Watch out !

A typical way of walking, the form of your handshake, the way you cross your ankles, the direction of your eyes while talking to another person, the tone of your voice - each give out a certain definite message. Each and every body movement contains a clue to your personality. Are you being defensive? Are you contemplating something ? Are you confused about something? Is your body showing signals of approval? Can rejection of ideas be traced in your body postures?

Each of us have an internal system of recognising certain signals. We immediately know when somebody we know is upset. We can detect their moods and thoughts. This is an unconscious form of reading the other person's body language. To certain extent we develop this skill as part of a society. A good salesman can intuitively detect a potential customer. He knows when he is near closing of a sale and adapts his body language to engage you into trusting his credibility and making the buy.

Sitting in a restaurant or in a bar we often send out signals to a potential mate. A flick of hair, crossing of ankles, tilted head, animated gestures - all represent signals of being attracted to the person opposite us. Most of these are unconscious and are read by instinct.

My friend always knows when her dog is grouchy, or when he needs to go out to pee ! Each pet owner can vouch that they know exactly what mood their pet is in. Again - it is body language at work. Various studies get caried out to study and understand animal behavior.

Each culture may have their unique form of expressing themselves - but certain gestures are universal.

Gaining a better understanding of body language is fun and extremely essential - especially while negotiating or trying to make a sale ! How you present yourself at an interview might tip the scale in your favor or not. Verbal cues are often not attended to. The way you present yourself - your mannerisms - say it all !

Its easy to gain a basic understanding of what body language is all about !

Here are a few links to "decode" body language !

This is a condensed version of a chapter in "Mind Your Manners" - a table -describing gestures and their clues by John Mole. Another table defining various key body movements and an article describing cultural differences in certain postures and gestures @ LifePositive.com

Interview? Do it right ! Body language markers to wach out for @ pcw.co.uk,Interview Tactics and CareerJournal

The Sales Man, the marketer, the Negotiater needs to read this.

The dating scene ! Signals men send out and signals women hint out ! Take a quiz to find out what your body language says about you @ Romance-Dating-BodyLanguage Quiz. Shape up your act - hints @ ThirdAge.com and - the body language 101 guide to interpreting - if SHE likes you @Becomeaplayer.com!

Animal Behavior - Pets and their body language ! Links to understanding the canine @ WagnTrain,Pet-tails and Canine Behavior. The feline link @ Purina.com and the clue to rabbits@ Rabbit.org!

The geek you might want to read up on this article which describes how technology is being developed to read your mouse movements - yup - The PC - Mouse that helps you to navigate thru the web ! Whether you are reading a website or not - your mouse movements tell all ! the article@bbc.co.uk

You Are What You Hear

A recent study by psychologists Jason Rentfrow and Sam Gosling of the University of Texas shows that your musical taste might be a link to your personality. You are what you like to hear ! A survey of musical taste of thousands of people was conduced and the results were categorised into 4 distinct personality types -

Extrovert and sensation seeker
Reflective and complex
Upbeat and conventional
Energetic and rhythmic

So - depending on whether you prefer hard rock, jazz or bethoveen a small insight in your personality may be gained. This does seem a bit far fetched on certain points because many people have very eclectic taste in music. To this the psychologists state that many people might "cross over into more than one group".

This is a good quiz to take when you first meet a person and want to find out their general preferences. You just might get surprised !

Read the whole article here

Do you want to take the survey? Find out what your music says about you here

What do u see ?

Look up at the clouds drifting by. Or see the shadows on the moon. Each one of us might end up with a different perception of what we saw. This same technique is adopted by Projective Tests.

Projective Tests “Psychological diagnostic tests in which the test material is unstructured so that any response will reflect a projection of some aspect of the subject's underlying personality and psychopathology”

Projection enables the psychologist to gain a better idea about the unconscious mind. The unstructured stimuli maybe of various different forms. A picture, an inkblot, a dialogue – the interpretation of these clues gives access to our unconscious mind. This relatively unstructured task permits an almost unlimited variety of possible responses. Each response can then be analyzed and a basic idea of the individuals psyche maybe gained.

