16 Personalities, a way to understand yourself better?

For those new to the concept of personality types, MBTI is the Myer Briggs Type Indicator, a psychology tool (questionnaire) used to help you understand how you perceive and operate in the world based on a combination of four different categories and where you sit on the spectrum for each category, being:

• Introverted vs Extraverted.
• Sensing vs Intuition.
• Thinking vs Feeling.
• Judging vs Perceiving.

Prior to 2020, the last time I had done a personality test was back when there were only four different MBTI types – jump forward 20 years later and we now have 16 personality types, based on varying combinations of the above listed core areas!

A friend asked me my personality type, to which I replied, “I think INFJ”. Unsatisfied with my response, they sent through a link. I like a good quiz, so I didn’t hesitate at the request to try it. After running through the questionnaire, I waited eagerly to see what I would be. I wasn’t too far off my initial response and came back as an ENFJ – the Protagonist/Giver/Teacher. I read through each of the different traits for the ENFJ and found it surprisingly enlightening. There were elements it described, which I found an uncanny and fairly accurate description of me, there were smatterings which I found less accurate, but on the whole I embodied this personality type strongly! So many “ah-ha” moments as I scrolled through the information, nodding in agreement. It concisely explain parts of myself, I had trouble trying to articulate for the longest time!

16 different types you say

Yes! 16 different types, but potentially even more if you also gauge whether you’re “turbulent” or “assertive” like in the 16 Personalities test.

Sentinels	ISTJ	ISFJ	ESTJ	ESFJ
Explorers	ISTP	ISFP	ESTP	ESFP
Analysts	INTJ	INTP	ENTJ	ENTP
Diplomats	INFJ	INFP	ENFJ	ENFP

Types based off the 16 Personalities breakdown

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For more information and a much more visually appealing version of the table, see https://www.16personalities.com/personality-types

Why you should find out your personality type

Even though I wouldn’t revolve my life around the information or “science” behind the 16 personality types (some have described it “flawed “and “pseudoscience”), I did find it helpful in giving me a way to see myself from an objective standpoint. For the amount of time required (and the submission of your email address), I found the test insightful because:

• I understood myself better and in a way I may not have without taking the test.
• It helped me to express my behaviours or thinking to others better.
• It pointed out strengths and weaknesses to work on in my personal growth.
• I realised there were some parts of me I just had to learn to love.
• It also gave me context as a individual in the collective fabric of society.

Of course there are plenty of other tests out there (Big Five, Enneagram, DISC) which give you insight into personalities and since this sparked my interest, I tried a few others to see how close they came to each other. While each test have different categories and assessment criteria so they can’t be measured like for like, they definitely honed in on some fundamental traits that shared similarities.

I will caveat this with – everything that is helpful can also become unhelpful! So don’t use it to stereotype or discriminate yourself or others.

How do I find out my personality type?

Glad you asked! Check out these good resources I found while delving into the rabbit hole of personality types.

I found 16 Personalities to be the most aesthetic and simple version of the MBTI test to take. I also found the additional turbulent/assertive gauge to add another dimension to the types. It also had examples of real people or fictional characters for each type so you could see some of those traits being exercised in person.

Take the test for yourself:

16 Personalities test – https://www.16personalities.com/

You might also like Truity – https://www.truity.com/ for a helpful and supplementary site in information to the 16 Personalities website.

YouTubers to watch for MBTI

I am no expert in this arena, but I have found these two YouTubers a good way to better understand the theory and they are both so entertaining, their depictions are on point!

Frank James has a great way of capturing the essence of MBTI personalities.

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Dear Kristin is worth a watch for a similarly funny yet relatable way of describing the different personalities.

There is a huge following regarding personality types and some have honed this into degree level learning, so perhaps this isn’t news to you. Maybe you’re well aware of your personality type and how it all fits together with each different variation of tests. Let us know in the comments your type and if you’ve found it helpful to know this!

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A solution to try for Spider Mites on your plants!

