Are you a natural "joiner"?

You've just been out with your sword defending Gideon and David, so you are definitely in the right category

Why is there no Lazy Old Sod category?

I came out as Protagonist.

I persuaded DH to do the quiz. I was quite surprised when in answer to the question 'do you think it is important to make a plan and then carry it through' (or somesuch) and he said he definitely agreed

Protagonist here, too.

Protagonist.

Advocate

Well this thread has taken some interesting turns! Looking back I realise that it is no lack of self confidence on my part, I am happy to speak in public, to take the lead (too easily appointed chair/organiser/ chief bottle washer), I can easily initiate conversations and can be gregarious although I am not unhappy in my own company as I also consider myself to be quite self reliant.
I just find that while I am happy to be supportive, I don't necessarily want to commit 100% to any group and find myself "observing" rather than totally immersing myself. So maybe I am one of life's observers rather than a joiner.
I have found it encouraging to feel there are others who prefer to hold back at times and that it is perfectly "normal" not to plunge straight in.

I'm not so much a joiner as I like to 'help out' when I see a need, but the end result is similar in that I get involved in various social activities and charitable groups. I once did a poll of the (young adult) youth group I worked with and every single member said that there was a cohesive group, but they were on the periphery of it.
I did the test and I too am consul (ESFJ-A). As a Social Worker, Counsellor and Teacher I've done many of these tests over the years on team building days and invariably they're pretty accurate. I think this one describes me to a T in many ways, even to mentioning my exact careers and my involvement in 'religion'. They have got the Relationship/Parenting aspect spot on too; I could easily be an over-protective mother and I had to battle my own concerns in order to encourage my children to take risks when they were younger. I shall ask the Wonderful Man to take the test when he gets home from work as I'd like to see his results and assess their accuracy.

DBH had mentioned these personality types in passing, I would love to know which he is. I shall try to get him to do it.

As for your original question, soutra, I know it is hard work, but I did read something about 'networkers' years ago that made me rethink my own hermetic inclinations. It said that the more people you know, the more support you will have in times of crisis. Then I moved here and saw it in action, the villagers here are amazing. When a friend had a hip op they formed a rota for guarding her while she showered, took her meals, went in to talk to her every day and gave her lifts until she could walk, and did her shopping. I was on her rota but then broke my ankle - and I had plenty of visits and enquiries of my own, but was not on my own as I had DBH with me, and then DS on holiday from uni.

The way they look at it is, you will be paid back when you need help. That's why I always advise people to join clubs or go to church Dos, even if they aren't religious they can help their community. Someone on here was saying that their DS received enormous amounts of help when his wife was ill and he lost his job.

I don't believe that any person is boring, you just need to find what it is that they feel strongly about. Soutra is definitely not boring so should have no problems, with a bit of a push. But yes, that initial moment of walking into something on your own - yet I never have learnt to arrange to go to something with a friend. I still automatically go to do everything on my own. I hear friends arrange to meet up at the end of our lane just to walk to the village hall on the way to WI - then realise how much they too hate to walk into something on their own. they probably think I am far more confident than they are - not true. I just get on with it.

I am referring to the questions in the opening post.

Sometimes in life, I think that it is possible to learn tools and techniques for something, so long as we want whatever it is, badly enough.

I am a defender too, Jingl, but our GN personas are very different!

You have to think of all the grandparents who are not on here. Some of them would never come onto a site like this or any interenet site.
So gransnet will only have certain "types" to a large extent. It is not going to be representative of grandparents as a whole, by a long way.

Surely someone else is a Logistitian like me? We are 13% of the population.
Am I a lonely weirdo?

I'm a Consul, scary how accurate it was !!

Possibly so, Ana. I myself had to break off from the very important business of playing online Scrabble whilst simultaneously watching an episode of Corrie to do the test.

They're probably all too busy to do Personality Tests...

I'm an Executive. I've a stern pair of glasses and a very bossy stance. Apparently 11% of the population are Executives, so where are the rest of you?

I'm a Mediator

I am a mediator- which I would agree with.

My assertiveness is 95%!

Consul [ESFJ-A]

Apparently I'm a Defender .........