Back to Back Issues Page
The Psych Up, Issue #001 -- Personality Testing is NOT Measure of You
July 22, 2005

Monthly Electronic Newsletter

Prickly Issues and Innovative Solutions


Issue# 1

Friday, July 22, 2005

Editor: Saqib Ali Ateel


I would like to welcome the new subscribers who have joined "The Psych Up" the last month. I am also thankful to others who have been continuing their support. This ezine is sent ONLY to the twice confirmed subscribers. If you don't want to receive it in future, please follow link at the end.





IN THIS ISSUE:

1. EDITOR'S RAMBLING

2. FEATURED ARTICLE

3. FINAL NOTES


EDITOR'S RAMBLING:

Hi!

I am not a psychologist...

Even psychology had never been a part of my academic disciplines. However, personality psychology had always been a passion for me. I always feel a deep curiosity to know what I am.

But...

My office, family, social and personal activities spare me little time to spend on my passion. However, during my job search I encountered psychometrics for a number of times. In most of the cases I realized that either they are unreliable or not in proper tone. Every encounter added to my passion.

I live in Pakistan!

The local socio-cultural and economic conditions helped me little to work upon my passion. It could have dies if I had not happened to contact Dr. Ken Evoy and his partners. He tried to convince me that I can convert my passion into a profitable business at the age of 35 and even when I don't have 'proper' knowledge of psychology.

I have been a skeptic!

I didn't believe in him and wasted two precious years. In November 2004, I decided to follow his advices.

And Lo...

Now I own a profitable website. It is deriving thousands of highly targeted visitors every month without paying a single penny for advertisement. My website is generating every piece of traffic from the top quality search engines such as MSN, Google and Yahoo. It is less than one full year and my website is ranked 234000 out of 56 million websites by Alexa.com. And my click through rate is about 20%...

What do I do?

I do JUST my PASSION...

...all other things are done by the SBI!

Now I am going to publish this monthly free newsletter. The very first issue contains the most vital but the least understood subject; personality. You may disagree with some of the opinions expressed here but you are welcome with your point of view. Simply click reply to this email and your views shall be weighed.

With Best of Luck!

Saqib Ali Ateel

P.S: Have you a hidden passion like me? Contact Dr. Ken Evoy and he shall tell you how to use SBI to convert your passion into your career. He is not a psychologist either. But he has been doing it for last five or more years. He has done it for me and can do it again for you.

Contact Dr. Ken Evoy here...





FEATURED ARTICLE:

Personality Testing; Myth and Realities

It is commonly believed myth that personality testing instruments can measure your personality and predict your future behaviors. The pre-employment testing mechanism has been following this creed without any solid evidence. The testing industry claims all out validity. The educational institutions and employer organizations use them for screening purposes. Their transparency and equity has even convinced the courts of law.

But it is still an unresolved riddle; what do they test?

Do they test personality? What is personality then? What is its nature? How does it come into existence? Is it outcome of evolution? Does matter has capability to generate a personality? Why animals don’t have a personality? Does it remain the same during whole of your life? And many more questions.

It is like peeling off an onion. Every strip leads to many more. Finally you get a heap of onion strips. Where is the onion? Your personality is not an onion...

Allport has recorded hundreds of different definitions. Most of the psychologists equate it to your style, behaviors and reactions. They have devised instruments to measure these main areas. The collected data about your behaviors and temperaments help them to decide your career. You may organize your behaviors in future but you may never be able to go for a career of your passion.

Why?

Experts like to predict. They predict weather. They predict political situations. They predict economic conditions. They predict your future with signs, numbers, cards or palms. And they predict your future performance with the help of personality testing instruments.

What’s Your Personality?

It is well recognized fact that every human being has a personality. It is not merely your physical body. It is not merely your consciousness. It is not merely your ego. It is not merely your behaviors. It is not merely your physical expression. It is not merely your style. It is not merely your temperament.

But they all and many other characteristics are expressions of your personality.

I don’t find it wise to define personality. Admittedly it is an abstract reality. You get it with your birth. You can either develop it or disintegrate. Your style, behaviors and reactions are expressions of your developed, undeveloped or under-developed personality.

How do you look? How do you react? How do you talk? How do you live? How do you think? They all are expressions of your personality. The psychometrics measures these expressions and not your personality.

The abstract nature of personality can neither be measured nor be analyzed with any scientific or non-scientific tool. It can only be visualized. It can be developed. It can be disintegrated. Your thinking and doing makes all out the difference. A developed personality gives better style, behaviors and reactions than an undeveloped one.

Why Psychometrics are Getting Popular?

The very first reason is that every one wants to know who he is.

But bigger reason of their massive use is just a desire of the employers to avoid bad-hire. They get hundreds of applications for a single situation. They are the only available tools to avoid idiosyncrasies.

They don’t have alternatives to psychometrics.

They are going to stay. Whether you are trying to be admitted for a specific discipline or looking for your dream job, you are going to encounter psychometrics at one stage or the others. You need to prepare before encountering them.

How to Prepare for Personality Testing Sessions?

Keep in mind...

Personality is an amazing entity. You can think. You can visualize. You can discover. You can express. You can plan. You can create. You have unlimited hidden potentials. But your selected options on paper are going to decide your future.

You should practice offline and online personality tests before encountering a real session. Your practice shall not only make them familiar to you but also generate a list of your strengths and weaknesses. You can improve them with your conscious effort.

However, it is much more important to learn how different personality and aptitude tests measure expressions of your personality. What theories are working behind them? How do they relate different jobs with different types? etc

About the Author

Psychometrics? Some believe in them and others reject them altogether. Saqib Ali Ateel explains reality lying in between. Visit https://www.personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com/art to prepare before encountering them.





FINAL NOTES

Thank you for reading "The Psych Up".

Feel free to reprint this article on your website or in your ezine. In return, simply include the short "about the author" byline. You are not allowed to change the content, however.

If you have liked this e-zine, please do a friend and me a big favor and pay it forward. If a friend did forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe at https://www.personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com/ezine

Comments? Ideas? Feedback? I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this e-zine and tell me what you think!

Back to Back Issues Page