Radio Silence

I have created an enormous amount of radio silence on my little blog here.  I don't mean to be so distant but every time I have opened up a post to start writing I stop with the thought... I have nothing to say.  Don't get my wrong I can talk.  But I guess I have been feeling like sometimes I just talk without a good purpose or in a way that really anyone needs to care about.  To be honest that thought is still running through my mind.
Additionally, I think I drive myself crazy with my own thoughts and inner dialog so I figure if I'm annoyed with myself how much more annoying am I to everyone else.

So that being said I have been thinking about personalities a lot for the past several months. A while back posts were going social-media viral about being an extrovert or introvert and I would read the posts and admittedly chuckle at a few but I always ended up thinking hmmm that's just not me; which of course got me thinking why?

I mean aren't I supposed to be either an extrovert or an introvert?
So I took a personality quiz.  I know there are a million out there and when I was in highs school my Mom paid for us to take a very intense one to help us think about our careers. (the results were VERY creepy accurate)

Anyway, this time I took the Humanmetrics Jung Typology test (which is based on Briggs Myers) and this is what I scored.

Low and behold it explains why those darn extrovert/introvert things don't really apply to me.
So this is my report.  I'll let you read it... cause why not!?!  And I'll highlight the most applicable and interesting parts so you can skim or you can scroll to the bottom and just get to the point :)

Extraverted Sensing Thinking Judging - ESTJ

Extravert(22%)  Sensing(25%)  Thinking(1%)  Judging(67%)

• You have slight preference of Extraversion over Introversion (22%)
• You have moderate preference of Sensing over Intuition (25%)
• You have marginal or no preference of Thinking over Feeling (1%)
• You have distinctive preference of Judging over Perceiving (67%)

ESTJs thrive on order and continuity. Being extraverted, their focus involves organization of people, which translates into supervision. While ENTJs enjoy organizing and mobilizing people according to their own theories and tactically based agendas, ESTJs are content to enforce "the rules," often dictated by tradition or handed down from a higher authority.

ESTJs are joiners. They seek out like-minded companions in clubs, civic groups, churches and other service organizations. The need for belonging is woven into the fiber of SJs. The family likewise is a central focus for ESTJs, and attendance at such events as weddings, funerals and family reunions is obligatory.

Tradition is important to the ESTJ. Holidays, birthdays and other annual celebrations are remembered and observed often religiously by this type. The ESTJ is inclined to seek out his roots, to trace the family heritage back to honored ancestors both for a sense of family respectability and for a sense of security and belonging.

Service, the tangible expression of responsibility, is another key focus for ESTJs. They love to provide and to receive good service. The ESTJ merchant who provides dependable service has done much to enhance her self image.

ESTJs have an acute sense for orthodoxy. Much of their evaluation of persons and activities reflects their strong sense of what is "normal" and what isn't. ESTJ humor is frequently centered around something or someone being off center or behaving abnormally. (Which translates to lots of people don't get my humor)

ESTJs promote the work ethic. Power, position and prestige should be worked for and earned. Laziness is rarely viewed with ambivalence nor benevolence by this type.

The ESTJ is outspoken, a person of principles, which are readily expressed. The ESTJ is not afraid to stand up for what she believes is right even in the face of overwhelming odds. ESTJs are able to make the tough calls.

Occupations attracting ESTJs include teaching, coaching, banking, political office, and management at all levels.

Functional Analysis:

Extraverted Thinking

ESTJs are very good at making impersonal decisions quickly, and standing by those decisions. They live in their Extraverted Thinking functioning, thus, their prime directive is in discovering that which is true and logical in the events of the real world. Circumstances calling for product invite the ESTJ to supervise or direct other individuals toward production and productivity. Extraverts are attracted to the "object," the external things and people in observable reality. This bent translates into a natural interest in goods and material objects. >

Introverted Sensing

The secondary Introverted Sensing is like that of the ISTJ, but not as strong. Si provides practical form and concept data to the Te head, however, form is not the overriding principle, especially if Thinking has already decided. In times of need, ESTJs are tempted to overlook even necessary information if its absence impedes closure. Secondary sensing sometimes translates into interest in sports. The persistence of primary Thinking gives many ESTJs a desire for discipline and regimen which can be beneficial in skills development in the arena. 

Introverted Feeling

This function may rarely be expressed. ESTJs who have cultivated, or have been blessed with, a "natural indirect expression of good will by inference," have great prospects of developing genuine friendships (as opposed to ESTJs who merely act out the behavior of Extraverted Feeling). Such a weak, introverted function is best observed in facial expression, eye contact, body language, and verbally only by implication. 

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The next section is interesting cause it's the line up of famous folks with the same personality as me but I don't really know much about any of them so it isn't too insightful for me.

Famous ESTJs:

Simon Peter (Christ's disciple)
John Heywood (c.1497-c.1580, collector of English colloquialisms)

U.S. Presidents:

James Monroe

Andrew Jackson

William Henry "Tippecanoe" Harrison

Franklin Pierce

Grover Cleveland

Harry S. Truman

Lyndon B. Johnson

George W. Bush

Carrie Nation (American woman who was a radical member of the temperance movement, which opposed alcohol before the advent of Prohibition. She is particularly noteworthy for promoting her viewpoint through vandalism.)
Elliot Ness
John D. Rockefeller
Bette Davis (Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic, sardonic characters)
Robert A. Taft (U.S. senator, son of Pres. Wm. H. Taft)
Sam Walton, owner and founder of WalMart stores
Barbara Stanwyck
Rev. Billy Graham 
Dale Bumpers (U.S. Senator, D-Arkansas)
Phil Fulmer, head football coach of the U. Tenn Vols
Pat Head Summit, head basketball coach of the Lady Vols
Bill Frist, M.D. (U.S. Senate Majority Leader)
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Now the next section is interesting cause I've got some real character jerks in the line up with the same personality as me. Maybe the moral of the story is we ESTJ are better in real life than made into character ;)

Fictional:

Lucy (Charles Schultz's Peanuts character)

Mrs. Harbottle (Herriott, All Creatures Great and Small)

Mrs. Rachel Lynde (Anne of Green Gables)

The Mayor (The Music Man)

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Did you read all that?  Probably just the highlighted parts... I don't blame you.

My take away is that it sort of explains why I analyze things less from my feeling and more from what I know or discern.  Also watch out; I communicate with my eyes also known as "yelling with my eyes".


In closing, personalities are hard.  Living in community is hard.  We are all so different and finding commonality I have found is not always the secret to living in community well.  It's our differences that strengthen us, challenge us, and motivate us.  If we can get outside our own heads and listen to one another maybe we can grow. So this is why I blog.  To share me so maybe in some way I can challenge someone to try something they wouldn't have before or to grow in a new way or to think about something different.  I don't expect everyone to always agree with me or to like what I have to say all the time and that's okay; because we are all different.  

So with that my radio silence is broken.