INFJ

This quarter I have a high school mentorship student whose precious future is in my hands. OK, maybe the stakes aren't that high. I'm there to provide access to the world of television production, her potential career path, and share my knowledge and experience. I've been a mentor several times and consider the students' time successful if they are able to determine whether TV is something they want to pursue or avoid. Best to figure it out before college if the opportunity is there.

My mentee seems to be having a good experience, which is gratifying to me, especially since I feel I haven't been able to do everything for her that I would like. Too often she comes in and catches me in the midst of scrambling to extinguish fires and juggle other student demands on my time. I've thought that I must seem terribly scatterbrained. Today she got to get a better sense of what's rattling around up there.

Yes, her adviser gave her an abbreviated version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality inventory for me to complete. I've filled out this test before, but it's been awhile. I know that the results are fluid, more like an Etch A Sketch drawing than a stone carving, but I can't quibble with the results even though some of the questions might as well have been answered with the toss of a coin.

The verdict: INFJ. Here's how the Myers & Briggs Foundation website describes those with this personality type:

Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.

I think that's pretty spot on. Today's results found me firmly on the introversion end of the spectrum. No surprise. I feel like I've been turning inward quite a bit lately. Although I ended up scoring higher on intuition and feeling, those qualities were more in balance. I was also strongly on the judging side. Talk about feeling transparent. This test has me dead to rights.

For those of you who know me, either in person or from here, does that seem consistent to you?