Monday, June 27, 2011

Coalescence

Several years ago, I think I was about 23 at the time, I was talking to someone who had been professionally trained to administer certain personality tests used in HR and counselling and various things like that. She was telling me about how once she was administering a test, and the person being tested asked "Should I answer like I am at work or like I am in private?" That made perfect sense to me. My answers would have been different too if I'd been answering like my work self vs. my private self.

I just realized that now, at the age of 30, my answers would probably be the same.

I'm not entirely sure how that happened. I certainly wasn't being inauthentic when I was 23. I wasn't really faking my personality or hiding my true self at work. I was just a different self in different contexts. And now I'm the same self. Weird.

2 comments:

laura k said...

It is weird! But I think it's good - moving towards a more integrated self.

impudent strumpet said...

Whatever it is, it makes life a bit easier. I can talk to translation students the same way I talk to my university-student cousins. I can talk to neighbours or friends' parents the same way I talk to my co-workers.