I=Individual Style

There is no right or wrong style or temperament. There is no right personality or wrong personality. God has given your personality and He did it for a purpose.

There are lots of different ways you could classify personality. Scientists and psychologists have been trying to do it for years. There’s the MMPI — Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. There’s the Myers-Briggs Survey. There’s the Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis. There are many different ways and all of these ways are helpful but they’re all limited because you’re unique. For simplicity, Gary Smalley, a marriage counselor and author, summarized four personality styles in his book Making Love Last Forever. He compares the four styles or personality types to four different animals. Your style may be one of these animals or a combination of the animals.

LION – extroverted and task-oriented, Visionary, practical, productive, strong-willed, independent, decisive, leader

OTTER – extroverted and people-oriented; Outgoing, responsive, warm, friendly, talkative, enthusiastic, compassionate

GOLDEN RETRIEVER – introverted people-oriented; Calm, easy-going, dependable, quiet, objective, diplomatic, humorous

BEAVER – introverted and task-oriented, Analytical, self-disciplined, industrious, organized, aesthetic, sacrificing

Basically, we all tend to be strong in one of these areas and have one more of these styles to a lesser degree.

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