Well, I had my second class in the
CAPS program at Bethel and it's... interesting. Everyone in my cohort definitely seems to be there because the "Christian perspective" part of the college is important to them. I'm not used to being a minority in any respect so it's definitely been strange and thought provoking to compare my classmates' viewpoints with my own.
They aren't actually aware that I don't believe what they do so, eventually, I'll be "outed" and it'll be interesting to see what the reaction is. (UPDATE: In our most recent class, my liberal perspective was mentioned and everyone was just lovely, and I mean that sincerely. It definitely feels lighter to be able to really be myself and I find I look forward to class more now. I'm feeling really lucky that I managed to end up with such a great cohort.) They might be more aware of my differences than I'm aware though since, during the "community building" exercise in our first class, we had to answer "Who would you most like to invite to a dinner party?" and my immediate answer was "RuPaul." Ha! (Two people in class had no idea who he was. Not a good sign for me.) Other answers? "A malnourished child." "My Grandfather." And I picked a drag queen.
sigh
(For the record, is photo was titled "Dragton Abbey" and originated here.)
Since I start posts and don't always have time to finish and post them on the same day (or week/month/year), I've had another class since I left off at my imaginary dinner party with Ru. During this clas, we had a professor who is a specialist in teaching people about the Gallup
Strengths Finder. We were assigned to take the test as part of the homework in our first class. My top five, for those of you who have taken/are familiar with the test, are as follows:
Achiever
Empathy
Strategic
Input
Learner
I was not surprised by any of these and everyone I've shown the list to agreed it was quite accurate. After completing the test, you receive a .pdf file that speaks to your specific strengths based on your the answers you chose. Since I'm aware not everyone has taken the strengths finder, I'm actually going to provide you with the detail I received on these. If you're a
glutton for punishment super nosy interested, read on and do let me know how you think they relate to the me you're acquainted with.
Achiever
Shared Theme Description <
Ed. note: This is what is true of everyone who scores as an Achiever.>
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction in being busy and productive.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights <
Me again. This is the section specific to just me.>
By nature, you typically put forth much effort and energy to reach your goals. You aim to overcome your limitations and fix your mistakes. You attempt to compensate for your lack of knowledge, skills, and/or talent in various areas. Your feel successful when you routinely meet the minimum requirements and regularly produce average results. It's very likely that you're diligent about requirements and regularly produce average results. <
Are you KIDDING me? These are the only two sentences in all of the personalized feedback that I received that was so far off the mark it isn't even funny. If I don't do something perfectly, then it's a tragedy. I'm one of those "second place is the first loser people." Serious.> It's very likely that you are diligent about examining what needs to be revamped, revised, modified, or fixed. When you are absorbed in these activities, hours pass quickly. You can dedicate yourself to correcting a single problem, especially when it directly and dramatically affects you. You probably read, listen, observe, discuss, experiment, and experience as much as you can to fill your mind with fresh ideas. Chances are good that you are industrious, diligent, and persistent. You naturally set difficult-to-reach goals. These normally demand a great amount of your time. While your work ethic is evident, you question whether the promotions, titles, opportunities, or status symbols you desire could exact too high a price. Driven by your talents, you put a lot of effort into telling a story. You strive to amuse, entertain, or inform your audience. You have a reputation for setting the scene, making characters come alive, and capturing the drama of a situation. Because of your strengths, you exhibit the physical and mental endurance needed to continuously toil long after others have stopped working. You are hardwired to pursue goals until they are reached. When obstacles arise, you become even more determined to succeed.
Empathy
Shared Theme Description <
Again, everyone who scores Empathy.>
People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others' lives or others' situations.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights <
Last time, this is specific to me.>
Chances are good that you can experience emotional distress when you fail to capture topmost honors in your chosen events. You wisely surround yourself with supportive and caring people. <
High five to all of you reading this!> Often they join you to celebrate your successes. Other times, they help you cope with the disappointment of losing. Because of your strengths, you bring a keen awareness about human behavior to the classroom, laboratory, seminar, playing field, or tutoring session. You spontaneously tune in to what individuals are thinking and feeling minute by minute. These insights are likely to make you a better educator. By nature, you are filled with awe by beauty in the world, in people, and in the cosmos. Whether you gaze upon nature's wonders or marvel at the work of human hands, you are filled with wonder. You can suddenly stop what you are doing to watch a sunset, listen to the rustle of leaves, stand before a work of art, hear a piece of music, look through a telescope, or hold a newborn child. You experience beauty at a level many people cannot imagine. Once the moment has passed, you can still picture the scene or hear the sound in your memory. Instinctively, you boldly question a person's thinking or actions even when you sense your candor makes the individual feel uncomfortable. Often you combine your straightforward style with your caring nature. Frequently you raise issues most people prefer to ignore. Many family members, friends, colleagues, or classmates count on you to confront emotionally charged situations and deal with demanding individuals.
