Nowadays there are any number of assessments and categorizations out there just dying to tell us about ourselves: I’m an ESTJ, an Enneagram type 8, a Leo…what more could you possibly need to know?!
I listened to a podcast recently that talked about the various dimensions of Myers-Briggs in some depth and the hosts were delighted to see themselves in their “type”.
Which got me thinking…we could sit here and argue all day about what assessment is best or smartest or most useful, but when it comes down to it, I think assessments serve two huge functions that have nothing to do with our personalities or work:
They allow us to feel seen for who we are and to feel OK exactly as we are.
To me, the most interesting part of assessments and what we take from them is the opportunity to get more comfortable in our own skin. Seeing a reflection of ourselves in a type or a description allows us to feel that we are knowable. Similarly, when we talk about our types with others and hear about theirs, we open the lines to know each other better than before.
So before you get caught up in which assessment you should take, consider that any typology gives you the chance to settle into yourself and know the people around you just a little better too. The results don’t ultimately matter - what you do after you get them does.