Rorschach Inkblot test is one such projective test. Named after Hermann Rorschach this test consists of a set of 10 inkblots. The patient is asked to look at each blot and to say what it looks like or what it could be. Because the stimulus is ambiguous, the patient must impose his or her own structure. In doing so, thoughts, feelings, and themes, some of which are unconscious, are projected into the material.

Projective tests tend to have lower validity and reliability than objective tests. That is, they are less stable, and have lower relationships with other criteria. However, the information which they provide tends to be richer and more varied. The tests are still under lot of controversy. A proper structure to their interpretation was given by John E. Exner.

Each interpretation of the inkblot is judged on the basis of –
1. Location--where is the thing that is seen?
2. Determinants--what makes it look like that? Form? Movement?
3. Form Quality -- how well does the thing seen fit what the blot looks like?
4. Contents and Populars -- what is it that is seen?
5. Organizational Activity-- are elements seen organized with respect to one another?
Ex: "An animal walking across a creek" "Fire coming out of a rocket"
6. What strange things did the taker say during the response?
7. What special content is there in the response?

More detail on - individual response interpretation .

Interested in finding out what your unconscious mind projects ? Try the inkblot test on Emode.

Rorschach Inkblots cannot be re-published. Only psychologists have access to these inkblots. But an interpretation of similar re-productions and how a psychologist scores them are given here. A disclaimer to this site suggests that once you read thru their information it might not be ethical to take a Rorschach Test with a psychologist as the expected responses are discussed. Its worth a read-thru !

More information on Rorschach Inkblots @ Psychoheresy, Phil.gu.se and Skepdic.com.

Why are women shop-a-holics? Why are men - sports fanatics?

Spending millions of hours shopping sounds like bliss to me ! And I can bet that the guys have no issues with the idea of watching sports all day long. These very simple activities bring a lot of pleasure to us. But at the same time there is a noticeable difference between the gender preferences. Guys whine about having to drag around till we finish our shopping and at the same time girls often get offended by the numerous hours spent in front of television - watching sports!

Evolutionary psychology explains these particular character traits as something we evolved with. Our ancestors are believed to have lead a “hunter-gatherer” form of survival. Small groups or clusters of people were formed. They lived in small colonies where in the men would hunt for food and women would gather food material and bring up children. Men learned to live in harmony owing to formation of such groups. Co-operation and co-existence formed a lifestyle. The nomadic life style soon changed and lead to the formation of societies.

Evolutionary psychology is the science that seeks to explain through universal mechanisms of behavior why humans act the way they do. Evolutionary psychology seeks to reconstruct problems that our ancestors faced in their primitive environments, and the problem-solving mechanisms they created to meet those particular challenges. From these reconstructed problem-solving adaptations, the science then attempts to establish the common roots of our ancestral behavior, and how those common behavioral roots are manifested today in the widely scattered cultures of the planet. The goal is to understand human behavior that is universally aimed at the passing of one's genes into the next generation.

Our physical characteristics have been selected by the process of "Natural Selection". In the same way - certain personality traits have also evolved. Shopping is a form of gathering things. Ancestral women that were good "gatherers" survived and passed on their genes. In modern society basic survival needs are easily met. "Gathering" or "Hunting" isn’t essential to our survival. Nevertheless, we do gain pleasure from pursuing these activities. The thrill of finding a good buy, the joy from finding something suitable for our family or loved ones are simple pleasures that once were essential to survival.

In a similar manner - observe any sport that is played today. It is all about achieving a goal, gaining a target by co-operation of a group or a team. Hunting constituted of the same thing. Men went out in groups to hunt - to make a kill - to bring food for their families. A good hunt was essential to their survival and the good hunters were the only ones that survived. This instinct again has no place in the modern world. Men have formed "sports" "games" which enable them to use their physical strength and age-old instincts to make a goal - a hunt! Gaining a good contract, a promotion, making a good deal – all are various forms of a good “hunt” in the modern society.

Am i an introvert? or am i just plain ol shy ?!

