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Unraveling Personality Types: The Four Tendencies (Gretchen Rubin book)


The four personality types from Gretchen Rubin's book The Four Tendencies:

Which one are you? (Click here to take the quiz)


  • The Upholder

  • The Obliger

  • The Questioner

  • The Rebel











Personality Type #1: UPHOLDER TENDENCY



First up, we have The Upholder - the hero of to-do lists and the nemesis of procrastination. Imagine someone who actually does what they say they're going to do (shocking, right?).




These are the folks who make New Year's resolutions and – hold onto your seats – actually keep them. In the professional arena, they're as reliable as a golden retriever.




Need something done by yesterday? Call an Upholder. People with this tendency are the embodiment of "discipline" in human form, but sometimes you just want to tell them to chill and skip a pilates class and go for ice cream (or nitro cold brew) instead.







Personality Type #2: OBLIGER TENDENCY



Then there's The Obliger, the person who's probably saying yes to reading your 500-page manuscript by tomorrow.




They're the glue in social and professional circles, always putting others first. However, this also means they often end up last in their own priorities, leading to the all-too-familiar burnout.




In a world that loves to take, people with this tendency need to learn the art of giving... to themselves.









Personality Type #3: QUESTIONER TENDENCY



Cue the dramatic music for The Questioner. Ever had a friend who asks "But why?" to literally everything? That's them.




People with this tendency who won't take "because I said so" for an answer. In their personal life, they're on a never-ending quest for knowledge, and professionally, they're the ones who actually read the terms and conditions.




Their skepticism can be a double-edged sword, though, leading to analysis paralysis. Sometimes, you just gotta leap without looking for a footnote, you know?








Personality Type #4: REBEL TENDENCY



And finally, The Rebel, walking in slow motion with an explosion in the background. They’re the ones who look at a rule and merely see a suggestion.




Rebels thrive on freedom and spontaneity, making them the life of the party and sometimes the wildcard in professional settings.




People with this tendency bring innovation by simply asking, "But what if we didn't?" Sure, they can be a handful at times, but their energy can spark the change that the rest of us never saw coming.








Understanding these four tendencies isn't just about slapping a label on you. Use this information like you would with the Myers-Briggs or Enneagram results. Learn more about your traits and tendencies and go from there.




So, whether you're an:

  • Upholder with a love for rules and discipline

  • Obliger always keeping their word even to their own detriment

  • Questioner always seeking out the truth

  • Rebel who is making waves


remember that your tendency can be your superpower.









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