Thank goodness we are all
different, unique individuals. I know this but it was reinforced recently. I
have worked with the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) for thirty years. When
I first was introduced to it, I was reluctant. I do not like being boxed in by
anyone and it seemed to me that was exactly what it would do. I also, believe
it or not, do not like to make undue waves, so when the clergy book study group
decided to do it, I went along. The last question asked about wanting to argue
with some of the other questions on the indicator. Of course, I selected “yes.”
When we as a group had a
workshop with a qualified MBTI interpreter and received our results, it was
such a release for me. I had always known that I was different than almost
everybody else, at least everybody in my family and most folks I knew. What I
discovered is that indeed I am a very different type than others in my family.
In fact, out of every one hundred people, there are only three others like me.
I found out that I was not crazy after all. While I am different than most
people, I have a lot of similarities with a few others. That discovery was a
freeing moment for me.
The recent reinforcement came in
the form of an article on the internet. It summarized what might be hell[1]
for each of the sixteen MBTI types. My hell would be, it said, to have every
moment of my life from here on out scheduled for me by someone else, and it
would be filled with arbitrary, solitary tasks. Just reading it made me shiver.
Who on earth would want to spend all their time on arbitrary, solitary tasks! I
read that out loud to someone. The solitary tasks actually sounded appealing to
her. She is an introvert; I am an extravert. Introverts tend to find their
energy depleted by spending much time with others, even when they like those
others. Extraverts tend to find their energy depleted by being alone too much.[2]
I am reminded yet again not to
judge or assume that everyone thinks or feels as I do. All I ask is that others
also not judge or assume that I should obviously think or feel as they do. The
differences in how we take in information, how we see the world, how we make
decisions, and how important deadlines are to us—among many other qualities—are
gifts. For those who are followers of Jesus, how we make use of them within the
Body of Christ and for the world is what is most important. Vive la difference!
1 Corinthians 12:7
To each is given the manifestation
of the Spirit for the common good.
[1] http://thoughtcatalog.com/heidi-priebe/2015/05/the-definition-of-hell-for-each-myers-briggs-personality-type/
[2] You will notice that I used the word “tend”
in describing both introverts and extraverts. We all have both qualities of
introversion and extraversion; one simply tends
to be predominant over the other. Over
the years, I have even found persons who answered “no” to the last question
(see above).
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