Wait a minute – that’s not where my navel is! Better keep looking…
Navel gazing is kinda my thing. Not literally – trust me, after having 5 kids, not even I want to look at the stretched-out half-innie half-outie cross between a Cabbage Patch doll and a water balloon protuberance on my stomach. (Although, weirdly, I never ever get belly button lint. I don’t know why. I’ve just never grown it.) No, my point is that I love thinking about what makes me me. I love (trying) to figure out my motivations and intentions and even likes and dislikes. Which I know sounds a little crazy – who doesn’t know what they like? – but as an inveterate people pleaser sometimes it really does take some serious effort to discern what I like from what I think people want me to like. 
Sometimes I like to do yoga poses and stare at walls. This is the mom version of being sent to the corner.
All of which means that I’ve never met a self-quiz I didn’t like. Strength Finders? Done it. Chinese Zodiac? Best part of Chinese dining, in my opinion. The 3-hour extended Meyers-Briggs personality assessment? BRING. IT. I even just took a quiz on “What kind of celebrity girlfriend are you?” in Seventeen magazine at the dentist’s office even though I’ve been married for 13 years and not-seventeen for a lot longer than that. (In case you’re curious, I’m an excellent girlfriend. Like Mila Kunis amazing. Albeit with tendencies to be Taylor Swift-y clingy. Personally I was hoping for Kim Kardashian just to validate my insane number of shoes.)
There’s only one thing I love more than trying to figure out how I tick. And that’s figuring out how other people tick. I love people watching in public places. Sure the fashion is entertaining (it always makes me sad when someone with really crazy style gets a “makeover” – I feel like a little bit of joy has left the planet) but really I enjoy it because I love making up the backstory. Why is that man walking without swinging his arms? (He must be in the cast of Riverdance!) Why is that woman at a fancy restaurant in track pants and a ratty hoodie? (She was literally running to meet her lover!) Why is that small child opening all the lipsticks in the makeup aisle and using them to draw a mural on the floor? And why does he look so much like my kid?? (Walk away. Some questions don’t need answering.)
So when I first heard about the new site ArchetypeMe, I got all excited. It incorporates the best of both worlds – navel gazing and people watching – into one fun website so I don’t even have to leave home to get my fix! (Why is that lady wearing sweaty workout leggings at 3 o’clock in the afternoon? Because I waited too long to shower after my workout and now I can’t because Jelly Bean is napping and girl has eagle-ears for running water!) Basically it works by having you take an 8-question quiz to determine what kind of archetype (definition: “a pattern of behavior that explains who you are and how you engage with the world around you.”) you fit into and then it customizes a newsfeed for you based on your personality. Then you can connect with your friends and see what kind of archetype they fit into and what they’re reading. I learned this because I watched the helpful 30-second intro video on the site… during which I realized I have been saying “archetype” wrong all these years. It’s ARK-uh-type, not ARCH-e-type. Yeah, I’m embarrassed. But hey, already learning new stuff about myself! Like my vocab skills need polishing!
You also have the fun option of checking out your friends’ archetypes and what appears on their feed. And this is what I was really interested in! Have you ever asked yourself what makes you and your bestie such good friends even though you have totally different backgrounds, different styles and different chocolate preferences? (White “chocolate” – ugh.) I think about that kind of thing all the time. Anyhow, going through the quiz, I’d already mentally cataloged my friends, family and random acquaintances and was dying to see if I was right. (Just so you know: I don’t consider myself a particularly good judge of character. Not that that stops me. Why let a lack of skill or talent stop you from doing something fun!) Unfortunately I don’t have any friends on ArchetypeMe. Yet. 
Something else I learned about myself: I have a tiny head. Children’s hats fit me perfectly. Pretty sweet since it’s super hard to find penguin hats in the adult section.
Which is where you guys come in! Are you interested in the psychology of personality – what makes people do what they do and think how they think? Want to sign up so I can voyeuristically read your archetype? (It’s all free, by the way.) Find yours now by taking a short quiz on: www.ArchetypeMe.com And now for the giveaway! Answer this question in a comment below for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card and a copy of the Archetypes: Who Are you? book, signed by author: Why do you think it’s important to really know who you are? Rules:
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
- Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post
- Tweet (public message) about this promotion; including exactly the following unique term in your tweet message: ” #SweepstakesEntry #whoareyou “; and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
- Blog about this promotion, including a disclosure that you are receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for writing the blog post, and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
- For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.
