A while back, I [posted the results](http://prwdot.org/2006/12/19/personalityhis/) of a [personality test](http://www.perex.com/). The results were remarkably accurate, highlighting most of the important aspects of my personality. Now I’d like to offer my commentary and analysis of the results.

You are objective, practical, respectable, dependable and decisive. You can be counted on to make sure everything is in its place, that people are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and all the supplies have been secured. You have a strong sense of responsibility and completely fulfill your duties. You don’t receive nearly the gratitude or recognition that you deserve for all you do for others.

This describes me very well. The only thing I’m not so sure about is that I “don’t receive nearly the gratitude or recognition” that I deserve. I feel that I get it in most cases, but occasionally when I go above and beyond, it isn’t even noticed. However, I can understand that from the other’s perspective, this gratitude isn’t always the most important thing, and I don’t let it get to me.

There is a hard line drawn in your mind between proper behavior and improper, between friends and acquaintances, between what is yours and what is others. If anyone asks you can quickly and eloquently explain exactly how and why each item is categorized as it is.

Absolutely true. I am always categorizing, labeling, and identifying people, behavior, and just about everything I come in contact with. I am very mindful of proper behavior, and I’m constantly watching other people to see how they act and how they behave in various situations. However, I try to take care not to vocalize this unless there is really a call for it, as I know people can sometimes be offended by categorization. It’s mostly for my own internal purposes.

You take the task of inspecting for accuracy more seriously than any other type. This makes you an excellent accountant, auditor, scheduler, organizer and proofreader.

Yes! I am usually the first to point out typographical, grammatical, or spelling errors, errors with numbers and other figures, etc.

Because of your social grace and eloquent usage of words, people in certain circles would mistake you for an Extrovert. The reality is that you choose to take on the role of an Extrovert only when the situation requests such. When compared to the rest of the population you are the most private type and can enjoy personal time exploring your inner world without needing to babble about it to someone else.

This is one of the more interesting bits of the analysis. I hadn’t thought about things this way, but it really is true. If left to my own devices, I really do prefer quiet solitude. This attitude generally prevailed up through high school. However, once I got to college (in 1997), and started coming into contact with a multitude of new people and personalities, it became apparent that I had two choices: retreat further into my shell and become an unlovable hermit, or learn to become outgoing. I opted for the latter, and started making deliberate efforts to get out and meet people, do things, and generally not sit in my room all day reading and playing on the internet.

I still have times when I want, even need, to be alone with my thoughts or with a book or some other form of non-human interest. But I’ve learned that life can be more enjoyable if I expend just a little bit of effort to step outside of my comfort zone.

When it comes to the people in your social circle, you are vigilant over standards of attitude and civility of conduct. You appreciate standardized procedures where you know exactly what to expect.

I don’t spend much time with people whose attitude and conduct I don’t approve of, so even though I’m not actively vigilant about it, I guess am sort of passively vigilant… 🙂 I do appreciate standard procedures, and if they’re not in place then some times I’ll try to create them (sometimes to the dismay of people who just like to “go with the flow”).

Your home, like most things in your life, is neat and orderly and you take pride in explaining your organizational systems. You take better care of your possessions than most types, cleaning, oiling, maintaining things so that they will always be nice, maintain their value, and function when needed. You want things to be sturdy and may replace something which isn’t broken if, after acquiring it, you realize that it’s of the new, shabbier quality.

Definitely right on this one. It has been a bit more difficult to keep up this standard since Catherine was born, since she takes up a lot of my thought and time… but whenever I do have a free moment, I try to make sure everything is as much in order as it can be. The last statement, about replacing things that aren’t broken, could be true if we actually had more money to buy things to replace the other things. 🙂

You have a strong appreciation for classics and antiques, to the point where, even in your 20’s and 30’s, you consider when making a purchase, if it’s something that could last long enough and be fit to pass down the line as the next family heirloom.

