"Most people think of personality traits as set in stone. We consider them to be as fixed as our eye color. For example, you might tell yourself, "I'm just a perfectionist," or "I'm the type of person who can't get organized unless it's the last minute," or even "I'm too emotional." Most of the common personality tests you've probably taken online or in your HR office reinforce the idea that you have a set "type" and that, if you build your life around it, things will go smoother."
"If I had taken a personality test when I was 18, the results would have reflected my tendency to be irresponsible (like skipping math class so much I had to repeat it the following year). They also would have reminded me that I was painfully self-conscious in social situations. Now, when I tell people that I used to be lazy and shy, they don't believe me."
Personality traits are often treated as fixed attributes comparable to eye color. Common personality tests reinforce type-based thinking and advise lifestyle or career choices based on perceived traits, such as avoiding high-stress jobs if sensitive or avoiding leadership if introverted. A person who was irresponsible and socially self-conscious at 18 later became an academic who routinely speaks to large audiences after pursuing psychology and deliberately cultivating needed traits. Allowing test-based "types" to determine goals can limit achievement. Intentional choices, thoughts, and actions can gradually reshape personality and enable different ambitions.
Read at Psychology Today
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