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Opinion

Thinking in (and out of) the box

By Masako Yamada


人を類型化すること

ある性格検査法によれば、人の性格は16種類に分類される。 人を型にはめて考えるのはいけないことだが 性格がある程度ちゃんとした型に分類されていると、よい指針になる。

About three years ago, I was asked to write an article where I had to interview a successful manager on his "Favorite Business Book." He said it was "Type Talk at Work: How the 16 Personality Types Determine Your Success on the Job." It helps categorize people into one of 16 personality types, commonly known as the Myers-Briggs types.

Intrigued after the interview, I took the test and found that I was an ESFJ: Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judging. My boyfriend was the exact opposite type, which is INTP: Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiving. It was fun to compare notes ("Opposites must attract!!") but we basically forgot our types and never bothered to take any of the prescribed advice.

Three years later, my boyfriend and I took a course based on a book called "The Art of SpeedReading People." The course taught us how to apply the concepts of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types in real life. The goal of the course was to form a "good guess" of an individual's personality after a few minutes of conversation and to adjust one's behavior to facilitate interaction.

Many people, including myself, don't like to be boxed into stereotypes nor do they like flesh-and-blood relationships to be guided by written rules. I've certainly never believed in horoscopes, blood-type tests and tarot cards. Even though this is much more scientific, I'm skeptical of taking any kind of categorization scheme too far.

However, I do like that it forces one to acknowledge that not everybody thinks like oneself. At first glance, it seems ridiculous that there are only 16 personality types, but this is better than assuming there is only one, that is to say, one's own. Not knowing any better, it's all too easy to assume that others have the same thought processes. This scheme can prevent one from getting hurt or confused when one isn't "understood" by others. It also shows that one must modify one's behavior depending on the audience. There is not just one "true" way that works well with all.

Also, this method helps one avoid the common pitfalls of categorizing people. Instead of putting people in wrong boxes based on the wrong cues, it tries to put them into the right boxes based on the right cues. For example, one of the women we met looked like a fashion model but studied mechanical engineering at a top university. Most people would latch onto the external cues such as "tall, thin blonde with lots of makeup in a very short skirt" or "scientist from UPenn" and try to make a judgment of her character. We were taught to ask the appropriate questions and listen to the answers carefully.

My boyfriend and I had the same personality types we had three years ago, but the implications resonated more than before. Older and wiser, we've come to realize that finding meaningful jobs and building meaningful relationships is hard. Thankfully, some people have come up with practical shortcuts and rules of thumb to help make navigation a bit easier.

(505 words)


Discussion: Do we risk creating stereotypes by trying to categorize personalities?



Shukan ST: Jan. 13, 2006

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