"Self-love has very little to do with how you feel about your outer self. It's about accepting all of yourself." - Tyra Banks
 | Hello world! If you are new, welcome to the Luminstruct blog! My name is Mark and I am currently working on a "365-Word Project" by posting reflections on various words every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Today's word is "Self".Too often I have students come into my office and ask what they should do with their lives and future careers. It is as if they believe I have the magical sorting hat in my desk drawer and can pull it out at any moment to help them determine their future. Silly muggles, my sorting hat is at home! All joking aside, there are a lot of students who are lost and need some kind of method to help them problem solve and figure out what kind of person they are and want to learn about themselves. |
It may not be a sorting hat, but below are my recommendations for the best personalities tests currently on the market as well as some "knock-off brands" if you wish to save some money.
Strengths Finder
Description: Run through Gallup, Strengths Finder is one of the top personality tests on the market. Focusing in on our strengths instead of areas of improvements, Strengths Finder will be able to identify your top strengths out of a possible 34 options!
Website: https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/Home/en-US/Index
Price: $15 (includes your top 5 strengths and an e-book to learn about your Strengths and how to hone them. The page also provides a detailed report how to improve these skills).
Free Version: The Workuno strengths test:
Website: http://freestrengthstest.workuno.com/free-strengths-test.html
Description: The names of the strengths are slightly different than Strengths finder, but this website provides a great deal with a 170 question test, and a list of results including all 34 of your strengths in order and a quick description of each! (does not include the e-book and costs money if you want a more detailed report).
Myers Briggs Test
Description: The Myers Briggs test takes a look at patterns of your given behaviors and places them into one of two different categories. At the end of the test, you will be given a four-letter result:
E or I (How you direct/receive your energy)
N or S (How you take in information)
T or F (How you make decisions)
J or P (How you approach the outside world)
Website: https://www.mbtionline.com/?utm_source=MBF&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=online
Price: $49.95 (Plus tax)
Free Version: Sixteen Personalities
Website: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Description: 16 Personalities has a very similar setup to the Myers Briggs test. Once you have finished, you will receive a full report. It also gives you a fifth letter. Besides this extra letter, the information appears to be very similar.
The 5 Love Languages
Description: Designed by Gary Chapman, this test teaches us how we like to take in love and appreciation from others around us and how we in return give out love and appreciation. Whether we feel valued when given gifts, acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, or physical touch, it is important to learn how we wish to be treated and how others would like to be treated in return.
Website: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/
Price: Free!
The True Colors Personality Test
Description: A Student Affairs favorite, this test teaches us how we like to interact with others. There are four different colors, blue, orange, gold, and green. If you have a good facilitator, there are a lot of fun activities you can do with this test to show how these traits come into play!
Website: http://www.nfty.org/_kd/Items/actions.cfm?action=Show&item_id=12954&destination=ShowItem
Price: Free!
The Big 5 Personality Test
Description: The Big 5 Personality Test is a common test used in the area of psychology. This test explores the five major dimensions of personality: Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism.
Website: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/
Price: Free!
Conclusion:
The truth of the matter is that we are all very complex individuals. In our world, we constantly try to place people, believes and opinions in black and white boxes. The truth of the matter is that black and white boxes do not exist, there are really just fifty shades of grey boxes. We do, however, show patterns to our behaviors. Just because I can write an essay with my left hand, doesn't mean I will. Being right handed, this is the hand I am most comfortable using. I could always teach myself how to utilize my other hand or express a different personality trait, but we typically fall back to our roots.
At the end of the day, do not use these tests as defining moments of who you are, use them as building blocks as set off on a journey to define your definition of "self". If all else fails, reach out to that Ravenclaw housing professional for advice, they might be able to point you in the right direction. Mischief managed!
Question time: Which personality test do you like to use?
Strengths Finder
Description: Run through Gallup, Strengths Finder is one of the top personality tests on the market. Focusing in on our strengths instead of areas of improvements, Strengths Finder will be able to identify your top strengths out of a possible 34 options!
Website: https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/Home/en-US/Index
Price: $15 (includes your top 5 strengths and an e-book to learn about your Strengths and how to hone them. The page also provides a detailed report how to improve these skills).
Free Version: The Workuno strengths test:
Website: http://freestrengthstest.workuno.com/free-strengths-test.html
Description: The names of the strengths are slightly different than Strengths finder, but this website provides a great deal with a 170 question test, and a list of results including all 34 of your strengths in order and a quick description of each! (does not include the e-book and costs money if you want a more detailed report).
Myers Briggs Test
Description: The Myers Briggs test takes a look at patterns of your given behaviors and places them into one of two different categories. At the end of the test, you will be given a four-letter result:
E or I (How you direct/receive your energy)
N or S (How you take in information)
T or F (How you make decisions)
J or P (How you approach the outside world)
Website: https://www.mbtionline.com/?utm_source=MBF&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=online
Price: $49.95 (Plus tax)
Free Version: Sixteen Personalities
Website: https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test
Description: 16 Personalities has a very similar setup to the Myers Briggs test. Once you have finished, you will receive a full report. It also gives you a fifth letter. Besides this extra letter, the information appears to be very similar.
The 5 Love Languages
Description: Designed by Gary Chapman, this test teaches us how we like to take in love and appreciation from others around us and how we in return give out love and appreciation. Whether we feel valued when given gifts, acts of service, quality time, words of affirmation, or physical touch, it is important to learn how we wish to be treated and how others would like to be treated in return.
Website: http://www.5lovelanguages.com/profile/
Price: Free!
The True Colors Personality Test
Description: A Student Affairs favorite, this test teaches us how we like to interact with others. There are four different colors, blue, orange, gold, and green. If you have a good facilitator, there are a lot of fun activities you can do with this test to show how these traits come into play!
Website: http://www.nfty.org/_kd/Items/actions.cfm?action=Show&item_id=12954&destination=ShowItem
Price: Free!
The Big 5 Personality Test
Description: The Big 5 Personality Test is a common test used in the area of psychology. This test explores the five major dimensions of personality: Openness, Conscientiousness, Agreeableness, Extraversion, and Neuroticism.
Website: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/
Price: Free!
Conclusion:
The truth of the matter is that we are all very complex individuals. In our world, we constantly try to place people, believes and opinions in black and white boxes. The truth of the matter is that black and white boxes do not exist, there are really just fifty shades of grey boxes. We do, however, show patterns to our behaviors. Just because I can write an essay with my left hand, doesn't mean I will. Being right handed, this is the hand I am most comfortable using. I could always teach myself how to utilize my other hand or express a different personality trait, but we typically fall back to our roots.
At the end of the day, do not use these tests as defining moments of who you are, use them as building blocks as set off on a journey to define your definition of "self". If all else fails, reach out to that Ravenclaw housing professional for advice, they might be able to point you in the right direction. Mischief managed!
Question time: Which personality test do you like to use?
