Not a Binary, Myers-Briggs

But thanks for playing.

I'm not one of those people that tests all over the map. I've always landed in INFJ/INTJ. I've said before that introvert is my most recuperative stance but I'm undeniably a sort of ambivert that is outgoing or reserved without much reason beyond personal moods or situations.

Yet that 'I' is something a lot of artists cling to, if only for that archetype attached to it. It doesn't really fit a great deal of artists I know, the ones that paint in public at sidewalk art sales, the sort that absolutely bask in creation far from solitude. Even someone as 'I' as me doesn't lose all hope when interrupted by a visit from my nephews. I've learned how to write and talk and listen so as not to lock out the potential of shared moments I can't get back.

So, although Jung and Myers-Briggs efforts aren't wasted, I've also met those assignations with rightful skepticism. Like with astrology, I know it's a pseudoscience, not without use, but not one to cling to tightly when it comes to take personal growth (or destiny) into your own hands.

I don't really think Mercury in retrograde is really all that concerned with our actions. If anything, these tests are excuses that have none of the weight of even a menstrual cycle. Which I can say for certain, especially at the age of 37, absolutely affects my moods and ability to be around people. Even that is something I can see for what it is. I'm not always capable of stopping an impulsive outburst, but I'm versed in correcting and apologizing in the retrospect.

Perhaps I could say that the biology of a woman already makes a binary result impossible but impulsivity and moods are absolutely not the sole domain of women. Growth and change are necessary for all humans (unless your aspiration is to be a guest on a garbage talk show like Jerry Springer, where no one has mentally surpassed 12 and not through any valid mental disability-- just refusal to grow at all).

If you like to use these tests, maybe just to entertain yourself with facets you hadn't considered, it's not a bad idea. Just don't be so locked into being the 'Entertainer' or 'Mastermind' that you neglect to take risks and operate 'out of character'.

Out of character is for cookie cutter novels. In reality, there are many instances where a turning point can flip the switch on who we are. Trauma, actually being faced with those terrifying what-ifs and acting in earnest (not just how we think we will)---these are the things that don't fit neatly into astrology or personality tests. Most of us are not one of twelve neat binaries. Certainly, even those strictly developed characters aligning with them usually suffer from lack of dimension sometimes too.

Take the tests. Have fun with them. Measure yourself by entertaining means but don't adhere to anything at the expense of your unique growth. Just like you can choose to perpetuate victimhood, you can choose to break out of an archetype. Some facets you'll retreat to for comfort and that's okay to an extent. Just never stop trying to strive for what is good for you and those you care about. It's not going to be so neatly defined.