A Blog in Review

It’s interesting to note that my financial advisor once told me that my risk appetite is rather low.  Based on my Myers-Briggs personality results, my risk attitude is actually quite high.  At 76%, I fall into the moderately-high risk attitude group.

The importance of knowing one’s risk attitude is believed to be linked to one’s success in life.  By being aware of our character and personality, we are better able to ascertain what activities suit us, therefore we know what we should be doing and what we should be avoiding.

According to the Myers-Briggs risk attitudes, there are seven different risk types: moralist, toilet, rational, energetic, ponderous, adventurer and inspired.  It seems my 76% risk appetite is divided into 45% inspired and 32% adventurer.  I suppose that my passion for rock climbing…

For the inspired risk taker:

Your need for the excitement of risk is an inexhaustible source of energy during a greater part of your life. This energy sometimes drives you to endeavors which may endanger your fortune and even your life. (Good grief!  This sounds terrible!)  You are always obsessed by your idea and persist in advocating and spreading it no matter how it is accepted by society around you. (Hmmm… I’m not sure this really sounds like me at all…)  Developing and putting into effect this idea produces in you a pleasurable state of mind and gives you a reason for living.

This type of person may have ideas that are not necessarily earth-shaking or important to all of mankind, but they occupy him completely. (That explains the obsessive behaviour about things.  I find that when I get started on something, I hate to be interrupted.)  These ideas may be of an invention, a scientific hypothesis or a special philosophically substantiated way of life or nutrition, such as Zen Buddhism or vegetarianism. Among this type are also found passionate collectors of paintings, books, stamps, etc., whose main goal is to obtain a rare painting, book or stamp.

The distinctive characteristic of such persons is their complete preoccupation with their idea; it becomes their purpose in life and they see their lives as the means to implement this idea or as the time period in which they can reach their goals. Their idea extremely important to them and without them they cannot imagine their lives.

Neither past nor present is actual for this type of person; he is pointed only towards the future, the time when his goal will be reached. Obstacles and dangers do not stop him; on the contrary, they stimulate his activity.

He treats people around him according to how these people see his ideas and goals: if these people share his goals he will treat them well; if they are indifferent or hostile to his ideas, he will be indifferent or hostile to them; and if they do not approve of them, or worse, are opposed to them, he will regard them as enemies and will hate them. (Are you sure?  I’m sure I haven’t got a single hostile bone in my body!  I certainly can’t even think of a person whom I consider an enemy.)

This type of person, if obsessed by social, political or religious ideas, sees all of mankind as the object of his concern, and he loves mankind as a whole more than individual people. He is ready to sacrifice individual people for the sake of a “common happiness” but not if those individuals are his faithful fellow-fighters. He is also ready to sacrifice himself for his idea. He does not spare either himself or others. (Erm…  this sounds pretty bad.  I wouldn’t hurt a fly - well, okay, maybe a fly - and I doubt I’d be ready to die for a cause no matter how great the cause…)

Such a person is egocentric in the sense that he considers himself the center of all events - but he is not egotistical. He does not have purely personal interests. Food for him is, for the most part, not a source of pleasure but only the means to satisfy his hunger. He is capable of enjoying his food but often has special tastes: food must be cooked in a special way, or served at a specific temperature, etc. (Hmmm… this sounds more like the hubby than me.  I’m the one who’ll eat almost anything.)  He does not care for entertainment, except perhaps talking about subjects of interest to him. However, his interests often range beyond the limits of his main idea or obsession and his knowledge in different spheres is striking. He will have his own point of view on all subjects and it is almost always interesting to listen to what he has to say. (Somehow I find this rather questionable…  I almost have no opinion about a lot of things and a very strong opinion on very few things).

He is often surrounded by followers or disciples who are equally passionate about his ideas, but he has only one or two really close friends. (Follow me?  Yeah… right!)  He is indifferent to the opposite sex although he can experience a type of love towards one of his admirers, who becomes his main comrade-in-arms.

He is, to some extent, attached to his family, but he is authoritarian towards them and intolerant of the slightest neglect of their duty which is to serve the cause of the head of the family. He suffers major setbacks and even tragedies stoically, turning aside to immerse himself ever deeper in his cause.

This really doesn’t sound like me at all. 

For the adventurer:

People of this type are not made for quiet life. Due to their psychological characteristics, the society has always to reckon with their existence either defending itself from them or asking for their help or tolerating them and exploiting secondary results of their activity.

These are examples of extremely anti-social manifestations of the needs for risk. But thirst for risk can appear in socially acceptable forms. Mountain-climbers, slalomists, race-drivers, sailors who cross the oceans alone, tightrope-walkers, who walk the rope over waterfalls and precipices, as well as small-time gamblers who play in lotteries and slot machines- all these engage in risky activities which do not harm society. (Let it be known that I abhore gambling, although my rock climbing seems to be in keeping with this).

People with a pronounced thirst for danger and risk may be also useful to society which utilizes their characteristics in employing them in suitable occupations such as the police, the army where they serve as commandos or paratroopers, the fire department and even in the cinema as stuntmen. (Does it count that I once wanted to join the air force?)

People of this type are usually physically strong, courageous, and have excellent control of their bodies. When they are young they eagerly take up, football, baseball, basketball and different types of hand-to-hand combat. They easily master mechanical skills and are good at driving cars. They usually drive at high speed and like to overtake other cars, sometimes creating dangerous situations. (Hmmm… then why was I so bad at sports as a kid?  I was the last one to be picked for the team all the time.)

They are not especially bothered by moral problems, but those who are socialized keep to formal moral demands of society, especially to those of a group. These people can be subdivided into two groups according to their attitude to the group or to society. One kind gives priority to freedom from all social values and prefers to run risks alone. The other kind likes power and prefers to act in a group. They long for a leading position in the group and although they dislike it, will acknowledge the leadership of any stronger and more authoritative person. (I think I’m more the individual risk taker…  I don’t particularly like assuming leadership.)

In communicating they are somewhat rough. However, there is an intrinsic sentimentality in them and they can be deeply moved by any soulful story or movie. They like to relax when they are not involved in their dangerous pursuits. Those who are asocial incline to alcohol and drugs. Socialized people of this type relax with peaceful activities such as fishing, gardening, caring for their pets, etc.

As they grow older and have established families, they feel less attracted to risk; memories of their past adventures return to them and they indulge in reminiscences. They begin to feel the future, connecting it with the future of their children. Their love affairs (until they are married) are mostly fleeting and superficial, although sometimes they experience long and stable relationship.

Perhaps I need should take the paid risk test because this doesn’t really sound like an accurate depiction of me at all…

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