James N. Coppock

Engl 8800 – ENFP Assessment

Dr. John J. McKenna

January 29, 2008

ENFP Assessment

            The Keirsey Temperament II Sorter (KTS-II) identified me as an Idealist Champion, and by all accounts, I must agree with the relative accuracy of its assessment.  I have always been an intensely passionate person, both in my interpersonal relationships and in my interests.  I have a heartfelt desire to pursue the meaning of existence, and I value my relationships with other in proportion to which I feel they are genuine, honest people; to emotional phonies, I concede no quarter.  I have made it my mission to give my son everything in life: nurturing, love, understanding, and unconditional acceptance to pursue whatever passion he finds in his life. 

            Additionally, I am a very idealistic person and a romantic at heart.  My favorite movie is Titanic, and I have always believed that this world can be a better place if we simply all agree to disagree and love one another.  Real fantasy!  I have always been an activist at my jobs, and have attempted recently to organize my part-time job until the CWA branch of the AFL/CIO informed me they will not be assisting in our effort.  I have lost or quit jobs over issues of idealism and honesty.  Being true to myself, I have even fought against others close to me to pursue my advanced degree, ignoring the short-term personal cost.

            In fact, at most of my jobs over the years, I have found the work so mundane as to be mind-numbingly depressing.  In jobs where I have discovered some semblance of meaning or purpose, there has usually been a strong component where satisfying the needs of other people have been critical to my success.  Any place where I can help others improve – whether it is communicating the value of one retail purchase decision over another or whether it’s directing and guiding students in reaching their full potential, I am most happy with my work when I am helping others self-actualize.

            I must admit, though, that I felt some of the aspects of the “Teacher” better fit my personality.  I love to help, and seeing others learn and be successful is a dynamic feeling for me.  I garner great satisfaction from creating entertaining, interactive lessons, both in my collegiate teaching and when I was a corporate trainer.  Also, I am very intuitive and rely heavily upon my intuition although I am not, admittedly, as organized or well-prepared as the Teacher states. 

Of course, I am certainly not a “Healer,” as I am usually unable to present a calmer face to the world and am more extrovert than introvert or shy.  I love to help others, but I am considerably more outspoken than Healers would be.

As far as “Counselors” go, I share their desire to see others self-actualize, however (Dr. McKenna’s favorite transitional word), I am very apt to express my inmost personal feelings and idealizations to others, particularly when they are remotely open to sharing.  I hate – no, no, that’s not the right word . . . abhor – no, wait, that’s too gentle . . . loathe – authority and institutions, too – for I have discovered over the years that organizations seek goals at the expense of minimizing and ultimately suffocating our humanity - and that further detracts from the likelihood that I would be a Counselor.  Still, I do have an intuitive feel for the twisted ambitions of others and have been successful in anticipating when others, whether peers or supervisors (and occasionally subordinates), are likely to use me then toss me to the proverbial side. 

            Nonetheless, I am an intensely emotional person who loves to communicate all I have learned and discovered in life, so the “Champion” subtype is likely the best fit.