Thanks for the tip! I put this book on hold at my local library and I am 57th in line. Maybe a trip to Amazon or Costco is in order.

I'm about halfway through the book. The author "pads" the text a bit I think. It could be a lot shorter. It does illuminate some interesting points. Like - until about 100 years ago we were a culture that valued character over personality, but we have become much more personality oriented and now extroversion - the ability to "sell" one's self - over quiet, strong character. Being quiet and thoughtful was actually considered a disorder in the 50s and 60s (when I was a kid) and parents were encouraged to "fix" their quiet children. My mother bought into it. It was kind of like forcing a left handed kid to become right handed. It pissed off the kid and accomplished nothing of value.
Just remember: You are unique - just like everyone else.

Fascinating stuff. Took one online a coupla years ago and was very struck by how many questions I could have gone two different directions on. I almost just ditched the whole process because it was literally a "flip a coin" feeling on so many of them. Any of you guys have the same experience?

I'd like recommendations on the test you took if you believe it was put together better.

Anyway, this is what the thing spit out:
__________________________________________________ __
Your Type is
INTJ
Introverted INtuitive Thinking Judging
Strength of the preferences %
44 50 12 33

Qualitative analysis of your type formula

You are:
moderately expressed introvert
moderately expressed intuitive personality
slightly expressed thinking personality
moderately expressed judging personality

Rational Portrait of the Mastermind

All Rationals are good at planning operations, but Masterminds are head and shoulders above all the rest in contingency planning. Complex operations involve many steps or stages, one following another in a necessary progression, and Masterminds are naturally able to grasp how each one leads to the next, and to prepare alternatives for difficulties that are likely to arise any step of the way. Trying to anticipate every contingency, Masterminds never set off on their current project without a Plan A firmly in mind, but they are always prepared to switch to Plan B or C or D if need be.

Masterminds are rare, comprising no more than one to two percent of the population, and they are rarely encountered outside their office, factory, school, or laboratory. Although they are highly capable leaders, Masterminds are not at all eager to take command, preferring to stay in the background until others demonstrate their inability to lead. Once they take charge, however, they are thoroughgoing pragmatists. Masterminds are certain that efficiency is indispensable in a well-run organization, and if they encounter inefficiency -- any waste of human and material resources -- they are quick to realign operations and reassign personnel. Masterminds do not feel bound by established rules and procedures, and traditional authority does not impress them, nor do slogans or catchwords. Only ideas that make sense to them are adopted; those that don't, aren't, no matter who thought of them. Remember, their aim is always maximum efficiency.

In their careers, Masterminds usually rise to positions of responsibility, for they work long and hard and are dedicated in their pursuit of goals, sparing neither their own time and effort nor that of their colleagues and employees. Problem-solving is highly stimulating to Masterminds, who love responding to tangled systems that require careful sorting out. Ordinarily, they verbalize the positive and avoid comments of a negative nature; they are more interested in moving an organization forward than dwelling on mistakes of the past.

Masterminds tend to be much more definite and self-confident than other Rationals, having usually developed a very strong will. Decisions come easily to them; in fact, they can hardly rest until they have things settled and decided. But before they decide anything, they must do the research. Masterminds are highly theoretical, but they insist on looking at all available data before they embrace an idea, and they are suspicious of any statement that is based on shoddy research, or that is not checked against reality.

More About Your Rational Mastermind Personality:

The Mastermind (INTJ) is very focused as well, but more on an internal vision. They are good at solving problems and like to work on tough intellectual puzzles. They are often led into technical positions such as scientific researcher, design engineer, environmental planner. The developing field of genetics benefits from their intensity as does the field of medicine. In education they are most often found at the college and university level. In the professions, they may be a lawyer, a business analyst, or strategic planner. Some have a strong artistic/creative bent and may become an artist, inventor, or designer. Whatever they do, they do it with intensity. Says Kim, "I am constantly teaching myself something new in order to solve the problems that I encounter. My husband leaves me alone when he sees that I am caught in what he calls my "Thinking Time." I'm unwinding knots even in my sleep."
________________________________________
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake.

INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; both perfectionism and disregard for authority may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.

In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations.

This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness.

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.

