Who Are You? Embracing the Authentic
Why are we so fascinated with personality assessments? What are we in search of? We tell people, "I know who I am!" or "they obviously don't know me," but do we know?
I've taken the oldest and perhaps the most popular assessment, Myers-Briggs. I'm even certified and regularly teach a leadership assessment through GiANT Worldwide.
A few years ago, I traveled to Belgium to see a Star Wars exhibit titled: Identities. There were all kinds of props from the films on display. The unique part of this experience was you get assigned a digital wristband, and along your journey through the exhibit, you answer a series of questions based on openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. I thought this was a brilliant idea! I had my mind made up; I would be Boba Fett! An hour later, we finish the exhibit, and I have a large fifteen-foot screen in front of me, waiting to unveil me as the newest Bounty Hunter. I had my phone ready for this huge moment, and then it flashed across the screen…… I'm an Ewok? I'm a protector of the forest, loyal, a quick learner, curious, and a great team player. Those are great qualities, but that's not what I wanted. I left somewhat disappointed.
Think about it: why do we search for a better understanding of who we are, but we have our minds made up before our first click. We're often looking for a sense of validation as to who we are. We can easily manipulate our results. "How did I answer that previous question that was eerily similar?", "Am I more this or do I want to be that?", and in some cases, "How would my potential employer want me to answer this?" Research shows that over 60% of employees are asked to complete a personality assessment as part of the hiring process. HBO even released a documentary entitled, Persona: The Dark Truth Behind Personality Test.
But we claim to know ourselves better than anyone else. The question is, who is the real you?
We're in the social media age. You're probably reading this article because you came upon it on social media. We've become conditioned to live our lives filtered, altered, and viewed through rose-colored glasses. People are constantly trying to obtain likes, follows, and emojis. There is no better feeling than the quick rush of dopamine. It's addicting. You probably have friends on your friends list that you don't even get along with or don't even know. Why do we put on a facade for others by sacrificing our authentic selves? What's our gain? In the process, we start to lose who we are. It's exhausting and draining to be someone we're not. Don't get me wrong; there are plenty of positives from social media. We can communicate and stay in touch with friends and family worldwide. Since I started podcasting and teaching virtually, I've benefited and established close connections through social media. The question to ask yourself is, am I unauthentic? Am I trying to tell the world I'm a Mandalorian when I'm an Ewok?
Self-perception isn't all about what we display externally. We can see through our accounts and know what's real and false. I used to cringe when someone said, "I don't even know you anymore." Is that a bad thing? I have heard that someone should see you in 30 days and not even recognize you anymore because you've grown so much. I recently celebrated a birthday, and I've become very mindful of who I am. I'm not the same person I was as a child, teenager (thankfully), or young adult. Certain aspects and characteristics have stayed the same, but I'm at a realization that my life that I'm on a continuous journey—a journey of Self-gratification and self-discovery.
This comes from taking the personality assessment that is life. You uncover new things about yourself every day. We realize where we are and where we want to be. Did you follow a career path that you wanted or someone envisioned? Are you modeling your journey from the aspects of others or your true self? How about this for a personality assessment:
Where are YOU mentally?
Where are YOU spiritually?
Where are YOU physically?
Where are YOU socially?
Are you satisfied with the authentic you? Are you trying to be Boba Fett, or are you embracing the Ewok?
