What is personality?
Personality is the distinct patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors of a person. Personality is formed from the natural, genetic traits one is born combined with the environmental factors one experiences. Our personalities are the interweaving of nature and nurture. This is the reason we have such a beautiful mosaic of humanity. No two people have the exact same experiences and innate dispositions.
Hopefully this excites you to learn more about personality and the powerful impact it has on the world we are creating. The more we can appreciate the unique personality we each have, the more empathy, compassion and acceptance we are capable of expressing towards ourselves and others.
Most conflict arises because of a rejection of one’s personality; thoughts, feelings and behaviors. This does not mean that we have to agree on everything, but we do need to maintain a level of respect for another’s personality as we work towards peaceful solutions.
Personality Assessments
There are many different types of personality assessments. All are attempting to give us a more accurate understanding of motivations, thoughts, feelings and behaviors. But unfortunately all personality assessments will fall short of being able to identify every unique facet of your personality. We are just too complex to name and label all the mysterious factors that contribute to our personality.
This does not mean that personality assessments should be avoided. These tools are extremely beneficial for helping us identify themes influencing our lives, motivations for behaviors and perspectives we hold. The process of personal growth can be improved by using personality assessments, especially when you are working with a psychotherapist, marriage and family therapist, counselor or coach, who can more quickly understand some of your motivations and reasons for specific thought, feeling and behavioral patterns. These resources can be a phenomenal launching pad for making the changes you desire in yourself and relationships.
So try different tests and see how they feel. Play around with them, knowing that you are an amazing being who can never be fully understood by an assessment.
Links To Free Online Personality Assessments
Here are two websites that I like to use with my clients. This has helped new clients and I move faster towards achieving their transformational goals.
