I Finally Found Myself! And Other Things!

That’s what I get for lying to the Myers-Briggs tests for the past 20 years. Today I told the truth and discovered I’ve been an INFJ all this time. Apparently, ALL INFJ’s lie to personality tests.

There are two flattering descriptions to choose from. The first one, found here, refers to me, er, MY TYPE, as Counselor Idealist and that makes me feel very Important.

Checkitout, I’m rare:

The small number of this type (little more than 2 percent) is regrettable, since Counselors have an unusually strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others and genuinely enjoy helping their companions.

and have an

…unusually rich inner life, but they are reserved and tend not to share their reactions except with those they trust. With their loved ones, certainly, Counselors are not reluctant to express their feelings, their face lighting up with the positive emotions, but darkening like a thunderhead with the negative.

It’s so TRUE!

I also enjoyed the poetic description here:

Perhaps it is when the INFJ’s thinking function is operative that he is most aloof. A comrade might surmise that such detachment signals a disillusionment, that she has also been found lacking by the sardonic eye of this one who plumbs the depths of the human spirit.

I’ve been telling people that for years! My sardonic eye isn’t even looking at you. I’m just THINKING.

INFJs are twice blessed with clarity of vision, both internal and external. Just as they possess inner vision which is drawn to the forms of the unconscious, they also have external sensing perception which readily takes hold of worldly objects. Sensing, however, is the weakest of the INFJ’s arsenal and the most vulnerable.

Comrades, now you know how to defeat the INFJ! Attack her Sensing!

What I want to know is: how did they discover that other INFJ’s include Mother Teresa and Chaucer? (there’s a list of “other xxxx’s” at the bottom of the description page for each type) I mean, Tom Selleck I’m willing to believe has done a Myers-Briggs in his life. But Chaucer? Aristophanes? Is there someone sitting around analyzing all of Chaucer’s old letters, notes, Myspace page, going, Yup. He definitely would have had a neat, orderly workbench. For one of the other types, they listed “Mary, Mother of Jesus.” Hanging out in Bethlehem, waiting for the contractions to get stronger, doing the Myers-Briggs. I’m so sure.

In The Other Corner

Today the sign on the store that said “Mediterranean Delights: Opening Soon!” was gone and it was finally open. Delightedly, I entered the store and was somewhat disappointed by the stark whiteness of it all. There were several shelves full of olive oil and a couple bags of pita bread and a case with huge deli meats (on sale for the grand opening) – you know, those HUGE HEADS of cooked ham that are just the wrong shade of pink and who cares if it’s $0.99/100 grams because nothing should be that shade of pink. Nothing edible, anyway. The surly young man in the white apron did say hello and when I scanned the store quickly, already planning my hasty retreat, he did ask if he could help me find something. Instead of saying, “Uh, all the delight, actually. I don’t seem to be delighted, in fact, not since I wrote sales pamphlets for the most boring software in the universe have I felt less delight where I should have felt more,” I said, “Homous? * Do you have any?” He did, one container and he claimed it was homemade so I bought it, for $2.49. He surlily gave me my change and actually grunted when I wished him a nice day.

Too bad about him because the homous is fanbloodytastic. Lightly spiced, excellent texture, I think the tahini must be homemade too because you can really taste kind of a roasted sesame flavour. I ate most of the container and half a loaf of Terra Breads Italian Cheese loaf and called it lunch. Oh, and some tomato and cucumber. Don’t worry.

So: Mediterranean Delight gets 7 points. Would have been 8 if the boy had smiled at me.

But: in the block of 6th Ave. right by my house, a company named TeraSpan is deploying fiber ** optic cable. There were about 6 workpeople all drilling holes in the concrete and digging up the grass and raking mud in the pissing rain that was almost sleet, seriously, it looked like a makework project for people being punished for something but each of them looked up as I walked by and smiled at me and said hello. Each one! If I ever need fiber optic cable deployed, I am totally calling TeraSpan and I suggest you do the same.

* Am spelling homous the way the sign spelled it at the store. When I search “homous,” google suggests “humus,” then others say “hummus,” “humous” and “hommos” (and then it’s a skip & a jump to naughty websites) and I know you all know what I mean.

** Am spelling “fiber” the way they spell it on their website because THEY are the fiber optic deployment specialists, not I.