You humans love to put yourself [yourselves] into categories.

人總是喜歡把自己歸類，

Dog person or cat person.

愛狗或愛貓人士；

Type A or Type B.

血型 A 或 B；

Scorpio or Taurus.

天蠍座或金牛座。

I'll admit, I even do this sometimes.

我得說我自己也常這麼做。

(I'm a Ravenclaw, Virgo, ENFJ, and I love dogs AND cats, in case you were wondering.)

(我屬於雷文克勞學院、處女座、人格類型 ENFJ、愛狗也愛貓，如果你想知道的話。)

People even use these categories to make important life decisions!

有些人甚至依據這些分類來做生命中重要的決定！

We think of these things like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and other personality tests as giving us some sort of explanation as to why we are the way we are.

我們把 Myers-Briggs 還有其他性格分類法視為一種人類既有行為模式的解釋，

Because of that, we place a ton of weight on them when it comes to decisions like, what career path to go down or which college to attend.

正是如此，我們往往十分仰賴測驗結果，尤其是面臨職涯或校系選擇的時候。

We treat them like they're based on scientific facts.

我們看待這些測驗如同他們有科學根據似的，

But are they really that meaningful?

但他們真的有這種價值嗎？

Well, for starters, let's define these terms.

首先我們來定義以下細節。

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, also known as the MBTI, is a test that supposedly reveals four facets of your personality: Introversion vs. extraversion, sensing vs. intuition, thinking vs. feeling, and judging vs. perceiving.

Myers-Briggs 性格分類指標 (多簡寫成 MBTI) 是一種理論上能揭露性格的四種面向：內向或外向、重感知或重直覺、思考或感觸、批判或感知。

It involves a series of questions about your tendencies and preferences, all of which results in a set of four letters that are supposed to sum you up as a person.

它包含了一系列關於你的個性傾向及偏好的問題，最後全部歸納成四個字母來概括你的人格特質。

Apparently, people who are Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Judging are best suited for jobs like school administrators, airline pilots, or dentists,

顯然地，內向（I）、重感知（S）、思考（T）、批判（J）的人很適合像是校務行政、飛機駕駛、牙醫的工作；

while ESFPs should work as teachers, flight attendants, or dental hygienists.

同時，ESFP 特質的人則適合當老師、空服員、牙醫助理。

Yeah, seriously.

對，真的就是這樣。

Another common personality descriptor that people love to read into is their zodiac sign.

另一個大家熟悉的性格描述就是星座，

Your zodiac sign, which is a sign given to you based on how the sun was aligned when you were born,

這來自你出生時，太陽位處的方向排列，

is thought by many to determine a lot of your characteristics.

很多人認為這解釋了你的性格特徵，

For instance, a Scorpio (which is someone who was born between October 23rd and November 22nd) is supposed to be jealous and stubborn, while a Capricorn (someone who was born between December 22nd and January​ 19th) is responsible and condescending.

舉例來說，天蠍座 (生日在 10/23~11/22) 應該善妒又固執；摩羯座 (生日在 12/22~1/19) 負責任卻又有些高傲。

One common thread among these personality tests and horoscopes is something called the Barnum Effect,

在這些性格測驗還有星座分析中有條共通的線索：巴納姆效應，

which basically says that people believe that personality descriptions given as a result of a personality test are highly accurate and suit them specifically,

此理論主張人們如此相信性格測驗中的個性描述，認為它們非常精確、僅適用於自身，

even when the same list of traits is actually given to everyone who took the personality test.

就算每位受試者其實都收到同一份的性格描述。

This is because the given traits are what's known as high base-rate characteristics, meaning that they're true to a large portion of the population.

會有這個現象是因為測驗結果都是所謂的「高基本比率特徵」，意思是它適合拿來描述多數人，

Examples of high base-rate characteristics are statements like, "Sometimes you're too hard on yourself."

像是以下描述：「有時你對自己太苛刻了」、

Or, "You really want other people to like you."

或「你非常希望受人歡迎」。

Does that sound just like you?

聽起來是不是很像你呢？

Well, it sounds like a lot of people.

事實上它適用於絕大多數人，

And that's the point.

這也就是重點所在。

So now if you might be thinking, these tests don't sound very scientific.

現在你可能開始認為覺得這些測驗不太有科學根據，

Well, you're right.

你說得沒錯。

While the creators of the MBTI test claim it was based on the work of psychologist C.G. Jung,

雖然 MBTI 測驗的設計聲稱是根據心理學家 C.G. Jung 的研究成果，

many modern psychologists agree that it's not really based in any legitimate psychology.

今天許多心理學者都認為該測試並非建築在正統的心理學基礎之上。

In fact, a group of characteristics known as the Big Five—which are extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness—are regarded as alternative personality descriptors that are actually based on the scientific method.

另外，所謂的五大項性格特質：外向程度、情緒不穩定性、合群程度、盡責性、開放程度，被視為是替代的性向描述，且確實有科學根據。

It's believed that the Big Five may actually have some bearing on things like job performance,

人們相信五大項性格特質或許在某些方面有影響力，例如工作表現。

and some scientists have even worked to locate regions of the brain that can be associated with individual aspects of the Big Five.

某些科學家甚至設法找出大腦裡與五大項性格特質相關聯的各個區塊。

In their 2010 study, they found that conscientiousness, for example, is significantly correlated with the volume of the middle frontal gyrus, a section of the brain's prefrontal cortex.

在 2010 年的研究中，其中一項發現指出一個人是否盡責，與位於前額皮質的額中迴尺寸高度相關。

So while the Big Five appear to be legitimate, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and other tests that heavily depend on the Barnum Effect seem... well, fake.

儘管五大項性格特質有些科學根據，MBTI 及其他測驗似乎都是假的，它們只不過是利用巴納姆效應而已。

So don't worry if you don't know your personality type or if it changes every time you take the test—it won't do you that much good anyway.

所以如果你不清楚自己的人格類型，或是每次測驗都不一樣也不用擔心，反正它們對你沒什麼好處。

And you're fine the way you are!

而且你原本的模樣就很好了！

So, do you have a personality type?

你的性格類型是什麼？

Do you believe in horoscopes?

你覺得星座很準嗎？

Let me know in the comments section below.

在下方留言區告訴我吧！

Or tell us, what should we talk about next!

或者告訴我下次想看到什麼樣的主題！

As always, my name is Blocko; this has been Life Noggin.

一如以往，我是 Blocko，你觀賞的是 Life Noggin。

Don't forget to keep on thinking!

記得不斷思考下去！