Personality according to: VIRTUAL Knowledge - Self Image Test Online

Your Results:

You possess an above average self-image; one that exudes an abundance of self-confidence. You don't ask yourself, "Can I?"

You tell yourself, "I can!" This quality will enable you to go far in whatever you endeavor. You get along well in the world around you.

Your strong self-image and your high self-assurance level manifests itself in all your relationships. In personal relationships, your positive self-image offers friends and lovers a feeling of warmth and security.

You believe in yourself in spite of experiencing occasional setbacks. Your confident nature won't let you stay down long.

You are seldom depressed even though things don't always go well. Your strong, positive personality traits see you through the tough times. In total, your bright, positive, self-image inspires the best in others and motivates you to greater heights.

Personality according to Keirshey's personality test:

Portrait of the Counselor (iNFj)

Copyrighted � 1996 Prometheus Nemesis Book Company.

The Counselor Idealists are abstract thought and speech, cooperative in reaching their goals, and directive and introverted in their interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of ethical values, and come easily to decisions.

The small number of this type (little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since iNFjs have an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions. Although iNFjs tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality; they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues and people.

Counselors can be hard to get to know. They have an unusually rich inner life, but they are reserved and tend not to share their reactions except with those they trust. With their loved ones, certainly, iNFjs are not reluctant to express their feelings, their face lighting up with the positive emotions, but darkening like a thunderhead with the negative. Indeed, because of their strong ability to take into themselves the feelings of others, iNFjs can be hurt rather easily by those around them, which, perhaps, is one reason why they tend to be private people, mutely withdrawing from human contact. At the same time, friends who have known an iNFj for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that they are inconsistent; iNFjs value their integrity a great deal, but they have intricately woven, mysterious personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.

Counselors have strong empathic abilities and can become aware of another's emotions or intentions-good or evil-even before that person is conscious of them. This "mind-reading" can take the form of feeling the hidden distress or illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for other types to comprehend. Even iNFjs can seldom tell how they came to penetrate others' feelings so keenly. Furthermore, the iNFj is most likely of all the types to demonstrate an ability to understand psychic phenomena and to have visions of human events, past, present, or future. What is known as ESP may well be exceptional intuitive ability-in both its forms, projection and introjection. Such supernormal intuition is found frequently in the iNFj, and can extend to people,things, and often events, taking the form of visions, episodes of foreknowledge, premonitions, auditory and visual images of things to come, as well as uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance.

Mohandas Gandhi is an example of a Counselor Idealist (INFJ).

Some explaining on "I" for introvert...

While Jung considered the distinction between extraversion (E) and introversion (I) as the most important of his dimensions of personality, I think of it as least useful in understanding people and predicting what they'll do. Indeed, in my view it borders on the trivial compared to S-N, and is much less useful than T-F and J-P. Presumably extreme extraverts and extreme introvertsare easy to spot, and that may be the reason the Jungians and therefore the Myersians consider the concept to be so important.

Important or not, Myers's E-I scale is badly flawed because she inherited Jung's error of confusing extraversion with observation (S) and introversion with introspection (N). And so to make the E-I distinction useful at all, we must define the two concepts, not in terms of mental focus or interest, but in terms of social address or social attitude. Thus when someone is observed to be talkative and sociable (the so-called "extravert") he or she can be described as "expressive." In contrast, people who are more quiet and private (the so-called "introverts") can be described as "reserved." Interestingly, because Reserved persons tend to hold their fire verbally, they tend to listen carefully to what others say, while Expressive persons tend not to listen very well, so eager are they to tell others of what they have on their minds. So in general, the Expressive are quick to speak and slow to listen, while the Reserved are quick to listen and slow to speak.

Of course, everyone is expressive in some degree, but not in the same degree. Those who are more expressive appear more comfortable around groups of people than they are when alone. Thus they can also be thought of as socially gregarious or outgoing. On the other hand, those who are more reserved seem to be more comfortable when alone than when in a crowd.

And thus they can be thought of as socially seclusive or retiring. Remember, however, that these distinctions are not clear cut:each individual surely varies from time to time in his or her desire to be expressive and in company or reserved and in seclusion.

A metaphor might shed light on this difference. Imagine that a person's energy is powered by batteries. Given this, then Expressive persons (ESTPs, ENFJs, etc.) appear to be energized, charged up, by contact with other people. Owing to the surge they get when in company, they are quick to approach others, even strangers, and talk to them, finding this an easy and pleasant thing to do, and something they don't want to do without. Such interaction apparently charges their batteries and makes them feel alive. Thus, when they leave a lively party at two o'clock in the morning, they might well be ready to go on to another one. Their batteries are almost overcharged, having received so much stimulation from the social interaction. In fact, quiet and seclusion actually exhaust the Expressive, and they report feelings of loneliness (or power drain) when they are not in contact with others. For example, if an Expressive person goes to a library to do research in the stacks, he or she may, after fifteen minutes or so, feel bored and tired, and have to exercise strong will-power to keep from taking a short brain break and striking up a conversation with the librarian.

On the other hand, Reserved persons (ISFJs, INTJs, etc.) can be said to draw energy from a different source. They prefer to pursue solitary activities, working quietly alone with their favored project or hobby, however simple or complicated it may be, and such isolated activities are what seem to charge their batteries. Indeed, the Reserved can remain only so long in contact with others before their energies are depleted. If required by their job, family, or social responsibilities to be expressive or outgoing -- to make a great interpersonal effort -- they are soon exhausted and need alone time in quiet places to rest and to restore their depleted energy. Thus, if Reserved persons go to a noisy cocktail party, after a short period of time -- say, half an hour -- they are ready to go home. For them, the party is over, their batteries are drained. This is not to say that the Reserved do not like to be around people. They enjoy socializing with others, but at large social gatherings or professional meetings they tend to seek out a quiet corner where they can chat with one or two other persons. (Comment - Oh man, this is so very true! - My own thought is that there are two kind of people at a private party.: 1. The ones in the main living room, sitting with the stereo on top of its capacity, shouting to eachother, with lots of bottles on the table, sometimes dancing on it... 2. The ones which sit in the kitchen with a glass of wine having long and often deep discussions. I always gravitate towards the kitchen in that respect... :)

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