Pilot Personalities

RyanB

RyanB

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I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend about personalities and the various traits that make each of us unique.

After taking the Enneagram Personality Test, I unsurprisingly scored highest in type 1, which is described as follows:

EE25ABFC-CA22-43DA-9E77-417A28EA2092.jpeg

“They believe life is about doing your best, setting high standards and goals and living up to them. Ones are sometimes described as obsessive compulsive, always trying to perfect and make things better. There is always room for improvement for Ones. Conscientious with strong personal convictions, they have an intense sense of right and wrong, personal religious and moral values. Wish to be rational, reasonable, self-disciplined, mature, moderate in all things.”

So, I usually don’t put a whole lot of weight into these personality tests, but I definitely feel like this describes me to a tee.

It made me wonder, are there certain personality traits that most of us pilots possess? What are some traits that are beneficial to have as a pilot and what are some traits that aren’t so good to have as a pilot?
 
Ryanb said:
...It made me wonder, are there certain personality traits that most of us pilots possess?
Click to expand...

Most of us have an unhealthy obsession about flying small airplanes.
I used to think it was a genetic defect, but the research says its an untreatable personality disorder.

Ryanb said:
What are some traits that are beneficial to have as a pilot and what are some traits that aren’t so good to have as a pilot?
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I can only think of traits that are not so good...such as:
  • The irrational and irresponsible desire to own an airplane if the pilot doesn't own one;
  • The even more foolish desire to own a faster airplane if the pilot does own one;
  • The completely irrational desire to own a second airplane if the pilot only owns one (ask me how I know).
I'm certain there's others, but this is what came to mind immediately. ;)
 
Ryanb said:
It made me wonder, are there certain personality traits that most of us pilots possess? What are some traits that are beneficial to have as a pilot and what are some traits that aren’t so good to have as a pilot?
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Neat! You made me curious so I took it too, didn't pay to unlock the full report but here is how I scored, 8 and 1 were top, 8 just barely higher

Screenshot_20200916-222323.png

Anyway, to answer your question, "What are some traits that are beneficial to have as a pilot" I believe are:
(1) - desire to lead
(2) - confident
(3) - analyze a situation/problem from multiple angles
(4) - pragmatic
(5) - adherence to rules
(6) - internal locus of control

-the bad ones the FAA already outlined for us.. but I find a lot of pilots are painfully pedantic (but that's not dangerous, just annoying)
 
Ryanb said:
I recently had an interesting conversation with a friend about personalities and the various traits that make each of us unique.

After taking the Enneagram Personality Test, I unsurprisingly scored highest in type 1, which is described as follows:

View attachment 90048

“They believe life is about doing your best, setting high standards and goals and living up to them. Ones are sometimes described as obsessive compulsive, always trying to perfect and make things better. There is always room for improvement for Ones. Conscientious with strong personal convictions, they have an intense sense of right and wrong, personal religious and moral values. Wish to be rational, reasonable, self-disciplined, mature, moderate in all things.”

So, I usually don’t put a whole lot of weight into these personality tests, but I definitely feel like this describes me to a tee.

It made me wonder, are there certain personality traits that most of us pilots possess? What are some traits that are beneficial to have as a pilot and what are some traits that aren’t so good to have as a pilot?
Click to expand...

I had some genealogy work done Some time ago from a company for $99.95. It turns out that I am royalty. Apparently, I am a descendant of Spanish aristocracy. Go figure. I didn’t even know that I was Spanish. But I have certificate and a coat of arms to prove it.
 
Morgan3820 said:
I had some genealogy work done Some time ago from a company for $99.95. It turns out that I am royalty. Apparently, I am a descendant of Spanish aristocracy. Go figure. I didn’t even know that I was Spanish. But I have certificate and a coat of arms to prove it.
Click to expand...

Stay safe! You don't know what opportunity lies in your future! :D https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Ralph
 
Morgan3820 said:
I had some genealogy work done Some time ago from a company for $99.95. It turns out that I am royalty. Apparently, I am a descendant of Spanish aristocracy. Go figure. I didn’t even know that I was Spanish. But I have certificate and a coat of arms to prove it.
Click to expand...
Interesting, was it from Ancestry? I've spent a fair bit of time on there researching my genealogy and learned a lot. Never know what you're going to find!
 
