News Flash: I am reserved.

I recently took one of those freebie online personality tests. I have two degrees in psychology, so I am always curious to see how the latest version summarizes who I am. The most recent one I took goes by the name "Personal DNA." After you take the test, they give a couple of color-coded maps that show the various facets of your personality. Here's a map to my personality. Don't get lost!

Reserved Analyst

According to this test, I am a reserved analyst. For the most part, the summary is a fairly good encapsulation of my personality -- to the extent one's personality is static and can be captured in a single statement. Here are the high points of my Personal DNA:

Your attention to detail, confidence, sense of order, and focus on functionality combine to make you an ANALYST.

You are very curious about how things work, delving into the mechanics behind things. Along those lines, how well something works is usually more important to you than what it looks like. (You would think this might mean that I was good with my hands, but alas, if something needs fixing, I am only good at writing checks to the "guy.")

You find beauty and wonder mainly in concrete, functional, earthly things.

You are very aware of your own abilities, and you believe that you will find the best way of doing things. (Some might say that I am a control freak!)
Accordingly, problems do not intimidate you, as you believe in yourself.

You trust yourself to find solutions within the boundaries of your knowledge. (That's true. If I can't figure it out, there really is no solution!)

You don't spend a lot of time imagining how things could be different—you're well-grounded in the here-and-now.

It is important for you to follow a routine, and you prefer the familiar to the unknown. (If it ain't broke, don't fix it. For example, there's no need to try something new at a restaurant when I know I like the grilled chicken sandwich.)

You are balanced in your approach to problem-solving, not letting your emotions hold you up. (Emotions only cloud one's judgment. I am such a hopeless romantic!)

You prefer to have time to plan for things, feeling better with a schedule than with keeping plans up in the air until the last minute. (This is why road trips boil down to getting to the destination as fast as possible with the fewest number of toilet breaks. We don't need to get sidetracked with antiquing or stops at the various outlets on the way. Or stopping to eat for that matter!)

You do your own thing when it comes to clothing, guided more by practical concerns than by other people's notions of style. (Does owning 18 sweatshirts count as a "style?")

You are RESERVED – you aren't someone who always needs to have others around, and you find you can handle most situations on your own. (I do like my alone time.)

You can be very happy spending time alone, and enjoy your own thoughts and ideas. (Is self-absorption a sin?)

You find it difficult to understand why some people get so emotional and tell everyone else their problems. (This may explain why I am a lawyer and not a psychologist.)

You believe that if you want to get something done, it is best to do it yourself. (None of you may want to hang out with me after reading all of this.)

In your experience, other people are not always completely dependable, so you generally rely on yourself and only a few close others. (That's the proper subject for a whole separate post.)

Despite your independence, you are not a closed-minded person who makes hasty judgments about others. You know that it isn't always easy to walk in other people's shoes. (Being empathic is a gift that my wife demonstrates for me on a regular basis. I have a lot to learn, but I try.)

At times other people's feelings are puzzling to you, and you wish that people were more rational. (Is that so wrong?)

Your vision of the world is complex – your values are not set in stone. Instead, you are able to change your beliefs as you learn new information. (The Lord is still molding me.)