Your Personality and Your Spiritual Life - Part 2

This week I continued reading Reginald Johnson’s book Your Personality and the Spiritual Life. The last half of the book focused on the following personality types: Organizers (ESTJ and ENTL), Analyzers (ISTP and INTP), Encouragers (ESFJ and ENFJ) and Enhancers (ISFP and INFP).

The Organizer: Daniel Fusek (my younger brother)

My younger brother is an Organizer. At first I thought he was an Analyzer, but for a couple things. First, he doesn’t enjoy being alone and would rather be around people. Second (and more telling), he REALLY enjoys organization, planning, routine, and punctuality. He “has a knack for seeing how things can be structured and planned in an efficient and logical manner.”[1] He could potentially be a leader and is easily and quickly entrusted with responsibility. Living with him the last couple years, I have seen that he suffers from Organizer infirmities. “Organizers may develop tunnel vision and see only what they want to see.”[2] He can be impersonal and tends to treat people as things, which allows for an unfortunate problem of being a manipulator.

The Encourager: Hampton Hancock

My best friend (who also lives with me) is the quintessential Encourager. Warm, faithful, devoted, hospitable. These are all qualities which may him an enjoyable person to live with. “Encourages take a personal view of just about everything. It is especially evident in their capacity to identify and empathize with others.”[3] It is rare to see him be impersonal in the face of difficulties or emotions that others share. He is subject to hypersensitivity; coupled with extreme anxiety this has caused a lot of problems for him. He has a high drive to avoid unpleasantness, thus working through conflict is treacherous. Practicing his spiritual life communally is a constant challenge.

The Enhancer: Esperanza

I was uncertain how to identify sister Esperanza. She seems outgoing but also has a quiet reserve. Thus, my best guess is that she is an Enhancer. She has demonstrated humility, tenderness, and compassion. “By their kind disposition, gentle spirit, and positive regard, they seem to radiate goodwill when they are around others.”[4] She seems to have a personality of presence that generates instant feelings of warmth, receptivity, and caring for those around her. Those are great traits to have in a Chaplain and counselor!

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[1] Reginald Johnson, Your Personality and Your Spiritual Life (Gainesville: Center for Applications of Psychological Type, Inc., 1999), 99.

[2] Johnson, 102.

[3] Johnson, 124.

[4] Johnson, 137.