Gary, You're a Poet!

How You Approach Life

You, Poet, are an unusually complex, creative person with a lot of insight to share. Life shows you many hidden secrets, and it's your duty to find ways to express these gems to the rest of the world.

You are unusually sensitive to the surrounding stimuli in your life, and that's something many people can't handle. Instead of freaking out about it though, you have a special ability to release the stress that can build up — even on a daily basis.

When your environment does get out of hand, you are able to separate from the madness, process it, and use it in positive ways to affect your life. It is that uncanny ability that allows you to carry on in your hard-working responsible ways, where others would simply crumble.

Another unique aspect of your personality is your unusually rich rapport with yourself and your imagination. But to tap into your creative genius, you sometimes need to isolate yourself from the surrounding chaos and steal away to quieter, more comfortable environments. Since you spend so much time with your thoughts, you often generate particularly original ideas and that leads to your tendency to cultivate original interests.

Some people might see you as shy, but at the heart of it they just might misunderstand you. You relish the friends that you have and they recognize their importance in your life. You probably put a premium on one-on-one time with them and organize intimate get-togethers that can last well into the night. You are full of insights and inspiration, even though sometimes you're inclined to keep them to yourself. You'll likely find that if you trust your instincts more, you might not feel the need to beat yourself up for your occasional mistakes.

Overall, you're an especially gifted individual, whose thoughts about our world are valid and valued. So keep at it, Poet.

Your areas of greatest vulnerability

Your greatest vulnerability is that your senses are on overdrive, soaking in anything and everything from the environment. Things that others might not notice sometimes can send you reeling. The reason this makes you vulnerable is that it can affect your ability to cope with the world effectively. Although your sensitivity is a wonderful asset, it can be scary knowing that you could be distracted at any time. If someone wants to push your buttons, they can go after this, because there's not much you can do to protect yourself from your own sensitivity. Be your best: Buffering yourself with quiet and calm situations will help, and recognizing and choosing friends and associates who respect your boundaries will also make things easier.

Section II — What makes you a Poet?

Your personality is actually determined by two personality sub-types — your primary, or dominant sub-type, and your secondary sub-type.

In your case, Poet, your two sub-types are Thinker and Golden. Your primary sub-type is defined by "Thinker" characteristics and your secondary sub-type is defined by "Golden" characteristics.

Your primary type is Thinker

Like other people with Thinker characteristics you are extremely sensitive to external stimuli. You tend to be extraordinarily aware of your surroundings — responding emotionally to small changes that others might not even notice. To combat feeling overwhelmed, you may like to move a bit more slowly and seek out calm environments that won't stress you out.

Intellectually, you like to dig deep into a problem to solve it — even when others grow impatient and move on to other subjects. As far as entertainment goes, you gravitate toward media that is sentimental and peaceful — you like feel-good stories. You are more likely than others to be interested in books, inspirational media, self-improvement and arts and crafts.

If there is a change in the air, Thinker, nobody is more aware of it than you. You have an unusually refined sensitivity to subtle changes in your environment and from time to time, this can manifest as a fear that the worst is going to happen. You may have a tendency to be constantly on guard because you ultimately are working to prevent a perceived catastrophe from happening.

Your secondary type is Golden

People with Golden characteristics have unusually high self-esteem and are very conscientiousness. They are responsible, dependable, and dutiful — people others rely on. They are also efficient, and do not like to waste time. They tend to go about life with a positive attitude — both about themselves and the world around them.

Intellectually, Goldens are careful, deliberating thinkers. In terms of entertainment, Goldens enjoy media that is romantic, happy, and inspiring, and tend to avoid media that is dark, edgy, and sad. They are interested a wide variety of things including cooking, eating out, nutrition, travel, sports, recreation, fitness, health and traditional religion.

Section III — Your Four Personality Dimensions

Your primary and secondary personality sub-types determine your personality type. There are, however, additional elements that contribute to your complete personality profile.

Based on how you answered the questions on the Ultimate Personality Test, we have determined where you fall on four distinct personality scales: Relaxed/Apprehensive, Self-Doubt/Confidence, Safety-Seeking/ Risk-Taking, and Internal Experience/External Appearance. The scales are not dependent on one another. They are meant to show you whether you tend towards one or the other extreme, or are somewhere in the middle.

Here's the breakdown of your scores on the four personality dimension scales.

Relaxed Apprehensive
Self-Doubt Confidence
Safety-Seeking Risk-Taking
Internal Experience External Appearance


Relaxed versus Apprehensive

Relaxed Apprehensive

Your scores place you in the extremely relaxed region of the relaxed/apprehensive scale. This means that relative to others who have taken the test, you have a calm disposition. It also indicates that you are good at dealing with change and chaotic situations.

