Unpacking Personality Tests [CC]

[@Kalitayy]

I love how DISC personalities are basically leader, leader, doormat, slave

[@monikasmithsonian2985]

I remember watching a video of someone saying “I always thought it was just that I was a water sign, but then I met other water signs and they cant relate, so it might be an autism thing” And I still don’t know how to feel about that

[@alexusher4425]

My fear as an autistic person around using personality based tests in hiring is that they could be used to discriminate against neurodivergent people as the way we socialise and interact with the world around us is different which could be identified in a test like this. I've seen questions on tests before which are INCREDIBLY similar to questions used in diagnostic tests for autism and that makes me feel very uncomfortable.

[@nineteenfortyeight]

They're shafting everyone

[@jays5002]

they are used for thst, its v big trend in korea

[@user-rs1wc9qs3n]

This is exactly why they were made :) eugenics.

[@-book]

Once at a wedding a guy told me ADHD isn't real and then spent 5 minutes trying to figure out my MBTI type without me noticing (I noticed immediately). He was a quack, but it was certainly the most interesting conversation I had there.

[@harrietwindebank6051]

I gave up on the MBTI when it asked me whether my preference was for hard or soft.

[@TheCatLady65]

Soft for me 😂

[@Schody_lol]

Very autism-unfriendly question.

[@darkacadpresenceinblood]

oh boy as an ex mbti nerd (like suuuper into it) i'll have to watch this lol, i just know some ancient mbti snob part of my brain will still get so mad if you call out mbti for the pseudoscience it is💀

[@AAAAAA-qs1bv]

I love it because it has exactly one good use I can think of and that is predicting whether or not someone has a GARILLION browser tabs open at once or not.

[@hollyannsimpson3296]

I call personality tests and learning styles and that sort of stuff "Corporate Astrology" because it works *exactly the same way*. I prefer the astrology. At least star signs come with a cool mascot.

[@rickandrygel913]

I've never seen someone do a moderate dive into the cognitive functions and still be critical of mbti, so thank you for that 💕

[@ZeeZeeNg]

I've never been asked to take a personality test for work purposes (maybe it's more common in the US but less so elsewhere), but I've experienced companies asking you to declare physical/mental disabilities. So even if personality tests were banned, employers can still find other ways to discriminate... That said, whether it's personality types or neurodivergence, there is no single biological screener that can make a person go "that exact spot on my brain shows that I have these traits". We still have to rely on behavioural observations & self-reporting. So while personality types are not scientifically rigorous, at least they're able to offer a sense of community through similarity.

[@radishraven9]

Hi, thank you for your videos, I've been going through a lot of your autism videos 😊 I have an MBTI youtube channel as it is one of my special interests 😅 I agree that the creators of these tests are not creating them with a scientific lens and there is no indication that they are reliable or valid. The use of MBTI and other personality tests in the workplace or as a money making business is a really terrifying practice. And yes there is a lot of problems with MBTI as you discussed 🙈 I'm glad to keep it as a tool to develop self understanding, understanding differences in others and have fun 😊

[@Jane-oz7pp]

if it's based on lies, you'll be learning lies.

[@RorysSpoonieDiaries-fh2gk]

The first issue I had when discovering personality tests is that I'm soooooo impacted by my environment (and where I'm at with my chronic illness on that day), so it's basically impossible and useless. Also, autism and not hyper specific enough qs.

[@alexmcgilvery3878]

I have taken personality tests so many times (career stuff) that I can end up as any personality type I choose. I usually just test as zero across the board now. It really freaks out the testers. Weird-ness is a huge undiscussed problem with psychological studies. It is like studies of medicine which show that western medicine is more effective, if you do your study in the west. In the east studies show eastern medicine is more effective.

[@zalamazu]

I'm a writer and I know just how useless personality assessments actually are (MBTI is literally Capitalism: The Test), but the Enneagram has actually been pretty helpful. Not in terms of taking the test (don't do that), but helpful to simply study. It opens up your mind, offering suggestions as to WHY you act the way you do. It's pseudoscience, of course, but I appreciate that it's less about putting you in a box and more about cause and effect. I don't fully like it or agree with it (the wing thing makes no sense), but studying it with a critical mind really gets you asking more about why people are the way they are. It's a gateway into critical thinking on human behavior, if you will. While most other personality assessments it's just "here is the way you are and we're not going to tell you why and make you think about it".

