As the song says, we've got personality

Colleen posted this on her blog:  "INTJs are analytical.  Like  INTPs, they are most comfortable working alone and tend to be less sociable than other types.  Nevertheless, INTJs are prepared to lead if no one else seems up to the task, or if they see a major weakness in the current leadership.  They tend to be pragmatic, logical, and creative.  They have a low tolerance for spin or rampant emotionalism.  They are not generally susceptible to catchphrases and do not recognize authority based on tradition, rank, or title. — Meyers Briggs"

In a comment, she added:  "I already knew I was a INTJ from other tests."

I left her this comment:  "Ha!  I am also INTJ, according to an official Myers-Briggs test I took with a work group decades ago.  I definitely fit the profile.  I was told, though, that I was right on the cusp for one category:  the I or the E.  When I asked, the person who administered the test said it's all about how I would go about refreshing my energy.  I realized I definitely want to be alone to recharge (like an Introvert) because a party with lots of people tires me out (unlike an Extrovert).  We are kindred spirits, Colleen!"

The Myers-Briggs personality test was developed in the 1940s  — to classify the various ways people perceive their environment and behave accordingly.  The test has four categories: introversion or extroversion, sensing or intuition, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceiving. Each individual is assigned one of the two traits in each category, which produces the 16 different MBTI personality types that we know today –– such as INTJ or ESFP.  Here are the people shown on the illustration:

• INFP = A. A. Milne
• INFJ = Mahatma Gandhi
• INTJ = Ayn Rand
• INTP = Albert Einstein
• ISTP = Frank Zappa
• ISTJ = George Washington
• ISFJ = Mother Teresa
• ISFP = Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
• ESFP = Peter the Great
• ESFJ = Henry Ford
• ESTP = Winston Churchill
• ENTP = Benjamin Franklin
• ENTJ = Napoleon Bonaparte
• ENFJ = Martin Luther King, Jr.
• ENFP = Oscar Wilde

I've written about Myers-Bringgs before, so go ahead and explore what I said in 2013 and in 2021.  It's a fascinating subject.  Click HERE if you want to learn more.

Myers-Briggs and the internet

I recently mentioned "Myers-Briggs" in a conversation with someone who had no idea what I was talking about.  I meant to look it up and send her some information, but hadn't gotten around to it.  Then today, I was reading someone else's blog and came across these words:  "I’m a Myers-Briggs Introvert."  Since I'm an INTJ (Introvert-iNtuitive-Thinking-Judging), I smiled upon reading that and thought, "Me too."  Being an introvert does NOT mean I'm shy.  It means I need alone time to recharge my batteries, rather than the party time or people time an extrovert craves.

I found all sort of charts online, very different from the 1970s when my work group was tested by a professional.  Now you can pretty much analyze charts and put yourself into various categories.  Think about how you re-energize, take in information, decide things, and organize your life.

And how about these charts?  Are you beginning to peg yourself into one or the other of the categories on these graphs?  On the other hand, if you've already taken the test, are you checking to confirm the results?  Here are more images I found when I went looking.

To see who fits each category, you'll need to enlarge the print so you can read the explanations inside the circle (above) and the words on each side of the chart (below).  Click on the charts, if you're on a computer.

And finally, below are some occupations that suit the Myers-Briggs groupings.  I like that my INTJ list includes "college professor" as a career.  I really did enjoy being an adjunct teacher at Chattanooga State Community College for about a decade.

Friday Five ~ quiet time

Rev. Pat Raube brings us today's topic from RevGalBlogPals:

"Our Friday Five is very simple today.  Share five ways you've learned to care for yourself when life becomes overwhelming.  What does the pastor do after a rough day in the office, or at meetings, or at a bedside, or even, in the pulpit?  Share your best five self-care strategies, and, with any luck, we all will learn at least one or two new ones."

1.  Time alone is especially necessary for an introvert.  I like to find a quiet place where I can escape into a good book.  It can be fiction or nonfiction, as long as it totally engages my attention.  That means serious study that intrigues me also renews my spirit.  My favorite caring-for-self that I've read today is from Tiffany, who wrote:

"As an Introvert on the MBTI (INTJ), I need LOTS of what I like to call Tiffy Time.  Therefore I’m always looking at my calendar and making sure I’ve booked some in.  I have no problem saying, 'I’m not available at that time,' even if the calendar is blank.  I’m not available BECAUSE the calendar is blank."

Perfect!  I had to learn to schedule "me-time" on my calendar.  I'm also INTJ on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and have been known to do the same thing.  When I need to, I can say, "I already have something scheduled for that day" (or time) — because I do.

2.  Playing the piano is a form of meditation for me.  I can pound out a loud melody to rid myself of anger and frustration, let my fingers dance to a playful tune when I'm down, or express something in a minor key when I'm feeling pensive.

