Success as an Introvert and Introvert Social Skills

Summary

This transcript covers various topics including personal growth, the 16 personality test, and Ayurveda. The speaker emphasizes that lack of ambition may not be the reason for stagnation in life; instead, spreading oneself too thin could be the issue. The Myers-Briggs test is discussed as a useful but not independently validated tool, while the Big Five personality traits are highlighted as the best validated framework. The speaker explains that understanding and playing to one's personality strengths, whether through Myers-Briggs, Big Five, or Ayurvedic doshas (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), is crucial for personal success.

Takeaways

• 🚶‍♂️ The script discusses how not progressing in life isn't always due to a lack of ambition but can be because one is spreading themselves too thin.
• 🧐 The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is introduced as a descriptive personality assessment, but it's not independently validated and should be used for understanding behavior, not for making predictions.
• 🔮 MBTI is based on Carl Jung's work, influenced by Ayurveda, and can be useful for self-understanding, similar to how a horoscope might be used.
• 🔍 The Big Five personality traits (also known as the Five Factor Model) are recognized as a well-validated system for understanding personality, including openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism.
• 📈 High levels of neuroticism and conscientiousness are associated with higher income, suggesting that being goal-oriented and internally driven can lead to success.
• 🛠 Personality traits can be altered; people can learn to adapt and develop different aspects of their personality to improve their life outcomes.
• 🤔 The script emphasizes the importance of understanding one's own personality strengths and weaknesses and leveraging them for personal and professional growth.
• 🎯 It's suggested that societal and workplace structures may favor certain personality types, but individuals should focus on their unique strengths rather than trying to fit a mold.
• 🌱 Ayurveda is introduced as a system that recognizes fundamental differences among individuals, with three main body types or 'doshas'—Vata, Pitta, and Kapha—impacting various aspects of a person's life.
• 🔄 The concept of 'Vata' in Ayurveda is related to being easily distracted but also quick to learn, suggesting that understanding one's dosha can help in tailoring lifestyle and work habits.
• 💡 The speaker shares personal insights on how understanding one's personality type can lead to a more fulfilling and successful life by doing what one is naturally inclined towards and good at.

Q & A

What might be a reason for not progressing in life besides lack of ambition?

It may be because you're spreading yourself too thin, rather than lacking ambition.

What is the Myers-Briggs personality test and how is it viewed?

The Myers-Briggs is a descriptive personality assessment based on Carl Jung's work. While useful for understanding behavior, it is not independently validated and is considered a proprietary model.

How does the Myers-Briggs personality test relate to Ayurveda?

Myers-Briggs is based on Carl Jung's ideas, which were heavily informed by Ayurveda, a traditional Indian system of medicine.

What is the Big Five personality assessment?

The Big Five personality assessment is a well-validated system that measures personality across five axes: introversion/extraversion, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness.

Can personality traits change over time?

Yes, personality traits can change. For example, one can learn to be less neurotic through meditation or psychotherapy, or become more conscientious through reflection and growth.

What should someone do if their personality traits interfere with their quality of life?

They should try to understand and play to their strengths. It's important to assess which traits are causing issues and work on adjusting them to improve their quality of life.

What is Ayurveda's perspective on human differences?

Ayurveda posits that people are fundamentally different and categorizes them into three types based on the doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each dosha manifests in different traits, personalities, and physical aspects.

How does Ayurveda suggest treating people compared to Western medicine?

Ayurveda tailors treatments to individual differences, while Western medicine often uses a common prescription for all people, assuming they are fundamentally the same.

What is a common mistake people make regarding personality and success?

People often think that certain traits, like being driven and ambitious, are universally better. However, success can come from playing to one's own strengths and understanding one's unique personality.

What is the recommended strategy for personal success according to the script?

The recommended strategy is to understand your personality, whether through Myers-Briggs, the Big Five, or Ayurveda, and then develop a strategy that plays to your strengths rather than trying to adopt traits that are not natural to you.

Outlines

00:00

🔍 Understanding Myers-Briggs and Personality Assessments

The speaker begins by challenging the notion that a lack of ambition is the only reason people don't progress in life, suggesting instead that overextending oneself might be the issue. The discussion then shifts to the Myers-Briggs personality test, highlighting its descriptive utility but lack of independent validation. The speaker connects Myers-Briggs to Carl Jung's ideas and Ayurveda, comparing it to horoscopes in terms of personal insight. The Big Five personality traits are introduced as a more scientifically validated framework, detailing the traits of introversion/extraversion, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, and conscientiousness. Medical students' high neuroticism and conscientiousness are noted as key traits for success.