This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 1/17/13-2/12/13.
Be sure to visit the ArchetypeMe brand page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ posts and find more chances to win!
I did it, but I admit I’m a bit disappointed. I thought it was going to assign me a character as an archetype, like: “You are Grendel’s mother” or “You are Plato.”
“You are Grendel’s mother”! Buwhahah! I love it. That would have been so perfect. Maybe you should invent that quiz??
You missed the perfect opportunity to use the word omphaloskepsis.
It’s been my life’s ambition to use that word as much as possible since I learned it in tenth grade English class.
Had to Google that one! It literally means navel gazing – I love it. I need it on a shirt… right over my navel. We’ll see how many people get it!
I’m a sucker for personality tests. I’d be right in there, but I’m Canadian, so I’ll have to settle for coveting your penguin hat. I love penguins and that hat is awesome. I have a giant mutant head and have trouble finding hats that fit, so it would likely sit on top of my head like a comical mini clown hat (which admittedly would still look cute for that hat). A girl can dream tho! 🙂
Every girl should have a penguin hat! I got it in the kids’ section at Target… It’s a very stretch knit!
Well, I am 48% caregiver, 21% fashionista, 11% creative and 20% other. I am signed up. 🙂
Doesn’t surprise me at all Ms. Sylvie! Love it!
Knowing “who you are” actually makes it a little easier to make decisions.something I’m not good at). Plus the quizzes are fun!
I love taking quizzes about me and the part I find most fascinating is how my “type” changes my relationships with others.
Hmmm, I couldn’t get past the question of what I think people admire about me. That’s a hard thing for me. And my ability to talk to about bad TV for hours wasn’t on there so… 🙂
Oh but how bad is this bad TV?? Because I have some pretty trashy taste, sister. Right now I’m watching Catfish:)
Well, I see commercials for that show a lot while I’m watching Teen Mom if that tells you anything, lol! …We’re awesome.
Knowing who I am helps me understand the decisions I make and helps me to be kinder to myself when the decision isn’t the best.
I’m 48% caregiver. Strange since I don’t have kids, my boyfriend doesn’t want kids and I work in a college environment. Interestting stuff!
I think it’s really important to know who I am because that’s the only way I can’t/won’t be swayed into being what others think I should be. It’s how I can stand strong and know what I want and what makes me happy.
My results? 40% caregiver, 24% intellectual and 16% athlete. I’m not surprised by the caregiver and intellectual, but I’m a little surprised at athlete; might have to explore that more…
32% Intellectual, 27% Athlete, 21% Caregiver. Sounds about right, I tend to spend more time thinking about fitness articles, etc. then doing things, but I still get moving more than anyone else I know. I need some more active friends ^_^, here’s hoping this site takes off, it could be great.
I like finding out how I tick so I can focus on my strengths and work on my weaknesses!
Knowledge is power, but the only thing you really have power over is yourself. So self-knowledge is self-power, the best kind of knowledge and power! But I’m also a serious navel-gazer, so I might be biased… Thanks for the opportunity to check this out. 🙂
It’s important to know who you are so you can achieve what you want in life and to make yourself happy. Also, if you know yourself, others can know the real you, too, and relationships, of all kinds, are better.
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
2nd entry tweet – https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/292001771398782977
jslbrown_03 at yahoo dot com
I think it’s important to know about yourself so you can figure out why you do good or bad things – then repeat or avoid that in the future. Then, by the end, life will be easy…right?
60 % caregiver and 13% intellectual… not a surprise being an elementary teacher!! Fun to take and would love to win!!
So end result – 33% caregiver, 30% athlete and 17% intellectual. surprised that athlete is as high as it was but definitely shows the shift that I have taken in my life over the last two years which has me generally happier.
