Opposites Attract

Note Before:
The article part is what I wrote last week.  I couldn't get up the oomph to edit.  I did tonight.

It's 2 weeks today that Deb passed away.  The first week and open house are a blur.  The following week, I did this and that, but nothing of consequence.  Today I turned over a 80 pound lathe chuck in a bath of degreaser and counted it as something accomplished.  Getting started at something is the hurdle.  Once I get going, I get it done or at least move it a step in the right direction.  

I'm feeling a hole or vacuum and, simultaneously a peaceful relief.  I haven't sorted out the basis of either.  This widowing stuff is adult stuff, let me tell you.  Wouldn't have handled it well when I was 20.  So far the only thing that's a pain is feeding myself.  I'll solve it.  I'm grazing on the left overs from last Saturday.  

On to the proof that we're opposites, at least in Dr M and Dr B's test.

There's a personality test people in teams sometimes take called Myers Brigs.  It in broad strokes declares how you interact with the world and gives better understanding among teams for how your colleagues act and think in these 4 binary ways.

Here's a clip I took from the MB foundation:

• Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).
• Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).
• Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).
• Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).

My letters were INTP.  I remember Einstein was an INTP so I am in good company.

Deb's letters were ESFJ.  I can't remember who they cited as part of her club.

Do you see any intersection?  Nope.  

Perhaps we were so successful as a couple and in life because we had, between us, every aspect the Dr Myers and Dr Brigs thought were important personality factors at least how he interpreted them.  This isn't an all or nothing scale, you could be slightly one or the other, but I was strongly in the INTP class and she was strongly in the ESFJ class.  I wonder of the good doctors could have predicted such great success from the two of us when our letters were clearly opposites?  Maybe the test is another kind of BS we bought into as good corporate citizens.

But... I must say that for my team at Roche, it was enlightening and we could interact with each other with new understanding.  Probably the same with Deb's team, although I don't remember their outcomes.  

Conclusion?  Opposites attract. It's gotta be.