The term "introvert" is often used in a general form referring to a person who is shy. introversion and shyness have nothing to do with each other. An introvert or an extrovert can be shy...introversion is not synonymous to shyness.

Introverts are not necessarily shy.The main difference between a shy person and an introvert is the very basic fact - that people who are shy have a desire to interact with people. they want to get to know more people - talk to them and to some point act like the extrovert next to them - who is having a great time in the party !But they are unable to express themselves - largely owing to low self-esteem. Shy people are anxious or frightened or self-excoriating in social settings; introverts generally are not. An introverted person has the conversational skills and self-esteem necessary to interact successfully with others, but prefers to be alone. A shy person, however, wants to be with others but lacks the social skills and self-esteem needed.

so then who is an introvert? or what does introversion mean ?

The terms introvert and extrovert was first coined by Dr. Carl Jung as a means to understand various different types of personality. He described introversion and extroversion as two in-born ways that people gain and lose personal energy.

He understood that introversion and extroversion are on a continuum. At one end are introverts. They feel depleted by too much external stimulation and are energized by internal sources (ideas, impressions, thoughts).

Extroverts, at the other end of the continuum, are energized by external sources (activities, socializing, things) and lose energy during down time.

Some people use both sides of the continuum almost equally. We all possess both ways of increasing and decreasing energy but most of us inherently require more introverting or extroverting to accumulate our energy resources.

plainly put - an introvert would get exhausted after a time by being around a lot of people. and on the other hand if an extrovert were to be left alone - he would get exhausted ! he would need to go find himself a few people to interact with ..to talk with ! this is no way means that the introvert hates people and prefers to stay in seclusion ! he enjoys company of people - a few close to him - that he can argue - discuss and carry long conversations with!

People who prefer introversion may:

- be seen as calm and "centered" or reserved
- feel comfortable being alone and like solitary activities
- prefer fewer, more intense relationships
- sometimes spend too much time reflecting and not move into action quickly enough
- sometimes forget to check with the outside world to see if their ideas really fit their experience

About 25% of the total population is formed of Introverts.

Introverts are often misunderstood and extraverts find it quite difficult to gain an understanding of them . An excerpt from one of the articles i was reading frames this quite well ! :)

Are introverts misunderstood? Wildly. That, it appears, is our lot in life. "It is very difficult for an extrovert to understand an introvert," write the education experts Jill D. Burruss and Lisa Kaenzig.Extroverts are easy for introverts to understand, because extroverts spend so much of their time working out who they are in voluble, and frequently inescapable, interaction with other people. They are as inscrutable as puppy dogs. But the street does not run both ways. Extroverts have little or no grasp of introversion. They assume that company, especially their own, is always welcome. They cannot imagine why someone would need to be alone; indeed, they often take umbrage at the suggestion. As often as I have tried to explain the matter to extroverts, I have never sensed that any of them really understood. They listen for a moment and then go back to barking and yipping.

read the whole article here

so more often then not - extraverts - need to be doing things - talking to people - actively looking for answers - by questioning...arguing...debating their queries out. quite introspection and reflection arent exactly their "method" of figuring things out. they are often exasperated at others idea of "thinking things thru" - they believe in "talking things thru"...

if u know of a person who is an introvert...and sometimes just cant figure out what to do with him/her ! here's something that might help !(from the same article)

How can I let the introvert in my life know that I support him and respect his choice?
First, recognize that it's not a choice. It's not a lifestyle. It's an orientation.
Second, when you see an introvert lost in thought, don't say "What's the matter?" or "Are you all right?"
Third, don't say anything else, either.

"We're here, we're quiet - now quit hassling us!"

In order to determine whether you are an introvert or extrovert, you'll need to take more than this short questionnaire. However, your answers to the following may help you discover whether you lean in one direction or the other.Check each item that applies to you.

- I get drained when I spend a lot of time with other people.
(imagine urself at a party with lot of new / unknown people)
- I like presenting my ideas in writing.
( ask urself how comfortable you would be forming a reply if asked to suddenly present an idea verbatim)
- I need time alone to figure things out.
- My idea of a good time at a party is to have a conversation with one or two others about something we all know a lot about.
- I hold back in class discussions because I like to think out my answers completely before speaking.
- It takes energy for me to get to know people.
- I can concentrate on one project for a long time.
- I like to explore subjects deeply and thoroughly.

