Are You a Cancer?
Astrology, Meyers-Briggs types, Enneagram numbers, even Uquiz.com lets us be self-indulgent and self-reflective. Personality indicators like these can be anything from a TikTok slide comparing your birth month to a cat meme, to a legitimate tool used by managers for team building. At best, indicators may support a spiritual belief.
Frances Forever, “Space Girl” Music Video
At worst, they perpetuate misinformation that has been disproven for years (sorry to my fellow INFJs). But that’s not going to stop you from figuring out which Saltburn character you are or learning if you’re a black cat type or a golden retriever. So, why do we jump at the opportunity to take a quiz or map our star charts?
Know Ourselves
Being a little self-centered is good! Personality indicators can affirm aspects we hold true about ourselves. Say you are artistic, outspoken, and friendly, and you take a Meyers-Briggs personality test. The result would likely give you the ESFP personality type, which confirms what you already thought about yourself. And, when those tests provide additional information, we use that as a tool for self-reflection and improvement.
Shortcuts
Once we understand ourselves a bit better, we can cut a few corners. From style videos based on your Zodiac sign to candle recommendations based on your Enneagram, personality indicators simplify decision-making since certain things are just meant for you. Additionally, these indicators can be social shorthand. When you learn your date is a Gemini sun, everything clicks into place, and you can move on to the deeper questions to really get to know them.
It’s Fun!
Most of the quizzes out there won’t have a large effect on you beyond putting your MBTI in your bio or sending a video to your friend. More often than not, personality indicators are pure entertainment, along with the content surrounding them. It is the happy medium between the best-case scenario and the worst. There’s no harm in talking about rising signs with your friends or a slideshow or a random Uquiz that speaks way too true. Just remember to take most quizzes with a grain of salt, and don’t shame a Capricorn.