Strategic
Shared Theme Description
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.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Driven by your talents, you may feel wonderful when people value your innovative ideas. Perhaps you help them envision what can be accomplished in the coming months, years, or decades. Because of your strengths, you are known for your ease with language. This ability serves you well when you need to talk with newcomers or outsiders. Your vocabulary probably allows you to tell stories or express your ideas with great clarity. Instinctively. you may be viewed by some people as an innovative and original thinker. Perhaps your ability to generate opinions causes others to see there is more than one way to obtain an objective. <
Did Strengths Finder just call me a bitch? "Ability to generate opinions" kind of sounds like a polite way to do it!> Now and then, you help certain individuals select the best alternative after having weighed the pros and cons in light of prevailing circumstances or available resources. Chances are good that you pay close attention to what is going on around you. You listen. You quiz people. You read. You probably take notes on key points. As you accumulate lots of information, you disregard what is unrelated, and pay heed to what is really important. The more you reflect on what you know, the more problems begin to reveal themselves, and eventually solutions start taking shape in your mind. Finally, given the situation, you select the best plan from you list of options. By nature, you select the right combination of words to convey your ideas or feelings. In the middle of discussions, your vocabulary provides you with precise phrases and terminology. You probably express yourself with ease and grace. <
And the occasional profanity.>
Input
Shared Theme Description
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. <
Strengths Finder must have visited my home and noticed the fact that it's covered in books... How observant!>
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
Instinctively, you can block our distractions when you are working or studying. <
If you've ever tried to talk to me while I'm reading something, you know this to be true. Thanks mom for passing that trait on!> You are seldom pulled away from a task. You probably desire to understand ahead of time what needs to be done. You also expect to receive background briefings and/or a list of a project's criteria. Armed with this information, you move closer to your goal. With ease and certitude - that is, having no doubts - you determine what is and is not important to know about an activity, event, or project. Because of your strengths, you occasionally use words that some people find difficult to understand. <
I LOVE how this almost immediately follows a simplistic explanation of certitude. CRIPES.> Maybe you enjoy memorizing the various meanings of technical or unfamiliar words. Perhaps you are more at ease conversing with individuals whose vocabulary almost matches yours in terms of sophistication. You may breathe a sign of relief when you do not have to define every other word you say or write. By nature, you absorb the written word like a sponge sops up water. You revel in an opportunity to lose yourself in a book. Time seems to float by when you are the grateful guest of an entertaining or informative author. Your only choice is to finish the book as quickly as possible. <
I think SOMEONE has been reading my diary! Dammit Strengths Finder!> Chances are good that you might seek out the company of individuals whose vocabulary is esoteric - that is, understood by only a specialized group. <
Bwahaha! How many times are they going to praise my vocabulary and then define things for me?> If the need arises, you may expand your collection of sophisticated, academic, or technical words. Perhaps some people fail to comprehend everything you say or write. Because you want to be acknowledged, perhaps you need to identify a few people with whom you can converse or correspond without having to define every other word. <
You know, like Strengths Finder does when talking to me...> It's very likely that you may impress others as well-versed in a certain subject. Maybe you have invested time acquiring the sophisticated or technical vocabulary used by experts. When your teammates hear you speak or read your writing, some assume you know more than they do. Occasionally this is the case. Specific people may allow you to run meetings, make decisions, or solve problems. Sometimes they just step back and let you take charge.
Learner
Shared Theme Description
People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
Your Personalized Strengths Insights
By nature, you thirst for new ideas and knowledge. Often you lose yourself in a book. You pore over the ideas contained on its pages for long stretches of time. Why? You want to absorb as much information as you can. Instinctively, you simply cannot have too much information. <
You know what I can have? Sore hands from all this typing. I'm starting to rethink this decision.> It is impossible. Like a miner searches for gold day after day, you continually collect new bits of knowledge. Depending on your other talents, you can delve into one or two interesting topics, or you can opt to know a little about a wide range of subjects. Your longing for knowledge is unlikely to be satisfied until you are recognized by others as the ultimate expert in a field or the grand champion of trivia. Chances are good that you relish reading about topics that fascinate you. People are not surprised to find you with your nose in a book - that is, reading all the time. <
I just... WHAT? I can only assume at this point that they're writing this for people who are not native English speakers and need the explanation for more obscure words and expressions.> When a subject intrigues you, you review a wide range of printed materials. You glean - that is, collect bits and pieces - as much information as you possibly can about your areas of greatest interest. Driven by your talents, your fill your mind with new ideas by asking questions, reading, studying, observing, or listening. Normally, you accumulate facts, data, stories, examples, or background information from the people you meet. <
At last! An excuse for being so nosy! Whoo! Worth the price of admission right there.> Determining what they want to accomplish in the coming weeks, months, or years generally satisfies your curiosity. These insights also allow you to understand why individuals behave the way they do in different situations. It's very likely that you yearn to know a lot. It makes little sense to you to skim through a book and read only the highlights. You delve more deeply into intriguing subjects than most people do. You love to gather all kinds of information. This explains why you take time to grasp ideas that appear in print.
So! There are my top strengths as the Gallup association sees them. Overall, I'd say it was very accurate. I still take issue with those two sentences about being happy achieving average work up in the Achiever section but I suppose nothing is perfect. Three classes in I'd say that a communication major is a good choice for me and it'll definitely be a learning experience and exercise in understanding different perspectives. No one has come across as closed minded or bigoted during discussions and, for that, I am most relieved.
Totally unrelated: Why does applying for financial aid have to be such a giant mess with so many hoops to jump through? I've managed it, but it's been rather crazy making. And now, to post.
