some self-indulgent pop psychology

I took the Personality DNA test (some friends have done this recently and I gave into the urge):

According to My Personal Dna Report, I am and Advocating Creator. I generally agree with the assessment, which I include below (I’ve included some of my own comments):

I am a creator:

• Your imagination, confidence, willingness to explore, and appreciation of beauty make you a CREATOR.
• You are independent, and you enjoy your self-sufficiency.
• Defying convention, you are very innovative, and you have a vivid imagination.
• The look of things is important to you, and you have a keen eye for aesthetic beauty in multiple arenas.
• You have a strong interest in what is new and exciting-and that includes forging ahead with new ideas, not simply discovering what is already out there.
• Your eagerness to seek new and varied experiences leads you into many different situations.
• You’re not set on one way of doing things, and you are creative when it comes to finding novel solutions to complex problems.
• You trust yourself to be innovative and resourceful.
• Your confidence allows you to take your general awareness and channel it into creativity.

This definitely fits me, though I have to say that I’m a bit troubled by how much I enjoy my independence and self-sufficiency–which indeed I do. I want the Lord to cultivate a greater desire for interdependence and reliance upon others in my life.
I am an advocator:

• Being social, empathic, and understanding makes you ADVOCATING.
• Some people find being around others exhausting-but not you! You are energized by spending time with friends, and you are good at meeting new people.
• One of the reasons you enjoy conversation as much as you do is that you often learn about yourself while talking things out with a friend; you realize things about your own beliefs while discussing them with others.
• You have insight into what others are thinking and feeling. This ability allows you to be happy for others, and to commiserate when something has gone wrong for them.
• You are highly compassionate, and being conscious of how things affect those close to you leaves you cautious about trusting others too hastily.
• Despite these reservations, you are open-minded when it comes to your worldview; you don’t look to impose your ways on others.
• Your sensitivity towards others’ plights contributes to an understanding-both intellectual and emotional-of many different perspectives.
• As someone who understands the complexities of the world around you, you are reluctant to pass judgments.

I’m not sure how empathetic I am. I think I can sense how others feel, but I often feel a bit immobilized about how to respond or show compassion. I guess that is part of being Dutch and growing up in Scandinavian country. I do genuinely care about people, I just have a tough time showing it.

I do enjoy meeting new people, but I have a shy streak. Sometimes it is a big issue for me.

That last bit about me being reluctant to pass judgements–yeah right. I can be very judgmental sometimes…especially towards the Church (though not so much about others. I think this ties into the “inclusion reaction” post.

Mark Van Steenwyk is the editor of JesusManifesto.com. He is a Mennonite pastor (Missio Dei in Minneapolis), writer, speaker, and grassroots educator. He lives in South Minneapolis with his wife (Amy), son (Jonas) and some of their friends.

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