If you checked at least half the boxes, you might be an introvert. this was one very short and simple way to get an basic idea of how your preferences center.most of us are somewhere in between the continuum.

A test for introversion/extroversion can be taken here. A better option would be to take an MBTI - as this has various versions available on the net as opposed to a very few personality tests available to measure introversion and extroversion.more on MBTI here

Wonder how introverts process some basic stuff? n how extraverts do theirs? Then this is a definite link to read thru - Intravert's Lexicon

Know ur Colors!

Color Psychology..another field or rather sub-field of psychology. Each color has a specific effect on us. Our moods often dictate the color we decide to wear. Red is sexy...black ..classic....blue ..soothing.....purple ...royal ! Various research studies have focussed on finding the exact connection between colors and mood. how colors effect us? what are the colors we choose in certain moods? what decor is most soothing? which colors promote productivity? can u imagine a red hospital room? crazy,huh! but - casino's have red neon light - the more the better ! why ? Vitality n red go hand in hand - thats y ! whats sexy ?.....lady in red.....!!!

A Color quiz was developed on the basis of Dr. Max Lûscher work in this field. This test is widely used in Europe as a means of screening applicants. An insight into one's personality can be seen via the colors selected. this is a fun n easy 2 mins test! the result are fabulous. i often wonder how some test results pinpoint your exact mood.

here's what my Test Result said -

Your Existing Situation
Dissatisfied. The need to escape continued involvement with her present circumstances makes it imperative for her to find some solution.
Your Stress Sources
The tenacity and strength of will necessary to contend with existing difficulties has become weakened. Feels overtaxed, worn out, and getting nowhere, but continues to stand her ground. She feels this adverse situation as an actual tangible pressure which is intolerable to her and from which she wants to escape, but she feels unable to make the necessary decision.
Your Restrained Characteristics
Wants to broaden her fields of activity and insists that her hopes and ideas are realistic. Distressed by the fear that she may be prevented from doing what she wants; needs both peaceful conditions and quiet reassurance to restore her confidence.
Your Desired Objective
Longs for tenderness and for a sensitivity of feeling into which she can blend. Responsive to anything esthetic and tasteful
Your Actual Problem
Tensions and stresses induced by trying to cope with conditions which are really beyond her capabilities or reserves of strength have led to considerable anxiety, and a sense of personal (but admitted) inadequacy. She seeks to escape into a more peaceful and problem-free situation, in which she will no longer have to assert herself or contend with so much pressure.

i identify with a lot of it.

Curious? Want to take the test ???
Take the Color Quiz here
Read more about the development of this "Color Quiz"here

Wonder what certain colors represent? Read more on colors.....n some more

Emode has a quirky "Signature Color" quiz which tells you about which color suits your personality the most! ( u need to be registered - but if u like crazy tests n inventories - this site is a MUST ! )

A lot of information from the field of Color Psychology is used in "Graphic Designing" ...how the web-pages effect the viewer - what colors to use.....lot of interesting links related to this are available! one i came across is this.

Graphology ...the hand that reveals all ! ;)

Graphology or science of hand writing analysis is another field which has always fascinated me...being able to read one's personality from one's handwriting...the moods..the introversion / extroversion...the self esteem markers...it all depends on the way you cross your t and curve the tail of your y's and g's... ! ever noticed how over a period of time your handwriting have changed....how the nursery taught perfect curves take their own shape ...and how they change as years go by ?! i just noticed how i make a round O like dot on my i ..instead of a tiny dot...each little quirk of you handwriting has an underlying meaning...

handwriting's are analysed by observing over 100 different traits in the way you write. i had looked this topic up on the net a couple of years back...but now the amount of free information is getting less ! apparently a new theory suggests that if u induce a person to write in a different way then - their personality may undergo a positive change. a shy and timid person when regularly exercises writing in strong bold letterings he/she might feel a boost in their confidence and may undergo some amount of change .... tonnes of books have been written on this ! i had a look at couple of them ...some of it does make sense but i wonder how effective they really are in context of the degree of change they promote !

some of the main traits that they look up are - the spacing of your letters in the word itself...the slant of your writing ..the slope of your writing...the gap between two words..the height of your letters...the way they are shaped - pointed/rounded....etc. each trait signifies a certain characteristic of your personality. Handwriting analysts believe that your handwriting is like a neural map - a printing of your unconscious brain which reveals your mood at the time they are written.

