1.3 APTITUDE FOR THE JOB
This is a highly generalized section in which the narrative deliberately focuses on the combination of motivations and preferences as they relate to personal talents or skills, without emphasis or even mention of where or how these talents and/or skills should or might be applied. It lets individuals look into a mirror and see his/her own talents – and then decide for themselves where they fit and function the best with regard to motivation and preference. It is another context in which to see if priorities are mental, sensory, or physical: “To thine own self be true.”
Robert’s preferences fully support holistic, conceptual perception, and thinking relative to the basic nature, utility, potential, or strategic possibility of what is being observed or considered. This includes intuition, insight, creativity, curiosity, experimentation, and innovation in various degrees. Ideas are at the heart of this talent. The basic orientation is perceptual and mental seeing.
Robert’s preferences, more often than not, are motivated by such things as sensing and seeing aesthetics, essence, philosophical and psychological meaning, and effect of color. Robert probably doesn’t consider the saying, “Beauty is more than skin deep” as a cliché. Further, Robert considers pattern, texture, and spatial measure: size, shape, distance, dimension, perspective, relationship, etc. with the same regard. This includes abstract dimensions and patterns, graphics, layouts, etc. (NOTE: That higher artistic sense is the source of abstract art, animated films, computer graphics, fractal geometry, new clothing designs and styles, modern architecture, etc.) Robert would probably make a permanent mental note of the quote from Carl Jung, “The artist is essentially the instrument, and he stands below his work, for which reason we should never expect from him an interpretation of his own work. He achieved his highest with his composition.”
Philosophical, cultural, scientific, literary, managerial, and/or computational work, more than likely, represent very important types of mental activities for Robert. Being capable in those activities, Robert’s mind is naturally receptive to consider abstract ideas, theory, concepts, inquiry, exploration, analysis, logic, systems, and procedures. Factors in this aptitude section, plus the data and reasoning sections show the degree of motivation and talent Robert has for each of those mental activities. High rating for this trait indicates an intellectual orientation that is functional in, or has potential for, academic, scientific, research, literary, executive, or consulting activities.
Motivations and preferences for certain activities are so closely interwoven with Robert’s mind and senses that they are subconsciously connected so that perception and thinking automatically convert to sensory signals which trigger physical action. (NOTE: This is a `general’ overview of potential for “mind over body” activities – where emphasis is on the mind’s ability to effectively use one’s physical talents and or abilities). Robert’s mind UTILIZES physical talents and abilities (whatever they happen to be in any given activity) as the most immediately available system for its use.
Robert’s mind is naturally motivated to put physical abilities and natural talents, whatever they may be, into immediate use in given situations calling on immediate responses. Robert is conscious of this mental activity and relies on the subconscious link manifesting itself in action. As a result, Robert naturally prefers activities where attributes include: dexterity, timing, rhythm, and ability with simultaneous functions – like operating a power shovel or crane, or seeing a ball and swinging a bat at the right time and the right place. (NOTE: Excellent skills are the result of subconscious processes taking over from `by-the-numbers’ consciousness `telling’ the body what to do. That kind of conscious-to-subconscious `switchover’ can also be referred to as ‘Second Nature’.
Sensory/mental awareness of “pieces of the picture” is capacity for comparative, intra-holistic recognition of parts relative to other parts and/or the big picture. It includes ability to see essential detail and make visual/mental comparison and discrimination relative to relationships of objects. The definition says “pieces of the picture,” so it recognizes the picture and its larger context, but this trait still emphasizes pieces and their status as pieces. Robert prefers to see the big picture by first putting all the ’pieces’ together. Most likely Robert already sees pieces as pieces rather than the big picture first and then breaking it apart into all the various pieces.
Robert’s preferences and motivations are derived from understanding the deeper or ‘real’ meaning of ideas and words and uses them effectively in written or oral communication. Literary in this factor means intentional search for ideas expressed by the minds of others for one’s own use, assimilation, learning, etc. The source can be books, other publications, historical documents, research information, drama, movies, television, the “information highway” or internet, etc. Emphasis is on communication: picking up information from minds of others or communication aimed toward the minds of others. Journalism and writing are major activities. Literary activity is not exclusively intellectual, academic, or cultural. It may be an end in itself as in a bookworm for instance. And literary activity is not always accompanied by communicative activity, written or oral. On the other hand, communicative activity need not be literary in the classic sense. And one need not be persuasive to be communicative, but it helps. When the trait is highly motivated, as it is here, it suggests both literary and communicative abilities that are or could become a usable skill or a developed talent. By now you can see that only a review of all traits will clearly show the specific content of Robert’s literary and/or communicative preferences and motivations.
Regardless of if Robert has the ability and/or skills or even the aptitude to handle and manipulate small objects rapidly and accurately with good concentration, preferences for this sort of activity are, more than likely, adequate for doing so for a considerable length of time. If Robert does possess the skills, abilities or even aptitude, the only way of knowing if there is an adequate level of motivation is to review all traits related to detail, concentration, keen visual awareness, extended routine, and handling of functional problems.
Robert’s preferences and motivations most likely revolve around an adequate ability to see, retain, and recall detail. Preferences and motivations do not fixate on detail or a vocational specialization based on detail. (NOTE: Awareness of detail at this level is a useful talent in functional, operational, or administrative activities).
Robert is moderately motivated for Manual ‘workbench’ activities regardless of actually developed skills or abilities. ‘Workbench’ activities mean `handwork’ at a stationary place where materials are processed. Robert either already possesses the required skills or has adequate motivation for acquiring such skills to work for long periods of time, but disinterest will finally have an effect on performance. The quality or output of work will decline, or Robert will start to look for something else to do. Breaks in the work, or rotation of work (such as in a “team environment” may be enough variety to keep interest and performance at motivated, good performance levels.
Although Robert does not specifically prefer mathematics, motivation is not swayed one way or the other as there is an adequate awareness and ability utilizing mathematics. Other traits will indicate which kind of math that preference applies to: theoretical, statistical, analytical, computational, business, administrative, clerical, arithmetic, or posting. Wherever it works best, it is a vocational asset.