Only common trait i see is everyone thinks they are better than other pilots lol. I dont do the personality test stuff cause its to easy to manipulate. My wife and in-laws were into the briggs meyer and enneagram stuff for a while and made me take them. Watching them contort their brains trying to rationalize why i got what i got was far to entertaining.
 
falconkidding said:
Only common trait i see is everyone thinks they are better than other pilots lol. I dont do the personality test stuff cause its to easy to manipulate. My wife and in-laws were into the briggs meyer and enneagram stuff for a while and made me take them. Watching them contort their brains trying to rationalize why i got what i got was far to entertaining.
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Yeah I don’t put a lot of weight into them, but I thought it was interesting as the results I got were quite accurate.
 
Did the personality traits also include forgetfulness, as in forgetting to include the link so we could check it out for ourselves?
 
Bill Jennings said:
Or lack of inquisitiveness, IE googling it your own damned self?
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I don't Google!

Though a highlight of the text, and a right click took me to the page.

Eight 98%
Type 8 is also known as The Challenger. Eights see themselves as strong and powerful and seek to stand up for what they believe in.​
Six 86%
Type 6 is also known as The Skeptic. Sixes are preoccupied with security, seek safety, and like to be prepared for problems.​
Three 86%
Type 3 is also known as The Achiever. Threes want to be successful and admired by other people, and are very conscious of their public image.​
One 82%
Type 1 can be thought of as The Perfectionist. Ones place a lot of emphasis on following the rules and doing things correctly.​
Five 70%
Type 5 is described as The Investigator. Fives seek understanding and knowledge, and are more comfortable with data than people.​
Two 63%
Type 2 can be described as The Giver. Twos want to be liked and find ways that they can be helpful to others so that they can be loved and belong.​
Four 62%
Type 4 is known as The Individualist. Fours want to be unique and to live life authentically, and are highly attuned to their emotional experience.​
Seven 61%
Type 7 is described as The Enthusiast. Sevens want to have as much fun and adventure as possible and are easily bored.​
Nine 45%
Type 9 is also called The Peacemaker. Nines like to keep a low profile and let the people around them set the agenda.​

Not surprising as to which one was highest and which one was last place. The ones in the middle, I see some that could be higher and some that are lower.
 
In descending order:

Five
One
Eight
Six
Four
Seven
Three
Two

Makes sense, in general I'm not a people person and can give a rats orifice if I'm liked or not.
 
Bill Jennings said:
In descending order:

Five
One
Eight
Six
Four
Seven
Three
Two

Makes sense, in general I'm not a people person and can give a rats orifice if I'm liked or not.
Click to expand...

I didn't read the whole thread, but it would outwardly appear that math is not your strong suite.
 
EdFred said:
I don't Google!

Though a highlight of the text, and a right click took me to the page.

Eight 98%
Type 8 is also known as The Challenger. Eights see themselves as strong and powerful and seek to stand up for what they believe in.​
Six 86%
Type 6 is also known as The Skeptic. Sixes are preoccupied with security, seek safety, and like to be prepared for problems.​
Three 86%
Type 3 is also known as The Achiever. Threes want to be successful and admired by other people, and are very conscious of their public image.​
One 82%
Type 1 can be thought of as The Perfectionist. Ones place a lot of emphasis on following the rules and doing things correctly.​
Five 70%
Type 5 is described as The Investigator. Fives seek understanding and knowledge, and are more comfortable with data than people.​
Two 63%
Type 2 can be described as The Giver. Twos want to be liked and find ways that they can be helpful to others so that they can be loved and belong.​
Four 62%
Type 4 is known as The Individualist. Fours want to be unique and to live life authentically, and are highly attuned to their emotional experience.​
Seven 61%
Type 7 is described as The Enthusiast. Sevens want to have as much fun and adventure as possible and are easily bored.​
Nine 45%
Type 9 is also called The Peacemaker. Nines like to keep a low profile and let the people around them set the agenda.​

Not surprising as to which one was highest and which one was last place. The ones in the middle, I see some that could be higher and some that are lower.
Click to expand...
So everyone is some combination of these traits? I don’t see slob, misanthrope. I feel discriminated and unrepresented.
 
Ryanb said:
Interesting, was it from Ancestry? I've spent a fair bit of time on there researching my genealogy and learned a lot. Never know what you're going to find!
Click to expand...

Uh, you know I was just making that up? I am pretty sure that Most of my ancestors came from the bottom if the barrel.
 
Morgan3820 said:
Uh, you know I was just making that up? I am pretty sure that Most of my ancestors came from the bottom if the barrel.
Click to expand...
No because if it's on the internet it has to be true.
 
If you walk around crowded cities or college campuses long enough someone will come up to you and offer you a free personality test. It's when they offer you 'training' to 'correct' your score that you should run.

