Personality Types

Did you know most writers are introverts? It's true. Makes sense when you think about it, too. How else could we sit by ourselves for hundreds of hours working on a keyboard to complete each book? I've always been perfectly content with my own company, something my husband didn't appreciate when we started dating. He may still not understand why I need my space, but at least he respects it more than he did when we first got together :)

When we first started dating I was insanely busy with full time university, a part time job and competitive sports six to seven days a week. I remember coming home once on a rare night off, salivating over the idea of curling up with a new romance novel (because I wasn't writing at the time. I read or painted instead.), and he was at home waiting for me. He kind of hung around staring at me while I was comfortably ensconced in my robe on the couch with my book, until I finally demanded, "Can't you go out with your friends or something?" He was uh...surprised. His previous girlfriend had complained they didn't have enough time together, and here I was telling him to get lost :) But it turned out okay, since we're still together. It just took a while to figure each other out, and now he knows to give me some free time to recharge my batteries. And that includes taking the kids out once and a while so I get quality time with my laptop. I never really thought about it until last year when the issue came up again, but maybe it does seem odd to the outside world. I know all my writer friends totally get where I'm coming from though. It's really hard to explain to someone with an extroverted, socially oriented personality.

If you're interested, try a free sample test. The test is based on 16 personality types, and measures four core areas. For example, mine came up as INFJ, as explained below.

Your Type is INFJ
Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judging
Strength of the preferences %
44 12 25 67
Idealist Portrait of the Counselor (INFJ)
Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes.
Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people, with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.
Counselors tend to work effectively in organizations. They value staff harmony and make every effort to help an organization run smoothly and pleasantly. They understand and use human systems creatively, and are good at consulting and cooperating with others. As employees or employers, Counselors are concerned with people's feelings and are able to act as a barometer of the feelings within the organization.
Blessed with vivid imaginations, Counselors are often seen as the most poetical of all the types, and in fact they use a lot of poetic imagery in their everyday language. Their great talent for language-both written and spoken-is usually directed toward communicating with people in a personalized way. Counselors are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them. Counselors themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the Counselor's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena.

Okay, so is it any wonder that I wound up an RMT and a writer? That's downright spooky, but I guess the good thing is that I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. What's your personality type?