Personality Assessments and Positive Masonic Performance
According to Forbes (2021):
- “Personality is made up of psychological preferences, temperaments and predispositions. And while many factors influence us (including social and cultural pressures), personality is a major force behind our habits, behaviors and attitudes. So it’s not surprising that some personality assessments can be a strong predictor of job performance.”
If personality assessments can be a “strong predictor” of job performance, can personality assessments also be a strong predictor of “masonic performance-” particularly “positive masonic performance.”
“Positive performance” meaning an applicant will remain active within the craft.
“Positive performance” meaning a candidate will enjoy his masonic experience.
“Positive performance” meaning a mason will become an effective leader or administrator within his lodge, or will find fulfilment from his masonic experience.
Freemasonry prides itself on (as much as possible) ensuring an applicant’s desire to join the freemasonry is based on noble aims; to be a part of a community; to meet new people; to expand in knowledge; and to experience personal growth.
It also prides itself on (as much as possible) ensuring a mason’s desire to advance within freemasonry, including to advance to a leadership position, is similarly based on a noble aim: service.
However, does Freemasonry ensure an applicant’s personality is one which will correlate with a positive performance (and a positive experience for the applicant)? Does it ensure a mason’s personality is one which will correlate to positive performance (and a fulfilling experience for the mason)?
A major impediment to the above is a lack of research on the pertinent question: what are the personality traits that correspond to positive performance?”
As of the date of this story-there seems to be little by way of an answer.
Using the personality testing model at https://www.16personalities.com/articles/our-theory, we tested the personality traits of two masons who have displayed positive performance: the author and the author’s friend (not very scientific-we know).
The author has an “ENFP” personality. An “ENFP” personality is known as a “campaigner,” being “independent and creative, always on the lookout for the magic and meaning in everyday life.”
The author’s friend has an “INFJ” personality. An “INFJ” personality is known as an “advocate:” “[n]othing lights up advocates like changing someone else’s life for the better.”
The author also discovered a 2013 Reddit thread, which found a preponderance of “INTP” personality types amongst the masons taking part in the thread.
An “INTP” personality is known as a “logician,” being “[i]maginative and curious, logician personalities can find endless fascination in the workings of their own mind.”
One letter which is consistent amongst this very small, and very unscientific, sample is “N.”
The “N” personality trait stands for “intuitive” and is correlated to: “imagination, open-mindedness, and curiousity.”
This begs the question: are imaginative, open-minded, and curious people more likely to engage in positive masonic performance and have an overall more positive masonic experience?
Could masonic lodges test for these personality traits during the application process?
Are there other personality traits that may even more so correlate to a positive masonic performance?
Imagine a masonic lodge having both a list of personality traits that correlate to positive masonic performance and testing for those traits during the application process as well as throughout a member’s masonic career!
On the other hand, imagine a masonic lodge having a list of personality traits that correlate to negative masonic performance and testing for those traits during the application process as well as before leadership selection.
Step one is developing the list of personality traits. You can help with that-complete the personality test at: https://www.16personalities.com/, and leave a comment or reply to this story letting us know your personality type.
All opinions expressed are those of Square & Compass Promotions and the guest(s), and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Windsor Masonic Temple and/or any Masonic group.