3.  Sitting outside, listening to birds (and distant traffic?) can be a time of meditation.  In other words, I try to be mindful, as the Buddhists say.  I pay close attention to something I see or hear:  ants crawling over a crumb someone dropped, birds calling back and forth to each other, the brilliant color of a nearby flower as it sways in the slight breeze, the way shadows fall on the things around me.  I am most relaxed when I center myself in the moment and become present to myself and my world.

4.  Laughter is always good.  Do you remember that Abraham and Sarah laughed when told they'd be parents?  (Yes, they BOTH laughed — see Genesis 17:17 and 18:12.)  They named their son Isaac, whose name means laughter.  Buechner wrote a book about Jacob, son of Isaac, and called it.....

Son of Laughter by Frederick Buechner, 1993

And Norman Cousins laughed away his illness.  Though I read this book more than three decades ago, it made such an impact on me that I still tell people about it.  I even bought another copy of it.

Anatomy of an Illness by Norman Cousins, 1979

Told that he had little chance of surviving, Cousins developed a recovery program incorporating megadoses of Vitamin C, along with a positive attitude, love, faith, hope, and laughter induced by Marx Brothers films.  "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported.  "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."  (from Wikipedia)

5.  As a Wordsmith, I enjoy playing with words — and even have a separate blog just to explore words in a playful way.  Joyful Noiseletter is "an exuberant newsletter to myself about joyful things, like words, which I enjoy."  And sometimes, this overlaps with #4, when I laugh at word jokes and cartoons.  Surely preachers will enjoy the "syn-sin" cartoon, right?  Today I learned about Mount Washmore.

Mary Beth says her "laundry goes un-noticed even when I am tripping over Mount Washmore."

What I'm thinking about

1.  On the Crown Center bus ~ Iva, Betty, and Meredith on the left; Bonnie, Esme beside Jerry, and Shannon (in the back) on the right.  This is an old photo, but I'll be on the bus again today when we go to buy groceries.

2.  Another bagful of books ~ Risé invited me to go with her this morning to the last day of the sale of used books at the Jewish Community Center.  That's when we can fill a bag with books for five bucks.  I've written about the books I've stuffed into bags other years, like THIS in 2017, but I haven't been to their sale since I quit driving.  I'll tell you about the books later, probably over several days, a few books at a time.  I set this to post itself while we're book shopping.

3.  Punxsutawney Phil ~ Did you see my earlier post?  Today is Groundhog Day, so go back one post to see what I wrote.

4.  Einstein's cluttered desk ~ The photo on the right was his office on the day he died.  These are the words on the left photo:  "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?" — Albert Einstein

5.  Survey about daily life ~ Do you need help...

... with using the telephone?

... with shopping?

... with food preparation?

... with housekeeping?

... with laundry?

... with transportation?

... with your medications?

... with your finances (budgeting, buying, banking, paying bills)?

6.  And then there's quality of life to consider, as Atul Gawande wrote about in his 2014 book Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.  I gave that one a 10/10 rating and highly recommend it.  A survey could ask questions about whether you are satisfied with your life, how you feel, whether you are involved in activities or not, whether you feel hopeless or happy.  Think about it.  How alive and involved are you feeling these days?  In answering some of their quality of life questions, I didn't just circle Yes/No as requested.  You know me, right?  I had to throw in a few remarks, as well.

7.  Do you often get bored?  NO, I don't think I've ever been bored, except in some business meetings.  😃

8.  Do you prefer to stay at home, rather than going out and doing new things?  YES, but that's because I'm an INTJ (introvert).

9.  Do you think it is wonderful to be alive now?  YES, but reading news of random rampages is not "wonderful."  (Neither, is reading about wars and violence.)

10.  Do you feel full of energy?  NO, not physical energy.  Mentally I have lots of energy, but my physical energy is slowing down.

11.  An alarming day ~ I set off alarms at the courthouse in my town back in 2009.  Why?  I told people it is because I am held together with baling wire. I actually WAS wired together after quadruple bypass heart surgery earlier that year.  The guard let me pass through after I showed her my scars from surgery.

World Introvert Day

Are you an introvert?  Today's our day!  Yes, I am an introvert, though my friends don't believe it because I'm outgoing.  Myers-Briggs says that I'm an INTJ, and that first letter stands for Introvert.  I'm right on the cusp for being the I or the E (extrovert).  When I asked, the person who administered the test said it's all about how I would go about refreshing my energy.  She asked if I'd rather be alone or partying as a way to recharge.  I realized I definitely need to be alone to recharge (like an introvert) because a party with lots of people tires me out (unlike an extrovert).  So introverts, let's celebrate our day by staying home and reading a book!  Hiding in a box while reading is optional.  You decide.

