It Takes All Kinds

One of my mom's sayings is "it takes all kinds". I don't know if it's one of her favorites, but it probably is. The point of the saying is that in order for society to function, we need all sorts of people--even the ones we dislike or disagree with. No one person is better than any other, and it is necessary to understand that.

There are many personality types, and various metrics. One of the most often used is introvert/extrovert. Another is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, in which introvert/extrovert is included. There are 16 personality types in the MBTI. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is similar but more focused on behavior and temperament. The different sets of 16 personality types correlate to each other but are not synonymous.

I am an INFP, although depending on when I take the test, and which free online version, can change a bit. Although I am always IN. INFP stands for introversion, intuition, feeling, perception and is classified as "Healer" in the Keirsey Sorter. Focused internally and on the abstract rather than on social situations and specifics.

I am sharing this because I've written a post about grief and loss and my personality demands I clarify writing something I rarely vocalize. I often find it difficult to put ideas into spoken words. I communicate difficult ideas better on paper (or screen), when I have time to think about what I am saying, my word choice, and how I connect ideas. Meaning is difficult to vocalize. I get frustrated when the spoken word is not enough to convey what I see in my mind.

Think about it like this: when you have a song stuck in your head, like a symphony, or film score, or any acapella song, you hear all the different melodies and harmonies in your head, but, once you find yourself singing aloud, you are reduced to one line. And only being able to vocalize one line out of many diminishes the song. Think the "1812 Overture" without the cannons. Or "Hedwig's Theme" from Harry Potter without the string section. Or most of Straight No Chaser's "Twelve Days of Christmas".

Or think about it like this: have you ever tried to take a picture of a sunset? Or a lake? Or the ocean? Or the moon? It never turns out like you see it. It lacks detail and precision. The camera is a machine and can never fully capture what we see. I take a picture of the moon, wanting to send it to you. But it turns out a spot of light in the dark. Able to communicate light in the dark, but not "Isn't this beautiful. I saw it and thought of you. I hope you're well. I wish you were here."

It is like a joke or story that "you had to be there" to find funny.

What I see or feel, I cannot adequately speak. I leave words to others, who are more suited to it than I. I hope this makes sense. But I am one kind: you are another. We need each other.