Big decisions

21 essays tagged big decisions.

• Self-awarenessCareerBig decisions7 min

  How a Personality Test Saves You From the Same Career Mistake Twice

  Resume gaps tell you which jobs ended. A personality score may tell you why — and which kind of job is likely to end the same way next time

• TraitsBig decisions7 min

  Personality and Money: Who Saves, Who Spends, and Why

  Saving is partly willpower. Mostly it is trait pattern. Here is what the research says about who saves, who spends, and which trait combinations create the trouble

• Self-awarenessBig decisions7 min

  Personality Test vs Coaching vs Therapy: Which Tool Solves Which Problem

  An honest comparison of three common self-improvement tools. They solve different problems, and using one for the wrong job is expensive in both money and time

• CareerBig decisions7 min

  Reading a Job Description Through Your Big Five Profile

  Most job descriptions broadcast their personality demands if you read them slowly. Here is how to pattern-match a listing against your Big Five profile

• Self-awarenessBig decisionsScience7 min

  Self-Awareness and Decision Fatigue: The Research Link

  Knowing your defaults may reduce the daily cognitive load of choosing. Here is the research, including the honest caveat about the ego-depletion replication problem

• RelationshipsBig decisions7 min

  Why Couples Who Take the Same Test Argue Less

  Naming a Conscientiousness gap takes ten minutes. Arguing about dishes for six months takes six months. Here is why a shared vocabulary changes the math of fights

• TraitsCareerBig decisions9 min

  Why Agreeable People Earn Less

  High Agreeableness predicts lower income by roughly 18 percent for men. Here is the research on why, and what to do about it without becoming someone you are not

• TraitsCareerBig decisions9 min

  How to Negotiate When You Score High on Agreeableness

  High Agreeableness costs people roughly 18 percent in salary on average. Here is what the research suggests for closing the gap without becoming someone you are not

• Big FiveRelationshipsTransitions8 min

  The Big Five and Relationships: What 50 Years of Research Shows

  Compatibility is not about matching every trait. Here is what the research actually says about which Big Five patterns predict happy relationships and which predict trouble.

• Big FiveCareerBig decisions9 min

  Big Five Personality Test for Career: What Traits Predict Which Jobs

  Personality fits some jobs more than others. Here is what 30 years of career research shows about which Big Five traits matter most, and where.

• TraitsCareerBig decisions7 min

  What Is Conscientiousness, and Why Does It Predict Income Better Than IQ?

  Conscientiousness predicts career success better than almost any other trait. Here is what it actually measures, and what the research shows about why it works.

• MBTIBig FiveBig decisions8 min

  ENFP in Big Five Terms: What the Four Letters Translate To

  ENFP captures a real trait pattern that the Big Five can measure directly. Here is what the translation looks like across the five continuous dimensions

• HEXACOCareerLeading people8 min

  When HEXACO Predicts Workplace Behavior Better Than Big Five

  For most workplace outcomes the Big Five is enough. For ethical violations and counterproductive work behavior, HEXACO does something the Big Five does not

• MBTIBig FiveBig decisions8 min

  If You Got 'INTJ' on the MBTI, Here's the Big Five Translation

  INTJ is a four-letter shortcut for a Big Five pattern researchers can actually measure. Here is what the trait-level translation looks like

• TraitsSelf-awarenessBig decisions8 min

  What the Research Shows Introverts Do Better

  Introvert strengths are not made up. Here is what the research actually shows about where lower Extraversion gives people an edge — and where the edge has limits

• TraitsCareerBig decisions8 min

  Saving, Spending, and Investing: Your Big Five Money Profile

  Personality predicts saving and spending behavior more than income does for many people. Here is what the research shows trait by trait — and what to do with it

• CareerTraitsBig decisions8 min

  Negotiation Styles by Big Five Trait

  Negotiation research shows which traits help and which hurt — and which hurts the most when you do not see it coming. A practical guide by trait

• RelationshipsTransitionsBig decisions8 min

  Big Five Patterns Couples Therapists Watch For

  Couples therapists know which trait gaps tend to produce which fights. Here are the four patterns research has tied to relationship conflict and what to do about them

• CareerScienceLeading people9 min

  What Hiring Managers Should (and Shouldn't) Use Personality Tests For

  Personality tests can predict job performance better than interviews — but only in narrow ways, and they create real legal exposure when misused

• CareerSelf-awarenessBig decisions8 min

  How to Read the Personality of Your Job Interviewer (and Yourself)

  Interviewers have personalities too — and reading them in real time can change how you answer. A research-grounded field guide for both sides of the table

• Self-awarenessTraitsChanging yourself8 min

  Why Your Personality Scores at Work May Differ From Home

  Trait expression varies hour to hour. Research on density distributions shows how much of your personality is context, not core — and what stays stable anyway