Personalities: Do You Know Someone Who is the Life of the Party?

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH

Party Patty bounces home excited about another day being around people even if she was just at work.  So what if all of her work did not get done today, it can wait till tomorrow.  So what if she didn’t make her sales quota that will happen next month.  The most important thing is that she hosted the best 50^th birthday party for her friend at work.  “Why can’t we all have some fun at work?” she questions, “Life would be so much better if everyone just took time out of the day to enjoy it and have a little fun.”  Patty hears her smallest child banging on the clean pots and pans which have been removed from the cabinet and sits down next to her to make some “music” along with her.  Dinner is late as usual but who cares, life is too short to live by a deadline and there is always a frozen pizza that can be heated up.  Looking around the house, there are several started but unfinished projects on the already messy kitchen table but what’s the big deal, there is always tomorrow.  Dinner will just have to be in the family room again or maybe they can go out to eat instead.

Sound familiar?  If so, then your someone is an “I” in the DISC personality profile which is “Influential”.  Their motto in life is to “Have fun”, for them enjoying life to the fullest is the most important element and everyone around them knows this is their motto.  They are the life of the party and everyday is a new exciting adventure from the second they wake-up until the moment they fall asleep.  Even their dreams are filled with fantasy as their lives seem to be Disneyland-ish.  If you are having a party, invite them and the party will be great, neglect to invite them and it will be a flop for sure.  If they are having a party, be prepared to meet the strangest group of people you could imagine as they have “friends” from every walk in life.  But while their “friends” are a mile wide, their “friendships” are about an inch deep.

As a Spouse.  There is never a dull moment with this personality type as you literally never know what the day or evening will bring.  Don’t be shocked about some new recipe experiment as they most likely won’t prepare the same meal twice, won’t wear the same clothes twice, or won’t want the same group of people over twice.  Their parenting style haves lots of room for flexibility and discipline is definitely be lacking but the kids will love it and that is all that matters, having others like them.  In life and especially on vacation, expect that they have no plan what-so-ever but prefer instead to fly by the seat of their pants in making nearly every decision.  Just don’t hand the checkbook over to them as their creative style will likely spill out in creative financing and creative spending.

As a Friend.  Who doesn’t want a friend like this?  They bring their own excitement, have tons of stories, keep the conversation flowing, seem interested in everything you say, and have tons of ideas about everything.  The biggest problem is they are not very reliable as a friend as they are likely to leave you hanging for another greater gig going one at the same time.  They over-book, over-commit, over-promise, and over-smooze which can cause problems in your friendship only if you take it personally.  They don’t mean it personally as they just want to be liked, it just happens.

As a Co-Worker.  If there is a promise of recognition at the end of any goal, they will work towards it.  But if not, don’t be shocked if your project gets put on the back-burner and they have lots of back-burners.  They  are rarely on-time as 30 minutes late is normal, don’t keep a deadline because something else more interesting always comes up, and are likely to be more interested in making friends then in working.  But the office will not be dull with them around as they single-handedly keep the energy alive and thriving.

As a Child.  They are the fun child who needs to have tons of activities as they are always on the go wanting more, seeing more, and doing more.  This child is great with new people and is likely to be found talking to anyone who will respond back to them.  They will walk up to perfect strangers with the greatest of ease and start conversations making them sound older and smarter than their peers.  Wonderful performers, these children are likely to engage in any activity that allows them to be on stage in front of an audience.  And when there is no audience, they will create one though both good and bad behavior.

Fortunately this personality has a natural salesman like ability that enables them to literally sell the shirt off your back to you as their acting skills are well above average.  They are fantastic at any customer support, teaching, training or any environment which requires good people skills or a performance as all of this comes naturally to them.  In the most tense of situations, they have the ability to ease the air with a couple of jokes and return high anxieties to normal levels.  So the next time you come across a Party Patty, realize they will want to be your friend and even call you their best friend but you should take a number as there are likely to be a dozen other besties.

 

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About the author- Chris Hammond is a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern at LifeWorks Group w/ over 15 years of experience as a counselor, mentor & teacher for children, teenagers & adults.