I Yam What I Yam

I mentioned before that my learning theory class this term has us taking all kinds of wonderful assessments to learn about ourselves and how we learn. (In so far as a standardized test can reveal such details to you, that is.) A few weeks ago we got an email from the professor with links to the Myers-Briggs and also the Strong Interest Inventory. I've taken both before and generally I end up with the same(ish) results.

On the SII, my two top-rated professions are computer science and university professor. As this is what I've always strayed back to, I suppose that's good. Programmer was in the top 10. So, all things being equal, I suppose I'm where I'm supposed to be for the time being, regardless of how frustrating it gets. Or there's always the chance that you subconsciously influence your answers based on what you currently do, whether you enjoy it or not.

Then there's the Myers-Briggs. I took the MBTI for the first time in high school. We had to take it in the 9th grade and again in the 12th. The teachers all ooozed about how we would looooove seeing how much we changed as a result of 4 years of high school, blah blah blah. Well, in the 9th grade, I was an INTJ. With very high I and very high J and medium-ish Ns and Ts. In the 12th grade? I was an INTJ. With very high I and very high J and medium-ish Ns and Ts.

I was curious if, after 15 years anything had changed drastically. We got our results emailed to us yesterday. And I am....an INTJ. With very high I and very high J and medium-ish Ns and Ts. I suppose it's good that I'm consistent, yes?

I will say, reading through the report again, one phrase stuck out as if it had a flashing marquee of lights circling it. Apparently, being an INTJ makes other people consider me "hard to know." I've been accused of this many, many times. But it always hurts when people say it. Because I don't actually consider myself all that hard to know - from where I sit, I wear my heart on my sleeve - but maybe that's just if you know how to look.

Anyway, one thing that has changed since high school is that I'm considerably less prone to feeling like a mutant simply because of my personality. Now maybe it's because I didn't take the test with a teacher chirping about how only extroverts will ever amount to anything and people who are introverted need to over come it - like it's a disease. Or maybe it's because, in many ways, I have learned to over come my introversion - at least to a degree. Or maybe it's because I realize that there's really only so much 20 or so multiple choice questions can really tell you about yourself.