I have an innate aversion to labels and categories and cubbyholes of description. I’m aware of the fact that it’s somewhat hypocritical given my strong predilection for describing and organizing the world around me in terms of systems<\/i>, a penchant which necessarily involves a degree of generalization and thus labeling and categorization. But in terms of self-expression, when it comes to describing my own<\/i> personality, I eschew almost all attempts to synthesize an overarching descriptor from a set of attributes or responses. Personality tests, memes, online quizzes… They hold no appeal. <\/p>\n
Why this opinion? I fully appreciate the value of being self-aware, of being conscious of my own psychological chemistry. But I feel like the effect of aligning myself with a category would have a disproportionately large effect on my self-perception vis-a-vis life directions. In other words, my decision-making process would be restrained by that self-knowledge, or semblance thereof. <\/p>\n
It may happen consciously; for example: I could be hesitating between two major life choices, and recalling the fact that I am an INFP or what-have-you, bring that to bear on my decision. Or it could happen subconsciously, in which case the cumulative effects of a number of personality “tests” would snowball and exert a tacit influence on my choice, pulling me in one direction. Part of my reaction stems from the ubiquity of the tests: The likelihood of any one test’s accuracy is inversely proportional to the number of tests in common usage. I’m sure some people create them for their own sake, but in most cases people create a new test because they’re dissatisfied with some aspect of the previous. So in theory this cottage industry based on self-evaluation should result in a self-perpetuating progression toward an ever more accurate test, but in my opinion we’re far from a truly usefully descriptive evaluation, and I have no inclination to stay abreast of the latest and greatest.<\/p>\n
But the larger reason for my aversion is the potential of the tests to create an experiential cage around me. I never want to take initiative or refrain from it based some self-knowledge, subconsciously-suggested or no, gleaned from some test. For example, I don’t want to avoid working with kids because an evaluation suggested my ability to relate to them is not a strong suit of mine. I don’t want to artificially curb a budding interest in, say, quantum physics and higher-level math because I think of myself, based on a test, as a more, right-brained, creative person. I don’t want it even suggested<\/i> to myself subconsciously that I would bomb a speech because I learned that I’m an introvert and don’t interact well with crowds. It wouldn’t help a thing. And of course it’s no license to do anything and everything; awareness of one’s strengths and abilities is certainly brought to bear, but I want life experiences to supply me with that awareness, not some test.<\/p>\n
Where does this aversion come from? Probably something to do with my Gen-X roots :)<\/p>\n