A Little Bit About Myself

All this while, I have almost spoken none about myself in this blog. All you can see is just a plain journal recording my observation and thoughts which might appear boring to some. This time around, I shall start revealing a little bit more about myself, something my close friends don’t even know. The sudden realization that I have already stepped into my twenties prompted me to retrospect, introspect and hopefully to prospect. So, I followed the advice from my mentor to take the StrengthFinders Profile Test developed by Marcus Buckingham’s team. I was lucky to have gotten the access code to the online test from the copy of his book my school library keeps. After spending about 35 minutes answering the 180 questions, the website then churned out my top 5 dominant themes of talents. By themes of talents, the Gallup research team means the recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior, which may not yet be the strengths.  Nonetheless, these 5 themes suggest where we will have the greatest potential for a strength.

I must say that the results are truly revealing, in my case, at least. If you were to take a look at my five dominant themes, you would have probably understood me as a person. I am at the lack of words to describe myself, so I will just let this result sheet speaks for me. (Well, I admit I am lazy)

Learner

I love to learn. The subject matter that interests me the most will be determined by my other themes and experiences, but whatever the subject, I will always be drawn to the process of learning. The process, more than the content or the result, is especially exciting for me. I am energized by the steady and deliberate journey from ignorance to competence. The thrill of the first few facts, the early efforts to recite or practice what I have learned, the growing confidence of a skill mastered—this is the process that entices me.

My excitement leads me to engage in adult learning experiences—yoga or piano lessons or graduate classes. It enables me to thrive in dynamic work environments where I am asked to take on short project assignments and am expected to learn a lot about the new subject matter in a short period of time and then move on to the next one.

This Learner theme does not necessarily mean that I seek to become the subject matter expert, or that I am striving for the respect that accompanies a professional or academic credential. The outcome of the learning is less significant than the “getting there.”

Ideation

I am fascinated by ideas. What is an idea? An idea is a concept, the best explanation of the most events. I am delighted when I discover beneath the complex surface an elegantly simple concept to explain why things are the way they are. An idea is a connection. Mine is the kind of mind that is always looking for connections, and so I am intrigued when seemingly disparate phenomena can be linked by an obscure connection. An idea is a new perspective on familiar challenges. I revel in taking the world we all know and turning it around so we can view it from a strange but strangely enlightening angle. I love all these ideas because they are profound, because they are novel, because they are clarifying, because they are contrary, because they are bizarre. For all these reasons I derive a jolt of energy whenever a new idea occurs to me. Others may label me creative or original or conceptual or even smart. Perhaps I am all of these. Who can be sure? What I am sure of is that ideas are thrilling. And on most days this is enough.

Intellection

I like to think. I like mental activity. I like exercising the “muscles” of my brain, stretching them in multiple directions. This need for mental activity may be focused; for example, I may be trying to solve a problem or develop an idea or understand another person’s feelings. The exact focus will depend on my other strengths. On the other hand, this mental activity may very well lack focus. The theme of Intellection does not dictate what I am thinking about; it simply describes that I like to think. I am the kind of person who enjoys my time alone because it is my time for musing and reflection. I am introspective. In a sense I am my own best companion, as I pose myself questions and try out answers on myself to see how they sound. This introspection may lead me to a slight sense of discontent as I compare what I am actually doing with all the thoughts and ideas that my mind conceives. Or this introspection may tend toward more pragmatic matters such as the events of the day or a conversation that I plan to have later. Wherever it leads me, this mental hum is one of the constants of my life.

Input

I am inquisitive. I collect things. I might collect information—words, facts, books, and quotations—or I might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. And yes, I do collect newspaper cuttings and many other things that only my family members know. Whatever I collect, I collect it because it interests me. And mine is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If I read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine my theories but, rather, to add more information to my archives. If I like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why I might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, I really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So I keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps my mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.

Deliberative

I am careful. I am vigilant. I am a private person. I know that the world is an unpredictable place. Everything may seem in order, but beneath the surface I sense the many risks. Rather than denying these risks, I draw each one out into the open. Then each risk can be identified, assessed, and ultimately reduced. Thus, I am a fairly serious person who approaches life with a certain reserve. For example, I like to plan ahead so as to anticipate what might go wrong. I select my friends cautiously and keep my own counsel when the conversation turns to personal matters. I am careful not to give too much praise and recognition, lest it be misconstrued. If some people don’t like me because I am not as effusive as others, then so be it. For me, life is not a popularity contest. Life is something of a minefield. Others can run through it recklessly if they so choose, but I take a different approach. I identify the dangers, weigh their relative impact, and then place my feet deliberately. I walk with care.

All in all, I am a monster with big head but small body, tend to think than to act or to speak. Haha, something like this guy from Dexter’s Laboratory.

                                                                                                                                                                  

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