I've had a particular idea for quite sometime. I've mostly kept it to myself, but what good is an idea if you don't share it?
The gist of my idea is as follows: When considering individuals you often see similar traits, and traits that are widely different when comparing individuals. Back when I worked at The Hartford, I was exposed to the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. I thought nothing of it at the time. I was re-introduced to the test twice while at college, at an Intro. to IT seminar and during a Systems Analysis and Design Class. I found that the test was remarkably accurate. I turned out to be an INFJ. Since then I've taken upon myself to read "Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type"; the book written by Myers-Briggs.
So, skip ahead, and I have some Sociology classes under my belt. I thought about Society and wondered how the MBTI could be applied. When dealing with individuals, you see remarkable differences on how they perceive and interact with the world around them. People accept reality differently and their personality determines how they live their lives. Some people accept Society, while others wish to change it. It's the push-and-pull that creates social change.
There are 16 distinct MBTI personality types. Each one has strengths and weaknesses. While looking over my type, I've been able to understand myself better. I always found myself different and viewed the world quite differently.
How does this idea help us? Well, if we understand ourselves then we understand other aspects of Society. When you study things further, you really come to see these differences are innate. Differences are very useful. The problem is that the number of people with certain personality types outnumber others. There is an inherent imbalance. We should consider looking at rarest personality types and including their viewpoint in the majority. The interesting thing is that the rarest personality types are usually the ones that make the greatest impact on the rest of Society.
