We all have different personalities.
In improving our study habits and becoming more effective students, what works for one
person may be the very opposite of what works for someone else.
Let's go over different personality types, and how each can best create better habits.
What's going on guys, Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsider.com.
I recently read the book Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin.
In it, she describes four personality tendencies and how they interact with the world.
In this video, I'll help you determine your personality tendency and empower you with
the tools that are most effective for your personality type.
First, let's briefly go over the four tendencies.
However, to accurately assess yourself, check out the four tendencies quiz and a four tendencies
book.
Link in the description below.
After taking the quiz, let us know your tendency down in the comments.
Unlike other personality frameworks like Myers Briggs, Enneagram, Strengths finder and others,
the four tendencies doesn't cramp several elements into each category.
Instead, the four tendencies focus on just one narrow aspect of a person's character;
why we act and why we don't act.
While we know it is tremendously difficult to change our nature, the four Tendencies
provide us with the tools to change our circumstances in a way that suits us.
There are four categories or tendencies; upholders, questioners, obligers and rebels.
These categories are based off of the premise of expectations.
Specifically, how one responds to internal and external expectations.
Outer expectations are those outside of your control, like homework, deadlines, tests and
requests from others.
Inner expectations are those that you create yourself, like promising yourself to exercise
five times per week, limiting TV time or creating weekly YouTube videos.
Now, upholders respond readily to both outer and inner expectations.
Questioners question all expectations.
They meet an expectation only if they believe it's justified.
So in effect, they respond only to inner expectations.
Obligers respond readily to outer expectations, but they struggle to meet inner expectations.
Rebels resist all expectations, both outer and inner.
Gretchen uses a joke to illustrate a point "How do you get an upholder to change a lightbulb?
He's already changed it.
How do you get a questioner to change a lightbulb?
Why do we need to change that light bulb anyway?
How do you get an obligor to change a light bulb?
Ask him to change it.
And how do you get a rebel to change a light bulb?
Just do it yourself".
Obligors are the most common tendency at 41% of the population followed by questioners
at 24% then upholders at 19% and last, rebels at 17%.
Now, let's go over each tendency.
First, the upholder.
Think Hermione Granger from Harry Potter.
Again, upholders are those that respond to both inner and outer expectations.
They love schedules and routines.
They like to know what's expected of them and they don't like making mistakes or letting
people down, including themselves.
Upholders find it easy to form habits.
In terms of strengths, they are very self-directed and have little trouble meeting deadlines,
managing tasks and fulfilling commitments.
They love discipline and it doesn't make them feel trapped.
Instead, it makes them feel creative and free because they can execute any plan they want.
Their self motivation and reliability is second to none.
But, in terms of weaknesses, they can be too rigid feeling, compelled to follow the rules
even when it's more sensible to ignore them.
They can be disapproving, judgmental and uneasy when others misbehave even in minor ways.
Flexibility and adaptability are often lacking.
They can seem humorless, uptight and impatient.
They hate screwing up, so defensiveness and hostility may arise when they've made a mistake.
Now, as a student, how can we apply this with study habits?
The rigidity of upholders may lead them to spend their time ineffectively.
They may feel compelled to read the entirety of every textbook chapter, versus approaching
more efficient means of information transfer.
Check out my video on the Truth About Speed Reading for tips on how to actually read faster.
They also have trouble delegating responsibilities, which often results in them doing most of
the work in group projects.
If you’re an Upholder, be cognizant of your tendency toward rigidity and remind yourself
to question your way of studying.
Even if it is what the professor said, or feels right, or seems like the correct thing
to do, see if there’s a way to improve.
Resist the urge to do something for the sole reason that you feel like you’re supposed
to it.
Next, let's talk about questioners, like Steve Jobs.
Questioners meet only inner expectations, which includes outer expectations that they’ve
deemed important and turned into inner expectations.
They are committed to information, logic, and efficiency.
They love improving processes.
The Questioner is the person that takes extensive time researching products before choosing
the best one, or the one that spends countless hours researching what the best diet or exercise
regimen is to most efficiently get into shape.
If you’re questioning the entire Four Tendency premise, you’re probably a Questioner.
In terms of strengths, Questioners are data-driven, evidence-based, fair-minded, and interested
in creating and improving systems that are efficient and effective.
They’re willing to play devil’s advocate and critically examine both sides of an argument.
But their constant questioning can be tiresome, draining and obstructive.
Questioners may also suffer from analysis paralysis, where their desire for more research
and perfect information can hold them back from making decisions and acting.
Because they are great at questioning, Questioners can easily find rationale for avoiding an
expectation or breaking a good habit.
Their ability to find loopholes results in them shooting themselves in the foot.
