Thursday, January 17, 2008

Type B Personality

After all this time, I finally figured out what the problem is: I'm a Type B personality in a Type A work environment. Yep, that's it - case closed.

It's great that the IB school in which I work heralds values that I also cherish.

According to the IBO

"The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world.
IB learners strive to be: Inquirers, Knowledgable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-Minded, Caring, Risk Takers, Balanced, and Reflective."

These are characteristics that I wholly believe in (they sound a little 60's don't they - Like Hey Man)and try to uphold. They have a ring of gentleness about them. Makes you think that if everyone embraced these ideals that the world would, indeed, be a better place. These principles give us hope.

But as I sit and ponder (oh yes, that's what a Type B does - takes a moment to sit and ponder), might I also suggest that these characteristics could be considered Type B Characteristics. - Ok, then why in the hell are we rushing around all day at the school? I started the day with an 8am meeting (first class begins at 8:30) and my lunch hour was cut short because I was on duty at lunchtime. Evening are taken up with lesson planning and searching the web for cool IT things that can edutain the kids. And everyone at the school (including the children) are equally as rushed! Can you imagine - kids taking lunchtime meetings?????!!!!!

I must confess that I took a little detour while online today (another typical Type B behavior) and I came across a short quiz that could help you come to grips with who you are (hahahahaha). Type A behaviour is characterized by an intense drive "to achieve goals and an eagerness to compete." Type B behaviour is generally characterized as the absence of Type A behaviour. And of course there is a whole scale with these two personality types as polar opposites.

The results of my quiz:

Results of Your Type A Personality Test
Personality Type

Your score = 38
What does your score mean?

You seem to be in the middle between the Type A and Type B personality. In this case, the middle ground is good. Your attitude to life is more of the "smell the roses" kind and you know how and when to relax. Nonetheless, you realize that picking up a challenge and competing a little bit for your place in the sun can add some spice to your life. The equilibrium is important, so don't let your hostile, aggressive, and competitive alter ego take over too often. Generally, you are easy to be around, and people tend to feel relaxed and comfortable in your presence. Yours is a very healthy attitude towards life.
Gotta say that I felt quite relieved after reading the results . . . Type B isn't so bad after all!
Where do you fall on the scale? Take the test here at Discovery Health Tools.