Traits and Behavior of Extroverts - Essay Example

Personal Analysis In an attempt to reconcile the psychological theories postulated by Alfred Alder and Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung came to the realisation that there are two broad personality types introversion and extroversion (Jung par. 16). Jung noted that four basic psychic functions affect an individual’s personality. These four functions include sensation, thinking, intuition, and feeling as noted by Furnham and Crump (169). Although the personality types are broadly classified into two, individuals fit in different points within the continuum of the personality types spectrum. It is based on the theory of Carl Jung that the MBTI Personality types are founded. In this paper, I will discuss my personality type and how it my influence my success in achieving life goals. My Personality Type A critical evaluation of myself reveals that I am more of an extrovert than an introvert. I like to be with people and often find people around me. I also take great interest in people, perhaps the reason other people find me warm, sociable and interesting. While I take time alone sometimes, I spend much more of my time being with people, talking to them and trying to bring out the best in them. It hardly goes without my notice when a friend or close acquaintance is in a bad or good mood. I realise that I have the ability to “read” other people’s feelings and find it easy to understand their points of view. I find a lot of joy in being around happy people and therefore do whatever is within my power to make other people happy so that a moment is not lost in grief. I not only have a strong point in being with people but also find myself to be quite dependable. In this regard, I take my work seriously and often focus on the details maintaining warmth and energy. Perhaps it is for this reason that in many occasions I find myself being chosen as a team leader. I have what it takes to ensure that things get done the right way. I also generally like to be in control and will give my opinion without fearing, no wonder some people consider me manipulative. I find myself to be a person who respects authority and set rules. Once we agree on something with peers, friends or team-mates, I never wish to be the one to break the rule. In the same way, I always do whatever I can to be on the right side of the law and obey the rules that have been set just like I expect others to do the same. Being a Chinese lady, I have been raised in a traditional setting. In the Chinese traditional setting, women are expected to play certain gender roles. They are generally brought up to be helpful, sympathetic, caring, down-to earth and organised. I find myself to be well aligned to these traditional expectations. In a bid to establish my personality type, I undertook the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test. The result of the test revealed that I fall within the ESFJ (Extroversion, Sensing, Feeling, and Judgement) personality bracket. According to Myers-Briggs, the personality type characterizes those with extroverted feeling with introverted sensing. The test confirms the statement that I earlier made about being extroverted. Those with the EFSJ personality type are generally warm, sociable, helpful, responsive, responsible and emphatic (Myersbriggs par. 13). How my traits and emotion intelligence fit field of study and career plans As an aspiring (xxxmy careerxxx), I need to be develop several skills to meet the demands of the working environment. Being sociable and having the ability to bring out the best in people, I have a strong point in that I will be able to work with others as a team. This is especially the case given that I am able to understand, can accommodate, and greatly appreciate other people’s perspectives. This trait will also help me be able to network and form strong bonds with people who can guide or help me grow in my chosen career. As I earlier mentioned, I am keen on details and go the extra mile to ensure that whatever I do comes out great. This particular trait is important for my chosen career as it involves making decisions that affect the organisation or many people. Without keenness to detail, one may not be able to make good decisions leading to failure in class and at work. One of my weaknesses is that I feel hurt whenever other people do not appreciate my ideas or efforts to make them feel happy. On the other hand, I tend to be critical, a trait which some people take negatively. My criticism of others may be taken for inflexibility. In many careers, such as the one I have chosen, it is important to be flexible and innovative. However, I seem not be as innovative as may be desired of me. Furthermore, my perceived intolerance to criticism may be taken to imply that I am quite defensive. How my strengths, talents, and weaknesses might influence my chosen life goals I hope to emerge a successful person in life. To this extent, I have to make good use of my strengths and talents while improving on my points of weakness. My sociability and networking skills will definitely take me places when it comes to making connections. With the networks that I already have and those that I hope to make in the future, I am hopeful that getting placement in different organisations will be much easier. Yet again, my keenness is bound to help me perform well in class and at work. One other strength that I have is my ability to connect with other people emotionally. This ability makes other people have faith in me especially when they need help to solve different problems. Yet another strength that I enjoy is my capacity to dedicate a lot of effort and persevere in what I decide to do. I am not easily distracted by external forces which means that I can concentrate in whatever I decide to do to emerge successful. My leadership skills and capacity to manipulate situations will help me emerge as a successful leader in any organisation that I work in. That said, it is important that I put in check the extent to which and how I control others so that I am not perceived to be too bossy in the work place. I will need to work on my emotional intelligence. This is the case especially given that I do not like being criticised much as I do not hesitate to criticise others. My dislike of criticism may negatively influence my life goals as it may be taken that I do not like learning from others. This in effect may negatively affect my career growth and personal life achievements. Conclusion In conclusion, a critical analysis of my traits and behaviour reveals that I am generally extroverted. Based on the MBTI® Types test, my personality type is ESFJ (Extroversion, Sensing, Feeling, and Judgement). This personality type is characterised by being sociable, finding happiness in others, and in being in control. There are several strengths and talents that I have that are bound to help me achieve my career and life goals. Some of these strengths and talents include my social nature, leadership skills, capacity to concentrate my efforts, and ability to appreciate different points of view. Some of my greatest weaknesses relate to my dislike for criticism, critical nature, and seemingly bossy nature. Works Cited Furnham, A., & Crump, J. Personality Traits, Types, and Disorders: An Examination of the Relationship Between Three Self-Report Measures. European Journal of Personality, 19, 167-184. 2005. Print. Jung Carl. Psychological Types: Translation by H. Godwyn Baynes  (1923). (1921). http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Jung/types.htm Myersbriggs. The 16 MBTI® Types. 2015. 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