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A lot of work is being done to find the best way to categorize and define different types of personalities. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator tests offers 16 different types of personalities and they are pretty popular. The Big Five is also a pretty common method for determining one’s personality type.
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Even though these methods are popular, they are still considered inefficient to offer a complete understanding of complex human personalities.
One of the methods used for describing a variety of personalities is dividing them into Type A and Type B. This type of categorizing is considered a spectrum in which A and B are the opposite ends. People often belong to the middle of the spectrum as they have both A and B traits.
What Is Type-A Personality?
There is no concrete definition for a personality categorized as Type A. The traits can change from person to person. A is one end of a personality spectrum, and anyone whose traits fall on that spectrum is put into the Type A category.
Who Is the Best Example of a Type-A Personality?
Type-A personalities are recognized by some of the following hallmark personality characteristics:
Impatience
People belonging to Type A are impatient and can easily get frustrated if they have to wait. They are too concerned with time urgency and don’t have the heart to wait for things. They have a habit of interrupting other people and hate waiting in lines. These people often walk and talk at a fast pace. They are always worried about the constraints of time.
Hostile and aggressive
They have free-floating aggression and hostility that often manifests as rudeness and impatience. Having a short fuse is their prominent characteristic.
Competitive nature
Type-A people have a strong desire to win at everything, whether it is work, relationships, or random activities they always want to be at the top. They tend to make everything a competition.
If they fail to win at things they start to lose self-worth and can become aggressive. Achievement feeds their self-worthiness.
Desire for dominance
Type-A people are very dominant and they want to have control of things around them. They like to dominate personal and business interactions and don’t pay attention to the desires and wishes of other people.
Influence of Situations on Type A
Researchers believe that Type-A personality is highly influenced by the surroundings. Their characteristics are a reaction to environmental factors or behaviors.
Job and cultural structure can also impact their behaviors. A lot of jobs put a lot of emphasis on completing tasks on time and there are sometimes heavy penalties put on lack of efficiency and mistakes. Stressful jobs can test the patience of a person and prone to Type-A behavior. People that have a natural tendency toward being intense are easily affected by stressful environments.
The Intersection of MBTI Personality and Type A
MBTI offers sixteen different types of personalities. Traits exhibited by Type-A personalities are similar to the dominant personality traits of ESTJ.
Type-A personalities can be categorized as extroverts because they tend to work quickly and are action-oriented. They get impatient pretty quickly. They align well with the sensing dimension as well.
They lack intuitiveness and only rely on facts. Their impatient nature urges them to focus on facts and take actions that will ensure they get maximum return in minimum time.
Type-A people are objective and don’t pay much attention to the sentiments of other people. Caring for others’ feelings is inconsistent with their dominant traits which are being ambitious, task-oriented, and overly competitive.
ESTJ is used for the traits of extroversion, sensing, thinking, and judging. The traits displayed by Type-A personalities sync perfectly with ESTJ characteristics.
Type-A people also demonstrate similarities with ENTJ preferences. They want to control their environment and get the outcomes they want. They always work too hard because they believe that their success and failure depend only on their efforts.
The negative impact of type A behavior
People with Type-A behavior lead an intense life and rarely have any relaxing moments. If they continue to have such a lifestyle it ends up deteriorating their physical and mental health.
Here are some negative effects Type A people can experience over the years:
- There is not much evidence to support the claim that Type-A behavior and heart diseases are linked. However, a lot of research has been done on the topic and some people believe they are linked. Continuous stress is not good for the heart.
- There is complexity when it comes to the relationship between high blood pressure and personality type.
- Type A suffer mentally as well as they often get alienated because of their intense and rude behavior. They end up spending too much time on work and have little time to focus on relationships. The isolation can be too much to handle and they can have a mental breakdown. Not being able to share things with other people increases stress and brings out Type-A behavior.
Changing Type-A Characteristics
Type-A behavior is generally triggered and exaggerated by environmental factors, so it’s possible to alter them and establish a softer personality. It’s possible to change the characteristics and here are some suggestions:
- Firstly, you should take a look at work-life. If the job is increasing your stress levels because it is too demanding then it is time to make some changes in your work-life. Instead of focussing solely on the outcomes, try to enjoy the process as well. If the stress of the workplace is messing up your health then you can talk to the higher authorities and talk about establishing a healthy work environment.
- Changing thought patterns can also help in softening Type-A behavior. However, it’s essential to understand that it does not happen overnight. Thinking positive helps develop trust in oneself and become a better person.
Final Thoughts
Type A and B theory is not the perfect approach to understanding people, but it does offer valuable insight into human nature. Taking personality tests on our website can help in determining whether you land on the A or B side of the spectrum.
Sam Najar, MBA
MBA from the Australian Institute of business. Over a decade working for IBM Australia and Oracle Europe and the Middle East. Worked on Artificial Intelligence technology for many years and believes that technology can help everyone better understand his/her personality and find the job they deserve.
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