There are some really fascinating online handwriting analysis available !
i took a couple and the results were amazingly true !
like the rest of the tests - this test also depends on how well you can observe your traits.
the best way to go about them is to first write a small paragraph on an unlined paper.
your signature also shows a lot about how you perceive yourself - so make sure to put in your sign !

here's a list of where to take these tests !
this test gave me the best analysis - its really small...n takes a couple of minutes....
Handwriting Analysis - Self Evaluation

this is a relatively long test - and observes about 40 different traits - so if u have extra time - and realy want to go in depth - this is THE ONE to go for....
not only is the analysis very accurate - it also explains how it is done ! there is a sample paragraph here - which u can use to observe your own traits !
Cheryl Patrick's Handwriting Analysis Wizard

this link is about the HELL Traits - to watch out for ! take a minute out and see if someone you know has more then 3 of the traits listed ...if you do know somebody like that then you are in BIG trouble !!! a definite look thru !!!
5 Hell Traits

this is a list of alphabets - how each alphabet has a significance !
Your abc's !

Evolution of Smile ! :) !

Is this guy laughing out loud ? or scared to death ? difficult to judge,eh? there is a reason to that....! smile evolved from the fear face ! Evolutionary Psychology again!:) our hunter gatherer ancestors apparently evolved this feature - fear shows a sign of submission which says to the opponent - "im not a threat to u !" this fear face eventually started to resemble our smile...! n then came laughter...apparently smiles are easy to imitate ... so then came laughter ...which is almost impossible to imitate ...its really easy to spot fake laughter ,isnt it?!! Smile n laughter are universal! Whether it be a chinese guy smiling or an Australian ....they all look the same n are sending out the same message ! think about any other body language - n u might find variations in different cultures....but when it comes to smile or laughter..its same world over ! (Try n imagine urself on a rollercoaster - what wud ur expression be like ? try this in front of a mirror - n ull see how near it is to a smile !!! ive been driving my mom nuts - showing her this resemblance ..lolz...!)

Personality - yours?

MBTI - Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a test which determines or gives a "type" to ur Personality !!! i often used to wonder ~ as to how would i define my personality???!
I took the MBTI inventory with my Career Counsellor - and found it fascinating ! im trying to write up a paper on it - so have loads of info on it ! here are a few links which enable u to take the MBTI test free of charge (i had to pay $11 for mine!!!)....n then a few more links which explain or provide more information about ur own particular personality type !

Take the Test here -

Human Metrics

as soon as u finish the test - u will get a result stating ur Personality Type ! u cud find out loads about what ur personality type means by searching it up on google ! some good links are -

Type Logic
Personality Page
Personality Type
Bloginality
Socionics

these should pretty much quench ur curiosity !!!
i would really like some feedback on this- does your personality type match ur perception of ur personality!???!

i have a belief that majority of the people who "blog" or like to write ...share ideas .....should have certain characteristics of their personality type in common....!

Know this - too !

a quick message - this MBTI is not the actual one that a psychologist would give u ...it is an adapted version - it is the easiest version to take .... coz it doesnt ask u to self analyze and is quite comprehensive! my score on the actual MBTI and this one matched....!

another hint - the scores always show a "degree" to which the particular characteristic pertains to. as in - my evaluation wud show something like -
* very expressed introvert
* slightly expressed intuitive personality
* moderately expressed feeling personality
* moderately expressed judging personality

here the hint would be that - the characteristics that are shown as "slightly expressive" are not a very definite part of ur personality n may vary ...

incase u get to take the whole un-adapted version of MBTI ...then u probably will score slightly different on that one ! u should always remember that when u take any kind of inventory - ur answers should be something that u see urself doing "MOST" of the time !that is the most essential part of this test...!

