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| Photo by Aleshia Clarke |
An interesting group of people caught my attention last week. As most of you know, I have an acute interest in social science as a generalist (never did get that Master's Degree). I have been educated in personality theory and application through the use of psychological tests. I knew I was an INFJ according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® personality inventory. This basically means I'm the quiet, thoughtful type who seeks meaning in life, has concerns for mankind, and values the need for social justice.
What I did not realize, is there is an entire subculture of INFJ's or other personality types. Some are bloggers or peace activists, and they have an organized online social presence. They proudly list famous people who share the same personality traits; for example, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi. On the other side of the coin, Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, and Robert Mugabe share the INFJ traits. Does this mean we can be almost exactly alike, but either "good" or "evil?" It sure looks like that may be the case.
My daughter is an ISTJ, which means that unlike me, she is very methodic about her daily routine and she relies on facts more than feelings (she studies Molecular Genetics). She and I are very similar, as a matter of fact...I used to be an ISFJ when I was younger. Personality is fluid; it can have slight variation from one week to the next. I'm likely to test differently based on whether I am under pressure to meet deadlines at work, or relaxing at the beach on my annual vacation. In my case, going through the major life changing event of a divorce was the catalyst for changing my ST to an NF.
I also learned that many INFJ's, myself included, are also HSP's - Highly Sensitive Persons. Fascinating stuff, wouldn't you agree? If you would like to learn more about these analytical psychology concepts, which are based on the work of Carl Jung, check out the following websites:
The Myers & Briggs Foundation
The Highly Sensitive Person
You may have noticed that I always have an endless list of "projects" in progress. My compulsion stems from a long history of working in the hectic field of human
services. The "lack of funding" always insures that there are never enough
qualified staff to provide adequate services. I responded to the dilemma by learning the art of "effective efficiency." It gave me an ethical way to meet the demands of management without sacrificing the needs of clientele.
Long story short: I take multitasking to the extreme. My career has created a psychopathology in me, in the form of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, adult onset - employee type (self-diagnosed, of course)!
My "recovery plan" consists of putting all of that excess energy to work using a cognitive-behavioral therapeutic modality. I made a list of my primary objectives, which incidentally happen to be literary in nature:
- journaling my personal experiences
- composing creative written works
- improving my literary skills
- contributing to the social sciences
- selling a few pieces to pay the bills
To these ends, I have decided that I need yet another blog; one that has a more serious, academic tone. It is a non-partisan social commentary highlighting issues that affect all of us from a sociology point of view. The blog is called Aleshia's Angle, and I would love to present your "angle" too! I hope you will stop by, and if it interests you, I am going to begin accepting guest blog proposals. There are 5 requirements to have a guest post published on my new blog:
- NO POLITICAL RANTS ALLOWED
- topic is within the realm of the social sciences
- post demonstrates insight on the issues facing a modern society
- the piece is well-written according to high quality publishing standards
- writers must respond to visitor comments in a timely fashion
If you are interested, you can find my contact information on the "About Me" page of my new blog. Please understand that I am unable to financially compensate contributors at this time. However, I will promote your work among various social media. Please include your byline in the proposal, and include a copy of all attributed photos that will accompany the post.
