I'm very disagreeable

I was recently invited to participate in a psychology study regarding personality and blogging. I'm not entirely sure what question the researchers are trying to answer but basically it seems that they will compare my blogging style to my real-life personality, as determined by a survey. I got the results of my personality survey, and at some point in the future they will receive computer-generated information about my blog (they made a big deal out of the fact that no real person involved with the study will read my blog). If you want to participate, go here. The questionnaire you filled out measures your scores on five different personality dimensions collectively known as the "Big Five". Below are your scores on each dimension based on the answers you provided, along with some interpretation. If you'd like more information about these personality dimensions, the Wikipedia entry is a good place to start. Neuroticism Neuroticism (sometimes also called Emotional Instability) is the tendency to experience negative emotions such as sadness or anxiety. People who score high on neuroticism are vulnerable to stress and tend to experience negative feelings more often. People who score low in neuroticism tend to be less susceptible to stress, and experience negative feelings relatively infrequently. You scored 27 out of 50. This score is higher than 56.0% of people who have taken this test. Extraversion Extraversion (or Extroversion) is the tendency to experience positive emotions and seek out stimulating situations. People who score high on extraversion tend to be active, energetic, and enjoy being around other people. In contrast, people who score low on extraversion, known as introverts, tend to be quiet, low-key, and are typically less involved in the social world. You scored 38 out of 50. This score is higher than 68.5% of people who have taken this test. Openness to experience Openness to experience is a general tendency to appreciate emotion, adventure, and unusual ideas or experiences. People who are open to experience are intellectually curious, appreciative of art, and sensitive to beauty. People with low scores on openness tend to have more conventional, traditional interests. You scored 49 out of 50. This score is higher than 96.6% of people who have taken this test. Conscientiousness Conscientiousness is the tendency to show self-discipline and persistence. People who score high on conscientiousness tend to be persistent, responsible, and duty-driven, but are sometimes perceived as being overly perfectionistic and concerned with order. Individuals low on conscientiousness tend to show less persistence and may have trouble seeing things through. You scored 36 out of 50. This score is higher than 58.7% of people who have taken this test. Agreeableness Agreeableness is the tendency to be sympathetic and cooperative towards others. People who score high on agreeableness strive for social harmony and value getting along with others. Disagreeable people tend to be more suspicious and hostile towards others. You scored 35 out of 50. This score is higher than 36.3% of people who have taken this test.So apparently I'm slightly neurotic, very open to new experiences, conscientious but not a maniacal perfectionist, generally extroverted...and pretty disagreeable. No surprises here really except for the extroversion [my Myers-Briggs profile is the INTJ "mastermind"...introverted...though I am right on the cusp of extroversion, which would make me a "field marshall" if I was feeling slightly more outgoing while taking the survey].And then there's the "disagreeable" bit.I don't really think I'm all that disagreeable (despite all the rants that appear on this blog -- that's why they're on the blog people, so I don't have to rant at real people in real life). Judging from the questions on the survey, I think that they get this from many, many responses to questions about avoiding confrontations to which I answered "strongly disagree" (Aha! I see it now; I've been strongly disagreeing with their statements; therefore I am disagreeable).Joking aside though, avoiding confrontation does not necessarily make you an agreeable person -- passive-aggressive individuals are practically defined by their avoidance of confrontation. In the same vein, not shrinking from confrontation is not (to me at least) a disagreeable quality. I would much prefer dealing with a problem or issue immediately and openly and getting it solved quickly, than stewing over it because I didn't want to deal with the confrontation. I find that people who do the same are much more agreeable to work with...but maybe that's just because it's easier to communicate with people who think and act like I do.Thoughts?

Labels: Disagreeable