05:01

🌱 The Possibility and Importance of Personality Change

The speaker explains that while personality traits are intrinsic, they can be modified through learning and personal growth. Examples include becoming more extraverted, reducing neuroticism through meditation, and increasing conscientiousness. The speaker emphasizes the importance of playing to one's strengths rather than conforming to a single ideal personality type. Using a poker analogy, they argue that success comes from understanding and leveraging one's unique traits rather than comparing oneself to others. The discussion includes how different combinations of traits lead to different paths to success, emphasizing the value of self-awareness and adaptation.

10:02

🌿 Ayurveda and Personal Success Strategies

The speaker delves into Ayurveda, explaining its premise that people have unique constitutions (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) that influence their traits and behaviors. They argue that success is not about increasing ambition (Pitta) but managing one's natural tendencies. For instance, people who spread themselves too thin (high Vata) need to focus their energy rather than just working harder. The speaker highlights the importance of balancing these forces to achieve success, suggesting that understanding one's Ayurvedic constitution can help tailor a personal strategy for growth and achievement.

15:03

⚖️ Adapting Personal Strengths for Success

In the final part, the speaker elaborates on the importance of recognizing and leveraging one's strengths, whether through the lens of Ayurveda, Myers-Briggs, or the Big Five. They provide a personal example, explaining how they thrive by engaging in varied activities rather than a single focus. The speaker encourages using personality assessments to inform strategies that align with individual strengths and preferences, rather than striving to fit a singular mold. The goal is to develop a personalized approach to life and work that maximizes one's unique potential.

Keywords

💡Myers-Briggs

Myers-Briggs is a descriptive personality assessment based on Carl Jung's theories. It categorizes people into 16 different personality types. While it is widely used for understanding behavior, it is not independently validated by scientific studies. In the script, it is compared to a horoscope in terms of its utility for self-reflection rather than prediction.

💡Big Five

The Big Five, or Five-Factor Model, is a scientifically validated system of personality assessment. It categorizes personality traits into five dimensions: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The script contrasts this model with the Myers-Briggs, emphasizing its stronger scientific validation.

💡Conscientiousness

Conscientiousness is one of the Big Five personality traits, describing how diligent, organized, and goal-oriented a person is. High conscientiousness often correlates with success in structured environments like academia. In the script, it is mentioned as a key trait for achieving success and following through on tasks.

💡Neuroticism

Neuroticism, another Big Five trait, measures a person's tendency towards emotional instability and anxiety. High neuroticism can drive individuals to work hard due to fear of failure, which is discussed as a beneficial trait for medical students. The script also mentions the traditional 'pothead' as having low neuroticism.

💡Introversion vs. Extraversion

This dimension of the Big Five and Myers-Briggs measures where people derive their energy from. Introverts are energized by solitude, while extraverts gain energy from social interactions. The script explains how these traits can impact one's approach to work and social situations.

💡Agreeableness

Agreeableness is a Big Five trait that describes how cooperative, compassionate, and friendly an individual is. High agreeableness can facilitate better social interactions and workplace harmony. The script mentions how individuals with high agreeableness can navigate social standings effectively.

💡Openness

Openness to experience is a Big Five trait indicating how open-minded and willing to try new things a person is. The script highlights that liberals tend to score higher on openness compared to conservatives, affecting their receptiveness to new ideas and experiences.

💡Ayurveda

Ayurveda is a traditional Indian system of medicine that categorizes individuals into three types or 'doshas': Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. The script uses Ayurveda to illustrate how different personality types require different strategies for success, emphasizing the importance of balancing these doshas.

💡Vata, Pitta, Kapha

These are the three doshas in Ayurveda, representing different physical and psychological traits. Vata is associated with dynamism and creativity but also with instability. Pitta is linked to ambition and intensity. Kapha is characterized by steadiness and strength but can lead to complacency. The script discusses how understanding one's dosha can help tailor personal strategies for success.

💡Personality Change

The concept that personality traits are not fixed and can be altered through conscious effort. The script discusses how traits like neuroticism and conscientiousness can be modified through practices like meditation and psychotherapy to improve quality of life and success.

