Quote-ivation: On Personality Tests, Change, Choice, and Balance

I've always found it fun to take those personality test like the Jung Typology Test or the Myers-Briggs Test. I even once loved going on Quizilla.com (it was still not under TeenNick, I think) to take those "What is your Spirit Animal?" or "What color are you?" tests.
I think it has something to do with the fact that you're trying to get to know yourself, to know what makes you tick. It's also fun to read something that seems to describe you perfectly.

Of course, no one, no test, can know you better than you know yourself. You don't have to let others know what you know about yourself, but I think it's important to be honest to yourself, in the "dark recesses" of your mind. This would help ground you, it would serve as an anchor for your personality, chosen virtues, and principles.

You have to realize, though, that people change, including you. The person you are now might not be the same one in high school, in college, in your 20's, your 40's. And that's okay. What probably hurts is losing something you wanted, an aspect of your personality you wished stayed the same. We are influenced by our environment, and with the very basic requirement of going from gradeschool to high school to college to the work force, our environments change and so do ourselves (that's why we need to be careful with our choices).

Speaking of choices, you can always choose. You can choose to stay the same, go against external factors, and just be the best person you think you are. You can also choose to go with the flow, let the outside shape you. But I think the most important thing is to find the balance between these two: choose some aspects of yourself that you absolutely cannot change, the aspects that make you you, that give you joy and a sense of self, and hold on to them, while letting the other parts of you be shaped by your experiences. And you can't find this balance without knowing yourself, so be honest, if not to other then to yourself.


P.S. If you're wondering, I'm an ISTJ/INTJ (1% difference of Sensational over Intuition) ;)

P.P.S. I hear Quizilla's closing down :( Go check it out before it's gone.