Book Summary: Gifts Differing: End Note

Of all the ideas presented in Gifts differing on understanding oneself, this is the one I like the most:

"With a few people there follows a still further stage, in which the other functions are permitted more development, to compensate for any one-sideness, and the pronounced typical pricture is again modified to some extent by the unfolding of a fuller and richer expression of human nature. "

Regarding understanding others, I like this description the most:

"Sensing types want to solution to be workable, thinkers want it systematic, feeling types want it humanly agreeable, and intuitives want a door left open for growth and improvement. These are all reasonable desires. Given understanding and good will, they should be achievable.

When people differ, a knowledge of type lessens friction and eases strain. In addition, it reveals the value of differences. No one has to be good at everything. By developing individual strengths, guarding against known weaknesses, and appreciating the strengths of the other types, life will be more amusing, more interesting, and more of a daily adventure than it could possibly be if everyone were alike."

It took me almost a year to finish reading this book, and I've felt strongly the urge to move on. As mentioned in the introduction, the beauty of this theory is its nonjudgmental view on personality, so it offers an unbiased view to understand people. However, since personality is only part of what makes a person unique, understanding a personal requires much more than just understanding of his/her type.

Furthermore, the type theory doesn't account for the difference in culture, religion and other factors that contribute to the spiritual aspects of life, so its description on personal values only stays at surface level.

Also worth noticing is that though the theory is nonjudgmental on personality, we do need judgment on people whenever a decision related to people is made. The author also acknowledge the pivotal importance of judgment, and report that judgment is most difficult to develop.

One final note, the personality theory doesn't account for everything in human difference, but it does provide us a glimpse of the seemingly incomprehensible variety of human natures.