Now this one I don’t know about. Usually I’m not thinking of passing something down through the generations… mostly I’m thinking of “does it fulfill our needs right now?” and “can we afford it?” There is very little that we own that I would expect us to pass down to future generations, particularly anything electronic in nature.

You are knowledgeable about the rules and regulations within your institutions and quick to notice any unauthorized behavior. As an adult you recognize that such guidelines are for everyone’s benefit and should be appropriately protected and enforced.

Definitely true. Whenever there’s a manual, guidebook, or list of rules, I read them. I believe they were made to be followed, not broken. I do notice “unauthorized” behavior, though over the years I’ve gotten better about not being so blunt as to point it out if it isn’t strictly necessary.

You are especially dutiful and particularly reliable in fulfilling your contractual and family obligations. As a marriage partner you are steady, reliable and loyal. You enjoy working on tasks together, or working on your specialties at the same time (one cooks while the other fixes the plumbing). As a parent you are consistent, clear and firm. In your view parents are parents, children are children and they each have roles and responsibilities.

I would say so, but you’d have to ask Catherine and Becky to see what they think about my dutifulness and reliableness.

Even as a child you were likely to test adults around you to ensure their compliance with your standards.

I don’t know… Mom, was I like this as a child?

Some people may judge you as being unfeeling because your well-intentioned, objective critiques of where or how an item or behavior doesn’t match the standard can be misinterpreted as personal attacks. Hence, you are usually slow to deliver such critiques, choosing your words carefully and assessing whether or not the recipient will be open enough to make it worth your time. If someone is not open enough it is certainly their loss because your observation was delivered entirely for their benefit.

I think this is definitely true. I used to not be so slow to deliver critiques or choose my words carefully, but I’m getting better at holding my tongue, and evaluating whether it is the right time or place to do it. Still, I do sometimes feel the need to deliver critiques to people… sometimes their behavior just gets to a point where I can’t stand to be silent any more, and I do feel that my critique is entirely for their benefit. They don’t always appreciate it, of course, and sometimes I feel badly afterwards. I guess it’s something I need to keep working on (and it’s funny to think that, in delivering my critiques, *I* may not be meeting *someone else’s* standards of behavior!).

You take everything more seriously than most people. If something is worth your time then you do it well, get to know it well, and incorporate it into your life. You have a strong work ethic and can be strongly critical of sloth, laziness and people who have possessions only through extreme indebtedness.

I definitely take things more seriously than other people, which is ironic, because many people see me as a very funny person. I’m sure that I am, but I think there are many other times where people think a situation is lighthearted and funny, while I think it’s very serious. It irks me when someone tries to make a joke, and I either miss it or don’t think it’s funny, and then they tell me to lighten up. Hey, not everyone thinks the same way that you do!

You like to eat breakfast at eight, lunch at noon and dinner at six.

These are actually pretty close to the times I like to eat my meals, but I don’t think that’s the point of this statement. The point is that, in general, I like predictability, which is completely true.

You go by the book and are suspicious of anyone suggesting that tried and true established methods should be revised or ignored.

Generally this is true. I’m a very by-the-book kind of guy. The only time this doesn’t hold true is when “the book” doesn’t meet with my own internal standards. In those cases, I do what I can to change “the book”, although sometimes I run into conflict with people who have the same personality type as me, and are nice and comfortable with “the book” the way it is… 🙂

You may or may not be a pessimist, but your speech is laced with reminders to realistically expect problems to arise. You are aware of the general dangers of living and are conscious of the fact that other people don’t heed your warnings as often as they should. You are also the first to point out to someone who seems surprised that they should’ve known that setbacks would occur.

I think this is true, especially the last sentence. I’m constantly surprised by the number of people who are surprised when setbacks occur. However, I’m not overly pessimistic.

So there you have it… my personality in a nutshell, along with commentary. It’s been interesting for me to ponder these personality results, and what they say about me. If you haven’t taken the test yet, head over to [Perex](http://www.perex.com/) and do it… and let me know what you find.