....continued

Introverted Intuition
INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems.
Extraverted Thinking
Thinking in this auxiliary role is a workhorse. Closure is the payoff for efforts expended. Evaluation begs diagnosis; product drives process. As they come to light, Thinking tends, protects, affirms and directs iNtuition's offspring, fully equipping them for fulfilling and useful lives. A faithful pedagogue, Thinking argues not so much on its own behalf, but in defense of its charges. And through this process these impressionable ideas take on the likeness of their master.
Introverted Feeling
Feeling has a modest inner room, two doors down from the Most Imminent iNtuition. It doesn't get out much, but lends its influence on behalf of causes which are Good and Worthy and Humane. We may catch a glimpse of it in the unspoken attitude of good will, or the gracious smile or nod. Some question the existence of Feeling in this type, yet its unseen balance to Thinking is a cardinal dimension in the full measure of the INTJ's soul.
Extraverted Sensing
Sensing serves with a good will, or not at all. As other inferior functions, it has only a rudimentary awareness of context, amount or degree. Thus INTJs sweat the details or, at times, omit them. "I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts" could well have been said by an INTJ on a mission. Sensing's extraverted attitude is evident in this type's bent to savor sensations rather than to merely categorize them. Indiscretions of indulgence are likely an expression of the unconscious vengeance of the inferior.

Never taken a test like that. What good is it supposed to do me?

Masterminds do not feel bound by established rules and procedures, and traditional authority does not impress them, nor do slogans or catchwords.

Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this;

At least now I know why I piss off my boss so much.

Wtfo...:rolleyes:

Identifies strengths and weaknesses. Gives insight into how one perceives and interacts with the world. I believe knowing oneself is valuable.

pcna

I've had to take so many of those ridiculous tests at work over the years it makes me cringe at the mere mention of one.
Every time some worthless HR manager get cornered into trying to justify his or her existence, they pull out this crap and pretend it has something to do with leadership training.

IMO these tests are only good for one thing and one thing only: to separate fools from their money.

Does anyone remember the MMPI psych exam? 500 questions and timed.
I took it for employment at a Nuclear Power Plant in the 80's.
A couple weeks after the exam, I get called in to the shrink's office.
He likes what he sees. However... one question was " Is there anything you would never dicsuss with anyone?"
I answered "yes".
So he (looks like Woody Allen) tells me that I passed and am good to go to work at the Nuke plant but he wants to know what it is that I will never discuss.

So I tell him that I saw Big Foot. I really did in 1963. He looks at me and puts his feet up on the desk and pauses... sigh... "tell me about this encounter".
I did and told him he could call my older sister to verify it.
I worked at Diablo for five years.
But if anyone is really interested in the story... we (five kids) watched big foot come out of a pound after he drug a horse (partially eaten) to the edge of the pond. Crazy stuff..

Perhaps we should believe in Bigfoot more than these tests!

Over 35 years I have taken the Myers Briggs four times, between my parents psych training, school and pre-marital counseling. I have been labeled an INTJ, ENTJ, INTJ, ENFJ but I'm fairly middle of the road in most of the axis. More unstable personalities tend to have scores that are very high or low in the eight measurements. After taking the test a few times I could likely pick the questions to make me any of the personality types.

By now, I know myself pretty well.

My biggest weakness used to be my temper. Now, most people do not believe it when I tell them I probably have a worse temper than anyone they have ever met.

They say your "type" will score out differently based on your recent experience. I know I was reliably a INTP from teenage years through my mid 20s. After 10 years as a R&D engineer and project leader I'm a solid INTJ. It took a few 2x4s upside the head to get out of analysis paralysis...

ENTP myself. Used the tool in a number of places in a team setting where understanding styles between team members is important (and usually there are issues and problems that MBTI can help).

Main concern is that all these tools are self-assessment and we all go to our foreground personality (who we want to be as opposed to who we actually are) and so can give some false readings. The test makers are pretty good at trying to filter that out and generally the results are believable and useful...but I have never used them other than as a point of discussion within a team setting.

Having said that, spare me from the ENFP's....bloody feelers who won't shut up and who won't make up their minds.

D.

People still believe me.

This would be useful to know what my boss is. Definitely different than me. It might make my job easier since, to me, he's unpredictable. I have been tested a bunch, but the first time and the one I remember was ISTP. Seems to fit.