Welcome Wednesday: Does your environment influence your personality?

[#1]

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

I posted a similar topic about this a couple of years ago, which was based on the first time I had seen it almost five years ago now. The other day, I took the free test again. I wanted to see things were still the same as when I first took the test. I had changed jobs, I’ve been working from home, I have two small children and my list of hobbies has changed. To my surprise it had changed! To make sure this wasn’t a fluke. I took the test again about two weeks later and (yes my answers changed slightly based on how I was feeling each day) but sure enough I was in the same “new“ personality type.

Previously, I was a Defender, but it would appear that now I’m an Advocate. I also had my wife try this again and sure enough her type has changed as well from a Virtuoso → Adventurer.

So what does this mean? I’m not 100% sure but I’d be willing to state that I believe our environment both work and personal as well as our lived experiences and members of our social circles can have an influence on our personality type. There will always be some core things that won’t change, (which is why I didn’t see a massive change in personality types) but knowing were you are can help you better understand your own strengths and weaknesses.

If you have never taken this test before, please do and let me know in the comments when type you ended up with.

If you have taken the test before, please do so again and let me know if your personality type is still the same as before, or if yours has changed as well.

Have a great rest of the week!

[Andy Gladstone]

@Jimmy Seddon I have not had as much change in my life since I ran this assessment (2) years ago. I guess that's why I remain a steadfast DEFENDER.

Our Executive Team is in the process of undergoing a HOGAN assessment and I was exposed to my results this past Monday. I have to say there is a lot of alignment between the results on these two tests, so I feel even more confident in the HOGAN results. I thought they were 98% accurate before, now I'm at 99%.

[Angelie Stephens]

Great question @Jimmy Seddon - I find personality quizzes so interesting! 

So I've done the MBTI test many times over the years, and have got a lot of different results. The Introversion trait is the only one that's stayed consistent 😄 

I did the quiz again, and I got the Advocate/INFJ! This is actually the result that I've had the most often, so I think it's probably fairly accurate. 

I think since I've had quite a lot of different results over time, I'd say that my environment has a decent amount of influence on my personality. I'd be inclined to say that the balance of environment vs. innate traits probably leans a bit more towards environment ⚖️

[PJ Zaiac]

I've never relied too heavily on personality quiz results, but I've taken many of them over the years - it's always an interesting surprise to be able to see the ways I've grown and changed over time!

I remember being an ENTP (a Debater, in this test's types) the first time I took the test, and that there's been a bunch of chance over time and through different environments. I haven't taken this test in a while, so tried it out again today and am feeling very content with seeing the Consul pop up at the end of the test 🤝

I've definitely changed a ton over the years - different studies, career pivots, and a move across the country will throw you through a bit of a loop when it comes to your environment. I wouldn't change any of it for the world, and think I've come out better for it all 😊

[Barbara Szczesniak]

I haven't done this one before, but I am also a Consul. I guess this fits me, though I have not looked at what all of the other possibilities are.

[Haoyang Lu]

I remember I was a INFP(Mediator) a couple years ago, now I'm some kind of organizer.

That's accurate, I did change my style of mediating as I'm growing older (or noticed that being a "player" is funnier than being a mediator)

In the past I prefer not to change people's opinions, pay attentions to their feelings and offering necessary help if they want to something.

Now I prefer to change or delete their opinions by asking questions which are already answered somewhere else or start a "discussion" which I'm sure where it's heading to (all in a friendly atmosphere), then offering something more practical and interesting.
(Haven't used any of these tricks on any of those who are way more experienced than me, I think that's  dangerous😨)

[Anbu Joseph]

This is fun way of knowing our personalities. Thanks for Sharing it.

[Sam Nadarajan]

idk if "entertainer" is the right word but right now I'm feeling loosey goosey and the winter blues are making me long for more social things haha. I am digging the avatars though

[Cat W]

I've done similar tests before, but this version was fun, and I enjoyed the post-test analysis. Looks like I'm a Campaigner.

[Carlos Luis HG]

I share the same thought in this regard, I have changed my comfort zone because I have moved countries for personal and work reasons, which has allowed me to better understand my goals and my capabilities, in addition, I think that there are qualities of our personality that are intrinsic things in us, such as the morals and good actions that our parents teach us.

[Nikki Zavadska _Appfire_]

I'm always oscillating between INTJ-A (Architect) and ISTJ-A (Logistician) just by a few points depending on the mood I guess 😅 - today it was ISTJ-A

Not a big surprise there 🙈

[Tomislav Tobijas (Koios)]

It was the first time I've taken this test and I ended up with being an Advocate. If you would ask me these questions couple of years ago, the result would definitely be different.

Looking forward to do it again some time in the future to see the results then. 👀

[Andrew Foster]

18 months ago I changed jobs, from being a self employment web developer to developing for an amazing company that really cares about its employees. In that time my personality has changed from being cautious, stressed, and pessimistic, to feeling inspired, energised, and enthusiastic. Now I want to learn all the things!

[Hind Kadiri From Jaanga]

hey @Jimmy Seddon ! Good question, is our personality variable? Many will think that it's not while the correct answer is yes. Our personality can be influenced by various factors, such as life experiences, environment, and personal development. But certain aspects of personality may remain relatively stable over time. For my case, it's my first time taking that test and it shows that I have the Advocate Personality Trait.

[Steve Lorincz]

Hi, I took the test today. I found the questions were well thought and it seems like if later re-taken, it would give different results, which may be true but I can't comment on that just yet. The result is sort of expected - it came back as Commander.  Have a great week ahead everyone! 

[Amanda Barber]

Reminds me of this recent episode of Science Vs: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/wbhjz285

I do think this pretty well sums me up though! 

[Angi Bowman]

I'm ISFJ-T, the defender. I'd say it's a good match in general. 

This question cracked me up: "You feel comfortable just walking up to someone you find interesting and striking up a conversation." I'm a Midwesterner - of course I feel comfortable talking about anything with a complete stranger! 

[Monique vdB]

I got this one! I would say it fits well with my poetry degree and all our environmental initiatives. But I don't think I'm as nice as this suggests 😂

[Kate C_]

I've definitely done one of these before but cannot for the life of me remember what I got! This time I got Mediator which sounds about right. I do think over the past few years (as a result of the pandemic, and maybe my age 🙈) I have leaned more into needing quiet alone time. A few of the questions I know my 20-something-year-old self would have chosen differently. It's interesting!

Twinsies, @Monique vdB ! For interest's sake, what is your Enneagram type?

[Abhilekh Verma]

My Personality is still the same from past few years!

Happy to connect: Abhilekh Verma | LinkedIn

[ABR]

Interesting conversation! My personality has merely become Assertive from Turbulent but remains the ENFP(Campaigner) it always was! I feel its accurate as I have become more assertive in both my personal and professional life! It's a huge positive change and I'm reaping the benefits of it!