An Internet search of “personality adjectives” will return a variety of websites from which you can draw ideas.
Charismatic — Calling yourself this will only make you seem full of yourself. Generous — Leave this for others to decide based upon your behaviour. Humble — Calling yourself humble is something a humble person probably would not do. Witty — People who think they’re funny rarely are. Even the funniest people are full of self doubt. Empathetic — Empathy is another descriptor that is best shown through action. Describing yourself as empathetic is like bragging about being humble. Fearless — We all have fears. Saying you’re fearless will likely make you seem overly confident and may even make you difficult to relate to. Intelligent — People can tell if you’re smart. You don’t need to tell them. Likable — To whom are you likable? Everyone? Saying you’re likable might even make people unconsciously search for reasons not to like you.
As an example, instead of saying that you’re kind and patient, you could tell a story in which you helped a customer or de-escalated a difficult situation in a previous job. Instead of telling friends that you’re adventurous, tell them that you like to go on adventures, and then describe one of your favourite ones — for example, that time you went for a challenging 7-day hike, or that month you spent backpacking in Asia.
As an example, if you’re applying for a job as a customer service representative, give examples of situations in which you were patient and pro-active while dealing with people.
Taking it a step further, tailor your words to the situation at hand. It’s important to be honest about your strengths and weaknesses, but which of these you reveal will depend on the context in which you’re sharing them. As an example, imagine you’re applying for a job in which you’ll be working with people. Even if you’re good with people, if you say you’re an introvert who likes to spend time alone, your employer may not feel confident hiring you.
“Hello, my name is Doe, and I am tidy, anxious, detail-oriented, empathetic, and happy to meet you. ” Maybe if you were writing a profile for a dating site, you could get away with that, but even then it’d be a bit strange. Try instead: “My name is Doe. I’m a barista, which is great because I love coffee, jazz, making designs with milk, and wearing aprons. I also enjoy movies (especially sci-fi and documentaries) and hiking. …”
Being dishonest about your strengths and weaknesses can land you in a job that you’re terrible at or with friends who you don’t click with.
Studies have shown that people who journal are both physically and mentally healthier. Aim for 15 to 20 minutes a day. Even journaling only a couple of days a month can be helpful. [4] X Research source
Likes and dislikes — Fold a piece of paper in half. At the top of one half, write “Likes” and on the top of the other half, write “Dislikes”. This could be a potentially enormous project, so limit your likes and dislikes to one category per list: films, books, foods, games, people. What I would do if I had unlimited money — You might even make this one into a brainstorm or a drawing. Just list the things you would buy or goals you would pursue if money weren’t an issue. The things I’m most afraid of — What are your deepest fears? Spiders? Death? Loneliness? Write these down. What makes me happy? — Make a list of things that make you happy. You can even describe specific scenarios in which you’ve felt happy or in which you think you’d be happy.
Avoiding taking tests on pop culture websites as these are more likely to be created by non-professionals who are not actually trained in psychological evaluation. Sites like Buzzfeed are popular for these sorts of tests, which are fun but not scientifically accurate. If you end up on a website that asks you to enter personal information beyond your email address, age and sex, you may want to double-check to make sure that the site is safe. A free site has no reason to ask you for credit card details, your exact date of birth, your full name, or your address.
If you do dangerous things or often talk about wanting to go on adventures, you might describe yourself as an adventurous risk-taker, or a daredevil. If you think you’re often trying to help people, you might be generous or loyal, or, on a negative side, a doormat (people pleaser). If you are often making people laugh, you could say that you’re funny. This might also be a sign that you mask your anxiety or nervousness with humour, but you’ll know this is the case if you often make jokes when you feel nervous.
It’s important to consider what your friends and family say, but they are looking at you through their own life experiences, which are all different. Your mom might say that you’re a messy, hyper kid while your friends say that you seem well put together and relaxed. Take into consideration everything that your friends and family say, and then draw your own conclusions. If everyone says that you can be a bit mean sometimes, that might be something you want to explore (and remedy).
Sure, you have weaknesses, but you also have strengths — and you can work on your weaknesses. Heck, the weaknesses might even be strengths in disguise.
Some tests to check out may include The Big Five Project Personality Test provided by Out of Service, or the Big Five Personality Test provided by Psychology Today. [7] X Research source [8] X Research source
You may be an extrovert if you are chatty and sociable, and you feel energetic in crowds. [9] X Research source You may be an introvert if you prefer to be alone and find that social situations suck your energy. [10] X Research source The line between the two is not necessarily a sharp one: introverts still enjoy social situations, but they refuel by spending time alone, whereas extroverts will generally refuel by socializing.
If you are often anxious, even when things are going well, chances are you’re a high scorer in neuroticism. The upside is that you may also have great attention to detail and the ability to think deeply about things. If you aren’t very detail-oriented and find that you don’t worry much about anything, chances are you’re a low scorer in neuroticism. The upside is that you’re carefree, but the downside is that you may not think deeply enough about things.
If you do well in school and are driven to achieve your goals, but you find it difficult to adapt to change, you are likely a high-scorer. People who suffer from obsessive-compulsive personality disorder score highly in conscientiousness. If you have a lot of unfinished projects and see yourself as more of a spontaneous, intuitive person, chances are you’re a low scorer in conscientiousness.
If you find that you’re often empathizing with other people and are slow to anger, you’re likely a highly agreeable person. The downside is that you may remain in abusive or unhealthy relationships even if you’re unhappy. If you are disagreeable, you likely have a short tempter and a general distrust of people. Successful artists and business executives tend to score low in agreeableness, as their professions require a level of hard-headedness.
If you find that you are often seeking adventure and new experiences, particularly related to artistic and spiritual endeavors, you are likely highly open. The downside is that you may not be very good at solving practical problems. If you’re a low scorer, you might be unimaginative, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It doesn’t mean you’re not intelligent, and you may very well be more capable of getting through day-to-day necessities than those who score high in openness. [13] X Research source
If you think you may suffer from scoring too high or low in one of the Big Five traits, you can work to strengthen yourself where you believe that you are weak. Knowing your weaknesses can make you stronger.
