I’M DIVERGENT: personality traits for fictional characters and myself

one of the teenage rite-of-passages is to spend a load of time in an existential crisis and try to “find yourself.” i went through that phase years ago and frankly, i still don’t know who i am. conclusion: we, as people, continue to change and grow; trying to put a label on ourselves is tiring and nearly impossible. but i stumbled across the mbti personality test and was intrigued. is this the answer to all my questions? of course not, but it was close enough.

up until recently, i was in denial of being an introvert. it wasn’t until i had become homeschooled that i’d realized i actually enjoyed and preferred being alone. to many, the idea of being ‘cut off from society’ and studying at home was atrocious. i didn’t mind because i was doing it to pursue my dreams of becoming a professional ballet dancer. sacrifices had to be made. i’ve grown accustom to living in solitude and now, i don’t see it as a sacrifice but a privilege.

many people try to avoid being alone, simply because they’re frightened or because society favors extraversion (echm me and the reason why i was in denial). if you enjoy meeting new people, interacting, and socializing, then great! feel free to live your life the way it is, buuuut you should still try spending some ‘alone time.’ getting comfortable with yourself is a skill i believe everyone should learn. after a few experiences, you’ll feel better than ever! it’s just you, your thoughts, and a tub of ice cream (or fruit, or tea, or whatever floats your boat). no one to judge or disturb you! some ways to get you started: read a book (the easiest task!), watch a movie alone, take a bath, turn off your phone, meditate…

since i left public school, i feel like i’ve gotten better at interacting with people, contrary to the common belief. there are two answers for this: the internet and books. i haven’t really been living in solitude. i’ve interacted with people across the globe and feel more in sync with others than i have ever before. social media and blogging has allowed me to interact with people with the same interests as me, and express myself in more ways than just speaking. books, on the other hand… i can’t describe it. they allow me to live multiple lives and be in separate places, without ever needing to leave my room. i think i’ll dedicate a separate post on my love for books.

as readers and internet humans, it’s easy to relate to what i’m saying. you understand what i mean when i say, ‘i like being on social media, but i don’t necessarily enjoy socializing,’ or, ‘i like meeting new people, but i prefer meeting new books.’ it’s safe to say most people are a bit of both introvert and extravert, maybe 60% of one and 40% of the other.* it’s easy to forget fictional characters have personalities simply because they’re fictional, BUT they do!

here are my favorite introverts and extroverts from books:

• cath from fangirl, by rainbow rowell – introvert
• percy jackson from the percy jackson and the olympians series, by rick riordan – extrovert
• tessa gray from the infernal devices series, by cassandra clare – introvert
• étienne st. clair from anna and the french kiss, by stephanie perkins – extrovert

of course, there’s more to a person’s personality than just being an introvert or extravert. there’s a wonderful blog that categorizes many fictional characters with the mbti test.

this post was inspired by: (x) and (x); some more thinking: (x)

*i don’t have actual statistics, but i’m just making guesses from my personal experiences. i could be way off.

have you taken the mbti test yet? (i’m an infp!) what’s your personality? let me know in the comments!

xox,

alexandra