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Adapting in a Diverse Society
On the first day of the Psychology 403 class, we took a personality test that determined what kind of personality type we fall under. It was no surprise to see that my test revealed that I am an (ENFJ) or extroverted, intuitive, feeling, and judging type personality. From this I take that I am basically an outgoing, intelligent person, known for having strong feelings, and a habit for judging not only myself but others around me. I consider these results to be quite accurate. I’m a natural born leader by nature. Whether in the work place on the sports field, I strive to encourage others around me to excel for the benefit of the group. I can be a very selfish person at times, but will go out of my way to make sacrifices when necessary.
In terms of how difficult it would be to cooperate with someone that is considered to be my opposite, I think it’s important to look three specific scenarios. In the following pages I will be discussing the challenges faced in relationships involving a current co-worker and boss. The reason I chose this association is to signify my past and current experiences with being forced to adapt in a situation that seemed as though there was no easy way out. I’m one of those persons who believe that Pharmaceuticals are unnecessary, and that I will not let drugs, or societies overwhelming support for clinical “excuses” control me. I’m no expert by any means, but I believe that a lot of what people face is in their own head. What we allow in, and how we deal with it, will affect our mindset and overall health.
I’m not saying that some people don’t need medication, or psychiatric evaluations, I’m simply saying that things like depression are being more widely discovered because society is deeming it as acceptable. Many people I know or have came in contact with; seem to use many of society’s weaker attributes as a justification to avoid reality. Knowing these things exist, I can least began to understand the constant changing of personalities. I know many people with some kind of mental issue, and have either been prescribed or currently taking medication for their chemical imbalance. I try to ask questions, and not get too nosy, purely trying show people that I am interested and concerned about what they are taking and why. It’s possible I should be going to a therapist or taking some kind of medication, but I feel that would change who I am. So before I talk about who’s different than me, let’s first think about who I am.
I recently broke up with my girlfriend, a one year relationship that blossomed from a simply “Hey there” message on the popular website MySpace. I’m 25 years old, and going to WSUV full time, just moved into a new apartment and thrilled to pay $663 a month for a 1 bedroom apartment by the Vancouver Mall. I work full time as an administrative assistant, for a family owned commercial flooring business, where I attempt to survive on $15 an hour. After moving around to five different colleges, and being away from my home town, I now find myself very alone. I have a couple close friends that I hang out with when I can, but my life now is mainly comprised of going to school, work, L.A. Fitness, and maybe having one day a week for spending time with friends and family. I stay up until 2 a.m. finishing homework, designing websites, or chatting with friends online, only to do it all over again after about six hours of sleep. It could be a lot worse, and I’m sure I’m not the only one burning it at both ends, but I just feel like it’s never going to end. This exhausted lifestyle affects my personality significantly. I don’t drink coffee, rarely eat breakfast, and often go hours without eating because of the transition from trying to be on time for either work or school. So before I judge others on their need for a substance or an understanding of their issues to cope with life, I know that not everyone including myself can always have the willpower to take control of life and think on their own.
Over the past ten years I have been working for my family, starting out as just a grunt worker who would do the things that nobody else wanted to do or didn’t have time to do. Working side by side with my father, I have gone through many struggles that mainly revolved around personality clashes. His leadership qualities have been passed down to me, but his ability to cooperate with people who are beneath his level of understanding continues to be his downfall. He has always tried to be a good father and a boss, but he is still learning and will likely never know everything it takes to truly be a good role model. He has adopted many of the short fuse attributes that his father acquired from his father, and now I struggle to break the chain. I’m like most, a good argument is needed sometimes to make things interesting, but I often force myself to ignore the situation or walk away before my temper takes control. One difference I see between my father and me is my ability to not let things get to me, and what’s funny is that he gets mad at me for being like this. If it’s something of real importance, like a major error on reporting the correct numbers on a proposal, which would mean loosing a potential customer, then I will get very angry. This same anger is portrayed from my father or grandfather when we are over charged a few dollars on an item that is ordered for a job. I always handle smaller problems like that with an attitude that we can either contact the company and get the price fixed, or just make up for it on the next job. After being in business 17 years, we are now what I consider to be a successful company, and yet with thousands of dollars coming in and going out, my elders continue to dwell on what is seemingly pennies in the grand scheme of things. I don’t recommend working with family, it’s hard to say why I think my personality is so much different than theirs, maybe its not it’s not personality type, but merely the difference age and level of understanding.
One thing about working for your family is the fact that they put an imaginary ceiling over you, whether it’s intentional or not is hard to say, but I feel that if I was working on my own, or for another non family related business, that the room for improvement would increase. I have worked for other people, and if it wasn’t for school, and what ex-girlfriends, I probably would be working for a major organization as some kind of sales or customer relations specialist. I have a knack for relating to people, and short of not speaking the language; I have been successful at altering my personality to fit the personality of the person I’m in contact with. In business this is a very crucial step that many overlook, I have worked very hard on my first impression when meeting someone new. This ability to relate to others and in a way sale myself, has helped me make new friends, and business contacts, that I can consider viable resources that will help me on my road to financial success.
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