Knowing yourself well is key to everything. It helps inform decisions and shapes how you interact with people and places. I also find that I can get really irritated by pet peeves until I realize that I do the same or similar thing. That awareness helps me take a step back and reassess and then become a better me. I think the key thing is confidence – knowing yourself fully and accepting every bit good or bad comes across as an extremely confident person – and there is nothing more beautiful than a confident kickass woman! 🙂
I’m a caregiver, intellectual and spiritual and in that order. I LOVE taking quizzes like that and I signed up for the site so feel free to search me out.
I’m not in the US so I just did the test without signing up.
I’m 42% caregiver; 23% intellectual; 15% visionary and 20% other. Interesting !
It is important to understand who you are so that you can communicate more effectively with others.
I think it is important to know who you are b/c then you can know your purpose, know your strengths and weaknesses, and better serve others.
I’m not sure it’s important to really know who you are…I think it’s more important to keep exploring who you are. Keep asking questions, challenging yourself, testing your limits, discovering your hidden talents, strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, etc. Learning and changing and evolving are the keys to a vibrant life! I’d get bored if I thought I knew everything about myself. I guess I always want to have a little mystery left unsolved! 😉
Love, love, love this: “I’m not sure it’s important to really know who you are…I think it’s more important to keep exploring who you are.” Beautifully put.
I think it’s important to know yourself because then you’re able to more easily make decisions, whether it’s about what to do on the weekend, what to order at dinner, or what kind of person to spend your time with. Otherwise, you’re likely to spend a lot of time and effort and energy on things that don’t bring joy to your life.
I think it’s important to know who you are because it helps me understand why I do the things I do and make the choices I make in life.
Quizzes always fun
40% caregiver, 24% athlete, 16% creative. I’m not quite sure if that is actually who I am or who I’d like to be, sometimes I can’t tell the difference.
You have to know who you are to be able to make choices that work best for yourself in life.
I’d like to enter!
https://twitter.com/Hey_Joob/status/292096884347113473
It’s important to really know who you are so you consciously make the right choices that affect your life and those around you.
tweeting
https://twitter.com/leedhowell/status/292122473393176576
You had me at Myers-Briggs. I already clicked through to the website before I even knew about a giveaway.
I think that knowing who you are is imperative in understanding others and how they see you. If you know yourself, you know how you can be perceived and can alter (or not) your actions with others. Or explain yourself better, if need be. Which I am clearly not doing well here.
Also, I have a tiny toddler-sized head as well. Its kinda great, isn’t it?
Yeah, then you’ll love this: http://gizmodo.com/5976541/take-mensas-free-test-and-find-out-if-youre-a-genius
Free Mensa test! Quiz junkies unite!!
As a psych minor, this type of thing fascinates me! Love this post.
https://twitter.com/mel_witman/status/292130467472363520
As I see it, if you don’t know who you are, you can’t really expect to be happy in the long run. This is actually something I’m struggling with right now. I also tend to be a people pleaser, and I also know vaguely what kind of person I would like to be… rather than what kind of person I am. My new year’s resolution is to actually slow down, focus on me a little bit more (which seems like a really weird resolution), and actually figure out what makes me happy and what I like.
Great post, Charlotte!
there is something about a quiz–I totally love them, and one of my favorite things about Google Docs ( now Drive I guess) is that you can create your own with “forms”. easily as much fun as taking them is making them. 🙂
I took the quiz and it said I’m 45% intellectual, 31% caregiver, 20% other, and 4% athlete. I think it’s important to know who you are so you know how to prioritize things in your life and how to get along well with others.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/292282743235178496
It’s important to know who you are so you can make the right choices in life and be happy
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/292310014922743809
My faith is so connected to who I am. Knowing this and defining what I believe helps me know who I am and how I can be better.
I have spent so much time in my life “enjoying” other peoples enjoyments that I think knowing who I am will finally make ME happy! BTW…I love to people watch!
I got 38% Athlete, 20% Intellectual, 18% creative. And I love quizzes too! The news part seemed to be about the same (all Lance Armstrong and k-pop articles) but the idea behind it is kinda interesting!
Just took the quiz. The site looks very interesting.
The quiz questions were interesting. It was fun thinking through each one. Definitely makes you think about how “you” tick.
