Swimming Against the Tide

People have asked if I am going to write a journal of my “Masters Journey” as I did for Law School. I will, but it will be in the form of blog postings. Feel free to check in when you can.

The group of twenty six students is quite amazing, from all walks of life and from all across Canada. I didn’t realize it, but you don’t have to be a lawyer (and have an LL.B) to do a Master in Law Degree. Although most of the people in my group are lawyers, some are from other disciplines. You can’t practice law without a law degree so they won’t be able to practice with a Masters. However, the specialty I am doing is on “Alternative Dispute Resolution” (ADR) and not only lawyers practice in that field.

I learned something fascinating this week about myself. As part of understanding how different people approach conflict, we did the MBTI. Of course, I had done it many times so I wasn’t surprised – and nor will you be – that I am an ENFJ.

I don’t mind being an ENFJ, but I would rather have some more of the P aspect – being somewhat more spontaneous in life and letting life happen to you rather than planning it.

What was interesting was that the vast majority of lawyers are T-preferred people instead of F-preferred people. Of course, that makes sense; law is based on a search for truth, critique of established principles, and problem solving using logic. Those are all T strengths. In contrast, F’s prefer harmony, relationships, diplomacy, tact over truth, and empathy. Those are not the typical skills required of a litigator.

What was even more interesting was that there are more F people (60%) in the general population of the USA than T people (40%). But 76% of the lawyers in the USA are T preferred thinkers versus 24% of F’s. This is fairly representative of the population in Canada as well.

What was fascinating though was the study that was presented that most F’s drop out of law school by second year!!! I had a “ah-ha” moment. It is no wonder that I struggled in law school, loving it but always feeling I was swimming against the stream. I now know why. I wasn’t using skills that most of my colleagues – and the judges whose decisions I studies and tried to understand – regularly use.

That moment, even in retrospect, is a powerful lesson for me.

The extension of that learning is that anyone with a preferred style has the capacity and skill to use the opposite preference. So, for example, I have the power to use a T style; it is just not my natural zone that I would automatically gravitate to. I have to consciously invoke it. It would be like being a left-handed person who can also write with their right hand. But you have to consciously make that choice and train your brain to make the switch. There is fascination for me in that switch.

And no doubt I will have to make the switch once again. Of the numbers in our class, 73% of the masters’ candidates are T-preferred people. Indeed, the lecturer did a fascinating exercise where she had all the T people work on some questions on one side of the room and all the F people (all six of us) work on the same questions on the other side of the room. The T's were all arguing with each other, splintering off into separate groups, disagreeing and analysing every word of the proposed answers. The F's in my group were all affirming each other's statements, working in harmony, agreeing on all the answers, and coming up with a common response. The teaching moments that the exercise demonstrated were quite hilarious.

Me, the salmon once more, swimming against the tide! Apparently, salmon swim against the stream when it is time to spawn. I'm doing it in the same way: spawning knowledge. Think of the learning possibilities for me in that!