I hate to say it, but you can have too much of a good thing. Unless its coffee. A dessert can be too rich. Your meal can have an overpowering flavor where it’s impossible to finish. I wonder if our personalities are the same way?
Do we overly focus on a particular aspect of our personality to the point it becomes our identity?
Where is the balance?
If you focus on making people laugh all the time, people start to see you just as a comedian. It hides the depth of your personality from others. Your perspective is affected as you only look for the funny stuff, and you miss out on the variety of life.
Question and Answer Time
- What part of your personality are you focusing on the most?
- Where are the other parts that need to be brought out?
- Where is the balance?
- What is the role and place you take in various situations?
It takes some thought. I know, I have explored who I am and how others see me. Discovering You; How To Find Out What Makes You Tick is the book I wrote on the former. The latter, I just asked questions of others.
People see me as trustworthy and quiet, when I do speak, the words are usually carefully measured. Observant and analytical, I usually need a reason to do anything.
That’s only the book’s cover, what’s inside?
The danger is if I analyze everything, I miss out on the big picture because I’m focused on the minutia. If everything needs a reason, then I miss out on the spontaneity of humor. We play many parts and if someone only sees one part then they’ll miss out on the depth.
I’m a husband, teacher, leader, open ear, and gap-filler where needed. Deeper still is the comic geek who answers texts with hero memes. The theology/apologetics nerd that studies systematic theology text books for fun. The broken part that studied grief, trauma, human behavior, martial arts, and personal protection so he could cope.
How To Balance It All?
My question from the start. The answer, to balance according to the situation. Our characteristics are like tools. Use what is needed without forgetting the rest. It’s like the saying goes, when all you have is a hammer then everything starts to look like a nail.
An example: I enter a room and look around (observe, analyze, and plan). If someone wants to talk, I can be the open ear. An energetic kid running around that my own inner child can play with. A deep conversation? I have a lot of information swirling in my head and a curious nature. If something needs done, it won’t bother me to do it.
By focusing on one part, we place ourselves in a box, becoming one-dimensional. Live like it’s a three-dimensional world.
A Ronin's Journey 