4 Personality Tests to Get to Know Yourself Better

I looove personality tests! Don't you? There's something about being able to categorize yourself that makes you think, "Yes! Finally this makes sense about me and I'm not alone." When we can label ourselves and know that there's a name for our certain tendency or quality, it can make us feel validated and that we have more of a place in the world. Today, I'll be sharing my four favorite personality tests to get to know yourself better:

1. The Enneagram:

The Enneagram identifies your basic personality type and there are nine types that you can be. Of course everyone has a little bit of every personality type within themselves, but every person will identify with one type more than the others. The enneagram asserts that we are born with one type and that it stays the same over the course of our lives (not sure if I agree with this). None of the enneagrams are better than any of the others, they're just all different. Here are the nine basic personality types taken from The Enneagram Institute:

1. Type One is principled, purposeful, self-controlled, and perfectionistic.

2. Type Two is generous, demonstrative, people-pleasing, and possessive.

3. Type Three is adaptable, excelling, driven, and image-conscious (this is my type).

4. Type Four is expressive, dramatic, self-absorbed, and temperamental.

5. Type Five is perceptive, innovative, secretive, and isolated.

6. Type Six is engaging, responsible, anxious, and suspicious.

7. Type Seven is spontaneous, versatile, acquisitive, and scattered.

8. Type Eight is self-confident, decisive, willful, and confrontational.

9. Type Nine is receptive, reassuring, complacent, and resigned.

Curious what Enneagram Type you are? Take the quiz here.

2. The Myers-Briggs:

The Myers-Briggs examines how people see the world and make decisions. The test does this by measuring you on four categories:

1. Introversion or extraversion: This trait determines how we interact with our environment.

2. Observation or intuition: This trait shows where we direct our mental energy.

3. Thinking or feeling: This trait determines how we make our decisions and cope with our emotions.

4. Judging or prospecting: This trait reflects our approach to work, planning, and decision-making.

Depending on how you score on these categories, you will fall into one of 16 types. I'm not going to go into all 16 types, but each type falls into the Analysts, Diplomats, Sentinels, or Explorers. If you want to take the test and learn more about your type, click here.

3. The Four Tendencies:

The Four Tendencies Quiz is a very specific personality test that simply determines how you respond to expectations. How you respond to outer expectations (e.g., work deadlines, a friend counting on you) and inner expectations (e.g., honoring a goal you've set for yourself, a New Year's resolution) determines which tendency you are. By figuring out your tendency, you will more easily be able to respond to expectations and thus, accomplish more of your goals. Out of all of the personality tests I've taken, I've found this one the most useful for understanding myself and why I do what I do.

The Four Tendencies are:

1. Obligers: They respond well to outer expectations but not inner expectations. They need accountability to get things done. This is the most common tendency (I fall in this category).

2. Upholders: They respond well to both outer and inner expectations. They want to know what should be done and they're good at doing it.

3. Questioners: They respond well to inner and outer expectations if it makes sense. They want justifications.

4. Rebels: They do not respond well to either inner or outer expectations. They want the freedom to do things their own way. This is the rarest of the tendencies.

You can find out your tendency here.

4. The Big Five:

The Big Five Personality Test measures a person's personality based on five major dimensions:

1. Openness to experience: Openness is a person's ability to think in abstract, complex ways. People high in openness are curious, creative, and adventurous. People low in openness are practical, cautious, and consistent.

2. Conscientiousness: Conscientiousness is a person's ability to be self-disciplined so that they can achieve their goals. People high in conscientiousness are organized, determined, and can focus on long-term goals. People low in conscientiousness are impulsive and easily sidetracked.

3. Extraversion: Extraversion is a person's desire to have socialization from people. People high in extraversion are more outgoing and get their energy from hanging out with other people. People low in extraversion conserve the energy and are not social butterflies.

4. Agreeableness: Agreeableness is a person's ability to put other people's needs before their own. People high in agreeableness are empathetic and enjoy helping others. People low in agreeableness tend to put themselves before others and are more competitive.

5. Neuroticism: Neuroticism is a person's ability to experience negative emotions. People high in neuroticism react to negative emotions more strongly and may experience them more whereas people low in neuroticism are more able to overcome their negative emotions.

You can find out how you score on the Big Five dimensions here.

Taking personality tests can be a fun way to learn about yourself and why you behave the way you do. While taking one of these tests though, remember that they are pretty general and just because you score a certain way on one of these tests does not make you any better or worse than anyone else. These tests are simply a neat way to categorize yourself, but you always have the power to be who you want to be and change at any point in your life. If you take one of these tests, have fun with it and don't take them too seriously.

Your gal,

Kayla