Highlights

People often assume that working harder or being more ambitious is the way to move forward in life, but sometimes the issue is spreading oneself too thin.

The 16 personality test, also known as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, is a descriptive personality assessment based on Carl Jung's ideas and influenced by Ayurveda.

Myers-Briggs is useful for understanding behavior but is not independently validated and should not be used for making predictions.

The Big Five personality traits (introversion vs. extraversion, agreeableness, openness, neuroticism, conscientiousness) are well-validated and provide a robust framework for understanding personality.

High neuroticism and high conscientiousness are traits often found in medical students and are associated with being driven and goal-oriented.

Personality traits can change through learning, emotional processing, and growth, allowing individuals to adopt different behaviors over time.

Understanding one's personality and playing to one's strengths is more important than trying to conform to an ideal personality.

Ayurveda views individuals as having unique qualities (Vata, Pitta, Kapha) that influence their mental, psychological, and physical traits.

Success strategies should be tailored to an individual's personality type rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.

Medical students tend to have high neuroticism, which drives them to work hard and study diligently due to internal worry.

People with low conscientiousness and low neuroticism may succeed through social skills and charisma rather than hard work and worry.

In Ayurveda, imbalances in Vata, Pitta, or Kapha can hinder progress, and addressing these imbalances can lead to better outcomes.

Western medicine often prescribes the same treatment for everyone, whereas Ayurveda tailors treatments to individual differences.

Different personality systems can provide insights into one's strengths and weaknesses, guiding how to navigate life and achieve success.

Playing to one's strengths, whether in personality or skills, is crucial for success rather than trying to emulate others who have different strengths.

