Learn Before It's Too Late: The Power of Personality Typology
Recognizing the importance of understanding personality typology, any typology, usually comes to a person too late, and often never at all. We typically start thinking about types when we meet someone who strongly reminds us of someone we know. Observing obvious similarities in behavior patterns, we apply the term “type.” However, in most cases, we ignore the presence of patterns in the behavior of those around us, and in ourselves. This is due to the limited resources we have, primarily time.
It is assumed that our relationships with others are a kind of “black box.” The process of building, developing, and managing relationships between people in modern culture is the domain of specialists. But how can that be, when relationships are the cornerstone of a successful, productive, and creative life?
I suggest that another limited resource, which I believe is responsible for our neglect of such an important issue, is the size of the prefrontal cortex. The neocortex determines how much attention we can allocate to topics that, at first glance, seem quite distant from life. What doesn’t fit into the allocated memory is pushed into the limbic system. And so, instead of planning and analyzing, we react emotionally.
An Analogy with Programming
As a programmer, this approach reminds me of a specialist trying to understand the code of a complex program by simply reading files one after another. In the best-case scenario, this method will lead to the realization that it’s necessary to understand the patterns used in the software. But usually, by the second or third file, the memory buffer is overwhelmed, and the person just switches to another topic, forgetting what they started with.
This isn’t a problem if the topic we’re trying to understand is purely optional—such a mechanism protects us from excessive energy consumption. However, with personality typology (any typology), the situation is different. Understanding this topic and using tools like Opteamyzer can not only improve relationships with others, but also, without exaggeration, save lives, prevent severe psychological trauma, and save years of life for more interesting and productive activities, rather than creating and getting stuck in relationships that give you nothing.
Personality Typology in Various Aspects of Life
This applies not only to relationships with a family partner but also with business partners, in sports, and other areas where people work together. One of my favorite and most striking examples from the history of human civilization is the revival of hygiene in modern Europe. Not just the revival, but the creation of an entire industry around it.
Today, it’s hard to imagine that just 5-6 generations ago, the streets of Paris, London, and other European cities were dark and quite filthy. For history enthusiasts, I highly recommend visiting George Town on the island of Penang, which was not long ago a British colony. In the old town, you can still see the so-called “open sewers,” and the smell in the old town was rather intriguing until the 2000s.
Now, George Town looks and smells like any other modern European city, but the open sewers have been preserved as a historical artifact. Personality typology will go through the same stages as hygiene.
Developing Conditions for Psychosocial Technologies
The conditions for the development of an industry based on psychosocial technologies are almost ripe. Factors contributing to this include the development of microelectronics and wearable sensors in clothing, as well as the increase in population density and cultural diversity against the backdrop of advanced communication technologies. People will either begin to use and understand personality types, respect differences and learn to live with them from childhood, just as they now wash their hands, or they will isolate themselves and conflict, increasing social tension.
The Role of Internal Exploration in the Age of Technology
In addition to the conditions that have almost matured, another important factor is that we have mastered most of the external world on planet Earth but have not yet fully understood how our inner world is structured. Now is the time for internal exploration, especially since the development of technologies such as robots and artificial intelligence will require new industries and jobs. Working with living beings, which is less susceptible to algorithmization, will be one of those areas where the presence of a human specialist will remain essential for a long time.
Conclusion
Personality typology and psychosocial technologies may become an integral part of our future, just as hygiene has. This will not only improve the quality of life but also help us adapt to the new conditions brought about by technological progress. Ignoring this important field could lead to losses and conflicts, while its integration into daily life will open new opportunities and horizons.