Personality tests: are they just for fun or are they helpful? If you ask me, my answer would be “porque no los dos?” (“why not both?”). According to a 2017 article in the Harvard Business Review, personality tests were “first used by the U.S. Army during World War I to try to predict which soldiers would suffer from ‘shell shock’” (Harrel, 2017). Similarly, career aptitude tests (probably taken by your parents or grandparents) were just personality tests that tried to match a possible career path for each student’s results. Today, personality tests are fun ways of getting to know new teammates, employees, or students. The Myers-Briggs, the Enneagrams, the “Which Lord of the Rings character are you?” quizzes, are all examples of personality tests you see today. They all provided a “snapshot” of the individual who took the test. Let’s focus on the key word there: snapshot. What is a snapshot? In this context, a snapshot is a “candid” picture of you that was taken suddenly (like the pictures from a disposable camera). Most people take personality tests the same way those disposable cameras were used: they try to capture the moment without too much thinking. That is how I do them because I feel like that gives me the most genuine answer when filling out the personality test questionnaire. Before I share what my results are, can I be vulnerable for a minute? As I was preparing to write about personality tests, I learned a “fun fact” about today’s teens and tweens: they don’t really take them for fun anymore. That was a real gut-check moment, because I felt… old. I listened to some [insert your favorite, early 2000s band here] to get rid of the pain while I started thinking about what makes personality tests so interesting. Was it my love of ungraded quizzes? Am I curious about personalities because I studied psychology in college? Or do I want to have someone, or something, tell me that I am unique, but there are still others that can relate to me? As important as I think those questions are, this isn’t what this blog post is about. Here are my results for the DISC assessment and Myers-Briggs: 
My DISC results imply that I am very detail oriented, I like delivering high-quality results, and I want to achieve my goals in a steady and reliable way. If I am under stress, my impulse is to become overly cautious, and I will try to avoid trying new things. 
Contrast this with my Myers-Briggs results (ENFP-T). According to the Myers-Briggs, I am outgoing and open-minded. I try to focus on the big picture, rather than micro-managing the details. I am more open to taking risks and trying new ways to get the job done. The snapshot may change over time. And I think that’s a good thing. These are the results I got when I took these assessments before writing this, so they give you an idea of who I am today: a married, 30-year-old man working for HSLDA Online Academy. If my parents saw these results and compared them to who I was as a high school senior, they would laugh at how inaccurate these results are. I have changed. I grew stronger in my faith, I have a professional career, and I finally got a girl to say yes! These changes in my life, externally and internally, are reflected in the results you see now. The questions I answered in the assessments were fun, and the results helped me learn about how others could see me today. Let’s go back to what I said about personality tests being a “snapshot.” A solid personality test is like a film-camera photo, because if the camera was focused then the picture is very clear (no photoshop or edits). As time passes, the picture won’t change… but you will. The way other people can see you will change as time passes, too! You won’t always look the same way you are in a photo. Life happens, you will make new friends, maybe you will move to a new place, and (I pray) you are growing your relationship with God every day. All factors that can shape who you are and how others will see you. Bottom line: is the snapshot worthwhile? So ask me again: are personality tests fun or are they helpful? My answer: 100% si! Personality tests can help identify inevitable blind spots we have about ourselves (if we answer them honestly, of course). They are a quick “pulse check” on how others could see us. Personality tests are a tool to help you learn more about yourself, even if you don’t agree with everything it says about you. I know I don’t. But no tool is perfect! To learn more, watch our guest lecture featuring LaNissir James discuss the DISC assessment. And if you have some time, go ahead and take a free version of the DISC or Myers-Briggs. You have nothing to lose, and I am sure will gain some valuable insights!
