Personality tests

Know thyself and others better?

Personality tests are quite interesting. Recently, we went through a test in one of our group meetings on Wednesday. It has to do with the colour of your brain. In short:

Blue (Relationship-based) - makes decisions based on feelings
Green (Action-oriented) - makes decisions quick. Doing things now.
Red (Data-processing) - needs to go into cave. Gather all data before making decisions.
Purple (Info-crunchers) - just like to gather and gather info.

So one can be a dominant brainer but with a mixture of the other colours.

Personally, I believe these tests are like money; in that it's usefulness depends on how you wield it - or let it wield you.

I suppose it will help one understand how some people think. But it can box people up - the danger of sterotyping. Furthermore, it may subconsciously encourage extremities.

I have a book called "Personality Plus" written by Florence Littauer (who happens to be a believer as well). It was an easy pleasurable read 'cos it was quite humourously written. In it, she related some personal family incidents to demonstrates how different type of personalities reacted to different situations.


i) Understanding others better?

To be honest, it is almost tantalizing to know about Personality types and all but I just can't help but feel that it's quite unhealthy to study the topic.

Do you know what was brought to mind? It's like astrology isn't it? Because one is born under a certain star sign, one is to behave this way. It's just that "Personality types" like being Sanguine, Melancholic etc.. sounds more acceptable because it is scientific.

Actually, we don't really need to know all this. The Holy Spirit will teach us all things.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. (John 14:16)

All things mean all things. Including how to deal with people.


7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. (1 Samuel 16:7)


God knows the heart of man. And God is the holy trinity. So the holy spirit also knows and the holy spirit is in us. He tells us what's going on in a man's or woman's heart.

In fact, studying about personality types will dull our reliance on the holy spirit because now, we're depending on our mind, upon what we know.



ii) Understanding thyself better?

What I did not agree was the extent of how Ms Littauer used the knowledge of these personality types - developed from Socrates, to bring her children up. And in assessing people.

Through the incidents she described, it seems that her children are almost fixed squarely in one personality type - in that the majority of certain traits are VERY evident. This could be because they were being taught that because you're this type of personality, you're expected to behave this way. Subconsciously, they were being encouraged to develope along a certain path.

I did the tests a few months ago and was of a certain personality type. And after that, I would start observing myself. I'll think, 'I made this decision because this personality type thinks this way or that way.'


Well, there are 2 conclusions that I drew from my experience. The positive spin on it is that one becomes more self-aware. Nothing wrong with that.

The negative spin on it is when the lines become blurred - when I subconsciously think that I ought to make this decision because I know I am this particular personality type.

You see, your actions flow from what you believe.


ahh.. I feel compelled to explain.. I am NOT religiously against personality tests. All these tests are like knives. Nothing wrong with knives. We use them to prepare food. Something wrong with a child handling a knife.


I did another test in the group meeting, and the results of the test was that I was quite balanced. On a point system, I scored red (4.1), green (4.1), blue (4.6) and purple (2.8).

Some people would say that that to have all equal results is to have a 'confused' person. Well, I reject that in Jesus' name! :)

I believe otherwise. I believe that such a person is a balanced person.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

What does that mean? Well, looking from the perspective of personality types, a person who is balanced, embodies all the strengths of the personality types, and is able to adapt, by the holy spirit, to different circumstances through His wisdom.

That is why, when we respond to the questions on these personality tests, the results comes out quite balanced.