There is no infallible indicator of personality. There are four kinds of personality data: self-report, information, life, and behavioral. Each one has it’s advantages and disadvantages. When conducting research on personality, each must be considered in order to draw valid and reliable conclusions about personality. This is because no one observation fits neatly into one set of data. There is an endless number of combinations. If one approach is used while the other ignored, it could lead to error (p. 45). Error is already an issue when it comes to interpretation, so if the data is skewed, then error is inevitable. Additionally, personality changes constantly based on several factors. Personality changes depending on our company, our environment, and our actions. How a person would behave around friends while playing video games is most likely very different from how that person conducts him or herself at a meeting in front of a supervisor at work. A self-reporting person who says that he or she is very professional and detail oriented may appear to be an entirely different person when participating in a rowdy game of virtual football …show more content…
while a pan of soup is burning on the stove. the different approaches to personality and the types of data used in observation, aids our understanding of why we are each unique, even though we share similarities with others. In chapter four of his book, Life Together: The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community, Dietrich Bonhoeffer describes several types of ministry that individuals within the Christian community.
Each type of ministry is really describing different kinds of people in the Christian community and what type of behavior would be appropriate for a person with a certain personality. He describes the “Ministry of Meekness (Bonhoeffer, 1954)” where putting others above ourselves is considered wisdom. There are also ministries like listening, helpfulness, and holding one’s tongue. Then there are ministries that pertain directly to personality, like the ministry of authority, and the ministry of
proclaiming. When I think about my own church community, I can visualize specific people that fit into these ministries. There is the quiet, genteel man who helps pass the offering plate, and the very loud laughing man who throws his arm over another person’s shoulder and gives hugs. I am very eager to utilize the information from this class to observe the people in my Christian community. I want to better understand and appreciate them as individuals and as servants of the Lord.