For the last four or so years we’ve maintained two greenhouses on our balcony – growing chilli, oregano, mint and parsley. We also used to have basil (which Spider Mites destroyed), a single coriander shoot called “Dolly Parton” – because it was heavy and flopped over and Rosemary, which never took off. Most of the plants did reasonably well until they were hit with a double whammy infestation (against the odds of being elevated on a balcony and inside a greenhouse)!

The first infestation was a moth, which led to caterpillars – those fat green juicy ones like in A Bug’s Life. The caterpillars required patience and picking them off one by one to remove the infestation. Needless to say, these came back a few times as you always miss one. Once those bite mark like holes start showing, you know it’s too late and you’ve already got a family chowing down on your plants.

The second infestation, which was much harder to get rid of and literally sucked the life out of all my beloved basil plants (three separate bushes) – was due to the difficult and dreaded Spider Mite! The first Basil plant was the weakest and succumbed to the fact the Mites drained the nutrients out of its stalks. The other two were better established and lasted a little longer, but since I didn’t want to use chemicals as I wanted to eat from the plants, I resorted to meekly trimming the plants – which only delayed the inevitable. In hindsight, I should have tried the method below earlier!

My Parsley was the only plant left after the initial Spider Mite infestation so they naturally migrated onto it and started to kill it too. A few weeks back, I trimmed off all the leaves and left pretty much just the stalks – but I knew this likely wouldn’t work. So I decided with nothing to lose, I would try the combination of Garlic and Chili sprayed over the plant and surrounding greenhouse. Boy am I glad I at least tried, it worked a treat! I sprayed the area only twice in a period of a week and the Parsley seems to be Spider Mite free. I was able to pick and eat the Parsley for the first time last night since this all started a couple of months ago. It no longer has the off colour of looming death, and the leaves look nice and healthy as you can see in the pictures of the leaves below. I unfortunately (or maybe fortunately for you) did not take any pictures of the infestation/Spider Mites – but if they come back I will update this post with pictures.

So if you have Spider Mites – you’ll be able to see by the reddish/orange leaves and the webbing they weave on the leaves.

Try this very natural and chemical free solution!

• 1 Chilli (preferable a hot one)
• 1 clove of Garlic
• Boiling Water
• A jar
• A spray bottle

Method:

Chop and crush the Garlic, you want the garlic juice to infuse the water and likewise do the same with the Chilli – just don’t touch your face after handling it. Put them into a small Jar and pour hot water from a kettle into the jar – so you get about a cup of hot water. Leave this to sit and cool down. Once this is cool pour the water into a spray bottle that you don’t mind smelling of Garlic from now on and add water if it’s not enough to get a good spray – just don’t dilute it too much. If you don’t have enough you can just re-boil what is in the jar. Try to strain out any chunks of Garlic or Chilli when transferring to the bottle so it doesn’t clog the spray nozzle.

Use:

Spray all over the plant so it’s saturated – under the leaves and stalk and into the soil too as the Spider Mites can sometimes hide there. Spray the surrounding area if it’s enclosed or the nearby vicinity just to make sure the mites go away completely (read that as die).

Repeat this a couple of times and check your plant in a week or so.

Note: don’t keep the solution too long in the spray bottle as it’ll start to smell/rot.

Leave a comment if it ends up helping your plants at all! We’d love to hear of more victories against these little buggers.

Summer is for festivals

I read two words today that made my heart stop.

Bacon. Festival.

Bacon festival!!!

Yes, I know bacon stopped trending and, yes, I know it is no longer the cover child of foodie fascists fashionistas. But it’s just so darn tasty! Bacon is a flavour that pervades even the ficklest heart and has made all manners of breakfast (and other mealtime) foods infinitely better.

From the 9^th of February 2015, Cuckoo Callay at Newtown will be upping the bacon ante with amazing dishes like ‘What a Croque of Bacon’ (bacon, basil and vintage cheddar croquettes served with bourbon bacon, pea puree and two poached eggs) and ‘Ya Bacon Me Crazy’ (buttermilk waffles with house-made bacon, caramel and cinnamon ice cream, Black Forest Smokehouse maple bacon, maple syrup and chocolate coated bourbon bacon). They even have bacon drinks!

