How I percieve myself
Self-knowledge is like a compass guiding us to do or not to do, to be or not to be, to go or not to go, to speak or not to speak, etc.
Self-knowledge is about attention.
How aware am I of what I am capable of doing? How much do I know myself and others?
It's not about the role I perform: teacher, nurse, housewife, mother, wife, businessman, etc.
According to Scott Schwefel's study on personality and the brain, most communication is directed by our subconscious. This person likes to give answers when interacting with others. Part of the brain takes over and makes mistakes.
Hence Jung speaks of the unconscious brain and the conscious brain. His famous statement catches our attention: “until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will believe it is destiny.”
Being aware is the opposite of autopilot. Taking this into consideration will give a leap in quality in your communication.
When I understand behavioral traits and how people act, I can reduce discomfort and even possible conflict.
Understanding who we are, and the ability to ask why we act a certain way and become uncomfortable, should be taught as early as possible.
But we are dynamic and change throughout our lives.
Carl Jung is credited with stating that when two personalities meet, it is like the contact of two chemical substances. If there is any reaction, both will be transformed.
Based on the idea of the effects of humors (body fluids) on human behavior (phlegmatic, sanguine, choleric and melancholic), by the Greek Hippocrates, considered the father of medicine, Jung later highlighted in his studies the energies that move us. We act, most of the time, with the energies that give us well-being and comfort.
Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist who studied behavior patterns so that a person could know themselves and others. His 1921 book Psychological Types was decisive in this regard.
What is your predominant way of acting?
Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers developed, based on the psychological types studied by Jung, the variation in behavior based on the different ways in which individuals respond to demands.
Its indicators became famous after their publication in the 60s of the last century. They are known as MBIT – Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (https://www.myersbriggs.org)
Extrovert
Tends to be action-oriented and feels energized by social interactions.
Sentimental
It also decides through the people and emotions involved.
Hard
Tends to make closed, conclusive decisions.
Sensitive
Tends to pay attention to the five senses and known experiences.
Introvert
More emotional, values your own thoughts and tends to enjoy deep relationships and meaningful social interactions more, recharges your energy by being alone.
Reflective
It thinks about facts, uses logic and is impersonal.
Flexible
Tends to be more open and consider different angles.
Intuitive
Interprets impressions and models, looks to the future, imagines possibilities and works in the abstract.
Thus, for example, a type can be predominantly extroverted and intuitive in their actions. According to this typology, a combination of 16 different types can be reached.New studies on the structure of personality traits have come up with a five-dimensional organization known as the BIG 5. They are:
Extroversion
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Openness
Neuroticism
We all have all these dimensions that will vary in degree – high to low. According to neuroscientist Pedro Calabrez , all these dimensions have their negative and positive side, with no one being better than the other.
For the BIG 5 typology, introversion does not exist. What does exist is a low degree of extroversion . The person popularly considered shy for the purposes of this typology fits into the dimension of neuroticism - excess negativity and fear . Neuroticism is an important behavioral trait that, to a healthy degree, protects us.
Agreeableness refers to the attribute of kindness and affability, important for our social life. However, to a high degree, the person tends to forget their own needs, exhausting themselves to please others.
Conscientiousness is characterized by a high state of awareness, mental concentration, self-discipline and a sense of organization. On the negative side, however, this trait, to a high degree, takes away a person's spontaneity and even joy.
Openness is the trait of being available for new things and trying new things. In its negative aspect, it can put a person at risk.
Extroversion is the trait in which a person needs to be with other people and in different environments that they like to replenish their energy. A low level of extroversion indicates that people need to spend time alone to replenish their energy.
When I understand my own personality preferences, I can reflect on the differences in behavior of how to be in the world, mine and others.
We learn to deal with these preferences and we can reduce the impact they have on us and manage our tendency to think that behavior different from ours does not necessarily mean an attitude to offend us .
Take the BIG 5 test that I provide on this page to see your current behavior pattern.