft questions when I should be heading to bed.

Anyway on the sleeping front, it looks like I can fall asleep before 1am now.   Hoping for a before midnight in the not too distant future.   On the exercise front  – blasted snow, wind and rain.   A “Just Dance” marathon with the small people may be in order this week.   Although they are not keen to take me on again, as they hadn’t realised that I had years of dance training on Friday and Saturday nights.