Why Self Awareness Matters
Personality tests and archetypes are not always accurate but they help with where you fit in the world.
‘’Know thy self’’ is a short but yet powerful statement. Knowing yourself eliminates any confusion about your path in life. Let’s face it, nobody wants to be labeled. But labels have a place in the social hierarchy of the world because it is a human scouting report on other people. Remember when you were a kid and you bought baseball cards.
You were able to read the stats right away and get a feel for how good of a player the person was. But like labels, the stats have limitations about the potential of the player. That is the problem with putting labels on people because people are socially lazy and take labels at face value. Labels help us identify with the world and how we fit in it. In this current lifestyle, even being called a digital nomad has some negative implications.
About a month ago I was having a conversion at a hotel bar with a couple from Boston. I had mentioned something about digital nomads just to get a feel for their vibe and immediately they stated, “Those are the people who sit on their butts at a beach all day and don’t do anything.’’ Statements like this that come from ignorance are a part of the game. But the nomad label has helped me identify myself in the world. According to the Meyer Briggs personality test, I am an INFJ. One of my archetypes is a Sigma Male.
How being an INFJ and Sigma Male has helped me maneuver in the world
Travel
Sigma males tend to be men who don’t live among the social hierarchy. They are also usually self-employed or nomadic like seeking adventure or knowledge. INFJ personality types enjoy new environments to learn. I have enjoyed travel since I was a kid and I didn’t even know it. My favorite movie as a kid was “Alvin and the Chipmunks Go to See the World.” My favorite class in high school was Geography. I was once recruited to be part of a multi-level marketing network that revolved around traveling. The recruiter showed me a video to see if I was interested in joining. After the video, he asked, “What do you think?” I replied, “The traveling looks cool.” He looked at me like I was crazy. Most people were motivated by the potential money. I didn’t need personality tests or specific archetypes to know I looked at traveling as a passionate hobby but it helped solidify what I knew all along.
Freedom
Sigma males tend to gravitate to freedom, independence, and solitude over social status, social proof trinkets, and the sacrifices it takes to get these things. INFJ personality types crave space and solitude to be themselves. This kind of space comes from freedom, the freedom to think for one’s self without conforming to the status quo. When it comes to social norms in the job culture, this really resonates with me. The biggest challenge for me while I worked a nine-to-five job was the lack of freedom. Forcing myself to conform to a job’s culture, maneuvering around work social politics, and not having control over my environment was a soul drainer. Having the freedom to control my environment has exponentially increased my mental health. Being location-independent gives me control of what kind of environment I want to be in. Say goodbye to toxic work cultures, gossip, and worthless work politics.
Search For Knowledge
Sigma males and INFJ personality types tend to be lone wolves who are deep thinkers. I have been hearing this my entire life. When I was young, my friends said I was an old soul or I sounded like a preacher. Being an old soul to me means being able to endure pain others can’t. But we are able to turn this pain into wisdom. Living life as a nomad can be lonely. Most nomads struggle with loneliness. I get lonely but I take solace in the journey of traveling and solitude and seek knowledge. This is part of the journey for me. No matter how lonely I may get from time to time, the knowledge I get from each place I visit, each new city I live in, each new person I meet, it all overrides any lonely feeling I may feel temporary.
Sometimes we need a guide or stat sheet about our personalities and the roles we play in the world to help us along the way