Transcripts

if you're not going anywhere in life

people just automatically assume that

the way to move forward is to like work

harder or be more bitna but the reason

that you're not going anywhere life may

not be a lack of ambition it may be

because you're spreading yourself too

thin

okay let's talk about solo queue so much

more toxic okay so let's do let's do

something about habits what's my opinion

on the 16 personality test what is the

16 personality test I don't know what it

is

myers-briggs so myers-briggs is is I

think a useful descriptive personality

assessment that is not that is not like

independently validated so I think it's

like a useful lens to understand

behavior but I don't think it is a good

way to like make predictions so it's

funny actually I just saw this in reddit

so the first thing to understand about

myers-briggs this it's not like

independently validated so there's a

myers-briggs Research Institute which

publishes a lot of research but it's a

proprietary model and like there really

haven't been independent studies on

myers-briggs that show that it it is

valid I think the virus Briggs can be

very useful so why are it is actually

based I think on Ayurveda because

myers-briggs is based on the work of

Carl Jung and Carl Jung's ideas were

heavily informed by our Venna

so I think it can be a useful way to

understand yourself kind of like and I

like this top end so that someone says

that it can be like a useful way to like

look at your own behavior and understand

it much like a horoscope like you know I

mean a horoscope is probably I think

myers-briggs is a little better than a

horoscope but when I talk about Lavazza

pit then gufa those are all useful ways

to understand those are useful ways to

understand like how you are as a person

and understand your strengths and

weaknesses and structure a life in your

interactions to play to your strengths

and weaknesses so a couple of other

questions are there any personality

frameworks independently a validated

absolutely so the big five I think is

the best the five factor personality

assessment is the the best validated

like system of personality and the big

five so we can talk a little bit about

the big five so the big the five factors

so what the big five says is that most

people can be sort of put on on five

different axes so the axes are

introversion versus extraversion which

is exactly what it is in myers-briggs by

the word by the way extrovert and

introvert were words that Carl Jung I

believe invented or coined the next is

agreeableness so agreeable this is like

how willing you are to go along with

people

the third is openness so how open you

are to new experiences versus how shut

off you are Democrats in the u.s or

liberals score higher on the openness

straight and then conservatives score

lower on the openness straight

agreeableness then the next one is

neuroticism so neuroticism is your

tendency for internal worry so how much

you get like bothered by things and

people may think that like being highly

neurotic is bad or is worse than being

like having low neuroticism whereas like

if you think about someone who's super

low on the the low neuroticism scale

there the traditional pothead

so they don't care about anything

they're just gonna chill and relax they

have no ambition that's low neuroticism

is that nothing bothers them they're

happy to just chill out and hang and

then high neuroticism is like people who

are super anxious the interesting thing

is if you look at medical students they

score very highly on the neuroticism

scale and then the the fifth factor is

conscientiousness which is how driven

you are towards a particular goal like

how conscientious you are how much you

take things seriously

so medical suit are actually median

income so if you want to be rich the two

best traits are high neuroticism and

high conscientiousness you have to be

very goal-oriented and driven towards

success and have follow through and be

internally very worried about things you

have to be scared or like you have to be

anxious about skip failing the task so

you study extra hard and then you have

to be like you have to study for the

test can people change I think so so you

can also like learn different ways you

have an intrinsic personality but then

you can like adopt different things you

can be naturally tended towards

introversion but as we were talking

about you can learn how to fill a room

you can be highly neurotic and then

through meditation and psychotherapy

learn to be nothing less neurotic you

could have low conscientiousness and

through some amount of emotional

processing and reflecting and growth you

can become more conscientious you can

become more open to new experiences you

can become more agreeable you can learn

how to get along with others better yeah

so Alex Croft has it right so the

traditional pot head is low

conscientiousness low neuroticism so

people are asking about okay so when

should someone change their personality

traits when they interfere with your

quality of life yeah so I want you guys

to understand this so your personality

can be what it is I think the most

important thing is that you play to your

strengths so for those of you who

understand poker like I think the

problem is that is a society and

generally speaking gamers are very

guilty of this they think that certain

things are objectively better than other

things

like they say that like in poker and ace

is better than @n like that's just true

and yes in theory it's true but if

you're playing poker and you've got the

option for a flush draw like you don't

want an ace right you want like whatever

suit if you've got like if you paint

playing Hold'em and you've got like four

ten of hearts like your strategy to win

that game like you can beat someone

who's got an ace or even pocket aces you

can still win even though the other

person objectively has a way better hand

than you do the problem is that when we

when when people rank things in a linear

scale which is what Western thinking

does we think about better and we think

about worse right we think about like

this person earlier was saying that like

the workplace is structured to

extroverts that could be true but it

sort of doesn't [ __ ] matter because

you should just understand like where

what your personality strengths and

weaknesses are and then play to those

strengths and weaknesses if you've got a

flush draw go for a flush like just

because the dude next to you has pocket

aces and can get like four of a kind

with aces doesn't mean you should even

try because it may be impossible for you

but you can still win if you just oh

sorry my mic isn't exploding [ __ ] okay

so so so I think this is the biggest

problem that people make is like you

guys are talking about personality I'd

say don't worry about having the right

personality or the wrong personality

understand what your personality is and

how you're gonna be good at it so if you

have low conscientiousness and low

neuroticism you may think like okay that

my chances of being promoted are gonna

be lower than the person who's like

worried about promotion all the time and

the person who's hard-working well

that's true and if you have higher

openness and higher agreeableness

chances are your path through promotion

is through like social standing so

people are gonna like you way more than

the person who's highly conscientious

and highly neurotic

so your path through promotion is gonna

