What is my 'Type'?

We completed the test and handed over our sheets. The instructions were clear. Respond to all questions with complete earnestness and honesty. The results will be relevant only then. We tried our best. At least I did.

A few minutes later I was staring at my result. It was written in capital letters. As it always happens in a class, my neighbor peeped in my sheets. He was also my team-mate and a very good friend.

“INFP!!!???!!!” he exclaimed loudly. “What nonsense!! You can’t be this.”

He was loud enough to attract everyone’s attention. The corporate trainer came towards us. She looked at the piece of paper in my hand, with the letters ‘INFP’ written on it. She smiled, “an idealist type, reserved and shy, they are not known to do well in the competitive corporate world. What are you doing here?”

Before I could even utter a word, my friend pitched in. “Exactly! She is neither reserved nor shy. She talks to everyone on the floor.”

Both looked at me disbelievingly, expecting an answer. I had none.

It was the truth.

I am an introvert. I have been one all through my childhood. But then I realized that it didn’t help. It only made me lonelier. So I started opening up with people. I talked about all matter of fact things – from the sky is blue to grass is green. But I kept my thoughts to myself. It made me popular among my peers.

I am intuitive. I go by intuition. I have always planned for the big picture. I am happy in its completeness. It has helped me create set-ups which my peers could not do as they only thought of the small constraints and short-term bottlenecks. I climbed the corporate ladder as my set-ups worked well for the company. 

I feel. And I agree I have suffered because of it. I have also defied logic at times to conform to social implications. But then who doesn’t have draw-back? I take it as an area of improvement, which I am working on. Yet, it’s not a complete negative. This quality has helped me on multiple occasions to gain acceptance among masses, and has catapulted me to a leadership position.

I perceive. I delay my decisions. And it works wonderfully at times as I am open to all possibilities. My pre-determined choices don’t restrict me. I am open to new opportunities. New adventures as they come my way. At times I delay my work, losing out on valuable time.

The training ended, but my thoughts stayed with me. Does it matter what personality type I am? Can I and should I try to change it? Or should I do what people of kind are good at?

I think not. I only choose to improve. If I am INFP, then I just want to be better at it. Trying to become an ESTJ will not help me.

Disclaimer: I am not an INFP. With due respect to the work done by Myers-Briggs, I am happy with my type. I just want to be a better ‘Me’.