Know Oneself, Then Know One Another

When you have wit of your own, it's a pleasure to credit other people for theirs; and living by that principle, when people constantly try to ignore you or your talents it actually makes you even more confident, as though you cannot be matched.

Nowadays there are many different tests and evaluations intended to reveal one's dominant qualities. While some may be fraudulent, or maybe just inaccurate, I find StrengthsFinder 2.0 to be one of the most authentic. For those who can only follow me through cyberspace, I believe that sharing traits can provide at least an inch of direction to my nature and characteristic train of thought. The more one knows about how another person is programmed to make their decisions, whether agreeing or disagreeing with an actual decision, the easier it is to constructively criticize, accept, love, understand, and effectively rebuke that person when a circumstance calls. How is it that Christ has such a perfect love yet a flawless judgment? He knows each individual better than the individual knows himself; his Father is the one who designed and built our strengths and tendencies.

Also, I must say that true understanding and acceptance are not passive convictions that entail an "anything goes" mentality when practiced sincerely and effectively, but they, in result, provide accurate sources for godly accountability of one another; when or if in disagreement, the saying comes to mind, "To defeat [or repair] something you have to know it." I previously shared a passage from C.S. Lewis on the vulnerability of love, and I would be quite the hypocrite if I intentionally shielded my own thinking habits and much of what drives me to interpret things the way that I interpret them from those with whom I share my thoughts and interpretations.

This is my StrengthsFinder 2.0 report:
 
"Top 5 Themes:
-Connectedness
-Strategic
-Maximizer
-Intellection
-Input

Connectedness:
People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has reason.

By nature, you often are the one who helps people understand how they are linked across time, distance, race, ethnicity, religion, economic levels, languages, or cultures. You make it possible for individuals to work together. You aim to break down barriers that separate them. Instinctively, you may be guided by the notion that no one can live life without some help from others. Perhaps this idea compels you to consider how what you do and say affects people you know and individuals you will never meet. It’s very likely that you demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to the challenges facing various members of the human family. The faces you see in the news often strike you as familiar, not foreign. You usually feel a strong bond between yourself and these individuals. You intentionally refrain from being surrounded only by people who remind you of yourself. Driven by your talents, you choose to associate with people whose philosophical perspective gives them both balance and courage in the face of adversity. Because of your strengths, you consider people more important than things. The value you place on humankind guides your decision-making. It also influences what you say and do as well as what you choose not to say and do.

Strategic:
People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.

It’s very likely that you realize you can identify a variety of problems and respond to a wide range of questions. You probably can pinpoint specific times when you proposed alternative ways of doing things. You probably recall giving answers no one else considered. You are aware that your subconscious mind continuously absorbs information and creates possible options. Chances are good that you are a self-reliant person who needs time alone to think and work. You generate innovative ideas and propose systematic programs of action. You likely identify recurring configurations in the behavior of people, the functioning of processes, or the emergence of potential problems. Driven by your talents, you invent original ideas of your own. Your imagination is typically stimulated when you collaborate — that is, team up — with future-oriented thinkers. Because of your strengths, you might easily detect unusual configurations or spot new trends in data or factual information. Devising options appeals to you. You have little interest in simply repeating what worked in the past. Instinctively, you trust your ability to be an innovative thinker. You routinely invent many ways you can reach a single goal. Only then do you start narrowing down your options to the best one. You probably take into consideration prevailing circumstances, available resources, budgetary constraints, or pressing deadlines.

Maximizer:
People who are especially talented in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.

Driven by your talents, you often accommodate the unique talents of people. Characteristically you accept human beings just as they are. You argue that excellent outcomes are produced by people who have ample opportunities each day to do what they do well. It’s very likely that you notice the unique traits that differentiate one person from everyone else. You have little patience with people who stereotype others into general categories. You prefer to describe individuals with specific and vivid details. No two people and no two lives are exactly the same, you contend. Watching people gives you much pleasure. It also provides you with lots of information others miss. Instinctively, you select projects, assignments, or tasks that allow you to use your talents to produce outcomes. You actively seek opportunities to work independently. You probably realize you make a lot more progress when you are allowed to work alone. Chances are good that you invest much more time thinking about your good points than agonizing over your shortcomings. You usually proceed faster and produce better results when you build on your talents. By nature, you inspire others by finding out what motivates them. You give individuals lots of recognition. You celebrate each person’s uniqueness. Your acknowledgments and compliments typically energize people.

Intellection:
People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.

Driven by your talents, you are willing to spend time sharing your ideas with intelligent individuals. Of course, you want them to tell you their latest thinking. Conversations that involve a lot of questions and answers stimulate your mind. You know you have spent your time wisely when you have a number of new ideas, theories, or concepts to somehow file away or remember for future use. Because of your strengths, you yearn to increase your knowledge by being kept in the information loop. This explains why you gravitate to people who converse about ideas at a deeper and more thoughtful level than most individuals are capable of doing. "Making small talk" — that is, engaging in idle conversation — probably seems like a waste of time to you. By nature, you spend a lot of time pondering your future. You can experience anxiety about your prospects. Fortunately, your ability to reason through stress-producing situations calms many of your fears about the unknown. Chances are good that you traditionally want to think with visionaries. You are quite comfortable with long stretches of silence. Why? Quiet allows you and the others to mull over theories or create inventions that can alter the course of history or change the way ordinary people live. It’s very likely that you gravitate to discussions where the participants are committed to searching for truth and reason.

Input:
People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

Because of your strengths, you usually equate education — formal and informal — with understanding more about something today than you understood about it yesterday. It’s very likely that you genuinely care about the people you meet. Your fondness is apt to be apparent to them. Habitually, you ask lots of questions and carefully study the responses. Because you take time to know them personally, many individuals feel safe sharing their innermost thoughts or feelings with you. Armed with these insights, you probably become their ambassador of good will. You frequently teach your circle of acquaintances and friends how to welcome these people into the group. Instinctively, you desire to acquire additional knowledge and gain new skills. Why? You are naturally curious. You often work alone to commit information to memory. You probably have a solitary place where you can practice your art, craft, sport, or science. Chances are good that you can finagle — that is, obtain by indirect or involved means — time with people who think about the coming years and decades. Routinely, you read their writings or listen to their conversations. You probably ask them questions and consider their responses. You file away lots of ideas and facts, sensing that one day this information will prove to be useful. Whether it ever actually does become useful makes no difference to you. Collecting the predictions of forward-looking thinkers is apt to be rewarding in and of itself. Driven by your talents, you have a strong need to know that you are taking the proper course of action before you begin. Without a doubt, your hunger for evidence, data, or background information is immense. Whether your sources of knowledge are people, classes, books, the Internet, or discussions, you are hardwired to be as informed as you possibly can be prior to starting most ventures. You probably prefer to be overly prepared rather than risk being poorly prepared."