I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves gravitating towards those addictive Buzzfeed Quizzes: convinced that finding out which celebrity soulmate we’re destined to marry based on the desserts we choose will absolutely matter five minutes from now. While those quizzes are fun guilty pleasures and good ways to kill time, it’s safe to say they’re fairly surface level, and don’t tell us much about who we are as people. If you are interested in discovering more about yourself, online personality tests might just be up your alley.
Personality tests are able to give you a pretty accurate perspective on who you are and why you do the things you do. Although we may think that we already know ourselves pretty well, these tests allow us to improve our relationships: both with ourselves and with others, all while giving us the stepping-stones needed to grow individually. After browsing through various personality test websites, I stumbled upon a personality test that described me to a T. After becoming used to those throwaway Buzzfeed quizzes (have they ever accurately guess anyone’s hair colour or astrological sign?) I was shocked by how exact this test was. It’s called the NERIS Type Explorer, and on the website they say it’s “freakishly accurate.” There’s no better way to describe it.
The test asks questions over a ten-minute period and eventually sorts you into one of 16 personality types within four larger categories: Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, and Explorers. For example, the test categorized me as an Advocate INFJ personality within the Diplomat category. The categories may all sound like gibberish at this point, but the defining traits of each are actually pretty straightforward: Analysts depend on rationality, Diplomats find meaning in helping others, Sentinels are practical and cooperative, and Explorers are spontaneous and curious. The test questions reveal how we interact with our surroundings, how we see the world around us, how we make decisions or cope with emotions, the way we approach work, and how confident we are in ourselves. Although it’s a fairly short test, it’s also very thorough and the results speak for themselves.
Once you find out your personality type, the test gives you a whole bunch of insight into your overall strengths and weaknesses as a person. It reveals to you how you generally approach social situations such as romantic relationships, family relationships and friendships, and even details your habits in the workplace. At this point, the tools you can gain from your test results can often lead to deeper questions: How do I find meaning in everyday life? When do I feel the most comfortable? How can I put take advantage of the strengths in my personality and let go of my weaknesses? Your results can also, if you’re anything like me, prompt you to send the test to your friends and family to see whether your personality types are at all similar or compatible. If nothing else, it’s a fun way to get to know yourself on another level.
To check out the NERIS Type Explorer test, click here: https://www.16personalities.com/