I first heard of this personality test some years ago and had completely forgotten about it until my blogging bud, Anvilcloud with his post, The I of ISJT, once more peaked my curiosity and sent me off to MyPersonality.com.
This is a fun site that uses some well known psychology to help determine your personality type as well as the categories of intelligence you may (or may not) excel in.
Not too surprisingly my personality type is ISTJ (introverted, sensing, thinking, judging). The multiple Intelligence test indicated that I am a Naturalist and Intrapersonal.
I pretty much agree with the findings but what I found fascinated me the most was actually where I scored the lowest in the multiple Intelligence categories, namely.. verbal, linguistic intelligence. My score was only 40% and this placed this category smack dab at the bottom of the list… so low in fact that it is not even displayed on the badge… but can be seen here. It was not the low grade itself, but the accuracy of it that grabbed my attention.
This is indeed my stumbling block in intelligence.
For as long as I can remember I have found it difficult to communicate effectively using verbal language, yes even when speaking my first language, English. I am not sure why this is but it has always been this way for me.
Sometimes I wonder if it is related to the fact that by the time I was 11 years old, I had attended 11 different schools in three different provinces. My dad was a cattle buyer for a large meat packing firm and he was frequently transferred to various prairie cities… a year here.. 6 months there. Mom and us kids always went with him, and I am glad for that, but it did mean a lot of new schools, many of them with different curriculums and varying teaching methods.
Over all I was a good student.. but my spelling was and is atrocious and my grasp of the English language has always been lacking. Did my mish-mash of schooling in my early years account for this? Maybe some, but probably not all. More than likely.. it is just who I am.
I am an avid reader and have no problem with word recognition and comprehension… but articulation is a whole different ball game. The words just refuse to roll off my tongue and often come out garbled or mispronounced. The funny thing is .. I hear them correctly in my head but on the trip from my brain to my tongue something is lost. Strange isn’t it.. but oh so true.
Then of course, my thoughts go in circles and I wonder what came first, my tendency to be an introvert or my inability to quickly carry on a conversation.
I am so in awe of those that have a quick and easy grasp of the spoken language. I love to hear them talk and would love even more to be able to banter back and forth but because of my perceived inability to follow suit.. I quickly and easily take on the role of the listener. Which I do enjoy.. but often wish for more, I admit.
The struggle to verbally communicate is diminished somewhat with old and comfortable friends where I don’t feel that pressure for a quick and heady response. I still feel the lack of words.. but the pressure is lessened. My friends know me and for the most part we merely laugh at my jumbled mispronunciations or better yet, ignore them.
All very interesting to be sure. In a way I sometimes think of my blog as my turn to speak. Not only does it give me a medium to practice my language skills and my ability to express myself, but it allows me to say many things that in a verbal environment might not be articulated so easily.
Another reason I so appreciate this computer age.. and a double yay for spell check. :-)
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post note: My dad was also an atrocious speller. He always used to tell me that not being able to spell was a sign of superior intelligence. :-)
Love you Dad. Miss you.
Whatever you perceive as linguistic weaknesses, I really enjoy reading your blog. You have a way of presenting yourself, your family, your home, your dogs that forges a strong connection with your reader. I always know I will feel better when I read your blog.
And correct spelling is overrated. It’s purely genetic. I would like to be taller.
Ditto what Jan said! And like her…I would also like to be taller. (And I love what your Dad said.)
I find it so hard to believe that you have trouble expressing yourself, because my impression of you from your blog…is that you are one of the most articulate people/bloggers that I’ve ever encountered! Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being a good listener either.
Anyway, I am a quiet introverted person who has always had trouble expressing herself. Which is why my blog usually has more pictures than words. :-)
Naturalist? I hope that means you enjoy the outdoors. :)
But, I’m sure you’re quite eloquent when you talk about your family and what you know best, nursing.
I would think that introversion and lesser verbal skills must go together somehow. The introverts brain works differently, and I suspect that what causes one manifestation probably causes the other also. I have dreams where I am eloquent and the words are flowing. Alas it does not occur in real life.
I did the tests and put a badge on my blog. I thought the analysis about my results was pretty close in most areas.
I think your blog is very well written and I think you are very concise in the way you express yourself.
Have a good weekend, Colleen.
Sometimes a misspelling is more fun, as in having your interest peaked instead of piqued. Because your version gets the idea across too. Whatever the spelling, your words flow so well and create beautiful pictures when you write about something or someone you love. That’s why I follow your blog. ((Coll))
A thorough, practical and dependable ISTJ has the characteristics for any nurse I’d ever want. Still, I understand the frustration of wanting what you don’t have. When my company had us take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, at one point I was talking with another person of the same type, and we agreed that there were times we wanted to add to a group discussion, but by the time we thought about what we wanted to say and how to phrase it, the discussion had changed topics about 3 times.
And remember U.S. president Andrew Jackson, who said, “It’s a damned poor mind that can think of only one way to spell a word.”
I took it and mine was almost opposite yours…introvert, intuitive, thinker and percieving……I knew it without taking the test….and my intrapersonal score was around the subzero mark…;)
I took the tests and I not confident about the results. Still an interesting exercise. My personality type according to my answers was:INTP
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I have to disagree with the test. You always manage to find the perfect words when we talk. The speed in which someone expresses themselves isn’t nearly as important as what they say when they do.
I cherish your words.
I love these kinds of things. I took this one but I haven’t bought the entire results yet. I did get an email on what I already know I’m extroverted, moody and can be dominating. Two of those my husband and friends already complain about!
I never would have guessed you have any trouble with expressing yourself in words! You do a lovely job on this site.
heh, I got distracted into the quiz and didn’t say a thing.
I suppose trying is a form of self-censoring, trying to do right makes one bite ones tongue more. I suppose that’s why when I’m angry or with strangers I can talk easier. There’s no accountablity of performance to strangers. There’s no time limit when typing (unless I make this comment waaaaay too long. :p).
Failing to give a rodent’s derriere frees oneself up to blather. One need to blather in order to learn how to talk more easily I think.