Whoa nelly...that is me

This morning Donald Miller blogged about the Enneagram Personality Test. Now, I've taken a lot of tests and surveys over the years, most of which come relatively close to diagnosing my personality quirks, but this- this is dead on.

My own inner dialog is a constant conversation of introspection as I attempt to figure myself out. I'm always trying to classify myself, always trying to put things in compartments. Without even knowing it I obsessively compare myself to everyone I know. Not in an insecure way...I just like to see how we differ. I like to see what makes me unique.

I just took the shortened version of the Enneagram and was blown away by how accurate it was after only about 25 questions. Take the test here (you have to scroll down a little) and find out for yourself. Here are a few of the hi-lights from my own assessment. According to the test I am a Type 5:

 

We have named personality type Five The Investigator because, more than any other type, Fives want to find out why things are the way they are. They want to understand how the world works, whether it is the cosmos, the microscopic world, the animal, vegetable, or mineral kingdoms—or the inner world of their imaginations. They are always searching, asking questions, and delving into things in depth. They do not accept received opinions and doctrines, feeling a strong need to test the truth of most assumptions for themselves.

Behind Fives’ relentless pursuit of knowledge are deep insecurities about their ability to function successfully in the world. Fives feel that they do not have an ability to do things as well as others. But rather than engage directly with activities that might bolster their confidence, Fives “take a step back” into their minds where they feel more capable. Their belief is that from the safety of their minds they will eventually figure out how to do things—and one day rejoin the world.  
Knowledge, understanding, and insight are thus highly valued by Fives, because their identity is built around “having ideas” and being someone who has something unusual and insightful to say. For this reason, Fives are not interested in exploring what is already familiar and well-established; rather, their attention is drawn to the unusual, the overlooked, the secret, the occult, the bizarre, the fantastic, the “unthinkable.” Investigating "unknown territory"—knowing something that others do not know, or creating something that no one has ever experienced—allows Fives to have a niche for themselves that no one else occupies. They believe that developing this niche is the best way that they can attain independence and confidence.  Thus, much of their time gets spent "collecting" and developing ideas and skills they believe will make them feel confident and prepared. They want to retain everything that they have learned and “carry it around in their heads.”

It's funny that they use the phrase "collecting ideas" because a while back I used pretty much that same phrase to describe what I do to my brother...although I think I said I "hoarded ideas and information".

Have you ever taken a personality test? Do you ever feel a little relieved when you read a correct diagnosis? Like maybe now that you know what your problem is you can move forward better?

Sorry this is kind of a boring post about myself, but I find it so fascinating! What personality type are you?