Organic
So I made a decision today. Not a big one, not a decision that will change the world, but a decision which at best might have the slightest impact on my life, and at worst will at least be an excuse to blog today.
I have decided that I do not like personality test (such as meiers-briggs and the like). Though I use to like them (probably for the very reasons I dislike them today), I now think that they are the ultimate example of modernistic reductionism on truly the most beautiful of all God's creations (humanity). Starting with the assumption that people can be reduced to one of 16 different categories by which we can bring labels to them, and know what they are like seems to be at best pretty off base, and at worst a slap in God's face.
I just think I am changing. Where I use to like to have a label for a person, I now would rather understand them more organically . . . through life. Through having coffee together, and ministering together, reading the bible together, hiking, driving, talking, sharing . . . you get the point.
So let's put our tests away, and if we want to know each other let's spend time together.
Enjoy your Friday, I am off to see James Taylor tonight.
I have decided that I do not like personality test (such as meiers-briggs and the like). Though I use to like them (probably for the very reasons I dislike them today), I now think that they are the ultimate example of modernistic reductionism on truly the most beautiful of all God's creations (humanity). Starting with the assumption that people can be reduced to one of 16 different categories by which we can bring labels to them, and know what they are like seems to be at best pretty off base, and at worst a slap in God's face.
I just think I am changing. Where I use to like to have a label for a person, I now would rather understand them more organically . . . through life. Through having coffee together, and ministering together, reading the bible together, hiking, driving, talking, sharing . . . you get the point.
So let's put our tests away, and if we want to know each other let's spend time together.
Enjoy your Friday, I am off to see James Taylor tonight.
posted by Jon Knapp at
2:25 PM
4 Comments:
Just a thought...what would you say about the five love languages?
I love the five love languages. I think it is helpful to think about how people feel loved and give love -- at least it has been helpful to me.
Why do I like one form of reductionism, and not another? I don't know, maybe because one has been helpful to me, and the other hasn't. Maybe because one centers around trying to love people better, and the other centers around labeling people.
Not all reductionism is bad, but we need to be mindful when we are doing it, and not fall into the pitfalls that it represents.
I am sure that others have gained greatly from meirs-briggs and the like, and I am happy for them.
i wonder if personality types can be thought of like colors...there are millions of colors out there, but they have similarities that group them...there are green colors, blue colors, red etc... so maybe instead of being limited God is working from a palette...?
That is very insightful! I like the color analogy as there are infinate color possibilities, yet you can still recognize and celebrate the differences, as long as we don't fall into saying we don't like blue colors, or green or whatever, but we learn to appreciate each color and each shade as each one is unique from God (yet similar to others). You are brilliant.
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