This court does not recognize “white chocolate” as chocolate!
Thanks for the post!
I got mainly Caregiver which is pretty spot on. I think it’s important to know who you are and for others to know as well. That way you can work on being you to your fullest potential rather than spending your life trying to figure it out.
Knowing who you are means others cannot step on you or treat you badly. When you know your self worth you won’t listen to the naysayers.
— onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com
Tweet: https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/292458953957310464
— onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com
Pingback:My PV Body Recant [Plus: The Most Inspiring Fitness People and Stories for 2013!]
you have to know who you are before you know other people, and if you dont know who you are you will make bad life decisions..
tweet
https://twitter.com/MeandBells/status/292649957477990402
so that you can grow and learn in life and progress!
tweet
https://twitter.com/1amypugmire/status/292743899020132352
I think it’s important to know who you are to help you learn and understand yourself and help in areas to grow and be a better person.
https://twitter.com/disneyfan40/status/292809213552521217
I believe it is important to know who you are so that you have a better understanding of who you are and what you stand for. I think it helps you build stronger relationships with others if you are aware of yourself: strengths, weakness, warts and all. However, I feel it is even more important to be open to whoever you may be. It is all well and good to find your inner self, but if you are unwilling or unable to accept who that person is it doesn’t do you very much good.
My archetypeme quiz results were 37% caregiver, 27% intellectual, 16% creative and 20% other.
It is important to know who you are so you can be true to yourself and be genuine to others
It’s important to analyze myself, what I do well and what I don’t, so I know how to improve myself, and how to communicate with others. According to archetype I’m a caregiver.
songyueyu at gmail
you look great!
tweet: https://twitter.com/syytta/status/292865786924654592
songyueyu at gmail
i don’t think it would be possible to live your life to the fullest if you didn’t really know yourself!
it’s important to be yourself!
tweet: https://twitter.com/akronugurl/status/292962697727852544 .
I love quizzes like this! Thanks for posting
tweeted; https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/293310447174701056
It’s important to identify who you are so that you can maintain the balance necessary to honoring your personality and goals. When you’re out of balance, you are not honoring yourself and are not being everything you are meant to be. It’s always a journey though!
I’m 42% Caregiver 19% Intellectual 19% Spiritual. I like that ArchetypeMe thinks I’m an Intellectual. Here I always thought I just over analyzed. LOL.
We have to know ourselves to love ourselves (not in the blind ambition sort of way, but in the hey, I’m okay with myself way). But as someone else also commented, we shouldn’t stop at a point in time. And we shouldn’t become stagnant. Never become complacent. Growth comes from self-awareness. Of learning from our mistakes and our victories. Whether relationships, work, at the gym, we grow when we push a little bit. This doesn’t mean that we have to reinvent ourselves, just realize that we aren’t perfect and that there is room for improvement.
ps – also tweeted, but apparently not smart enough to add the link . . .
It’s important to know who you are so you can get along with and love people in your life.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/293807560945967104
it keeps you focused and not as easily pushed around by others
thismomwins@gmail.com
tweeted https://twitter.com/thismomwins2/status/293828268862345216 thismomwins@gmail.com
Knowing myself well would better help me to navigate life’s ups and downs.
https://twitter.com/rusthawk/status/293879309922361344
I think it’s important to really know who you are because it shapes the choices you make. If you don’t know your likes, dislikes, wants, needs, dreams; then how can you make yourself happy and fulfilled? By knowing yourself you can be the person you want to be.
Tweet
https://twitter.com/CouponTammy/status/293981914342227968
I think it’s important to understand who I am so I can learn how to become better- a better mother, family member, friend, etc.
chambanachik at gmail dot com
You will know what you want for your life and be a better person
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/294184636723122176
Since I did the ArchetypeMe quiz I have received a huge amount of spam emails. Just thought you’d like to know.
I think it’s important to know who I am because so others around me can know me better. By the way, the quiz was pretty fun.
Amy [at] utry [dot] it
tweeted:
https://twitter.com/uTry_it/status/294367086640242688
Amy [at] utry [dot] it
helps give you confidence
It is important to know who I am because then I can enjoy life more. I will know where I want to go and what I want to do with a bit more ease. I will be a better me and a better wife , daughter , sister and friend.
