new topic idea...take a look

[epicurious]

hi everyone

here's another idea that i'm seriously considering for my PS.

my dad, who is a minister and does counseling, studies this system of personality typing called the enneagram, and he introduced it to me several years ago.  now in my life it's much more of an obsession that permeates everything i do rather than simply an interesting subject to study.  i have learned more about myself from learning my personality type than i ever knew was possible and it helps me to work through my issues for personal growth.  it also helps me to understand other people and realize their motivations for behavior than i would otherwise.  honestly, knowing the enneagram is just amazing.

anyway, so i thought i could write a brief description of the system and my type, and then focus on what i have learned about myself from it, how it helps me deal with other people, and now how knowing this information prepares me for law school. it has quite a strong spiritual dimension, which is something definitely missing from the rest of a typical application.  also, i am a psychology major, so it should make sense why i am interested in this.

any thoughts on this idea?

[nonobvious]

Well... do you have specific examples of how it's helped you deal with other people, or how it's changed you?

And, more fliply, what type are you?


I'm INTJ, though basically 50/50 on the last two letters.

[nonobvious]

Oh and by the way, my instinct on this topic is "no", because it too easily comes off as self-involved and dreamily philosophical.


[As much as, being INTP*, I'm obsessed with the things also].

*Yeah I got it wrong in the post above; even though I am 50/50, the INTP description does fit me better].

Um, anyhoo.

[epicurious]

sorry, maybe i should have been more specific.

what i've learned from the enneagram about myself are my fears and motivations.  my greatest fear is being trapped in pain, unable to escape and stuck by some circumstance without a pleasurable option.  my motivation then is to be always thinking about the future - "if event x is no fun, then i can do y instead."  to my type, having limitless options is the greatest form of happiness, and happiness is everything.  but thinking this way results in a manic personality and a person who is constantly planning for the future, never living in the present, and missing out on the fun of the current moment.  i've learned then that i must be patient and emotionally sober to truly appreciate the present and all its beauty, and that to grow from a painly event, i actually have to experience it all the way through.  

the enneagram has taught me to learn what other people value and what is their motivation.  for example, some types love rules, regulations and being correct and righteous, and they act this way in attempt to be loved.  other types are just trying to be some "image," and they think that by being what other people want, then they will be loved. it's not true, and when i'm friends with these types, and try to convince them that they can be themselves and still be loved.  that's just an example.

i can't meet someone without trying to figure out their type.  it goes a long way in learning how to communicate with them.

i'm not trying to be too dreamy, but this would present an aspect of myself that is clearly not on the application otherwise.  it gives me a way to talk about my personality and who i am - how i would add to the student environment.  and i'm hoping it would be unique.

my myers-briggs is ENFP, but my enneagram type is a 7 (8 wing)

[jacy85]

I think it could be interesting.  I'm sure adcoms don't read about this everyday.

However, adn this is a big however, you must be VERY careful how you do this.  You need to come across as grounded and centered.  I agree to a point with nonobvious, that you can come off as being very "out there" and move from "unique" to "odd."  Don't turn this into your religion, but more of a hobby (I realize it's more than that to you, I just couldn't think of a better word...sorry!)  Learning about yourself, and anything that can help you not only be more introspective but also gain a good understanding of people could be a good topic, especially since probably 60% of working in a firm is dealing with clients.  If you can't wheel and deal, you'll never make partner.

One other thing I noticed, however, is the description of your type.  How you fear being in a situation you don't like and are always seeking out options. This, IMO, is a horrible thing to say to an adcom.  I immediately thought to myself "what if he doesn't like law school?  Lots of people don't like it, but they stick it out.  If this is really a big fear, what's to stop him from dropping out and taking another option?  Would we be potentially wasting a seat on this guy?"  I'm not an adcom, but that was my gut reaction when reading that.   You may want to not focus so much on that negative aspect, and perhaps focus on the fact that you always tend to plan for the future and forget to live in the present.