Like other people who score high on the relaxed side of this scale, you are likely to be stimulated by chaos and may approach life with a "the more the better" kind of attitude. Your energy levels veer toward high because you tend to be relaxed about problems that are out of you control. You are someone who is relatively less inclined to react emotionally to things that happen — not because you don't feel the emotions, but because you don't let things get to you as easily as others.

The flip side of this is people who score high on the apprehensive side of this scale. They are likely to be drawn to situations that are less stimulating to their senses. Because they are easily affected by change, they try to stay away from environments that can over-stimulate them.

These people have strong reactions to what others would consider minor changes. That is why people who score high on the apprehensive side of the scale try to slow down the pace. When faced with chaotic situations, they will look for more calming places to be. Despite their talents, they are generally more self-critical and shy than others, even if it seems there's no reason for them to be.

Since you're someone who thrives on excitement, you need to take time to analyze different aspects of your life if you're feeling unhappy. Are you feeling stunted, bored or depressed about something you can't quite put a finger on? The answer could lie in uncovering an element of your routine that isn't challenging or stimulating enough. Is your job predictable or easy? Do have a hard time finding good entertainment in your town? Are your relationships falling into a rut?

Even if friends and family envy your life — your home, your mate, your job — remember it's ok if you're still not satisfied. It doesn't mean that you're not grateful, it simply means that you need a change to keep you from being bored. If you're not up for dramatic life changes, make sure you're vigilant about mixing things up a little: take a new class, plan a trip, learn a new skill, or start an art project.

Self-Doubt versus Confidence

Self-Doubt Confidence

Your scores place you in the moderately self-doubting region of the self-doubt/confidence scale. This means that relative to others who have taken the test, you are less confident than most. It also indicates that although you may be generally less satisfied with yourself than are others, you are still able to put your best foot forward when needed.

Since you scored just slightly more on the self-doubting side of things, let's take a look at characteristics of people who scored more towards the extremes of the self-doubt/confidence scale to gauge where you fall in between.

People scoring high on the confidence side are extremely self-assured and responsible. Because of these traits, they are often the one friends and colleagues come to rely on — both on the job and in personal situations. These people are also known for having unusually high self-esteem and are natural leaders.

People who score high on the self-doubt side of the scale have a tendency to look to others to determine their self-worth. They seek calm environments and often focus their energies on jobs that have less responsibility and are therefore less stressful. They are sometimes prone to being overly-critical about themselves, but can work their way out of those thoughts because ultimately, others might point out their talents.

To really enjoy life, you, in particular, need your freedom from obligations. If you're feeling stifled, uncreative or unhappy, look at your life and figure out if there are areas where you are carrying too much responsibility. Then see if you can shed any of them.

When you carry too many unnecessary burdens, you can weigh yourself down. In this world filled with multi-tasking, power people, the trick is learning how to sort the necessary obligations from unnecessary duties.

Having more burdens than your fair share is a stress you don't need in your life. Luckily, you can control more of this than you might think — as long as you just decide what to take on, and what to leave to others.

Safety-Seeking versus Risk-Taking

Safety-Seeking Risk-Taking

Your scores place you well into the safety-seeking side of the safety-seeking/risk-taking scale. This means that relative to others who have taken the test, you prefer to play it safe and seek the security of knowing ahead of time what the outcome will be.

Like other people who score high on the safety-seeking side, you tend to prefer that your environment remains stable. To you, predictability has positive connotations and stability is a comfort and an indication of safety.

On the flip side are people who score high on the risk-taking side of the spectrum. They combine a love of the new and unusual with a talent for inquisitive, abstract thinking. They seek out action and feel that both structure and predictability are strangling experiences.

Some things in life are within your control and some aren't. If you're feeling intimidated, or uncertain throughout your days, take a look at your life and figure out which areas are unpredictable and what areas are not. You can't eliminate the unpredictable. But there might be ways you can better structure your routine around the unpredictable.

For example, you can control which train you want to take, but you can't control if the train is going to be on time. By recognizing the elements you can be in charge of, you can adapt your patterns accordingly. If you have a critical meeting, realize there is a possibility that your train could be late. Instead of racing out the door at the last second, prepare yourself to catch the early train — just in case your regular train is late. Learn an alternate route. Is there a different bus you could take, a faster train that leaves from a different stop? Since you feel most comfortable in predictable situations, try thinking ahead and structuring where you can.

