Take This Personality Type Test to Understand Your True Self and Health

You may be familiar with the Myers-Briggs test, a popular and commonly used personality type test. It was developed by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, and inspired by the psychoanalytic theories of Carl Jung.

On the other end of the personality test spectrum is the Five Element theory, which relates the human body’s organs and tissues, emotions, and nature to specific elements. These elements – Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water – have individual characteristics, and form our personalities. Examples of these are: 

• Wood: Extending, moving upward and outward 
• Fire: Warm, ascending, flaring upward 
• Earth: Generating, growing, carrying, receiving 
• Metal: Changing, purifying, descending, astringent
• Water: Moving downwards, cold, moisturising 

Most of us have only one dominant element.

Are You Ready to Discover Your True Personality?

This quiz based on the Five Element Theory will identify your personality type and the steps you can take to achieve equilibrium and good health. You may be inclined to choose more than one answer for each question but it’s advisable to select the answer that resonates with you the most. 

The Alternative Take on the Five Element Theory 

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states that the body’s organs and tissues are connected through the meridian channels. It also corresponds to nature and your environment.

“The five elements maintain balance by generating and restraining one another according to a sequence. Sometimes, over-restriction or counter-restriction can happen, disrupting this balance. Over-restriction refers to excessive restraint. Counter-restriction describes the conflict between a weak restraining element and a restrained element that is too strong.

“This results in the counter-restriction of the weak element by the strong,” explains Eu Yan Sang Physician Kwek Le Yin.

If your answers are mostly As

You’re a Wood-type personality. If balanced, you’ll appear assertive, confident, ambitious, competitive, decisive, committed, and straightforward.

On the contrary, an unbalanced personality will project aggression, arrogance, tyranny, hostility, and recklessness.

Excess and Deficiency syndromes will provoke the onset of depression or anger. You may also be prone to stress, high blood pressure, and gallstones onset.

TCM believes that Liver Qi Stagnation is common among Wood-type personalities. Yoga can regulate your emotions by improving qi flow. The practice may also help relax tense muscles. Side-stretching will benefit the Liver and gallbladder meridians as they run along the outer sides of the body.

If your answers are mostly Bs 

You have a Fire-type personality. Excellent communication, charisma, optimism, awareness, creativity, and attentiveness are your strong suits. On bad days, you can become disorganised and will struggle to think clearly.

Excess Fire may also make you erratic and overly excited. A Deficiency of the element can see you having an intense admiration for someone or something or being oversensitive and suicidal. The health problems associated with the personality type are heart disease and anxiety disorders.

It’s advisable to moderate the consumption of yin-depleting caffeinated beverages and spicy foods. If you would like to have a pick-me-up, you may try the American Ginseng Tea, which can reduce fatigue and nourish yin. You may also include yin-nourishing lily bulbs (bai he, 百合) and goji berries (gou qi, 枸杞) in your diet.  

If your answers are mostly Cs

You have an Earth-type personality, which translates to being a person who’s grounded and practical. An Excess syndrome can turn you into a fussy, stubborn, and meddling person.

Deficiencies will make you clingy, hesitant, and eager to please. You’ll also find it difficult to ask people for help and experience fatigue and digestive disorders.

Cultivating proper eating habits is recommended to improve digestive health. These include chewing your food properly and avoiding cold and raw foods.

If your answers are mostly Ds 

A Metal-type personality, you’re particular about your appearance and keeping order. In addition, you may develop a fascination for antique art pieces or new technology.

Being in a state of balance will keep you meticulous, discerning, calm, neat, disciplined, and honourable. However, Excess syndrome will turn you into someone who’s dogmatic and overly orderly. A Deficiency syndrome can make you sloppy and an unknowing hypocrite.

The weaknesses of a Metal-type personality are loss and grief. You may also be vulnerable to problems like asthma, constipation, and low immunity.

Aerobic exercises strengthen your lungs and prevent or improve asthma symptoms. The consumption of high-fibre foods eases constipation by encouraging bowel movement.

If your answers are mostly Es

You’re a Water-type personality and can adapt to ever-changing environments and scenarios. For example, you can be candid, introspective, curious, ingenious, thrifty, sensible, or lucid at different times.

If you develop an Excess syndrome, you may be demanding and desirous. A Deficiency syndrome will cause you to withdraw completely from the world around you.

Physician Kwek recommends the consumption of black-coloured foods if you have this personality type. Black rice, blackberries, and black beans can protect and strengthen the Kidneys, which are linked with the water element.  

A personality type test can help you understand who you really are and the factors that impair or boost your health. Speak to a licensed TCM practitioner if you wish to combine lifestyle modifications with the use of herbs. If you find this quiz useful, share it with your family and friends!