[@an8790]

I think that it's important to keep in mind that any kind of model made to describe reality isn't reality itself, but a way in which the creators of the model, with all their biases and intentions, worked out a way of simplifying something very complex. While personality tests can be very insightful some times (especially at first exposure), I've also caught myself thinking of myself as a cluster of traits and numbers, subconsciously conditioning myself to limiting myself. Personal excellence, which is indeed personal, doesn't come from having all the right traits, but from finding a rhythm and a dance with all that constitutes you, which may also change over time. When I find something new about myself, through relating to some trait or some research, I often have a period of insight, followed by a period of stagnation and over-identification with a label, and a subsequent detachment from that label.

[@darkacadpresenceinblood]

i've had the same experience with mbti (not 16personalities where you just take the test and it gives you a result, actual mbti where you think about the way your mind works and type yourself based on that, just like how you described ennea. i'm not into mbti anymore because at the end of the day it's just pseudoscience that shouldn't be taken too seriously but i personally found it useful and it was the start of a much longer process of getting to know myself, for me at least

[@imtooqueerforthis]

Whenever I see ppl ask for a character's mbti or sign or whatever I just think, 'if it holds any credence, shouldn't it be evident?' (something something word of god vs textual characterisation something something headcanon something) But I can see how personality categorisation models would be useful as references for characterising fictional characters, as a base to work off of (I mean just look at the tv tropes pages for the 4 humours or id/ego/superego etc)

[@ChuckMeIntoHell]

I'm also a writer who finds some use in the Enneagram. People can definitely use it in a pseudoscientific way, but I think that's more of a cultural problem around personality adjacent tools, rather than a problem inherent to the Enneagram itself. I think of the Enneagram as more like a color wheel, than a personality test. The personalities themselves are somewhat arbitrary, just like where we decide orange begins and red ends. But color wheels still show what colors compliment each other, and what colors contrast each other, and the same can be said of the Enneagram in regard to personality. I also think that the wings can be somewhat useful, in the same way that tertiary colors like goldenrod, or turquoise can be useful.

[@piroshiki-san]

based take Yea, enneagram isn't really as much about personality as much as it is a helpful framework that can help spot certain defense mechanisms people may have. It *must* feel uncomfortable when it hits home

[@timwilliscroft9615]

Sydney, your energy and enthusiasm is phenomenal. You are truly fighting the good fight against stupidity. Also, Swift's Karma. And I have no idea what that means, as I've never heard any Taylor Swift.

[@JuuuEmpathy]

certainly interesting your take on MBTI, i always find other people's opinions interesting. But MBTI has helped me understand myself and other people better than those horoscopes bullshit, which is great, all i had to do was learn about the cognitive functions and disregard online tests completely.

[@BugEyedFreak1111]

I suggest looking up cognitive functions explained by talking with famous people. It's an incredibly good video.

[@allieniner675]

I’ve done the Myers-Briggs test every 3 or so years just to see if what “I am” was actually correct (mainly due to being an autistic individual/ having crippling depression when I first did the test in high school). Well, 2010 (age 14) I was an ENFP, 2013 (17) I was an ENFJ, and now at 28, I did it again and I was an ENFP (legit was JUST a “P” as I was 51% P, and 49% J). So I guess for me it’s been quite accurate 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@BillTheCat47]

I truly admire your "open field" of speculation. It's very ummm refreshing to hear the open opinions and perspectives of others who have different personality types. I live in a sometimes, obscure world, where I'm off-beat with "social norms" making it difficult to properly interpret the mood of my surroundings. ✌️🤟🤙😸

[@grizzlywizzly]

My first video of yours and I’m so hooked Thank you for researching and presenting in such an inclusive format and style You are a lovely human being

[@halfmoon2018]

Using personality test in the workplace is like if someone gave you one of those teens magazine where you have test at the end with different little shapes and at the end you count which shape you cricled the most and gives you a result. And like depending on that you would get the job or not. Like personality tests are fun but the idea that they could be a science in any way is well very silly.

[@fuzonzord9301]

"Work ethic" isn't real, it's just a dogwhistle for being abled.

