So, I took the Myers-Briggs personality test. Mine was actually immensely accurate, almost refreshingly so. It was weird, it was kind of like talking to a best friend that's giving you advice by means of telling you how you are, and not saying it in a way that you simply can't relate to or feel misunderstood by, but tell you how you are in a way you find irrefutable and are in fact kind of touched by their acute perception
The Counselor Idealists are abstract thought and speech, cooperative in reaching their goals, and directive and introverted in their interpersonal roles. Counselors focus on human potentials, think in terms of ethical values, and come easily to decisions. 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. Although Counsleors tend to be private, sensitive people, and are not generally visible leaders, they nevertheless work quite intensely with those close to them, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes with their families, friends, and colleagues. This type has great depth of personality; they are themselves complicated, and can understand and deal with complex issues and people.
Counselors can be hard to get to know. They 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. Indeed, because of their strong ability to take into themselves the feelings of others, Counselors can be hurt rather easily by those around them, which, perhaps, is one reason why they tend to be private people, mutely withdrawing from human contact. At the same time, friends who have known an Counselor for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that they are inconsistent; Counselors value their integrity a great deal, but they have intricately woven, mysterious personalities which sometimes puzzle even them.
Counselors have strong empathic abilities and can become aware of another's emotions or intentions -- good or evil -- even before that person is conscious of them. This "mind-reading" can take the form of feeling the hidden distress or illnesses of others to an extent which is difficult for other types to comprehend. Even Counselors can seldom tell how they came to penetrate others' feelings so keenly. Furthermore, the Counselor is most likely of all the types to demonstrate an ability to understand psychic phenomena and to have visions of human events, past, present, or future. What is known as ESP may well be exceptional intuitive ability-in both its forms, projection and introjection. Such supernormal intuition is found frequently in the Counselor, and can extend to people, things, and often events, taking the form of visions, episodes of foreknowledge, premonitions, auditory and visual images of things to come, as well as uncanny communications with certain individuals at a distance.
Well, it's good to see that I'm well cut out for my current ambition of being an art therapist. It's probably the best thing for someone with my personality which I have long thought. Art has been very therapeutic for me and I think that I could really help people through the creative processes. It's been the one thing that has really helped me work through the most fucked up situations, and I think I would make a great facilitator through it.
It's funny, the part about being reserved is very true, which is hard for a lot of people to see, because I can be outgoing when needed but I still hold an incredible amount in and am very tentative. Ironically, this has been bothering me all day long. Lately, I've wanted to socialize more and more around town--don't ask me why since I'm leaving in three weeks--but somehow felt too tentative, too cautious, and the moment passes too quickly in lieu of those more gregarious. This sounds whiny, and I really don't mean it to be, but lately it's kind of been eating at me. I guess I've just really been missing that human contact. But that part really did hit home as well. I guess I could try to change this about myself, but I really don't want to. I'm comfortable with how I am and I know that it might make it harder for me to get to know people, but I think it winds up paying off over time. So it might cause some angst now but I'm sure it will all work out in the end.