External Appearance versus Internal Experience

Internal Experience External Appearance

Your scores place you in the moderate external appearance region of internal experience/external appearance scale. This means that relative to others who have taken the test, you take more pride in how things appear to others. It also indicates that occasionally, you are focused on the internal experience of a given situation.

Since you scored just slightly more on the external appearance side of things, let's take a look at characteristics of people who scored more towards the extremes of the scale to gauge where you fall in between.

People who score high on the internal experience side of the scale don't really believe that material possessions are a reflection of their success. In fact, they tend not to focus on how things appear to others at all. They feel that success comes from doing a good job, and knowing that they have positively influenced the world.

People who score high on the external appearance end of the scale tend to be motivated by a wish to be socially desirable. They want to move up and be seen in the world. For them, true success is important, and material possessions are the sign they have achieved it. Therefore, these people sometimes believe that happiness is directly a result of success and that the possessions they own are a reflection of that success.

If you're feeling dissatisfied, take a look at your life and figure out if there are areas where you are compromising your values. Is your heart really in it when you go to the gym every day or are you doing it because your friends are? You probably have your own reasons, but don't fall in with friends just to be part of your group — even if it seems the thing to do at the time.

While friends might be racing to buy the latest electronic gadget or flashy car, you might wonder why you don't have a strong drive to acquire the same things. Don't worry. You're just happier focusing on other things in your life. That's not to say you don't like having nice things, it's just that you acquire things you need more than things you want to show off. If you feel indifferent toward external appearances, it may not be worth it to you to put much energy into maintaining them. Listen to yourself, since it's you — not other people — who knows what you like best.

Section IV — The Poet and the World Around You

How Others See You

You're composed and sophisticated. Socially, you project a flawless exterior — organized, thoughtful, and somewhat restrained. People are impressed by your unruffled image and see you as stable and mature. Occasionally others may worry that they don't measure up in your obviously discerning eyes.

Communication Style

Your gift, is the ability to handle intense conflict without losing your cool. With your level-headed approach, you are able to shrug off most of the bothersome things people say. Occasionally, you might question your actions or others' criticisms of you. But despite some lingering concerns, you are almost always well-served by your composure in the face of confrontation.

Your Romantic Life

Your romantic ideal is a sweet and loving partner — someone to cocoon with. Your best match is also a hit with your family and friends. You long for stability, coziness and the comfort of sharing a life with someone who cares. You gravitate toward domesticity and commitment. At the same time, you want your partner to fit in well with the other people in your life. When friends, family, coworkers and others approve of your partner, it gives you a sense of security and community that you just love.

You At Your Best

You are blessedly free from many common fears and anxieties about the world. You're at your best when you're using your ease and fearlessness to explore possibilities and get to know yourself better. Entertain your inclinations. Learn by trial and error. Challenge yourself and then be gentle when you bump up against your limitations. You'll find great satisfaction and strengthen your sense of self when you get your feet wet in the stream of life.

Achieving Success

You are focused on success in your life; and you define it in a variety of ways. You love the boost you get from getting credit for your work, financial rewards, achieving your personal goals, finding luck in love, having great friends and, in sum, getting what you want. You can be held back, however, by a pesky self-doubt that occasionally questions your ability to really “make it” in the world. You've never been afraid to let the world know what you have to offer. Whether it's standing up to take credit in a work scenario or letting a new person you meet get a sense of your charms right away, you know how to put your best assets front and center. A challenge for you in the area of ambition is to partner with others as you pursue your dreams. Don't let that niggling self-doubt keep you from teaming up, combining resources and sharing the trip. You'll find the rewards of being on a team or part of a duo can be felt during the process and pay off in the final reward.

What Really Motivates You

Peace and stability are your motivating rewards. You're willing to work hard if it means creating comforting ease for yourself and your loved ones. You value stability and security. And you know that it sometimes takes sophisticated thinking and clever planning to pull off simplicity. You're always motivated to think ahead now if it means less stress later.

Conflict

Sure you have your pet peeves and irritations, but your even-keeled personality helps you sail through tough situations. The frequent difference between what people deserve — in terms of credit, money, happiness, friends or any type of reward — and what they actually have can be pretty galling for you. Not to mention times when you don't feel justly rewarded for your efforts and assets! But it takes a lot to get you angry enough to say or do anything, so overt conflicts are few and far between in your life.

Getting Unstuck in Your Life

You may not know it yet, but you're ready to take some chances. You'll break out of insecurities and stuck places in your life when you open up to new experiences. Try something new and pay attention to how it makes you feel. You have a natural resilience; so don't fear that your experiments with work, interests, relationships or self-exploration will fail. Wherever they lead you, you'll find yourself with more self-knowledge and a richer understanding of your place in the world.