It’s so important to know who you are because it defines how you work with others and how you approach what life brings to you!
tweeted! https://twitter.com/jfong1130/status/295041536838729728
I think it is important just to know what makes you happy. Of course, I feel like I am constantly changing as I get older as far as what I enjoy doing.
tweeted.
https://twitter.com/catholicfanatic/status/295337398550798336
It’s important to know who you really are because then you will have direction in life, and find activities and company that you really enjoy.
tweet
https://twitter.com/kellydsaver/status/295732291215441921
To know who you really are is the key to everything in life. Once you know who you are, you will understand why you do what you do, and then be able to gain control over yourself (and the things you do that you don’t like) and make the positive changes that will help you live each day true to yourself. There is no greater feeling than being able to lie down at night knowing what your heart is saying, and knowing that you followed it that day.
It’s important to know who you are because the more you know about yourself the greater you will feel and the better you will be at dealing with situations. If you don’t know who you truly are then how will anyone else? Thanks!
ashleygatewood1(AT)gmail.com
https://twitter.com/shuggysmommy/status/296627886390140929
because it helps to make decisions that are right for you and prioritize for your life!
and i’m not surprised i was mostly caregiver!
https://twitter.com/DesMoinesDealin/status/297166350290403329
I took the quiz, and it was spot on. I find it valuable to understand who I am and what could be behind my motivations.
I think its important to know who you are to help you learn about yourself, be a better person and make the best choices for yourself.
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/297876426152112128
Oh it is super important for us to know who we are because of the value God has put on this very thing. When we forget we were made in the image of Christ and if given the gift of faith, to choose to disbelieve we are actually free then it is mockery to all God has done. We are valuable because God says we are valuable. We are knit with our different personalities, preferences, likes & dislikes, tastes, etc. on purpose, just as God intended! 😀 He makes no mistakes!
It is important so that you can make the best decisions in life.
I think it is important to know who you are in order to better plan for the future and utilize your personal strengths.
Thanks for the chance to win!
wildorchid985 @ gmail dot com
tweet–https://twitter.com/WildOrchid985/status/299152200305889280
Twittered for another entry! https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/299978984161177600
I am totally into psychology of personality. Here are my results…
MEET YOUR ARCHETYPE
52% Caregiver
A Caregiver is someone who lives to give and needs to be useful.
14% Intellectual
If you’re an Intellectual, you’re always seeking knowledge and wisdom.
14% Visionary
Visionary women see important things before others do and make new rules that change the world.
20% Others
I’d like to think that knowing myself would make it easier to understand some of the decisions I’ve made (right and wrong).
Tweet – https://twitter.com/willitara/status/300366552694407168
https://twitter.com/lindabr1001/status/300609911379881986
so you know what you are capable of doing
51% INTELLECTUAL
18% CAREGIVER
11% ADVOCATE
If you don’t know who you are, how do you expect anyone else to?
TWEET
https://twitter.com/MsCarolsueA/status/301094403617992704
Intellectual, creative, caregiver. We just did the what color are you at work, which was about the same. And I did the Myers-Briggs at the leadership program I’m in. I love this kind of stuff.
BTW, found your blog via Pinterest, read a ton of posts and then finished off your book all this snowy weekend. I enjoy the fact that you are an upper-Midwest fitness blogger!
I think it is important to know yourself so you can make better decisions in your life. Thanks so much for sharing and for a chance to win!!!! kmassman gmail
It is important to know who you are so you can feel confident in your beliefs and lead a happier life
pokergrl8 at gmail.com
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/301518303459954689
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/301545101656748032
Its important to know who you really are because gives you a sense of self and it makes any type of decision easier to make.
36% intellectual, 34% caregiver, 10% spiritual
It’s important so that you can be truly happy in life.
https://twitter.com/jen_r_horn/status/309035550571102209
Its important because then you are unshakable! Thanks for a super giveaway!
Tweeted:
https://twitter.com/anashct3/status/312403851435208705
Thanks for the chance to win!
email: anashct1 [at] yahoo [dot] com
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