Why taking a personality test can make you happier

Personality tests are based on science. They can offer insight into how you tick on an eerily accurate level.

Where can you take a personality test?

There are a few highly recommended and widely used personality tests. The most common is the Myers-Briggs assessment. However, the Big Five and the Enneagram are also quite popular. These tests are all fairly short and they don't cost anything, but some companies will charge a fee if you want very comprehensive results. Basics results are free, and you can always search more on your personality type once you know what it is.

What can the personality test tell you?

The Myers-Briggs assessment tends to offer the most detailed results. It's also the most commonly used, so you can find a plethora of information about your personality type: your strengths, your weaknesses, your ideal career, your compatibility match, and much more.

Here is an infographic example of one of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types:

A lot can be learned from these types of assessments. Questions you may have about yourself, directions you should take in your career or relationships can all be addressed using information gleaned from your personality assessment results.

For a Myers-Briggs result, you will receive four letters. The result in the infographic above is INFJ. The results will come with a written overview covering a variety of topics, but you can dive much further into your personality type by entering your four letters into a search engine. The 16 options are

• ISTJ

• ISFJ

• INFJ

• INTJ

• ISTP

• ISFP

• INFP

• INTP

• ESTP

• ESFP

• ENFP

• ENTP

• ESTJ

• ESFJ

• ENFJ

• ENTJ

Through a search, you can find YouTube videos detailing facts and personal stories relating to your personality type. You can find social groups on Facebook and Twitter dedicated to people with your personality type. There are memes and infographics and entire websites dedicated to understanding your four-letter personality.

Why will taking a personality test make you happier?

Have you heard the phrase "like attracts like"? Some personality types are so opposite they result in personality clashes. Other types mesh seamlessly. Being able to identify and relate to people who are like you can be incredibly comforting.

By taking a personality test you are gaining powerful knowledge about yourself and about the world around you. It can help you find friends and partners. Just as importantly, it can help you better understand those who naturally differ from you.

It's normal to assume everyone sees the world through the same eyes as you, but that is a fallacy. Each personality type is quite different, reacting to the world and seeing it in a slightly different way. Therefore, taking a personality test will help you understand yourself on a deeper level and understand how to respect other personality types as well.