Few more web pages which carry the adapted version of MBTI. these are more self-retrospective ! so get thinking !

Hale Online
Career Types

the best bet wud be - to try both the links !shouldnt get too confusing !hope this helps !

Moi - INFP - Et Vous?!?

My MBTI proflie is of an INFP ...here's what that means....

Portrait of an INFP - Introverted iNtuitive Feeling Perceiving
(Introverted Feeling with Extraverted Intuition)

The Idealist!


As an INFP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your personal value system. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.

INFPs, more than other iNtuitive Feeling types, are focused on making the world a better place for people. Their primary goal is to find out their meaning in life. What is their purpose? How can they best serve humanity in their lives? They are idealists and perfectionists, who drive themselves hard in their quest for achieving the goals they have identified for themselves

INFPs are highly intuitive about people. They rely heavily on their intuitions to guide them, and use their discoveries to constantly search for value in life. They are on a continuous mission to find the truth and meaning underlying things. Every encounter and every piece of knowledge gained gets sifted through the INFP's value system, and is evaluated to see if it has any potential to help the INFP define or refine their own path in life. The goal at the end of the path is always the same - the INFP is driven to help people and make the world a better place.

Generally thoughtful and considerate, INFPs are good listeners and put people at ease. Although they may be reserved in expressing emotion, they have a very deep well of caring and are genuinely interested in understanding people. This sincerity is sensed by others, making the INFP a valued friend and confidante. An INFP can be quite warm with people he or she knows well.

INFPs do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict situations, INFPs place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. They focus on the way that the conflict makes them feel, and indeed don't really care whether or not they're right. They don't want to feel badly. This trait sometimes makes them appear irrational and illogical in conflict situations. On the other hand, INFPs make very good mediators, and are typically good at solving other people's conflicts, because they intuitively understand people's perspectives and feelings, and genuinely want to help them.

INFPs are flexible and laid-back, until one of their values is violated. In the face of their value system being threatened, INFPs can become aggressive defenders, fighting passionately for their cause. When an INFP has adopted a project or job which they're interested in, it usually becomes a "cause" for them. Although they are not detail-oriented individuals, they will cover every possible detail with determination and vigor when working for their "cause".

INFP Strengths


Most INFPs will exhibit the following strengths with regards to relationship issues:

* Warmly concerned and caring towards others
* Sensitive and perceptive about what others are feeling
* Loyal and committed - they want lifelong relationships
* Deep capacity for love and caring
* Driven to meet other's needs
* Strive for "win-win" situations
* Nurturing, supportive and encouraging
* Likely to recognize and appreciate other's need for space
* Able to express themselves well
* Flexible and diverse

INFP Weaknesses

Most INFPs will exhibit the following weaknesses with regards to relationship issues:

* May tend to be shy and reserved
* Don't like to have their "space" invaded
* Extreme dislike of conflict
* Extreme dislike of criticism
* Strong need to receive praise and positive affirmation
* May react very emotionally to stressful situations
* Have difficulty leaving a bad relationship
* Have difficulty scolding or punishing others
* Tend to be reserved about expressing their feelings
* Perfectionistic tendancies may cause them to not give themselves enough credit
* Tendency to blame themselves for problems, and hold everything on their own shoulders

Crazy - for laughs Stuff !

oh well - by now i think everybody has figured out that im an inventory-freak ! i absolutely love taking all kinds of inventories ! questionnaires !!! the whole gamut !!!

so here's a few fun types !!! some of them are really really funny !

Funny Ones

have fun !!! :)

Love Attitude? Self Esteem ? Check Check!

I came across The Love Attitude Scalewhile writing one of my essays for school.Worth a look....!

Few more scales ..these ones are a bit more "serious" types....
Self Esteem & Stress Test
i scored a "extremely stressed" out thing...oh well..i already knew that ! :( .........