In this guest blog I am sharing the wisdom of Brad Whitehorn, Associate Director at CLSR Inc. I hope you find this blog helpful.
Having a solid understanding of your own personality and others in your life can make things a lot easier and go a lot smoother. But the more you learn about personality, there’s a temptation to over-simplify it. Most of us have heard at least a few personality stereotypes; Introverts hate people, and Extraverts never stop talking. Authentic Blues cry during cereal commercials, Inquiring Greens only care about facts, Organized Golds are obsessed with rules, and Resourceful Oranges can’t sit still. While we never want to actively stereotype, the challenge is that there is a tiny nugget of truth in these personality myths that started somewhere, or with someone in your life. Over time, those tiny nuggets of truth can turn int sweeping generalizations about entire groups of people.
The whole philosophy behind Personality Dimensions® is to help us understand differences, not reduce people to caricatures. Yet some personality myths seem determined to survive no matter how many workshops, books, or conversations happen. As someone whose entire work life is all about understanding personality, these are some of the ones I hear the most and drive me nuts.
Myth #1: Your Personality Type Determines Your Career
This might just be the most common misconception in career development for people who don’t know what career development is. Some people will take a personality assessment and immediately want to know which careers they are supposed to pursue. While personality can give you valuable clues about workplace preferences, it is not a career prediction tool.
Every personality can be found in virtually any occupation. There are Organized Gold entrepreneurs, Inquiring Green kindergarten teachers, Authentic Blues accountants, and Resourceful Orange librarians. Personality influences how people approach their work, not whether they are capable of doing it.
A Paramedic with an Authentic Blue preference finds meaning in supporting patients through difficult experiences. An Inquiring Green Paramedic is drawn to solving complex problems. An Organized Gold Paramedic appreciates the duty and responsibility of the role. A Resourceful Orange paramedic thrives in the fast pace and variety of each shift. All the same profession, just different motivations and values.
Personality is one piece of the career puzzle; skills, interests, opportunities, education, and life circumstances matter just as much too.
Myth #2: Introverts Don’t Like People
Introverts are too often seen as lesser than Extraverts. They’re accused of being shy, antisocial, aloof, or secretly hoping every social event gets cancelled. But that’s not how Introversion works; it’s about how you recharge your energy at the end of the day, not how you act with other people or how much you would rather be around dogs.
Lots of Introverts love meaningful conversations, teamwork, leadership, and public speaking. They can be excellent facilitators, trainers, and sales professionals. They just want to recharge through quieter activities or time alone after periods of social interaction. If you’ve ever met someone who can confidently lead a workshop and then disappear during lunch to sit quietly with a book, you’ve probably met an Introvert. But watch out, because they’re the best code-switchers!
Myth #3: Extroverts Are Always the Loudest Person in the Room
The stereotype goes something like this: Extraverts enter a room, immediately begin talking, and don’t stop until everyone else leaves. Yes, that can happen, but some of the loudest people I know are Introverts.
Extraverts can be thoughtful listeners, and painfully shy. Others process ideas by talking them through but are far from being attention-seekers. Just like Introversion, Extroversion describes where you get energy, not the volume setting on your personality. Extraverts recharge by being around people.
Not every Extravert wants to be the centre of attention, just like not every Introvert is hiding in the corner near the snacks… unless they’re really good snacks.
Myth #4: Once You Know Someone’s Type, You’ve Got Them Figured Out
It’s really easy to get stuck in this. A lot of people get sucked in the first time they take part in a Personality Dimensions® workshop, and start to see the world through a different lens. Trying to figure out someone’s personality is a great skill, but it can be dangerous if you over-simplify it, and suddenly every behaviour becomes evidence that confirms your assumptions.
“Of course she said that. She’s an Organized Gold.”
“That makes sense. He’s a Resourceful Orange.”
Personality is only one part of who we are; life experiences, culture, upbringing, education, interests, and skills all influence behaviour. Two people with the same personality preferences can look remarkably different in everyday life. We’re a blend of preferences, experiences, and learned behaviours. Personality gives us insight, but it doesn’t provide a complete biography.
Myth #5: People Can’t Change
It drives me nuts when people use personality as an excuse for not accepting change or not recognizing that they do, in fact, change. Linda Berens talks about your core, contextual, and developed self, which essentially means that your personality preference stays the same, but all the other things in your life impact how that plays out in everyday life.
Who you were ten years ago looks different from who you are now, and who you will be in ten years from now… and I’m not just talking about fashion choices. Personality preferences are stable over time, but behaviour is far more flexible than many people realize. We develop new skills, adapt, and learn.
Someone who naturally prefers spontaneity can become super organized after years of managing projects. Someone who is always reflecting can learn to speak confidently in front of large audiences. Someone who avoids conflict can become an effective leader because the role requires difficult conversations. Growth doesn’t mean changing who you are, it means expanding what you’re capable of doing.
Maybe the biggest myth of all is the belief that personality assessments are supposed to give us all the answers. They don’t. Personality Dimensions isn’t here to tell you who you should become, what career you must pursue, or why you do every single thing you do. It’s a tool for increasing self-awareness and understanding the people around you. The most valuable insights about personality don’t end with labels; they begin with curiosity. Because people are always more interesting than a label.
Retrieved from https://personalitydimensions.com/personality-myths/
Certified Personality Dimensions Facilitator Tammy Adams, loves to problem solve, inspire and motivate others who are ready and committed to change. Tammy has spent over 30 years in the field of education and as a Certified Life/Executive Coach Tammy teaches individuals to challenge and conquer their limiting beliefs and insecurities to create the life of their choosing. As a Grief Recovery Method Specialist Tammy understands that unresolved grief can limit an individual’s capacity for happiness and is gifted at supporting individuals through the pain and isolation cause by an emotional loss, of any kind, to a place of happiness they believed no longer existed. A Tammy client testimonial, “Tammy helped me unpack the baggage and put a smile on my face in the process. It’s a rare quality for someone to fully listen without judgement yet still steer you in the right direction.”
To learn more about Intuitive Understanding please visit www.tadams.ca or contact Tammy by email at tdadams@rogers.com