Self Inventory
It never ceases to amaze me how much stock is put into categorizing humanity. We have a battery of tests to tell you what kind of a person you are: there is the LSI, the MBTI, and now we've been introduced to the Strong Interest Inventory. I do not buy into any of them. A human being is far too complex to categorize. While I do think that these tests can point a person in the right direction, I do not believe that they could be taken as anything definitive. I'm afraid of how these results may be pointing students away from what could be their potential dream job. Just because you have a strong artistic score on the SII does not mean that you couldn't be an accountant. That's ridiculous. I think if a person searches deep enough inside, they can find what they are supposed to do for the rest of their lives. There is no need to rely on generic personality tests.
Comments
Posted by: Matthew Yowonske
Posted on: December 3, 2005 07:37 PM
I totally agree. I think it's because people want to be categorized though. It makes them feel like they belong to a certain group, and that others have the same issues. I also think that students should pursue what they want to do rather than what a test says, and let them find out on their own whether or not a certain career is for them. The tests should only be used as a general guideline and help point students in the direction they could potentially excel at, and have almost no other interest in any other fields.
-Matthew Yowonske
mly6@case.edu
http://blog.case.edu/yowonske
Posted by: Shawn White
Posted on: December 4, 2005 01:10 AM
I thisnk these are useful tests but should never be used exclusively. It is important to remember that a person true feeling and interests come first. They should have the right sense to know what they are. It is unrelible to rely soely on a simmple test. Also these tests only have a limited amout of categories, which come far from describing everyone.
Posted by: Emily Barkas
Posted on: December 9, 2005 11:55 AM
I completely agree. When we were doing the most recent personality test with the Career Center, I noticed that I am the more social personality. Unfortunately, none of the career choices were what I plan on doing: accounting. But I still think that all these personality inventories and tests are very fascinating. I think for the most part though they all complement each other and form a complex view of you as a person.