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...

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...

Have you always been more drawn to a rainy day than most people? Do you feel a hint of joy the minute you see those tiny drops fall from the sky?  Did you know that feeling this way about rain is highly associated with being an introvert? It's true! Introverts are more drawn to the beauty of a rainy day with all its possibilities to cozy up in their favorite blankets with a hot cup of cocoa, nose deep into a good book. Sounds good to me! There's actually a term for people who love everything about rain, and that's pluviophiles . If you're wondering why most introverts are classified into that very special group, here are 5 reasons why introverts love rain: 1. Rain Brings a Sense of Peace While some people may get out of the rain as soon as they can to avoid that dreaded feeling of being wet, introverts can stand for hours under the rain looking up at the sky because it's peaceful.  2. The Rain's White Noise Is Therapeutic Introverts enjoy t...

Personalities are what make us exactly who we are. As previously discussed, there are major Benefits to Knowing Your Personality Type that will help you in your daily life. On a more specific outlook, these benefits will come in handy at work as well.  Let’s be honest! We all probably spend more time at work than anywhere else. We meet a lot of different personalities in the workplace for sure. It can become tough to figure out how to communicate with each one to get the work done.  Understanding how you operate in a work environment is a major plus, but then understanding the people around you, from your boss to your peers, will move mountains for you! Here’s why: Conflicts Are Resolved More Efficiently Personality differences in the workplace naturally lead to conflicts we are all too familiar with. Conflicts are not really the problem, but the way they are handled can become an issue. You can’t really control the way the other person reacts or deals with conf...

Confrontation is a terrifying concept for introverts. We don't face how we feel head-on and we always need time to process things. So when something happens that upsets us, we simply don't know how to voice our feelings about it on the spot. Our defense mechanism is staying quiet about it, acting like there's nothing wrong, and keeping it lingering in our thoughts.  How introverts deal with conflict goes something like this: 1. Someone says something or does something hurtful.  2. The first instinct of an introvert is not reacting, mostly because they will be in shock of what took place. They go numb and not mention anything about the incident.  3. Overthinking starts to overwhelm them, which could go on for days. Details get blown out of proportion as they start to analyze the situation thoroughly. The other person has no idea. 4. They decide they are really upset about this. 5. They want to confront that person but chicken out every time because the...

Maybe you have always seen yourself as a perfectionist, and maybe not. Contrary to popular belief, most people cannot identify their own traits that characterize them as indeed perfectionists. The obvious reasons, such as being a highly-organized person, are not the main issue; check out these  5 Little-Known Signs of Perfectionism .  Now that you can recognize the pattern, it's time to learn how to overcome your perfectionism. The key is to learn about some tricks and try to gradually incorporate them into your daily life. Eventually, they will become habits. Here are a few tips on how to overcome being a perfectionist: 1. Return to Earth Perfectionism affects your thoughts and feelings, which naturally alters your behavior. It gives you permission to set insanely unrealistic standards for yourself and others, which makes you very critical (mostly of yourself). Your goal is to shift your mindset a bit and get back to reality.  Start by consciously setting...

Do you see yourself as a perfectionist? Do you often catch yourself not being satisfied with anything you achieve, always wanting to go that extra mile towards perfection? It's common for perfectionists to not see themselves as such. You can easily confuse being a high-achiever with being a perfectionist.  Psychologists define perfectionism as a personality trait in which the person sets for themselves excessively unrealistic standards and strives towards absolute flawlessness. Perfectionists tend to be very critical of themselves and others; they are known to be quite picky. Perfectionism is widely misinterpreted as a type of healthy motivator to achieve your goals when, in fact, it's the exact opposite. Anxiety, anger, overthinking, and rigidness are just some of the traits associated with it. There's a great cost to being a perfectionist, no doubt. Your perfectionism tendencies don't arise from a need to be perfect; they are rooted from a deep feeling of not...

It's easy to assume that all extroverts are the same. When the word extrovert comes to mind, you would probably associate it with someone who is social and outgoing, someone who has no problem speaking their mind. While that's true, it might come as a surprise to learn that each extroverted personality has a specific preference when it comes to communication. This information could come in handy the next time you interact with your extroverted friends or your extroverted boss. You can check the Preferred Interaction Styles of Introverts from our last post. Similarly, there are 8 Extroverted Personalities as described in the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI) . These personalities are divided as such based on  Sensing and INtuition; Thinking and Feeling; Judging and Perceiving personality traits. The Interaction Style Module, created by psychologist and typologist Linda Berens,  divides extroverts into two categories: 1. Get-Things-Going Interaction Style (ENFP, E...

Every introverted personality type as described by the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI)  leans towards an interaction style or a preferred way of communication . Imagine if you understood the best way to approach your loved ones or even your colleagues based on their personality type . Imagine if people around you went the extra mile to understand your preferences . Communicating wouldn't be such a hard thing to do! This is your first step towards effective communication that will help you in every aspect of your life, personal and professional.  There are 8 Introverted Personality Types   according to Myers-Briggs revolving around Sensing and INtuition; Thinking and Feeling; Judging and Perceiving personality traits. You can check out each one in more detail  here . Linda Berens is a psychologist and typologist who developed the Interaction Styles Module . The  8 introverted personalities are divided into two groups: 1- Behind-the-Scenes Intera...

When we're young, most of us fall into the trap of choosing a university major and consequently a career based on what is expected of us. We feel an obligation to fulfill what our parents, for example, think we should be doing with our lives or choose a career that is seen as more prestigious by those around us than what we really want to do. Sometimes, the issue is deeper than that. It's the fact that we don't know ourselves enough at that early yet critical stage of our lives to grasp what works for us and our personalities . The reality is we spend more time at work than anywhere else. It's important to be happy and satisfied with the path we've chosen.  Consider yourself lucky if you figured out your personality type before settling on a career. But don't get too caught up on the timing, you can always follow your passion no matter what stage you're at. You just have to be brave enough to learn and start. Personally, I read up on introverts wa...

There are great Benefits to Knowing Your Personality Type . It opens doors for you that you didn't know you needed open, which signifies the beauty of self-awareness. You've probably wondered and tried to figure out at some point whether you're an introvert or an extrovert . This simple Breakdown of the Myers-Briggs Type Instrument (MBTI) shows that there are 8 Introverted Personalities and 8 Extroverted Personalities .  Usually, you'll find yourself leaning more towards one or the other. But what if it's not that easy?  You should know that none of us are 100% extroverts or 100% introverts. We all fall on a long spectrum. Even the most introverted people have their extroverted moments, and vice versa. The greatest misconception about introverts is that they're shy when in reality we just like to process things more in our heads before we speak, and we hate small talk! We look for deep and meaningful conversations. If you find yourself having s...