be through charisma and once you

understand that then you have to

understand like okay like how much

conscientiousness do I need to exert and

how much neuroticism do I need to exert

and then how can I play to my strengths

then smeag ale 96 asks if it's possible

to alter our door shut somewhat

shouldn't we try to maximise our fitness

if we want to be successful yes so if

you're fit does low so remember that

problems in Ayurveda arise when your

levels are too high or too low so if you

feel like you're not ambitious or not

moving anywhere in life I do think it

will help you to increase your pipa

and more importantly like you have to

increase your Rajas but if you're

thinking about like why you're stuck in

life it may not be that your bit does

too low it could be that your vato is

too high and this is this is the other

problem so I just think about this for a

second guys if you're not going anywhere

in life people just automatically assume

that the way to move forward is to like

work harder or be more bitna but the

reason that you're not going anywhere

life may not be a lack of ambition it

may be because you're spreading yourself

too thin so this is a classic Vata

problem where vodkas get stuck because

they think they need to be more

disciplined it's not that they need to

be more disciplined it's that they spend

their energy in too many different

places so if you're the solution isn't

isn't necessarily to increase your bit

though it's to reduce your vodka and

this is exactly what I'm saying is that

depending on your individual personality

makeup there isn't a way to be

successful you just need to think about

okay what isn't what is getting in the

way of my success do I need to be more

conscientious do I need to be more

social is the problem that I'm having

that like I don't get opportunities that

other people get because I'm not social

enough

can I answer questions on suicide sure I

mean I can't dispense medical advice

I may have to advise you to go to the

emergency room but I can answer

questions on suicide like I'm here to

answer serious questions yeah so if your

cough is too high then you should lower

your cuff up right you can increase your

fit though but you can also lower your

cuff up is viewing spreading oneself

thin as a successful poor mindset I

don't know what that means

oh [ __ ] my bad okay should I switch to

the other let me just switch to the

other I don't know how to lower anything

I'm gonna just switched to my Yeti so

okay let me just think okay so the first

thing is what is Ayurveda so I last

Sunday we talked about Ayurveda which I

think a lot of people found very

interesting but thanks for linking DANC

so no No thank you guys for letting me

know we just we're trying a new mic

setup so it's important to you know find

a good mic setup so this is what you

what Ayurvedic

is all about so our Veda believes that

human beings are fundamentally different

and that there are three types of human

or three sort of qualities of human

beings and the best analogy that I can

use that's kind of very accessible is

that like there are some people that we

say have fast metabolisms these people

tend to be thin and like even if they

eat whatever they want to they can do

like fried chicken every day and they're

not gonna put on like that much weight

it doesn't mean if they're gonna be

healthy but that that like they just

don't balloon up whereas other people

are big-boned and even if they eat

salads every day they can still be

overweight and so

um Ayurveda sort of says that like

unlike Western science which kind of

says that everyone should eat a 2,000

calorie diet that these are like

everyone should have five servings of

fruits and vegetables and the kinds of

fruits and vegetables don't matter that

you should have X amount of protein it's

or Western medicine has a common

prescription for all people it assumes

fundamentally that people are the same

if you have pneumonia you need a

particular antibiotic to treat the

pneumonia who you are or how tall you

are or what your body type is or how

your stool is or how your skin is

doesn't matter at all Western medicine

treats disease with medicine the person

doesn't enter it's just a disease

medicine relationship Iyer VII that

starts off by saying that people are

different and that the the right

medicine for one person may be different

for the medicine from the medicine and

for a different person depending on what

kind of people they are and there are

three general kinds of people or the

three forces in our body which are Vata

Pitta and kapha and that depending on

the levels of your Vata Pitta and kapha

it's they're gonna manifest in different

traits personality aspects mental

aspects psychological aspects physical

aspects all of these things relate to

Vata Pitta and kapha sovath --is learn

things very easily but also get

distracted very easily they have kind of

like an ADHD mind whereas guffaws like

learn things very slowly but also forget

very slowly

and so if you understand what your door

Shai is then you can sort of adjust your

door shots first of all if some are to

hire or some are too low the other thing

is that if you understand your door shy

you should play to your strengths so

people think that

um you know like if you're not driven

and focused and ambitious that you're

not gonna be successful in life and like

I look at my colleagues who are like

researchers and stuff like that and like

I'm amazed by how much they can like go

to work every day and just do the same

damn thing and then they get grants

because they write these like 50 page

grant proposals that are just the most

mind-numbing ly boring documents in the

world and then since they get grants and

they do research they apply for

different like fellowships and

promotions and things like that and they

get them because that's what's valued in

academia and so I look at them and I say

like oh man like it's so hard for me to

do research it's so hard for me to write

a grant proposal and so I think a little

bit about like oh my god you know I I'm

not as good as they are but my strengths

are simply different I'm Ivana so I'm

Way more dynamic so if I want to be

successful I need to do like a few

different things like I suck at just

doing one thing but I do really well if

I'm doing different things if I see a

few patients today and then like I

scream in the evening and then I spent

some time writing and then you know I

spend some time filming then that's like

a great day for me like today is a good

example so I took it easy in the morning

did some writing I we work together the

recovery coaches and I met for a little

over an hour and a half and so I taught

for a couple of hours and then I

streamed for a couple of hours and I

like wrote like a manual like a chapter

for the recovery coach manual and that's

what really

works

right like that's what works for me like

I can't do the same thing every day

but I'll do a better job if I'm doing

two or three different things so I think

the main thing to understand about

personality is like when you when you

look at your personality doesn't matter

whether using five factor or

myers-briggs or IRA

and

what it really doesn't matter the main

thing is that you understand like for

this

system whatever system you're using to

to understand yourself like just

understand what the system says about

you and then develop a strategy based on

what the system recommends play to your

strengths okay