Live.Awake

Personality Tests

// January 15th, 2008 // Family Life

My friend, Martha Margaret, and I love to talk about different personalities. It is one of those things that we find ourselves talking about all the time. It is so fun to read the different descriptions and combinations and think about what makes people tick and how they process things. There is a book called “Spirit Controlled Temperament” by Tim LaHaye that is a good book for defining the different temperaments through a Christian viewpoint. There are tests all over the internet that you can take. I ran across one that just gives you a group of words and you pick which of the four you are most like. This one is good except there are certain ones that you don’t really feel fit you at all.  I found a few others I liked a bit better but you had to sign up for stuff (one of them you had to be Catholic). The “Five Love Languages” by Gary Chapman is another resource to help us better understand people and how to relate to each other. The test for this one is very short.

I believe it is very important not to try to box people in too much. You have to remember that each person is different and that we change as time and circumstances dictate, but these kind of tests are the kind that really help you when understanding different people in your lives. I know when Ben and I have done them that I am always like….”Ah so that is why you do that!” or “Now I understand why I am that way and you aren’t.” It gives a better understanding about what makes us tick and therefore saves us some frustration.

So, what personality are you? I love this kind of thing! Here is a list of the four that we talk about a lot (I have linked to the definitions because there are different variations and descriptions too many to list here):

• Melancholy
• Sanguine
• Choleric
• Phlegmatic

According to the test, I am 40% Melancholy, 30% Choleric and 15% of the other two. I don’t know that this is totally right. I think that I probably have more Sanguine then they are saying because I love people! There are definitely mixes in personalities, so enjoy the tests and see if they seem to be right in what they say about you. I think it will be fun if we can get some comments going about what you discover about yourselves.