A Look Into Your Personality

“I think and think and think, I've thought myself out of happiness one million times, but never once into it.” - Jonathan Safran Foer

Photo by Erica C.

Have you ever found yourself reflecting on who you are? I'm sure the answer is certainly. But have you ever sought to find the source of your happiness and/or dissatisfaction in relation to your personality?

A look into your personality type can help you understand yourself more and aid in emotional health.

I have always been an introspective person. Whether analyzing interaction with others, reviewing my flaws, or looking into my thoughts, I continue to maintain awareness of my environment and my relation to it.

I knew that I was an introvert, controlled by my left-brain, and naturally a pessimist. But after taking personality tests, I learned more about myself that holds true. In my 9th grade year of high school, I was able to take a personality test that resulted in INTJ (Rational Mastermind). Lo' and behold, four years later it would only slightly change to ISTJ (Guardian Inspector). What exactly do these letters mean? Personality Page details a lot of informative material.

What also holds true, or at least I had always believed, was the topic of astrology. Horoscope astrology and zodiac signs have always been a fascination of mind since I was younger. Whether reading through newspapers or magazines for the horoscope column or browsing through the countless websites on zodiac signs, this phenomenon has become an entertaining part of the Lifestyle outlook.

Astrology first derived thousands of years in Mesopotamia, where the first civilizations tried to find answers through the many stars that lay overhead. Overtime astrology has been used for medicine, predictions, compatibility, and entertainment (Bakich). However, the Western astrology we are so familiar with differs from the rest of the world's astrology. It may seem as though Western astrology is best for entertainment purposes rather than any concrete reliance.

While I have never found horoscopes factual, the mass amount of information on the personality types of each zodiac was very insightful. As a Taurus (or Taurus-Gemini cusp to be more specific), I found reading about zodiac sign captivating because most of the content seemed true about me.

From left to right: Gemini, Scorpio, Pisces,

Aquarius, Aries, Taurus,

Virgo, Leo, Capricorn,

Cancer, Sagitarrius, Libra.

Photo by iStockphoto

Both personality types and zodiac signs are good fun reads however. There are many personality tests and definitely a whole lot of information in regards to astrology online. A simple search on Google will bring about many results. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is one of the most used personality test. Your source for astrology depends on your preference (mine was Astrology Insight in middle school) but most sites generally carry the same information in regards to each zodiac's personality type.

So why exactly is important to look into your personality? Because, according to Michael Miller, editor in chief of the Harvard Mental Health Letter "everything is related to everything else. How stressed or angry you are, and how you interact with the world, is contingent in large part on your personality style. And that is going to have an enormous impact on your health" (Haupt). By understanding oneself is close to accepting of who you are and finding a better way to deal with life when you comprehend yourself.

It is almost as if you're on the outside looking in. By looking into your personality, you can see who you are as an individual and understand the roots of your thoughts and actions and in turn view the image you portray to others.

As a Taurus, I know I can be stubborn but loyal. Looking into astrology, I learned that my biggest strength can be my "sensible outlook on life" (Taurus) but my biggest weakness is "accepting less than [I] can achieve" (Taurus). Through Keirsey, I learned that Inspectors actually make up "ten percent of the general population" (Keirsey). Through this knowledge, I can be able to see where I need improvements in my life and appreciate my strong points in my personality. For example, instead of constantly being unyielding, I know I should compromise a bit more but still remain sensible.

Your personality ties into your emotional health. Who you are affects how you live and by learning more about yourself, you can learn to better improve your emotional well being.

Works Cited

Bakich M. "Astrology: Fact or FICTION?." Astronomy. 32.12 (2004): 50-56. Academic Search Complete. Web. 31 Jan. 2013.
Haupt, Angela. "How Your Personality Affects Your Health." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.
"Keirsey Temperament Website - Portrait of the Guardian® Inspector (ISTJ)." Keirsey Temperament Website - Portrait of the Guardian® Inspector (ISTJ). N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.
"Taurus Characteristics & Personality - MyDaily." The Huffington Post. Tarot.com, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2013.