Have you ever taken a personality test that gives a four letter code?  It might have looked something like this: INFP, ESTJ, etc.  And if you had taken one of those tests, like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (aka the MBTI) or the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II (aka the KTS-II) or a shorter version, did you receive a brief description of your type afterward that seemed fairly accurate in some ways, but was perhaps too general? Maybe you took your test results home and soon forgot about them.  Or, if the results piqued your interest a little, maybe you tried to obtain more information.  But sooner or later, did you feel confused about what percent of each ‘letter’ you were — 51% Thinking - 49%  Feeling, for example, and then you just gave up?

Often the end result of the above scenario is that many people miss out on the wonderful benefits available from discovering their correct type.  Learning how this system of personality type works is a valuable tool which can be applied to so many areas of life.  But there are undoubtedly millions of people who have embarked on the first leg of their journey of personality type by taking the test without ever arriving at their destination: a better understanding of themselves and others.

Recently, this unfortunate situation of inaccurate typing has become even more widespread with the advent of social networking applications, such as those found on Facebook.  These mini-tests give a quick four letter result not only to the test taker but to your circle of contacts.  Many similar tests are available all over the web, but each time I see a student or friend’s result on Facebook, I cringe, because most of the time I find the result to be incorrect.  Let me explain exactly what I mean.

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