The Introverted Owls

People are complicated. Personalities are complex, to say the least. Why was there a sudden peak of interest in personality typing and testing the last couple of years? I believe that it's because when we struggle in life, we desperately want to look for a guidebook that strictly defines us and tells us what to do or who we are.  In this search, we fell into a few traps. There are many misconceptions about personality tests out there. Some people even claimed the famous Myers-Briggs test debunked from all precision whatsoever.  I think it's all about your perception of what these tests represent. Here are a few points from my personal opinion that might clear the air: Personality tests are a guide, rather than facts set in stone. If you deal with your personality test results like they are facts that cannot change, you will be disappointed. This is simply because there are many elements like upbringing, life situations, experience, and trauma that shape us and change us consta...

Every relationship, no matter its type, faces conflict. It's natural and unavoidable because we are all different personalities trying to communicate with each other. It can be quite exhausting if you constantly feel endless unnecessary drama in the way you and the people around handle conflict.  That's why you need to identify who you are in times of conflict . A detailed breakdown was discussed in the last post.  In a nutshell, do you identify as a victim—someone who always feels helpless in midst of struggle and tends to blame everything and everyone around them? Are you more of a persecutor whose go-to strategy is criticizing, controlling, and abusing? Or are you someone who always feels the need to save the day no matter what overtaking you every single time—a rescuer?    Aren't you tired of all the drama? Here are 3 steps to escape the dreaded Drama Triangle: 1. Recognize Your Role Change cannot happen without identifying the problem. Think about your conflicts...

Ever wonder what kind of role you play when you handle conflict? Not a lot of people would give this a moment's thought unless directly asked. We tend to handle a range of different conflicts in our lives, from the personal to the professional, as we encounter them. Not being aware of how our mind chooses to solve problems is what drags us and our opponents into an endless dilemma known as the Drama Triangle, simplified as follows:  What Is the Drama Triangle? All the way back during the late 1960's, psychologist Stephen Karpman described three basic roles (forming an upside down triangle) that people take on during complex interactions with one another. These roles do not define how people are generally; however, if they are not aware of their actions, they can easily be sucked into a never-ending cycle with no way out.  Karpman's dreaded drama triangle limits our abilities to lead healthy stress-free lives. Our minds unconsciously feed on self-punishing or self-satisfying...

Whether or not you're new to MBTI personality types, it's worth it to dig a little deeper and understand it more. Awareness does wonders to your life! You can check a simple breakdown of MBTI or the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument previously discussed on the blog.  Judging vs. Perceiving A common source of confusion is the difference between the  Judging (J)  or  Perceiving (P)   aspect of our personalities. Their names don't really help settle the matter because judging here is not all about forming an opinion or evaluating. Similarly, perceiving in terms of personality typing is not about awareness of something. We know where the confusion comes from! Let's break that cycle, shall we? Judging and perceiving refer to the way you prefer to deal with your outer world in a sense; your chosen preference is what people often see because it's how you choose to organize what is visible to them. They  are preferences in our personalities that are innately opposite t...

It's not easy being an empath. You constantly feel like your senses are heightened and on edge with feelings and problems that most of the time are not ever yours to process. While empaths absorb other people's emotions as their own, they can just as easily absorb all the negativity and fear in the world. Living through a global pandemic will surely not make things any simpler.  There are many types of empaths and it's very eye-opening when you find out which one you are. Your mind could even be wired to be a mix of more than one type. The next step is figuring out how to avoid compassion fatigue , the downside of experiencing too much emotional empathy for someone or something.  The trick is to take care of yourself a little more and build a sort of balance in your life. There are a few things you can do continuously to achieve that. You might think they are too simple, yes, but they work. So, how do empaths recharge? Here are 5 secrets for empaths to unwind an...

With all this talk about isolation and social distancing in light of the Coronavirus pandemic, it was naturally assumed by the entire world, introverts included, that it's the year of the introverts. Endless memes swarmed social media about how an introvert's normal lifestyle has become the new cool. We introverts are guilty of sharing a few too!  It is sufficient for a good laugh in a time of uncertainty. However, as reality set in, it would seem that things are not as rainbows and butterflies for introverts as everyone expected. There is no doubt quarantine is hell for extroverts who thrive on socializing, but you would be surprised how difficult it can be for introverts as well. Check out these 4 misconceptions about introverts in quarantine: 1. Introverts Are Living the Time of Their Lives No, we are definitely not having a blast and living our dream life during this crisis. In fact, it's safe to assume that no one is. The advantage introverts have in such times ...