[@vamigo1995]

I think things like mbti can be entertaining. It just needs to be something like “this is how I scored on this particular test” not “this test result describes my personality/essence.” Then comparing results with like a friend can still be interesting or fun imo.

[@cevita66]

It's very telling that at the outset of personality tests was to find solid soldiers to withstand shell shock. Seems like taking job related tests would be contrary to personal gains if intimate details are given to corporate managers only to pigeon hole an individual whose personality has and can be changed by circumstances or divine spiritual change by the Creator. Don't give up personal power to man's finite digital tests or quizzes on paper or cute pasta vs song questions in magazines. #BeBest

[@Yuffie13]

My Taylor Swift song, based on my pasta choices: "Mirrorball" You want to fit in and be loved, but deep down, you wish everyone could see the real you and how special that makes you. You have a beautiful personality that not many people get to discover. (I... don't think I've heard this one?)

[@UbeFlavoured]

Hey me too! My pasta combo was fusilli marinara with parmigiano and double basil, paired with bruschetta and a cocktail, which obviously is "mirrorball" lmao

[@milksafari]

I also got mirrorball. 🙌

[@Zekrom569]

I think the biggest problem with personality tests, even the big five is that they are based on self reporting and if it's about getting hired on a company, they will try to figure out the traits that are valued and required on a certain position and answer the questions that match the desired traits, a person joining a company for a customer service job will answer questions to match high agreeableness and high conscientiousness but if they joining for a leadership position, they will match more the metrics for a cutthroat personality. If they are doing it for informational purposes, again they will answer based on their biases and social norms about desirable personality traits.

[@prodigal_southerner]

This is my first video of yours that I've seen, and I can already tell I'm going to love your channel.

[@Ensivion]

You should do an analysis on Objective Personality (it's a system created as an offshoot of MBTI, I could link but you can find it on youtube), if you haven't yet. I'll check your channel. I really agree on a lot of these points. Keep up the good work.

[@theuncalledfor]

There seems to be a speck of dust or a dead pixel on your camera. There is a white-ish dot that moves with the video viewport when I scroll up and down on the page. It tends to hover near your right hairline, above your right ear (left on the screen).

[@disabled.autistic.lesbian]

It's a dead pixel! Haven't gotten around to getting it fixed cause that usually involves mailing in your camera for 4-6 weeks and I can't afford to be camera-less for that long lol

[@theuncalledfor]

@@disabled.autistic.lesbian Ah, so you already knew. Okay then. The video is good by the way.

[@sunshinesideofdarkside]

I would really like a disability legal video. Like what to do to when a doctor is bent on misdiagnosing you with a personality disorder when it is autism. And how to take legal actions in the workplace.

[@iTzCharmander]

I am pasta oriented

[@essendossev362]

with the MBTI, I can't help but notice how much it is men who tend to score 'T' and women who score 'F', and that kinda tracks with how ppl are socialized with gender, but then add in the fact that this is held up like some sort of scientific assessment, and that 'T' would be the LOCICAL and CORRECT choice for someone in tech, and it just turns into this sexist pseudo-science acting as yet another barrier for women in tech.

[@TheCatLady65]

I highly recommend the book "The gendered brain" by Gina Rippon.

[@BXTR-pc7pg]

on a brain stem level I think the appeal of these things is the same as that of seeing a fortune teller; confronting something extraordinarily deep with minimal insight, or to know the unknowable.

[@coweatsman]

I have always returned INFP on the MBTI test. How much use the test is I do not know. I think something is being measured because some of the 16 types represent 20% of respondents and others represent only 1%, so quite as random as an astrological reading.

[@MrAdamo]

Finally someone to dictate my opinions on personality tests

[@glumbortango7182]

I had the interesting experience of getting really into astrology for a decent while, not to apply it to any actual people or tell fortunes, but mostly because underneath the made up stuff there's actually a fairly robust system in place to describe how the different signs function. This one decision, getting into these fancy little star prophecies, accidentally immunized me to almost all of the personality tests out there. I very quickly recognized that they weren't describing anything that couldn't be linked back to a chart reading, and once you realize that the spell is broken. My Myers-Briggs result says I'm idealistic, like aesthetics, and seek out harmonious interactions? Cool, but my sun sign Libra told me all of that already. Enneagram 6 says I'm cautious and responsible? The Capricorn influence in my chart seems to agree. Not only is it bullshit, once you start cross-referencing like this, you realize that most of these personality tests just repackage the _exact same bullshit._ Do your research and you too can realize how little they have added over the zodiac signs. It's... interesting to see how most of these tests play out? It's fun to see what kind of narratives play out, and what themes tend to show up. Absolutely not load-bearing though, and it shouldn't be used to judge who gets their job though.

