2 Truths & a Lie about your Personality type

Can you guess which one is the lie? Let’s play a quick game of 2 Truths & a Lie about Your Personality type!

One of my favorite podcasts/YouTube channels right now is Trade a Lie for a Truth with Heidi Lee Anderson. (Seriously, if you could use some encouragement right now, Heidi is going to be your new go-to!) One of the things she does in every episode is play a round of 2 Truths & a Lie with her guests, and it’s always entertaining.

If you’re not familiar with this game, one person comes up with 2 things that are true about him/herself, as well as one thing that SOUNDS true, but is actually a lie. Then, the other people playing have to guess which one is the lie. (It’s actually a pretty great way to get to know people!)

But, that quirky bit of Heidi’s show got me to thinking about all the things we typically believe about our Personality types – and how they’re not all true!

So, let’s play a quick round of 2 Truths & a Lie about Personalities! Just click on whichever option below YOU think is the lie BEFORE reading on!

Here we go…

Which of the following options is the lie about your Personality?

A) Your Personality type is determined even before you’re born.

B) Your base Personality type never changes.

C) You will never outgrow your Personality weaknesses.

Alrighty, have you voted? Be sure to do that before continuing on!

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Ready? Let’s see if you’re right!

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, I hope this one was relatively easy to spot, but here’s the story behind each truth and the lie…

#1 – Your Personality type is determined even before you’re born.

This one is true! If you’re a mom, you may have even recognized this truth in your own kids – I know I did!

My oldest daughter is very much a Melancholy-Choleric, just like her mama. When I was pregnant with her, she stretched and moved at nearly the same times every day. (She’s still rather time-conscious.) And if she didn’t like something I did or said, you can bet she was jabbing me in the ribs or the kidneys to let me know about it!

My youngest daughter, however, is a Sanguine-Choleric. This girl was DANCING in utero. (BIG, LOUD movements!) The midwife wanted me to do kick counts while I was pregnant with her, and all I had to do was put on “Good God Almighty” by Crowder, and she was INSTANTLY grooving to the music. She was also quick to let me know if I did or said something she didn’t like. 😜

If you’re blessed enough to have your mom still around, ask her what YOU were like in utero. I bet she has some great stories about YOUR unique Personality!

#2 – Your base Personality type never changes.

Contrary to popular belief, this one is also true. While we do grow and change a bit over our lifetimes, that basic, in-born Personality type we started with will be the one we go to our Maker with, as well.

If you’re a bright, vivacious Sanguine as a child, you’re not going to mysteriously switch into a moody, detail-oriented, deep-thinking Melancholy as an adult. Maybe your Melancholy parents drilled orderliness into you growing up or you’ve taken classes to become a great organizer, but underneath it all, you’re still that fun-loving, “people-person” Sanguine.

If you’re a natural-born leader, intensely-driven Choleric as a child, you’re not going to flip gears and become a quiet, peace-loving, slow-and-steady Phlegmatic in your old age. You may chill out a bit. You may even learn to employ some patient, contented strategies to keep the peace around you. But in your heart of hearts, you’re still an ambitious, productive Choleric.

Who we are – at the very basic level – is the same as it has been since before birth.

What DOES change, however, is how we EXPRESS that base temperament. We may grow and adapt certain traits from other Personality types to better do our work or even just to survive the environment we’re in. But, adding in new traits or GROWING in how we express ourselves, doesn’t change who we are in our inmost souls.

And finally…

#3 – You will never outgrow your Personality weaknesses.

I often hear new Personality-learners say something similar to “Well, this is just my Personality, so everyone is just going to have to DEAL with it!” I’m sorry, my friend, but this one is a LIE!

Our Personalities are NEVER an excuse to lock ourselves in a box, stop growing, or behave poorly.

While our basic temperament will never change, as I mentioned in #2, we CAN grow and develop in how we express that temperament. Those traits you struggle with as a child will become easier to manage as you grow older and WORK to flip those weaknesses back into strengths.

Remember: All strengths carried to extremes can become weaknesses! They’re just opposite sides of the same coin!

(We’ll talk more about HOW we can overcome those pesky weaknesses next time!)

So, what did you think?

Did you spot the lie? Did anything in the explanations surprise you?

Maybe more importantly, have you fallen prey to a lie that parades itself around like a truth when it comes to your unique Personality? I think we all have, but those lies tend to be different for each of us. I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts – just drop them in the comments below!

P.S. – What questions do you have about The Personalities or how to use this incredible tool in your life or business? I’d love to answer YOUR questions in a future newsletter or blog post!