For some people, personality tests are a silly waste of time. Others don’t like them because they feel like they’re being put in a box. However, what these people are missing is the real-life, practical benefits you can gain from knowing and understanding your own personality type, as well as the personalities of those around you.
It might sound like gibberish, but understanding how INFJ characters differ from those of an ENTJ (or any other types) can be crucial in relationship building, conflict management, self-improvement, and even your career.
Here are the main ways personality tests could become your best friend.
Understand Your Weaknesses
Nobody likes having a finger pointed at them, but the results from any personality test you take will point out your weaknesses. These might be uncomfortable to acknowledge and you might resist them.
While they might not always be 100% on point (nobody can be completely figured out and understood by a categorical system), you might want to take a deeper look at the flaws you deny harshly. You might need to take a harder look at your behaviors and thought patterns, and your test results should help you do that.
Learn How to Work On Them
Your test won’t just tell you where you fall short, but help you get to a place of understanding of how to work on these flaws. There are plenty of self-help books out there to help you overcome personal faults and struggles, but advice like this is rarely one-size-fits-all. This is why knowing your own personality type will help you understand how best to approach weaknesses.
Once you know where your problems lie, you can work on addressing them to become your best self.
Identify Your Best Career Paths
We all took tests in school that helped to guide us in the right direction career-wise. Whether or not these worked out for you, your teachers had the right idea.
Personality tests will help you identify which areas you’d thrive in based on the way you think, how you interact with others and where your skills and passions lie. For example, you’ll be able to determine whether you’re best suited to a more independent work environment or a job where you can help others, depending on what drains your energy versus what satisfies you.
Improve Your Relationships
When you know your type, you’ll be able to more clearly understand how you behave in relationships. You’ll get an idea of what you need from others, how you tend to show love, where things might go wrong, etc.
This applies to all sorts of relationships. For example, different personality types are likely to adopt specific parenting styles, and understanding your personality type can help you manage to parent better. It can also help find a romantic partner, manage conflicts with friends, etc. Better yet, if you know the personality types of those close to you, you can learn to manage your differences together for a harmonious relationship.