Purely Anecdotal

admin March 21st, 2007

I am an ENTJ. For those of you who don’t know, this combination of letters, standing for extrovert intuitive thinking judging (Not ear nose throat and other junk) , says quite a bit about my personalty, my value system, and how I think. Apparently very few people are defined by this combination, though I have read that young MBAs often try to fake it.

According to the “personality page” online:

“ENTJs are very career-focused, and fit into the corporate world quite naturally. They are constantly scanning their environment for potential problems which they can turn into solutions. They generally see things from a long-range perspective, and are usually successful at identifying plans to turn problems around.

There is not much room for error in the world of the ENTJ. They dislike to see mistakes repeated, and have no patience with inefficiency. They may become quite harsh when their patience is tried in these respects, because they are not naturally tuned in to people’s feelings, and more than likely don’t believe that they should tailor their judgments in consideration for people’s feelings. ENTJs, like many types, have difficulty seeing things from outside their own perspective.

ENTJs are very forceful, decisive individuals. They make decisions quickly, and are quick to verbalize their opinions and decisions to the rest of the world. The ENTJ who has not developed their Intuition will make decisions too hastily, without understanding all of the issues and possible solutions. On the other hand, an ENTJ who has not developed their Thinking side will have difficulty applying logic to their insights, and will often make poor decisions. Although ENTJs are not naturally tuned into other people’s feelings, these individuals frequently have very strong sentimental streaks. Often these sentiments are very powerful to the ENTJ, although they will likely hide it from general knowledge, believing the feelings to be a weakness.

ENTJs love to interact with people. As Extroverts, they’re energized and stimulated primarily externally. There’s nothing more enjoyable and satisfying to the ENTJ than having a lively, challenging conversation. They especially respect people who are able to stand up to the ENTJ, and argue persuasively for their point of view. There aren’t too many people who will do so, however, because the ENTJ is a very forceful and dynamic presence who has a tremendous amount of self-confidence and excellent verbal communication skills. Even the most confident individuals may experience moments of self-doubt when debating a point with an ENTJ.”

Yup, that pretty much sounds like me. I took the test in high school and recently again online with the same result each time. I really like getting things done, and hate inefficiency. I have had to work hard during my life to be attuned to other people’s emotions, and my sentimental side is strong but revealed only to the closest friends, as I certainly see this as a weakness. People who don’t know me well enough are often very surprised that this side exists at all.

Why do I write about this? Well, I think it is very interesting that a simple test can get to my underlying mechanisms so well. Parts of me that are not well-explained by these four letters mostly came about through repetition and concerted effort, not naturally. I like to figure out what really drives people, and feel that they should know what’s driving me. Also, I have some fear about how people will take my motherhood status when (hopefully when) it comes. I have heard people express doubt, (her, coo at a baby? I see them thinking) and while I have no doubt that I will be a good mother, it will take me showing my vulnerable side for them to see. I’m not sure I want or need to do that. Finally, a rather shameless request. I do enjoy writing and find it fun blogging even to a dark and empty room, but I am an extrovert. I love feedback and discussion and people. So please, if you read this blog, post a comment, let other people know, just say something. Cause I’d love to hear from you. Really, it would make my day.

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