Thoughts about three books

The Cardturner ~ by Louis Sachar, 2010, YA fiction, 352 pages

This is a novel about a King, a Queen, and a Joker.  The summer after junior year of high school looks bleak for Alton Richards.  His girlfriend has dumped him, he has no money and no job, and his parents insist that he drive his great-uncle Lester, who is old, blind, very sick, and very rich, to his bridge club four times a week and be his cardturner.

But Alton's parents aren't the only ones trying to worm their way into Lester Trapp's good graces.  There is Trapp's longtime housekeeper, his alluring young nurse, and the crazy Castaneda family.  Alton soon finds himself intrigued by his uncle, by the game of bridge, and especially by the pretty and shy Toni Castaneda, as he struggles to figure out what it all means, and ultimately to figure out the meaning of his own life.

My thoughts:  This must have been my friend Donna's book, since I can't imagine buying a book about the game of bridge, which I've never played and know absolutely nothing about.  If you have read this book, can you tell me if understanding the game is necessary for a reader to enjoy this book?

Make Change: How to Fight Injustice, Dismantle Systemic Oppression, and Own Our Future ~ by Shaun King, 2020, memoir, 272 pages

As a leader of the Black Lives Matter movement, Shaun King has become one of the most recognizable and powerful voices on the front lines of civil rights.  His commitment to reforming the justice system and making America a more equitable place has brought challenges and triumphs, soaring victories and crushing defeats.  Throughout his wide-ranging activism, his commentary remains rooted in both exhaustive research and abundant passion.

    

In this book, he offers a look at the moments that have shaped his life and considers the ways social movements can grow and evolve in this hyper-connected era.  He shares stories from his efforts leading the Raise the Age campaign and his work fighting police brutality, while providing a roadmap for how to stay sane, safe, and motivated even in the worst of political climates.  By turns infuriating, inspiring, and educational, Make Change will resonate with those who believe that America can — and must — do better.

My thoughts:  I know this one was one was Donna's because she greatly admired Shaun King and Bernie Sanders, who wrote the foreword for this book.

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking ~ by Susan Cain, 2013, psychology, 368 pages

At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over working in teams.  It is to introverts — Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss, Steve Wozniak — that we owe many of the great contributions to society.

 

In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so.  She charts the rise of the Extrovert Ideal throughout the twentieth century and explores how deeply it has come to permeate our culture.  She also introduces us to successful introverts — from a witty, high-octane public speaker who recharges in solitude after his talks, to a record-breaking salesman who quietly taps into the power of questions.  Passionately argued, impeccably researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.

My thoughts:  This is one I bought for myself.  I'm an introvert, who is also outgoing.  When I got the results of the Myers-Briggs test our staff took one year, I asked why I was listed as INTJ since my score showed me right on the line between being Introvert or Extrovert.  The answer had to do with how a person gets her energy back:  an introvert needs time alone, while an extrovert wants to party hearty to recharge her energy level.  No party for me, so I'm truly an introvert.

Words and ideas

Looking at those letters, I noticed the word "TROVE" starting with the two fingers and thought, "What do I have a trove of?"

Word of the Day

trove / noun = a store of valuable or delightful things.  Example:  I have a trove of good books!

But back to our original full word:  introvert.  Let's think about that word a bit today.

Yesterday, I was talking with someone who said she is also an introvert.  It doesn't mean we don't like people; it means we need alone time to re-charge our batteries.  Have you ever taken the Myer-Briggs test?  It shows that I'm an INTJ.

t

What about books?  This is a BOOK blog, after all.

I saw The Stranger by Albert Camus in the Crown Center library yesterday, so I checked it out to read again.  It was first published in France in 1942, and I first read it decades ago.  I'll tell you more about it in the coming days.  This b&w photo shows the author — Albert Camus.

Another book I re-read recently gave me lots to think about:  Writing as a Second Language by Donald Davis.  Here are passages that made me stop and think:

1. We say, "The book was better than the movie" because we already made our own movie as we read along. ... Put another way, a story is a picture I have in my head that I would like for you to have in your head" (p. 64).
2. The author says that "listeners are like magnets that pull our stories from us" (p. 103).
3. Here's one of the writing prompts he shared:  "If you could build one new room onto your house, what kind of room would it be and what would you put there?

Another book I pondered was a library board book:  Baby Loves Quantum Physics! by Ruth Spiro, which says on three pages:

1. Maybe Cat is asleep.  Shhh...
2. Maybe Cat is awake.  meow!
3. In quantum physics, until Baby looks in the box, Cat is both asleep and awake.

One of my friends said, "You read toddler books now?"  Maybe I am in my second childhood now.