Learning Style Profile

I have been dubbed as a 'Visual Auditory Learner' with a personality profile that identifies me as an 'Introverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving', or INFP for short. Though I find these probes into my character interesting, I have some disagreements while finding other things mentioned relateable.  

A Visual Auditory Learner is broken down into two segments. The first being Visual, the second Auditory. The Visual Learner is said to "think in pictures, have a strong sense of color..." I would agree with this. I often picture my life and ideas as a story not at all unlike a movie. I visualize my future and reflect on the past very much in a storyboard form, like a series of pictures. I feel I have a strong sense of color and I incorporate this into my crafting and gardening life. You would never be able to tell given the way I dress. I mostly don Earth colors and you can find me not only wearing the same thing for days and days in a row, but if it's black, brown or green, I'm wearing it. My sense of color is strongest in areas of design. My garden explodes in rainbow every year via flowers like purple hyacinth, coupled with yellow forsythia, with late blooming orange and red poppies and pink and blue-purple foxglove. The beginning of the season is always heralded with orange, yellow, pink and red tulips, purple, orange and pink wallflowers, blue and purple larkspur, blue purple and red lupine, pink and white columbine and purple violet. In terms of design or domestic living I spend a lot of time thinking about the effects of color in my home, and what 'things' to put where in context of their color.

The Visual Learner needs to see things being done, rather than being told about them. They have trouble with spoken directions, and can misinterpret words. In the classroom is it important they sit close so as not to be distracted, studying alone, symbols and pictures in notes, color coded items, graphs, charts, diagrams and maps are things at which Visual Learners can be very proficient in. Games like 'Pictionary' and jigsaw puzzles are said to increase the powers of the Visual Learner. I would agree with these wholeheartedly - not only am I awesome at Pictionary, but I consider myself a master map reader, and I enjoy it thoroughly and have developed an animosity for GPS systems as a result.I save my journals and often scribe my daily notes in them, appearing like a secret language with half written words, circles, stars, boxes and bold words, my notes can become quite artful. Having trouble with spoken words, direction and/or misinterpreting words...reminds me of most of my romantic relationships,and why they have failed....with flying colors.

I disagree with being classified as an Auditory Learner, as not only does it appear to be contradictory to the Visual Learning style in many ways, I personally only relate to it very minimally. It states that Auditory Learners are excellent listeners, which I find in direct humorous contradiction to the Visual style which states we have trouble listening. A unfortunate as this is, I am a terrible listener at times. I do, however, enjoy listening to the radio. I listen to NPR every morning and my favorite is 'Prairie Home Companion' whenever the mood strikes me.

Games like Scrabble or crossword puzzles are suggested for Auditory types. I have always been terrible at Scrabble, and though I enjoy crosswords, when I do them I prefer the easiest kind possible. It also suggests listening to stand-up comedians. My favorite is Louis C.K. - and who couldn't love him?

So here I am, an Audio Visual Learner with an 'Introverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving', or INFP for short as a personality type. These people are labeled as opportunistic, wondrous, nurturing and perceptive. How could I not agree with that? I'll take it, and most of the examples I have to back this up is my community. I have been told many times by those I love and at times by those I do not love - that I have a personality akin to an Artist or Musician, I am viewed as a good Teacher to those around me and I enjoy teaching. I also enjoy working with animals and children and I have worked as a Nature Guide and back country trail maintenance worker for many summers, I also enjoy long distance hiking. A Forest Ranger, Veterinarian, Pediatrician and Teach are among the many suggested career paths for the INFP personality type. "Ultimately, INFP's believe that things will work out and they have the ability to see the good in almost anyone or anything. Even for the most unlovable the INFP's have pity" I find this to be very true for me though it serves as a double edged sword. I will easily befriend many, even if they are seemingly terrible people.

I have been classified as an Introverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving (INFP) personality with a Visual Auditory learning style. I agree with it, for the most part and see it as an enriching addition to a perpetually growing experience that is my life.