What’s Your Social Style?

In ANNOYANCE, 4 social styles/personality groups were discussed: Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta. One might be able to discern which group he or she may be in; however; today’s readers are provided with an accurate assessment in which they can take to determine their social style. (Assessment © Angela Kowitz Orobko, Ed. D; personality information © Bob Phillips, Kimberly Alyn, and Mary Miscisin)

Rank each group of 4 words/traits as:
1 (not really me); 2 (a bit like me); 3 (almost me); 4 (mostly me).
(If you cannot decide between 2, rank them the same.)

A deep, thoughtful, serious, purposeful
B born leader
C charismatic, storyteller
D patient and well-balanced

E life of the party
F calm, cool, and collected
G dynamic and active
H pays attention to detail

I mediates problems
J sees the problem/challenge
K need for change
L creative and colorful

M volunteers for jobs
N delegates work
O self-sacrificing
P avoids conflict

Q loves people
R gets along with people
S has little need for friends
T seeks friends cautiously

U orderly and organized
V good listener
W structured, sensible, efficient
X enthusiastic, expressive

Y conscientious
Z thinks up new activities
A1 easygoing and relaxed
B1 independent and self-sufficient

C1 sees whole picture
D1 lives in the present
E1 visionary
F1 finds easy way out

G1 moves quickly into action
H1 analytical, research-oriented
I1 not in a hurry
J1 turns disaster into humor

K1 inquisitive
L1 cheerful and bubbly
M1 stimulates activity
N1 good under pressure

O1 spontaneous, impulsive, flexible
P1 goal-oriented
Q1 schedule-oriented
R1 authentic, harmonious, compassionate

S1 Entertaining, adventurous, risk-taking
T1 appreciates beauty
U1 sensitive, nurturing, intuitive
V1 must correct wrongs

W1 kind, pleasant, optimistic
X1 sincere heart
Y1 decisive
Z1 inventive

A2 changeable disposition
B2 protective, mentoring, supportive
C2 strong-willed
D2 faithful and devoted

E2 sensitive to other people
F2 unemotional
G2 has administrative ability
H2 Eager and adaptable

I2 does not hold grudges
J2 exudes confidence
K2 perfectionist
L2 competent, consistent, steady

M2 enjoys watching people
N2 philosophical and poetic
O2 can run anything
P2 good sense of humor

Q2 practical, economical
R2 sympathetic and kind
S2 good on stage
T2 artistic or musical

U2 inspires others to join
V2 seeks practical solutions
W2 can take the good with the bad
X2 idealistic

Y2 establishes goals
Z2 peaceful and agreeable
A3 finds creative solutions
B3 charms people to work

Total each social style using the formulas below:

ALPHA = A+H+J+O+T+U+Y+E1+H1+K1+
Q1+T1+Z1+D2+E2+K2+N2+T2+X2+A3

BETA = B+G+K+N+S+W+B1+C1+G1+M1+
P1+V1+Y1+C2+F2+J2+O2+Q2+V2+Y2

GAMMA = D+F+I+P+R+V+A1+F1+I1+N1+
R1+U1+W1+B2+G2+L2+M2+R2+W2+Z2

DELTA = C+E+L+M+Q+X+Z+D1+J1+L1+
O1+S1+X1+A2+H2+I2+P2+S2+U2+B3

The group with the highest score is dominant social style (which will be 50-80). Tomorrow, the pros/positives and cons/negatives of each social style will be discussed.

These social personality traits are ultimately based on Myers-Briggs and Carl Jung Typology. The scope of this article will not go into the scholarly detail of it, only the practicality. When we have a general sense of the social personalities of others, then we can use this knowledge to create amicable relations at work, with family or with friends.

Feel free to share your results and thoughts in the comments.

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Synchronicity

Have you ever experienced repeated words, signs or images that occur in different settings and at different times? Have you seen patterns come up in your life? Is it déjà vu, voodoo or magic? Perhaps it is just a coincidence? Or maybe it is synchronicity. All those coincidences, where you see something in one venue and then it repeats over and over again in other venues, converge into something meaningful.

For example, you first dream about enthusiasm and wake up feeling enthusiastic. Throughout the day  you keep seeing and hearing the word “enthusiasm” in very unusual venues and media, like in a magazine you picked up to read while waiting for an appointment, then you hear it on the radio, and then you see it in artwork displayed at the local library when go to renew your book. You wonder if there is any significance in these coincidental events. The next day at work you decidedly engage in your duties and responsibilities with more “enthusiasm”. After lunch, your supervisor sings your praises and gives you the honor of being “employee of the month”. This is synchronicity.

The talented music artists, The Police, weaved Carl Jung’s concept of  “meaningful coincidence” into a song entitled Synchronicity I (they also wrote and performed Synchronicity II, which provides an example of this idea).  The concept of synchronicity is explained pretty well in the lyrics (excerpt below; also see video at the top of this page in the right margin):

With one breath, with one flow

You will know… Synchronicity

A sleep trance, a dream dance

A shaped romance… Synchronicity

A connecting principle

Linked to the invisible

Almost imperceptible

Something inexpressible

Science insusceptible

Logic so inflexible

Causally connectable

Yet nothing is invincible…

Synchronicity is defined as an apparently meaningful coincidence in time of two or more similar or identical events that are causally unrelated. In 1952 Carl Jung produced a detailed account of what he called “meaningful coincidences” in Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle, written in collaboration with Wolfgang Pauli, a physicist. In daunting scholarly language, it is about unrelated connection of two or more psycho-physic phenomena. This concept was inspired to him by a patient’s case that was in situation of impasse in treatment. One night, the patient dreamed a golden scarab. The next day, during the psychotherapy session, a real insect this time, hit against the Jung’s cabinet window. Jung caught it and discovered surprisingly that it was a golden scarab; a very rare presence for that climate. So, the idea is all about coincidence: in this case, between the scarab dreamed by the patient and its appearance in reality, in the psychotherapy cabinet. (from: http://www.carl-jung.net/synchronicity.html)

The concept of synchronicity is based on the idea that the individual, through the subconscious, has access to an “absolute knowledge” which is not bound by the limitations of space or time. Jung’s primary source of material for this hypothesis was to be found in his study of dreams especially those which were of a parapsychological nature.

The synchronicity phenomena show that the subconscious is able to transcend the factors or space and time. With respect to the former, it would seem that space has been transcended when, for instance, one has an accurate inner knowledge, possibly in the form of a dream or fantasy, that a friend, who is living hundreds of miles away, has suddenly taken ill. This type of synchronised experience is not at all uncommon. With respect to the time factor, it would seem that it too can be transcended. The synchronised experiences, which are of a pre-cognitive character, show this quite well.

Jung’s concept of synchronicity provides an image of a psyche, which is not restricted by the limitations of space and time and participates in the overall events of nature. With the hypothesis of synchronicity, Jung felt he had achieved, from the point of view of psychology, an understanding of the nature of the phenomenal world that was analogous to that of modern physics. Both had achieved an understanding of reality that went beyond our everyday notions of solid bodies, empty space, cause and effect, space and time. Physics understanding of this new frontier was for the most part quantitative in that it was expressed mathematically. Jung’s understanding was, in contrast to this, principally qualitative in that it addressed the problem of “meaningful parallels.”

Both views, Jung had hoped, would eventually come together creating a new unified scientific model — a new world view linking the psychic and the physical. It is a scientific goal which, given the limited knowledge of psychology and physics, is at present unattainable. Or is it? What do you think? Are we in a new age of understanding?

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