AUTHENTICITY

23 years ago, it all started to make sense.  That is when I first learned that I could be labelled "ISFJ".  I had resisted the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator for a while.  My friends who had taken the 'test' seemed to be so excited about it.  I faked my way through the laughs over such lines as 'you are such a P' or 'I can't do that I'm an S'.  Frankly, I didn't like the way people seemed to use the types as excuses, either for themselves or for others.  I wanted people to have to take me as I was - and not make assumptions about me.

After I took the test, I understood how the results could be abused the way I had experienced, but I also saw the light that countered that dark side.  I finely understood why it was possible that given the same data and the same choice-options that people could come up with difference decisions.  There was not necessarily right way or a wrong way, but perfectly valid different ways based on different personalities.  I also paid close enough attention to learn that no type is absolute - that they simply indicate preferences - our natural way of acting and behaving if we have the opportunity to follow 'our best' path.  Everyone lives in and out of their type.  It's just harder when we have to go against our preferences.  And so I resisted the dark side and avoided limiting people to their types.  But it did help me understand why people's first and natural reactions were the way they were.  And I understood myself better.

My original goal still stood.  I still wanted to authentic.  My type doesn't dictate how I will act or behave, it comes out of me.

Jesus invites us to live authentically - to avoid hypocrisy and embrace honesty.  Authenticity is being true to one's self.  Being an authentic person is living openly as who you are.  Now MBTI reminds me that people exist on a long continuum between introversion and extroversion, so for some 'open' will be more or less obvious to the rest of the world.

Given that, I believe that being authentic is to live in such a way that others will be able to see what you believe is important.