MBTI Salad

Also in class this week, we discussed MBTI. My personality type is, of course, INTJ. I’m fairly sure that I am an N, a T, and a J, but the I is still something that bothers me. I do have many traits that make me an introvert such as disliking phone calls, I can sometimes be seen as shy by those who don’t know me, and I am not someone who likes to work in a group. However, I also feel that I step out of my introvert shell on occasion and lean towards extroversion. For example, last semester, I had to be a bit more extroverted in order for me to interact successfully with the students in my recitation. In addition, I have a tendency to go crazy when I am around those who I know. Perhaps this is why my report has labeled me a gregarious and enthusiastic INTJ type.

Also in the MBTI report, it offered change managing tips for my multiple facets. For example, for my planful facet, it noted that I have a tendency to plan as far in advance as possible, and I do. I believe in planning for every possible outcome in the future because I like to be prepared for everything. The report pointed out that to enhance my change management skills, I should allow for the unexpected in my plans because the unexpected can happen. This makes sense and seems like an important trait for a peer mentor to have. Next fall, we will be making lesson plans, and it is wise to plan for the unexpected in these lesson plans in case your co-leader is sick or if one idea doesn’t work with the students. Another idea that the report noted was that in the grand scheme of my personality, I like to use intuition the best. This would make sense because I tend to like thinking in the abstract and contemplating possibilities. Understanding this and the facets of the other peer mentors will allow me to gain a better understanding of them, and it will help if we ever clash on ideas.

Overall, the most important thing I learned this week was that what works for me probably isn’t what works for another person. I often find myself thinking that the way I do things is the best. This is problematic thinking because I fail to see how other approaches could work. When Chelsee explained that she finished a 60 page paper in four days, which averaged to about 15 pages per day, I thought she was crazy. However, I realized that this worked for Chelsee. Her personality enabled her to do this and still be successful. I like to think about a saying I heard once: “If it seems stupid but it works, it’s not stupid.” Knowing all of this will allow me to better interact with the other mentors and my co-leader next fall.

And here is a video of a group of people with very different personality types.