head-ey post from a head-ey me

This blog quiz is heavily biased towards the romantic question of head/heart.

You Follow Your Head

You're rational, collected, and logical. Generally, it takes you quite a while to fall in love. In fact, you've even been accused of being very picky. While you're cool, you're not ice cold. You just know what you want, and don't mind waiting to get it.

Do You Follow Your Head or Your Heart?

That said, based on the personality test we took as part of our Intercommunity Novitiate program this week, this quiz is right on. I'm very head-ey. This was the 3rd time I've taken the Meyers Briggs Personality Inventory, and the 3rd time I've come out as an INTJ, although my extrovert score is much higher than the 1st time I took it.

For those that don't know, an INTJ is an introvert (I) who perceives the world through intuition (N) rather than the 5 senses, makes decisions based on thought (T) rather than feelings, and likes to have things planned out and organized (J) rather than be spontaneous with the options open. You can read more about INTJ's here.

Our workshop presenter also shared with us about the spiritualities of the different types. NT's tend to have a "wintery spirituality." It is the most unadorned of the personality types - to some they don't look spiritual (think Zen rather than icons and devotional items). NT's are looking to create a life of unity, searching for knowledge and wisdom. They can't stand it when systems oppress people. Hence they are often committed to Social Justice, specifically changing opressed systems (although they might not notice the person bleeding in front of them). Their spirituality is restless - NT's are sometimes tempted to go to the radical edges to understand and know truth. They are attracted to quiet forms of prayer (centering prayer, meditation). Thomas Merton was an INTJ.

I can't tell you how affirming it was to here my spirituality described. Over the years, especially since my return to the Church, I'll admit to sometimes feeling like I wasn't spiritual or religious enough. My natural form of prayer is sitting meditation/centering prayer. I've tried to get interested in more devotional and tangible forms of prayer, but nothing ever sticks. That's not how God speaks to me. Not that I have any interest in even trying to compare myself to Thomas Merton, but it is comforting to know that he was also an INTJ with a "wintery spirituality." No one would say that he wasn't spiritual.

In short this workshop reminded me that we are all different, and that is both a good thing and a hard thing (related to the good kind of hard in the last post). One of the things that attracted me to my groovy community was that it was a place where I could be me. There is no cookier-cutter CSJP. We are as varied and different as can be. That's wonderful, but it's also a challenge, living with people who are very different from oneself. Over the last few weeks I've come to the realization that if this is something I was attracted to and that I value, then I have to live up the challenges it presents. It was a reminder to value, honor and respect the differences, rather than focus on them in a negative way. I have a feeling this workshop will help all of us in this regards.

Update: I almost forgot the other thing our presenter said about NT types. Something about how they never had a thought that wasn't published. Guess that would be this blog :-)