Best of all, the bacon is from Black Forest Smokehouse, which means that Australian farmers get a cut of this sweet deal.

Lard, have mercy on my soul!

Note: Ant does not work for CC and does not get anything for this write-up but how can one resist such an amazing place which even features a little doggie menu? #hearts

Cuckoo Callay

Newtown Train Station, 324a King Street, Newtown, New South Wales 2042
Tel: +61 (02) 9557 7006
Monday – Wednesday: 6:00 am – 4:00 pm
Thursday – Friday: 6:00 am – 9:30 pm
Saturday: 8:00 am – 9:30 pm
Sunday: 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Australian Open 2015

Clean and short matches so far for the Men’s Quarter Finals, but we’re in for a treat with a rematch of Djokovic and Wawrinka in the Friday 30th Semi Final match (last year’s final was a good one) and will Murray beat Berdych on Thursday night?

Thursday 29th from 11am EST we will see the Women’s Semi Finals, which should be great! Serena Williams plays the next generation in Madison Keys (USA v USA) and Ekaterina Makarova and Maria Sharapova (RUS v RUS). That’ll leave an interesting (USA v RUS) match for the finals either way. Followed by the Murray v Berdych match at 7:30pm.

All in all, the competition has been an interesting mix, with some early favourite exits, a good mix of Australians into the fourth rounds and an open door for this years champions.

You can find out more at Australian Open 2015

Theme Hospital – FREE from Origin Games

Wow, it’s been a little while since we added a post to our blog. Apologies for the general lack of updates, but I’m back (or so I say) for another round since it’s a new year and you make resolutions to do those things. Happy new year by the way too, we hope 2015 is being kind to you so far!

Many moons ago I liked to play Origin games, but that sort of faded as they were bought over by the EA juggernaut. As a generous gesture though (though it is old anyway), EA is giving away its classic game – Theme Hospital for free! It’s not just the demo, but the entire game. It’s for a limited time and you will have to sign up for an Origin account if you don’t already have one. I’ve always enjoyed the simulation games and they take me back to fun times. I hope they do the same for you.

You can find it here – Theme Hospital Free

Always be teachable

I was inspired recently after reading the transcript from the graduation speech given by Admiral McRaven to the class of 2014 on May 17th at the University of Texas. The speech provided great food for thought and showed the resilience of humans when it really mattered. It made me think sometimes I need to step back and realise the bigger picture through the little things. It also made me think of the characteristics and attributes that are found in those who strive for better and have character and ‘grit’.

If you don’t have the time to go through the entire transcript here are some of the great points he made.

1. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed
2. If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle
3. If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers
4. If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward
5. If you want to change the world, don’t back down from the sharks
6. if you want to change the world, start singing when you’re up to your neck in mud

Just reading those points might not make much sense, but if you see the reasons why (tied to Navy Seal training) they’ll make a lot of sense to why they matter.

If you have the time have a read of the transcript for yourself, or if you’re so inclined watched the YouTube video of the speech here at the University of Texas website.

Let the Tetrad Begin!

Don’t forget tomorrow evening (April 15 2014) – the first of the four slated lunar eclipse begin. Around 17:30-18:30 AEST (or moonset) is when it will be visible…or not visible since it’s an eclipse and the moon will be darkened. If there are clear skies and you can find a good vantage points facing an Easterly/horizon aspect preferably over water, you should definitely take a look!

Visit the Sydney Observatory website for precise details on the timing of the eclipse depending on your location. Most of the Eastern Australian states will have good view of this, unfortunately not so if you’re on the West Coast of Australia. There should also be plenty of other countries that see this too with New Zealand seeing the full eclipse.

