Have you ever taken those personality assessments?
I have. In fact, I'm a little bit obsessed with them.
DISC, Meyers-Briggs, Enneagram, Energy Profile—I love 'em all.
Partly, I enjoy the insights I learn about others. If it's in somebody's nature to be critical of everything, I am less likely to take offense. That's just how she sees the world.
Underneath the critique is a person who just wants to help things work more efficiently.
Same goes for people who are pushy and competitive. Underneath the direct (sometimes rude) remarks is a person who just wants to get things moving forward because they hate standing still and falling behind.
Not that I enjoy being around those people all of the time—I don't—but I'm better able to interact with others when I understand where they're coming from.
No matter which assessment I take, I tend to fall into the group that enjoys talking about new ideas and helping others. Which means I'm a pleasant person to get along with as long as you are in the mood to talk or are in need of a helping hand.
When I first took these assessments in college, I was studying to be an accountant.
No matter which assessment I look at, they all tell me that I have similar areas of weaknesses—mainly, I don't like repetitive tasks and I start getting distracted when it comes to details.
learning about all of those assessments because it helps me cope with the fact that it's OK to be inadequate.