Am I a type A personality - and should I care? | Arwa Mahdawi

Is Your Personality Type A Really Worth It?

In the 1950s, a keen-eyed secretary at a San Francisco medical office stumbled upon an intriguing observation. She noticed that patients with coronary disease tended to arrive on time, gravitate towards hard-upholstered chairs, and exhibit a characteristic pattern of behavior - constantly fidgeting before leaping up when called. This insight eventually led to the concept of the "Type A" personality, popularized by cardiologists Dr Ray Rosenman and Dr Meyer Friedman.

Rosenman and Friedman's work posited that competitive, productivity-obsessed individuals were more likely to experience heart attacks due to their overbearing behavior patterns. Their findings gained significant attention, with a bestselling book, Type A Behaviour and Your Heart, being published later on. However, it was also used by the tobacco industry to argue against smoking, claiming that smokers were more prone to Type A personalities, which supposedly led to cancer.

Fast-forward to today, where social media platforms like TikTok have revived interest in personality types. Users are now fascinated with categorizing themselves into distinct personas, from introverts to extroverts, and even identifying as "Type A" or "Type B". I couldn't resist the urge to indulge in this online craze and, ironically, ended up procrastinating.

The origin of the Type A concept is shrouded in mystery, with some attributing it to an upholsterer who noticed patients' behavior. However, finding any concrete information on this enigmatic individual proved challenging. It's almost as if the creator of the concept wanted its roots to remain obscure.

While I couldn't find much substance behind these personality classifications, they do tap into our deep-seated desire for organisational systems that can help us navigate life. The idea of categorizing ourselves is inherently appealing, even if it might not be based on concrete scientific evidence.

Ultimately, the concept of Type A personalities serves as a reminder to address our own procrastination habits. Rather than obsessing over whether we're genuinely Type A or B, perhaps it's time to focus on creating effective strategies for staying productive and in control.
 
omg I'm so over this whole personality type thing πŸ™„ it's just another trend that comes and goes, but honestly what does it even say about us? are we really that predictable just because of our behavior patterns? I mean I know some ppl who fit into the Type A mold ( constant planners & organized freaks) and they're NOT exactly the most relaxed people 😴

and btw who was this upholsterer dude anyway? πŸ€” I couldn't find any info on him either. it's like, if u r gonna create a concept, at least give us some decent backstory πŸ“š
 
πŸ€” I mean, have you ever noticed how weirdly satisfying it is to put yourself into a neat little box? Like, I just did that with this whole 'Type A personality' thing, but really all it made me think about was how much I hate procrastinating πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ. It's like, the idea of having one type or another can be kinda comforting, but at the same time, isn't it a bit... arbitrary? πŸ’β€β™€οΈ Can we just focus on being our own awesome selves rather than trying to fit into some predetermined mold? 😊
 
Ugh, have you seen this TikTok obsession with personality types?! 🀯 It's like they just made up some labels and now everyone's gotta fit into one category. I mean, what even is a Type A personality? πŸ˜’ Apparently, it means being super competitive and productive... sounds about as healthy as binge-watching Netflix all day lol. And don't even get me started on how the tobacco industry hijacked this concept to discredit smoking. Like, come on guys, can we just stick to facts for once? πŸ™„
 
πŸ€” I mean, come on, folks! Let's not get too caught up in the whole personality type craze on TikTok πŸ˜‚. It's just a fun way to pass the time and maybe learn a bit about ourselves. But let's keep things in perspective here - is it really worth getting all worked up over? πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ I mean, we all know that life's too short to worry about being classified as Type A or B... let's just focus on living our best lives and staying productive (or not, who cares?) πŸ•’. And yeah, the origins of Type A are kinda sketchy, but that's all part of the mystique, right? πŸ’‘
 
I gotta say, I think people get way too caught up in trying to figure out their personality type πŸ€”... like, is my Type A really worth it? For me, it's all about being chill 😎, but hey, if categorizing yourself into a neat little box helps you stay on top of things, then go for it! πŸ’ͺ. I mean, have you seen the productivity playlists on TikTok? 🎡 they're actually pretty lit πŸ”₯. The thing is, I don't think our personalities are just one-dimensional, and trying to fit us into a Type A or B mold can be kinda... limiting πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ. Maybe instead of obsessing over what type we are, we should focus on being more present in the moment? πŸ™.
 
πŸ€” I mean come on, who really cares about the original story behind the Type A concept? It's all about the psychology now. So basically, they say you're Type A if you're a go-getter, high-strung person who can't sit still... sounds familiar to me πŸ™ƒ. But honestly, what I find interesting is how people are using these personality types to justify their excuses for procrastinating on social media πŸ“±. Like, yeah sure, I'm Type B because I need time to perfect my TikTok dance videos πŸ’ƒ. Give me a break!
 
Idk about all this personality type stuff πŸ€”...I mean, I've seen ppl get super defensive when someone says they're a Type A or Type B...like, what even is that? πŸ˜‚ It just seems like another excuse to label ourselves instead of actually trying to change our ways πŸ’―. And can we talk about how it got used by the tobacco industry? That's some shady stuff 🚭. I'm all for self-reflection and finding productivity tips, but let's not get too caught up in categorizing ourselves as 'good' or 'bad' ppl...we're all messy and complex, right? 🀯
 
I mean, can you believe this whole personality typing thing? 🀯 It's like, we're trying to understand ourselves better, but are we really getting somewhere? The fact that the original concept was kinda fabricated is wild. Like, who creates a personality type and just... goes with it? πŸ˜‚ And now we've got all these categories on TikTok, but what does it even mean? Are we supposed to be competing with each other or something? πŸ† It's like, can't we just focus on being our best selves without needing a label? πŸ’ͺ
 
I'm kinda late to this thread but I just saw this article about the whole Type A personality thing πŸ€”πŸ•’. I think it's funny how it's still relevant even though we know so much more now about psychology and behavior. Like, back then they just threw around these broad labels without really understanding where they came from? πŸ™„ It's like trying to identify a type of cat based on what you see outside your window. You might get some ideas but you're never gonna be 100% sure. And yeah, I love how the tobacco industry used it against smokers - that's straight up shady πŸ˜’. Anyway, maybe we should all just take a deep breath and not worry too much about our personalities. We can work on being more productive without getting tied down to some arbitrary label πŸ’ͺ
 
I mean think about it - have you ever noticed how stressed people can be when their online notifications aren't popping up fast enough? πŸ“±πŸ˜© That's basically what Type A personalities are all about, right? Constantly checking the clock, feeling like time is running out... I'm guilty too! πŸ’ΌπŸ•°οΈ Sometimes I feel like we're just trying to prove to ourselves that we can handle more tasks in a day. It's all about finding that balance, you know? πŸ€Έβ€β™€οΈπŸ’†β€β™€οΈ But at the end of the day, it's not about being Type A or B - it's about being human and imperfect! ❀️😊 #SelfCare #ProductivityHackers #BalanceIsKey
 
idk why people still care about personality types rn its like, so what if u r type a or type b who cares? btw did u know that most adults experience anxiety & depression which can be triggered by all sorts of stuff including social media addiction πŸ€―πŸ’” & didnt the tobacco industry really exploit this concept for their own gain?
 
idk why ppl still obsess over this type a personality crap πŸ€·β€β™‚οΈ but if u r one of them, chill bro u r not gonna die from being punctual lol πŸ˜‚ its all about how u use ur productivity skills, like, r u using it 4 good or just 4 stressin out? 🀯
 
Back
Top