It’ll be super cool too because it’s a blood moon and there will be four of them in the series that will appear so, quite a sight and fabled event. I read somewhere that the last few significant blood moons all sat comfortably around significant Jewish holidays (Passover and Tabernacles), no matter how you cut that information it’s a little eerie or ‘coincidentally’ timed.

If you’re a photographer, these are fun to take pictures of and totally safe (unlike solar eclipses)!

Happy star and moon gazing tomorrow!

 

Happy Pi Day!

Yesterday was apparently Pi Day – or so Ant says!

Weekly Planner – Android app

A new app I’ve discovered on the Google Play store is “Weekly Planner” by What App! – it’s everything I’ve been looking for in a simple and clean UI. It’s a little like the stock alarm layout with it’s simplicity, but the beauty is that you can set reminders for things you do regularly (which clears a lot of space in your mind). Things that you don’t really want to have to remember week to week, or things that do you want to remember and be consistent in doing. I’ve used it mostly for reminders of my weekly chore roster, so I can free up the mental space I would have used to focus on making my routines more efficient rather than trying to remember what day I had last done something.

It’s extremely useful to prompt you with the things that work on a semi regular basis. The app allows you to choose the repetition of days and the times you want to be reminded of the task. I’ve yet to find something that works in this way, previously I had dabbled with setting up a timetable for repetitive week to week reminders but nothing had suited the purpose like I had hoped. If you combine this with a good calendar app and a to do list you should have most of your organising needs taken care of relatively well. I currently use this in conjunction with Agenda Widget, GTasks and for one off random things tasks and Wunderlist to remember any lists of things I need to achieve or do for those events/tasks. Between these 4 apps I find all my organisational needs are met, they are also all free and have minimal permission intrusions or ads.

Weekly planner is a new app in the Play store and was last updated on February 28th 2014. It’s currently sitting with between 50-100 downloads, but definitely looks to be promising. A screen shot below from the developers shows an extremely clean layout. It’s nice and simple to set up.

If you’re looking for something that will give you notifications on your android drop down bar, this is a great option to try. It’s completely free, there are no ads and the permissions looked fairly reasonable from what I could find out about them.

This app has access to these permissions:

System tools

full license to interact across users

Affects battery

prevent device from sleeping

control vibration

Your applications information

run at startup

Try it and see what you think!

UNICEF Tap Project

So we’ve been dormant for a little while and it seems every year about this time we come back – for an annual post! This year though we’ll be coming back for regular posts!

As you might have seen from our previous post, we’re passionate about seeing social concerns being elevated in the mass consciousness and today we wanted to highlight this very simple challenge – so you too can be a part of something novel and probably hard for those of us in societies where owning a smartphone seems like a right and not a privilege.

All you need to do is not touch your phone for 10mins and you earn someone 1 days worth of water through the UNICEF sponsor (Giorgio Armani – Aqua for Life). It is really that simple and to be honest, it’s probably a really great thing to do for your own mindfulness and respite from being connected 24/7 (something else I’ve been thinking about lately).

UNICEF Tap Project

Some of the facts

“Across the globe, every day, 1,400 children die from diseases directly linked to unsafe water or a lack of basic sanitation facilities.”

“768 million people do not have access to safe, clean drinking water, and 2.5 billion people live without proper sanitation.”

I’ve read a few things that indicate you could probably go without food for at least a week and depending on your health and fitness probably closer to 20-40 days without dying, but just 3 days without water and you would die…pretty remarkable how essential clean water is to surviving. What’s sad is that clean water is relatively cheap to attain through basic purification methods. Yet so many communities don’t have access to these basic human right facilities, which lead to so many other issues such as cholera, diarrhoeal diseases (one of the leading killers in under 5 year olds in developing countries) and chronic disability (reducing productivity). These contribute to the cycle of poverty, through mortality and morbidity.

I noticed one of the info messages while the challenge was running on my phone – the record for New South Wales was only 1 hour! I think that should be fairly easy to break, so I’m going for at least 60 mins now! It’s already half way through, but I challenge anyone else to break that too.