Have you guys ever heard of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment? I'm sure you have. I hadn't, though, until last year. For those of you who haven't, it's basically a personality test. A really, really in-depth one. The actual test is insanely long, but there's a shorter version you can take online if you click here. My results the first few times I took it were INFP, and sometimes INFJ. I re-take it once in a while just to see if it changes, but it's always one or the other. The letters in INFP stand for I (Introversion) N (Intuition) F (Feeling) P (Perception). The opposite of that would be ESTJ: E (Extroversion) S (Sensing) T (Thinking) J (Judging). There are a total of 16 combinations, each complex personalities.
I first heard about it from a writer. I think I was reading a blog or something, and the person mentioned that to get to know their characters, they took the Myers-Briggs test as if they were that character. Then, with the results, they were able to better understand the character's personality. I was intrigued, so I took the test myself. I have to say that I'm usually skeptical about stuff like this. I pretty much roll my eyes at horoscopes or those stupid quizzes you can take online that say "Find Your Relationship Style!". But this is not a horoscope or a stupid quiz. I was seriously BLOWN away by the accuracy of this test. Like, I spent HOURS pouring over the information. I had revelations about myself after reading up on my personality type. Really, I was astounded. I took the test again as if I were my husband, and then when he got home, I forced him to take it himself. I was very close to getting his right and was quite smug about it :)
Basically, I LOVE the Myers-Briggs test. I have so much fun reading what it says about my personality type, but I haven't tried it yet for my characters. It sounds like a good idea but I feel like I get to know my characters just by writing them. Maybe I'll try it out, though.
If you've never taken the test, I highly recommend it. After you take it, definitely go through the links to read up on your personality type and see if it describes you! It's SO much fun (at least to me)! If you have taken the test, what's your personality type? Have you ever tried something like this to get to know your characters?
I know about the test but haven't taken it myself. I might give it a try :)
ReplyDeleteTake it! Take it! And then tell me what your results are :)
DeleteHaving a Master's in Psychology, I was aware of the Myers-Briggs test. But the thought of taking it as one of my characters never occurred to me. How novel an idea. Your post is quite delightful. Thanks, Roland
ReplyDeleteHi, Roland! Nice to meet you :) It's an interesting idea, right? I think I'm going to try it out and see if it helps with characterization.
DeleteI have taken the test! One of my writer friends was really into it a couple years ago and I loved it. It was really insightful. I need to take it again because I don't remember what my outcome was. I think it started with E.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely take it again! If it started with E then you're an extrovert :)
DeleteI think I heard about this one through Kim Harrison's blog, but I never took it. Not sure why, but it does sound interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll bookmark it for later...>_>
I have it bookmarked too. I go back to it often!
DeleteI haven't taken the test recently, but I did in college and surprise! I'm a raging introvert! I had always thought I was an extrovert, because I can be bubbly and peppy around people...but not that long. And it totally drains me. So glad I figured that out.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear I'm in good company. <3
Yes, I'm the same way! And I thought I was an extrovert a few years ago too--ha! That's a good one. :)
DeleteSOLD! I am so going to take this as my characters! I LOVE that idea! I'm so excited! I'm going over there right now.
ReplyDeleteYay! I'm going to do it for my characters too--I just keep forgetting, ha. The results are so detailed that I think it will really help!
DeleteAnd here I thought INTP meant an introverted somewhat passive/aggressive person who liked to get that aggression out by TeePeeing people's houses.
ReplyDeleteActually, I kinda hate these kinda tests. Took it once - and it wasn't because I was in an institution (why would you think that?) or because a parole officer forced me to do it (I'm not sure I like what you're insinuating) or anything like that.
I thought it was really irritating. Too confining. And repetitive - as if you didn't know the questions were repeated with slightly different wording so you might answer in some different way.
But maybe that's just me. And to tell the truth it's been so long ago I have no idea what the letters turned out to be. But I don't think I'd believe them anyway.
However, all that said, it's an interesting idea to take the test as one of your characters.
Although I'm not totally sure I could do that. Because I tend to get them figured out enough for my story. I don't necessarily create some rich backstory for them (which I'll never use) - because I do enough things to waste my time. In the novel I'm currently editing (about 5% to go, I think), I had no idea what the girlfriend even did for work until I was about 1/10th of the way from the end. So in the rewrite, I've gone back in and set that up a bit. (You can check my website - read the section titled Chapters 12 & 13, you'll find that at the top of the page - and let me know if you think the character's not well enough conceived/fleshed-out.)
Anyway, good to find your blog. Keep up the good work.