What MBTI is this blog?

I’ve been running a couple of blogs over the past few months, this one and another which catalogues my time in Dubai.  Dave Snowden put me in touch with the tool, Typealyzer,  that does a quick (it takes only a couple of seconds) scan of your blog site and analyses the writing style and assesses your Myers-Briggs type.

I was interested to see that this knowledgefutures blog is of the type INTP

INTP – The Thinkers

“The logical and analytical type. They are especialy attuned to difficult creative and intellectual challenges and always look for something more complex to dig into. They are great at finding subtle connections between things and imagine far-reaching implications.

They enjoy working with complex things using a lot of concepts and imaginative models of reality. Since they are not very good at seeing and understanding the needs of other people, they might come across as arrogant, impatient and insensitive to people that need some time to understand what they are talking about.”

The lukedubai blog was completely different in all respects – they analysed it as ESFJ – The Socialisers

“The social and opiniated type. They are especially attuned to the feelings of themselves and others. They tend to be very aware of the values of their peer-group and tend to see things as either right or wrong, good or bad. They tend to be traditional and value their friends and family the most.

The Socializers are down-to-earth, practical people and very keen on making sure everyone is alright. This quality makes them enjoy social work places. Since they enjoy beeing and keeping things neat and tidy, they often also enjoy working in such environments.”

Which just goes to show what I think of Myers-Briggs Type Indicators!  And to also show how easy it is for someone to behave differently according to the particular context.

And what am I in real life?  Well last time I tested, I was INFP or INTP so perhaps my knowledgefutures identity is closer to real life!

Dubai Conversations and Personal Choice

Some of the things that I find fascinating with living in Dubai is that you need to go out to make your own fun, the interesting people that you meet and the fascinating conversations that you are privileged to have. This happens more over here with the cosmopolitan nature of the population plus as well as the opportunities with going out that I don’t have back home while living the more mundane family life! As I prepare to depart Dubai next weekend and go on the next stage of my life journey, these conversations are heightened in their intensity and resonance.

Over the last couple of weeks, I have got to know better some amazing people, had some very deep and interesting conversations, and been confronted with some very personal questions that have made me delve deep into my personal psyche and understand my make-up better. Questions like

• “Have I ever really gone all out for something really hard and failed?”
• “Do you make your own choices or do you let other makes them for you?”
• “Are you married?” (I can tell where that conversation will lead!),
• “To what extent do the previous generations of your family history shape your responses to the world”?

And just to add some further context, during this time I have had some interviews for future employment and contracting prospects which has required me to focus on my particular skills and abilities.

What I have discovered is that I should aim to be more in charge of my own future. Previously, when I have planned my future career, I have aimed to do just that but an interesting offer comes my way that I take. Sometimes, this offer has been at a reduced salary but it has involved a subject area that interests me. I have no regrets with my career choices and pathway – I have generally always enjoyed the work that I do and where not, have acted to move elsewhere. While alternative offers to my desired career will always crop up, the important point for me is that I have the power to choose. I have the power to do what I want to do. And since for me, my work shapes my identity, I need to choose wisely and with confidence.  And especially now, when I am currently unemployed with no job to fall back on, it’s up to me to make sure that the choices I make are focused on what I want to do. 

So thank you to all those who I have had those conversations recently and will continue to have over the coming weeks as I proceed on the next stage of my career.