What Personality Type are You? Part 4

     OK, perhaps you're not a Wood or Fire type.  Here's another quiz to see if this personality type fits you.  Remember, these are basic personality tendencies we're describing, not one's whole type.  This is based on Beinfield and Korngold's book Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine.  You may read more there if you're interested.

     This person tends to have a round physique, with a round face and soft, smooth skin.  Their hands and feet may seem proportionally small.  They tend to have broad shoulders and hips.

     This personality type wants to feel needed and loves to be involved.  They like to be in charge but try to avoid the limelight.  They want to be all things to all people and are agreeable if not overly accommodating.  Their fundamental goal is harmony and togetherness.  They strongly prefer loyalty, security, and predictability.

     They may have issues with worry, obsession, and self-doubt.  The may come across as meddling and overprotective.  They may hold unrealistic expectations and suffer from disappointment.  Physically, they may suffer from unruly appetites, indigestion, water retention, muscle tenderness, and lethargy.

     Does this sound like you?  If so, you are an Earth type, a Peacemaker.  Your capacity to nurture, to build community and your devotion to relationships needs to be balanced with solitude, self-expression, and self-reliance.

(photo courtesy of pixabay.com)

What Personality Type are You? Part 3

     Perhaps the last quiz didn't quite fit your personality type.  Well, here's a second quiz for you to try on for size.

     This person often has a soft, willowy physique, with graceful hands and feet, and a long neck, arms and legs.  They relish excitement and yet enjoy intimacy.  They are keenly intuitive and passionately empathetic (an empath?).  They enjoy the power of charisma and desire.  They love sensation, drama and sentiment.  They like things to be hot, bright, and vibrant.

     This personality type may have problems with anxiety, agitation, and frenzy.  They may be labeled as "drama queens (or kings)."  They may have unusual perceptions and sensations, and may be called hypersensitive or giddy.  They may wear themselves out into nervous exhaustion and have issues with insomnia.  They may abuse mind-altering substances.

     Does this sound like you?  If so, you are a Fire type, a Philosopher, according to Beinfeld's and Korngold's book Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine.  If so, you need to balance your unique ability to realize joy and fulfillment with some temperance of your fervor; you need to learn to withdraw and separate yourself when necessary and embrace and merge when it's called for.

(photo courtesy of pixabay.com)

What Personality Type are You? Part 2

     Here is the first quiz toward understanding your underlying personality type, according to the Chinese elemental theories explained by Beinfield and Korngold in Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. 

     This first personality type usually has a muscular, square physique, a swarthy complexion, and strong, slim hands and feet.  They seek out challenges and push things to the limit.  They enjoy pressure and do well under stress.  They enjoy speed, novelty, and skill. They love action, movement, and adventure.  They tend to be leaders and enjoy being the first, best and only.  Their confidence may sometimes come across as arrogance. 

      They have problems with being intolerant and impatient.  They often have volatile emotions.  They tend toward extremes -- either very impulsive/self-indulgent or else over-disciplined/self-punishing.  They may abuse stimulants or sedatives.

     Does this sound like you?  If so, you are a Wood, a Pioneer.  You need to balance your intensity with flexibility, allowing you to retreat and yield when necessary and to surge ahead when it's called for. 

(photo courtesy of pixabay.com)

What Personality Type are You? Part 1

     No doubt you've taken at least one personality quiz in your lifetime; perhaps you've taken more.  I've seen them simplified into colors ("I'm a blue!") or into quadrants.  Even magazines offer personality quizzes on a regular basis. 

      I was reading an interesting book entitled  Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine by Beinfield and Korngold (OK, so I have varied interests).  According to their interpretation of the ancient Chinese elemental system, there are five basic personality types.  The authors stress, however, that just because we have one dominant personality type doesn't mean that the other elements aren't also active in our personality.  I think that is key.  For the truly balanced personality, we need all five elements working as a team, each coming to the fore when the circumstances call for them.  If one element becomes overly dominant, the others become weak or unbalanced and that can manifest as problems in the personality and/or physical illness.

     What are the five personality types?  They are Wood (the Pioneer), Fire (the Wizard), Earth (the Peacemaker), Metal (the Alchemist), and Water (the Philosopher).  Already pegged your type?  Come back next week and we'll explore each type in turn.