Customer Reviews

The Personality Self-Portrait: Why You Think, Work, Love and Act the Way You Do

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've taken the Meiers-Briggs test a few times, and the results have never stuck (which is why I've taken it so many times). Not so with this book.

Instead of focusing on ONE dominant personality style (such as Meiers-Briggs 'ENTP'), the Self-Portrait graphs your personality traits, which provides a way to visualize the way your personality works. Instead of being shoved into one of twenty personality types, you can see the different categories that are more dominant in your personality. This way, you are shown a more accurate portrayal of yourself, and the results are more individualized than a test which gives you ONE category that explains your WHOLE SELF.

Useful in each chapter: "tips" for living with persons in each category, "tips" for making the most of your personality style, and warning signs for each style's potential personality disorder (as detailed by the DSM-IV).

I was very happy with the questions in the test, with the descriptions of the personality types, and the way the book doesn't just lump you into one category. Also, I appreciated the Personality Disorder section in each category (simply as a matter of interest, if nothing else).

The only thing I missed in the book was the treatment of spirituality/religion (only slightly touched upon in ONE personality category).

Overall, I now understand my personality much more fully!

WOW! At first I thought this would be a run-of-the-mill psych book, but it is actually outstanding! I've read about personality from some other sources, but this is by far the best I've seen. It is a goldmine of useful information. You will find out exactly what kind of person you really are. You will find the answers to the mysteries of your life. You will find out why you behaved the ways you did and why your life has turned out the way it has. You will find out how to get the best out of your particular set of personality traits. You will find out how to best deal with other people of different personalities. I found out why my parents were unnurturing - it's because that's just how the workaholic types are. This book describes 13 different personality styles which everyone has to varying degrees. This book shows you how they affect things like your work and love life. It shows you how to best cope with and minimize your weaknesses. This book enabled me to accept who I am and make the best of it. This book answered so many questions that have been a vexing mystery to me all my life. I think there are a few therapists here poo-pooing this book because it is very helpful and THEY are NOT! They're jealous! Truth is that most therapists and psychiatrists are incompetent and just waste your time. Many people like me know that from bitter experience. This book is VALID because it perfectly nailed down my personality traits and explained them like nothing else ever has and gave me tons of very helpful info and advice that I didn't even dream existed.

I found this book to be very accurate of my personality type. I am also quite familiar with the Myers-Briggs and Enneagram system, but in those they pretty much give you One type, and that leaves out a lot of information about yourself. This one however highlights the importance of your overall personality - your dominant personality style (also known as type), your leading styles, even the styles you are low on play an important role. I guess it is more so diagnosis than self-help, although it does give a good number of tips. Still, these two authors could possibly put out a book on this, except emphasizing helping yourself overcome your faults and weaknesses as presented in this book.

All and all, I highly recommend this book if you are interested in and take an appreciation for personality psychology.

When you really want to know what makes you and other people tick, find out motivation factors and have a compass for personal development and handling other people, that is based on solid current psychological insights; look no further buy this book. Its the biggest bang for your bucks.

Because every character style can have many forms its necessary to get yourself familiar with it. Visit the forum on this book and the character types/styles as they appear in books and movies on the site of Personae Psychodiagnostics

Since reading the book, I am much more accepting and tolerant of myself and others and can readily understand why people do the things they do. I love to figure people out--this book has taken the guess work away and makes it simple to do. No one has ever defined my true nature like this book has done. In it, is a wealth of knowledge. I want to thank the author with all of my heart for helping me to understand myself and those around me like no other. I will use this book as a reference until the pages are pulp-free.

As a layperson, I've read/browsed through several personality type books in the past but I find this is the one that I keep going back to. I've taken a lot of the self-diagnostic tests and found that on the whole, many of them seem to be generic and applicable to anyone; they're safe and not overly complex; forgettable. Many of these tests also seem to have scores that range from High (extreme) to Mid (normal) to Low (extreme) and you almost suspect that very few people would ever, ever score at the extreme ends of the scale and then of course the 'normal' range is so very comfortably normal, that you also suspect 98% of the population safely falls into that category.
Then there are the tests that have so much jargon that you're lost before page 15, the book is set to the side and collects dust on the shelf. A year later you pick it up again and realize why it's on the shelf.
The Personality Self Portrait is nothing like that. It is not so overly complex that you lose interest halfway through the book. The analyses are written for the average person, not clinical professionals but with humor and insight. It is concise yet in depth. Your results are literally charted on a graph that shows exactly what your dominant characteristics are in order of strength which makes this book uncommonly discernable and user-friendly. In addition, I found one very interesting, unique area: The Best Match for Your Personality. In other words, the kind of person you get along with best. And although it sounds perhaps sterotypical, I found that many of my closest friends actually did fall into my 'best match' categories. (I know! I made them take the test!) The one trait that seems to outshine them all, however, is the Conscientous trait. It seems to be the only A-lister of the group, matching up to all the others just fine while the other traits all have 'special needs' when it comes to matches. (Hmmmm. I wonder if the authors are dominantly Conscientous? Probably.)
Take everything with a grain of salt but do try this book. It's exceptional. You'll find yourself among this crowd of traits and gain some insight into why you are the way you are. Without sliding into paranoia, this book really does deliver on its promise.

Dr. Oldham's theory begins with the personality disorders listed in the DSM and waters each down to a "personality style". The theory seems to be that the personality disorders are simply exaggerations of one small aspect of our overall personality. The "styles" are combined to create a profile of your overall personality.

Although I question the scientific validity of this theory, I found the book fascinating. The book is filled with anecdotal stories about fictional(?) characters that superbly illustrate the major characteristics of each style.

I found that my profile (Leisurely, Sensitive, Idiosyncratic, Devoted) WAS very descriptive of my own self-image and that I could easily envision people I know fitting into all of the other styles mentioned.

I suspect that serious research would factor down these thirteen styles into something similar to the so-called "five factor model". However, that would only be of intersest to academics and Dr. Oldham's theory provides a very rich and detailed explanation of what really "makes us tick".

Highly recommended.

I originally read the book for fun, sort of an advanced astrology chart, but ended up amazed at the wealth of insightful scientific information about how so much of the course of out lives and relationships has to do with the types of people we are. The book was well-written enough to be enjoyed as a novel, but on subsequent readings I was able to identify the character traits I've struggled with, and those of friends and lovers. Implicit in the book is the possibility of positive change than can come through awareness. This is a perfect gift book, and a subtle one for someone you care about whose consciousness you would like to raise.

Especially if you're a Sensitive. This book (along with the previous edition) has helped me tremendously. It has given me more confidence in dealing with people, important for a shy Sensitive. It has helped me with personal relationships, especially my marriage and friendships. It has even helped me deal with my disfunctional family. It has helped me to understand why people behave the way they do. They're not doing it on purpose to drive me nuts! It has also helped me understand myself and my own needs. I am not so hard on myself because I don't compare myself with people with other personality types.

I've read lots of these types of books and always find them interesting and useful to a degree. I found this one much more valuable for a few reasons.

The best part is that you get a "score" on each of about 15 traits instead of 4 or 8. I also believe the concept that personality traits are the moderate forms of what can become personality disorders. Since so much research has gone into the disorders, it makes sense that they are a good set of measuring tools.

I've leant the book to many people who have almost all found it very valuable. The sections on my strong types read like a biography, and the hints for overcoming limitations in life and relationships were specific and helpful.

Pick it up and learn something about yourself and others.