It also can keep them from listening to sound advice, like when Steve Jobs opted for alternative
treatments for his pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor – the type of pancreatic cancer that
is very treatable with western medicine.
Now as a student, I see two pitfalls with questioners.
First, over-deliberation.
Avoid the urge to dig deeper, and rather remind yourself to focus on the ultimate aim.
Sometimes taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture will help you achieve your
academic goals.
Second, you probably are irked by the seemingly meaningless busy work or assignments with
seemingly little value.
Questioning your assignments and tests does little in helping you get good grades and
get into medical school.
Instead, focus on the second order of reason.
“Yes, this assignment is pure busy work, and it’s a waste of my time, but I want
to earn my professor’s respect and get a killer letter of recommendation.
My ultimate goal justifies doing it his way.”
Questioners can motivate themselves to change habits by framing behavior change as an experiment.
This approach appeals to the questioners desire to gather information, customize and optimize.
Obligers readily meet outer expectations from others, but struggled to meet inner expectations
they want to impose on themselves.
External accountability is huge for obligers.
In this sense, they will meet deadlines, keep promises and follow-through for others.
In terms of strengths, obligers are the rock.
They're the ones that people can count on.
There are great leaders, team members friends and family members.
They put others ahead of themselves and as a result, they are incredibly dependable and
responsible.
Of all tendency types, obligors tend to get along most easily with other tendencies.
Obligors struggle to follow through for themselves even though they're great at following through
for others.
Whether it's exercising, studying more every day, saying no to friends on a Friday night,
they often fail.
By not taking care of themselves, they are susceptible to overwork and burnout.
If the burden of outer expectations becomes too much, obligors go into “Obliger-rebellion”,
where they snap and refuse to meet an expectation any more.
This can be small and symbolic, or large and destructive.
Now, as a student, to stay on track, Obligers have a secret weapon.
Accountability.
The way accountability is most effectively implemented will vary from Obliger to Obliger.
For most, it will be in the form of one or more accountability partners who can best
help them with positive reinforcement in the form of praise and encouragement.
Reminders, on the other hand, may feel like nagging, which may trigger Obliger-rebellion.
Because finding a reliable accountability partner is difficult among friends and family,
Obligers may do better with a professional.
For example, personal trainers can be great accountability partners for your fitness goals.
For studying, seeking a professional mentor or tutor, like the ones offered on MedSchoolInsiders.com,
can radically improve your effectiveness and grades.
And last the rebel.
Rebels resist all expectations both in and outter.
The ability to choose freely is of utmost importance to them.
Sometimes they’ll even make a choice against their own self-interest, just to reassure
themselves that they’re able to have the freedom to choose.
They love to defy customs and conventions.
Rebels believe in their own uniqueness, sometimes even to the point of arrogance.
When a Rebel finds his or her cause, their calling, then that becomes their master and
they can accomplish anything.
Rebels are the ones that were looking forward to surprising you by completing a certain
task, but the minute you asked them to do it, they lost all interest in doing it.
In terms of strengths, the Rebel dislike of constraint can be a positive force, empowering
them to resist smoking, junk food, alcohol, and any other addictive and toxic habit that
begins to feel confining and controlling.
They’re independent-minded, able to think outside the box, and unswayed by conventional
wisdom.
They’re usually in touch with their authentic desires.
Now, on the other hand, their rebellious nature makes them often uncooperative, inconsiderate,
and restless.
They have difficulty accomplishing tasks that need to be done consistently and the same
way each time.
They struggle with routines and planning.
Student rebels perform better when they are able to frame actions in terms of their own
choice, freedom and self-expression instead of constraint and duty.
Telling yourself “I must do X” will not be as effective as “It’s up to me, of
course, but doing X is often effective.”
If you tell them they can’t do something, they may respond with “I’ll show you”
or “Watch me”.
For example, “This class is hard, I don’t think you can get an A in it.
Your first quiz was a B-.
Maybe you should give up trying.”
This statement may fire up a Rebel to prove you wrong, and may surprise both you and themself.
Now, the natural question you may have is “which Tendency is the best?”
To answer that is actually quite simple.
There is no best Tendency.
As you have now learned, each tendency has its own unique characteristics which both
contribute its strengths and weaknesses.
The key, rather, is learning to exploit your Tendency to your benefit, maximizing your
strengths and working around your weaknesses.
This video provided you with the tools to make it happen, now go implement.
I'm now gonna turn it on to you, first, tell me what your tendency is down in the comments
below.
And for those of you who have been following the channel for some time, I'm curious to
hear what you think my tendency is.
Take a guess, and I'll share my results on the Med School Insiders Facebook and Instagram
pages.
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