Nauga,
and clams got legs
 
When I worked for a Fortune 50 company in the 1990’s, I was selected for a leadership development program. Personality inventory tests were required including the long form of the Meyers-Briggs (which I think was something like 300 questions) and then several sessions with a psychologist to “help” you interpret your personality, modify those personality traits that could be holding you back, and become a successful team member. Then, they asked my wife to take a Myers-Briggs test. Since she was curious, she did. Funniest thing - psychologist couldn’t understand why we got married or how we stayed married since we were so incompatible!! That from a guy on his third wife! So ya, tell me how accurate these personality tests are. By the way, still married to the same woman for 44 years.
 
Type 3
Type 5
Type 6
In that order, all of them above 90% Type 1 was 89%, others were lower with type 7 and 9 at the bottom, below 45%.
 
I observe most of us are stubborn, we tend to be ppl we feel as completly confident we are right... Aviation, politics, religion, which oil is best, mogas or no, etc... probably a good trait for the C part of PIC...

besides that and the given- our love of aviation, I see us as a complete bag of mixed nuts... some super ppl person pilots who are as happy hangar flying with a stranger at an FBO as flying itself- or the cool analytic quiet non ppl person pilot who’s all biz about the mission.

there are daredevils and the uber cautious...

We have many varied traits but I find our common thread is- we feel we are right almost if not always.

I came out “The Campaigner” on that test
 
Majorly 8
with 5,3,1 about the same
nine was not so much
 
Pilots are the trumpet players of the jazz world. They're all the best... Just ask them..except the truly GREAT ones are generally pleasant and humble.

How many trumpet players does it take to change a light bulb?

Four....one to change it, and three to describe how much better they would have done it and how much the first guy sucked.

Too bad that attitude exists anywhere, be it in the air, on stage, or in a forum. The vast majority of folks here, actually, are generally very nice. Strong opinions, surely, but generally pleasant about it. There are some notable classic exceptions.
 
Well, I'm a pilot, but played the bassoon in school. How does that pan out in the discussion? :)
 
denverpilot said:
Hey now. I played low brass and I know of at least one other here who also did! :)
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Low brass are the jolly party animals. No worries! There's a saying among directors...

"Trying to conduct trombone players is like trying to herd cats...."
 
Jazz "musicians":
Where they throw any 4 notes together and consider it a "chord"
 
EdFred said:
Jazz "musicians":
Where they throw any 4 notes together and consider it a "chord"
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Just 'cause it doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean it doesn't make sense...;)...

And...lively discussions frequently ensue as to just WHAT chord those four notes create. Horn players, pianists, guitarists, and bassists all frequently have different interpretations and ways of parsing harmony. Drummers just continue drinking and drooling....;)
 
I am not musically inclined at all...wish I was.

I played the violin and alto sax in grade school, but only because I was nearly forced to by the school's curriculum. If I had stuck with it, I might actually be halfway decent by now. :)
 
Ryanb said:
I am not musically inclined at all...wish I was.

I played the violin and alto sax in grade school, but only because I was nearly forced to by the school's curriculum. If I had stuck with it, I might actually be halfway decent by now. :)
Click to expand...

Don't fool yourself. There are no decent people that play the violin or sax. :D
 
MuseChaser said:
Just 'cause it doesn't make sense to you doesn't mean it doesn't make sense...;)...

And...lively discussions frequently ensue as to just WHAT chord those four notes create. Horn players, pianists, guitarists, and bassists all frequently have different interpretations and ways of parsing harmony. Drummers just continue drinking and drooling....;)
Click to expand...

I think the drummers sit back and laugh while the tempo swings back and forth.
 
SoonerAviator said:
I think the drummers sit back and laugh while the tempo swings back and forth.
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I have a Beat Buddy for my drummer, which is a nifty little set up. Drum beats for a thousand or so popular songs, along with generic 3/4 4/4 6/8 rock, pop, jazz, funk, world beats. There's also an inebriated setting, where you can set the "drummer" to various level of inebriation and the drum beat will vary in tempo, rhythm and time. The worst (best?) setting is pretty much impossible to play with because it is all over the place.
 
EdFred said:
I have a Beat Buddy for my drummer, which is a nifty little set up. Drum beats for a thousand or so popular songs, along with generic 3/4 4/4 6/8 rock, pop, jazz, funk, world beats. There's also an inebriated setting, where you can set the "drummer" to various level of inebriation and the drum beat will vary in tempo, rhythm and time. The worst (best?) setting is pretty much impossible to play with because it is all over the place.
Click to expand...

Lol, nice. Dr Beat was always the standby metronome for most people.
 
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