Psychology experts have been trying to figure out which traits reveal the most about a person for years. According to Positive Psychology, there are over 2,000 different personality tests available in the United States alone. As a result, you may not be familiar with all of the characteristics that measure and reveal your true personality. Today we’ll dive into seven of these little-known attributes to help you learn more about yourself.
1. Openness
According to Positive Psychology, one of the most science-backed personality tests is called The Big Five. As the name would suggest, it measures five different personality traits, including openness. This attribute reveals how you feel about new experiences. People who receive high openness scores tend to be more creative and curious. They enjoy novelty and seek out new ideas and experiences.
If you display less openness, you probably love your daily routine and hate surprises. You prefer to lay low and stick with people and experiences you’re familiar with. You’re a creature of habit, and there’s nothing wrong with that!
2. Agreeableness
Agreeableness is another Big Five trait that can reveal your real personality. People who get high agreeableness scores are collaborative, cooperative, and empathetic. They often want to make a positive contribution to their community and may even work in a helping profession.
Those who score lower on agreeableness tend to be more competitive and headstrong. They know what they want and are highly driven, but may be a little blunt when expressing their opinions.
3. Neuroticism
Neuroticism is a little-known trait that’s measured on many personality tests. It describes how you respond to stressful events and experience emotions. People with high neuroticism scores tend to be more pessimistic and anxious. They might also be more prone to feeling blue than others. However, this trait may enable them to empathize with and relate to other people’s struggles better.
People with lower levels of neuroticism are more optimistic and resilient when bad things happen. Their “glass half full” approach to life can help them bounce back from stress faster.
4. Conscientiousness
The final Big Five personality trait we want to highlight is conscientiousness. People who display a lot of conscientiousness are organized and detail-oriented. They thrive on structure and routine, making them more Type A.
If you score lower, you’re probably a Type B personality. You’re chill and easygoing, preferring to go with the flow rather than follow a set schedule. However, your laid-back nature can predispose you to procrastination. So make sure your carefree lifestyle doesn’t cause you to drop the ball on your responsibilities!
5. Sensing vs. Intuition
We’ve all heard of, and probably taken, the Myers-Briggs personality test (I’m an INFP). But do you know what all those letters in your results actually mean? Depending on your personality type, the first letter stands for either sensing or intuition. I’m intuitive, which means I rely on my instincts and impressions to make decisions. Intuitive people enjoy considering abstract theories and considering the future impacts of their choices.
Sensing individuals prefer to base their strategy on concrete facts and details. They’re grounded, detail-oriented, and tend to be more focused on the present moment than future possibilities. Which one describes you?
6. Thinking vs. Feeling
Another aspect of the Myers-Briggs test that can reveal your true personality is whether you’re a thinker or a feeler. You can find out by taking the test and looking at the third letter in the sequence. As a feeler, I tend to rely on my emotions more heavily when making decisions, and often consider how my choices will make others feel. A thinker is more logical and practical, focusing on reason rather than emotion most of the time.
7. Ambiversion
We’ve all heard of introversion and extroversion. But are you familiar with ambiversion, a personality trait that falls in between them? Ambiverts are chameleons that thrive in social settings but sometimes prefer to be alone. They share characteristics with introverts and extroverts and feel like their personality is a mixture of both.
According to Scientific American, the majority of people are actually ambiverts. Despite the fact that it’s quite common, little research has been done on ambiversion.
Don’t Take Personality Tests Too Seriously
Although these tests can help reveal parts of your real personality, some are more accurate and science-based than others. So remember not to take your results too seriously or beat yourself up over them. If you have a trait you don’t like, you can always work on yourself and change it. But keep in mind that all the unique strengths you possess can’t be summed up by a personality test or a few Myers-Briggs letters!