INTJ all the way

     Since this is a blog, I feel I can take the liberty of being less formal than with a paper or an essay, so here goes. To start, I love LOVE personality tests! I have to admit it was very exciting for me to learn this was our assignment. I have taken this specific one before; my boyfriend (before we were dating) wanted to find out why he was attracted to me so much and so convinced me to take it. I was somewhat surprised ended up with same results as when I took it for him; I had felt unsure about my answers while I was taking it, but I guess consistency in results means honesty in answers.

"Introverted iNtuition
INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems."
           I feel like this part of me allows me to think outside the box and take different angles with writing, or possible to go someplace others won't, do the subject others might hesitate from.

"Introverted-intuitive-thinking types (INTJ, INTP) are often quite convinced of their own conclusions and ideas, and so have difficulty compromising with people who hold opposing beliefs."
          This can make it difficult for me to have a discussion if I think I'm already right and everyone should listen to me (oops). I really do try to listen to others, though, even if I can be quite stubborn. Also, if it's something of not terribly huge importance, it's not as bad as it makes it sound, because then it isn't difficult to back down or compromise.

"To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know."
           So many times throughout my life, I have had people believe that I am stuck-up, or a know-it-all, or that I think I am better than everyone else. It has always broken my heart to have someone say that to me, because I am not that way at all; it was just my social skills that lacked. I didn't know how to not appear that way to others. Really, the opinions of other people baffled me, and I had such a hard time relating to others. In a way, that relates to the last sentence of the excerpt, since I fully recognized I did not understand other people, and made it a goal to do so. 

Daughter of Hope

      Oftentimes when I am searching for a title or name for something, "hija de esperanza" comes into my mind, and every time it surprises me. Not surprise because I could come up with it, but that in the repeated occurrence lies the fact that it must mean more to me than I had thought.
      Literally, it translates to "daughter of hope" in Spanish (which I think is a utterly beautiful language that I am happy to say I am nearing fluency in). The language itself has become a rather large part of my life. It started in Junior High, when something inside of me decided it would be interesting to take a foreign language class, and I fell in love. Every kid at multiple points in their life gets asked two things: what they want to be when they grow up, and what is their favorite class in school. As for the first, I had no clue. I played around with the idea of being an architect for a while, but that didn't quite make it past the elementary grades. My favorite class, though, was harder still, since I liked all of my classes. Sometimes my English class would win out because of my love for reading, but other times math would be at the top since it was always new, and it was logical and sometimes a challenge. Spanish, though, was something completely new. It was certainly a challenge, but not enough of one that I got frustrated and gave up. It was something very practical, since I could plan on using Spanish later in my life, and it just sounds beautiful to me. I don't know if there is one particular reason why I love learning and using Spanish, but it has become highly integrated into me.
      Now for the actual words. I believe in hope. That's something of a funny statement, since hoping and believing are commonly used in very similar contexts, so maybe I should say that I believe in the power of hope. I know I am young, but I have had my ups and downs in life as anyone, and I know that I would have stayed at the bottom if not for my solid hope in a better future. I knew it was in my power to change my situation, no matter how slowly, and that gave me the strength to do so. I have to remind myself from time to time to appreciate a seemingly small thing like that, but it is still there in the back corners of my mind and heart, working its power, keeping me going.