[@merbst]

I love this villain ofigin story for you!

[@RorysSpoonieDiaries-fh2gk]

LOL @7:20 'The ancient 1950s' Absolutely

[@ishathakor]

Ni'm kind of an mbti hater at this point, mostly because the one trait they aren't completely wrong about (introversion/extroversion) isn't a binary thing in the first place and everyone basically exists somewhere on a spectrum. and the other three are simply not even mutually exclusive. the sensing/intuitive binary is kind of incomprehensible like there are genuinely so many people in the world who are detail driven AND care about the big picture stuff. people who live in the moment AND take care to plan for the future. with thinking vs feeling.... literally everyone does both. i've never met a single person who only makes decisions based on logic and never based on what they're personally feeling or what they personally value. and vice versa.

[@rickandrygel913]

Mbti has never claimed that people are one and not the other, just that everyone leans towards one more than the other. You'd have to look up the cognitive functions it is based on to see the real value it has.

[@sophiastephen2041]

yea tbf mbti is mostly bs(as someone insanely obsessed with it) but its not claiming any of those things. like the person above me said it’s about what your natural tendency is. i agree its absurd to try and use in a proffesional setting but it is helpful to me to understand people in a very simplistic and abstract way. its a model of human behavior that is very simple so it has its flaws but its genuinely pretty cool if u take it with nuance and actually try to think about how it applies

[@sophiastephen2041]

and absolutely!! cognitive functions!!! 16 personalities is garbage mbti is meant to be understood through cognitive functions which actually are somewhat interesting as a descriptive model of personality: what peoples “natural” strengths and weaknesses are and how they tend to approach life

[@sophiastephen2041]

its also good for seeing whaf your weak spots are most likely to be and a possible reason why?? Like for me I tend to struggle with people because i go straight to being hyper logical without empathizing sometimes so being more cognizant of how i can overlook peoples feelings makes me interact with others better. it can also remind me that others think differently to me. Not that one is smarter or dumber but they will look at things through a different angle than i would first go to.

[@sophiastephen2041]

obviously mbti is a flawed tool and if u can do everything i described without using such like simplistic models go for it. but u shld know that its like legit a cool thing when not being abused. i just really love mbti and its not what u described at all. i can explain more if u want i just tend to talk too much about it. sorry for spamming:)

[@couldbesweet02]

This is the first video of yours that I’ve watched and I feel so seen: If we went to high school together, I would have loved to have been friends! ☺️

[@_apsis]

this has 600 views what i thought it had way more

[@FirstmaninRome]

Another great video. Did you see the great documentary Persona on hbo? It covered this, but also how these test are now used by all employers in a very discriminating way against the neurodivergent. The discriminate assessment was used at Toyo tire, the Japanese have insane levels of faith in it, and I feel it put me in the wrong department. As a team building exercise combined with other activities though I've never seen anything so effective, for a day at least. I kept mine, yeah the polygraph is unscientific nonsense as well, Wonderware is cool.

[@andiralosh2173]

I question your use of "judge." We're always judging actions and perspectives. If someone says something I judge as incorrect or nonsensical, that's fine 🤷‍♀️ This is very different from the Abrahamic concept of "judging someone's heart" or devaluing someone. As a former Christian I'd say it's very important to consider how moralism bleeds into our self-limitations. Making assessments we do all day, diminishing people because we simply disagree, I'll agree with the teachings there... seems harmful

[@GaasubaMeskhenet]

Bump

[@therani9600]

10:15 My own little independent research also showed that after taking this mbti test several times with takes a month apart from each other, i got different results each time. Yes, they were repeating a couple of times, but the fact that there were different results at all already proves to me that it's not that accurate at showing any core personality. Maybe this test can show what your specific values are at the time of you taking it, but no more than that.