11: Personality Testing

Vorondur walked into the Counseling Department in the Administrative building of the college on Monday morning to see Max Connery and Sunshine Madigan sipping coffee and sharing a box of donuts and gossiping while at their respective desks. Max was middle-aged and balding. He had brown hair and brown eyes and always looked a bit rumpled, but he had the kindest smile and people tended to trust him almost at once. Sunshine was a good ten or so years younger, blond and vivacious with gray eyes, and very popular. She definitely lived up to her name, given to her, so she claimed, by ‘hippie-wannabe parents’.

They both looked up at his entrance. “Ron! Happy New Year!”

“Happy New Year to you two as well,” Vorondur answered, smiling back as he headed for the counter where coffee and tea could be had and poured himself some coffee. “How was your holiday?”

“Fine, fine, and yours?” Max replied.

“All too short,” Vorondur said.

“Isn’t it always?” Sunshine retorted with a laugh. “So what brings you here?”

“Business actually,” Vorondur said, pulling up a chair so he was facing the two of them. “I need to set up some anger management classes and I need you, Max, to help me out. You, too, Sunny, if you’re willing.”

“Well, sure,” Max said, looking a bit dubious. “I thought you’ve held them before.”

“I have, but this group is a bit… different.”

“Go on.”

“I finally got Loren to agree to take the class.”

“Oho!” Sunshine exclaimed with a grin. “I would’ve loved to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation. What sort of song-and-dance routine did you do to get him to agree?”

“He attacked Finrod.”

Silence fell between them and the two Mortals gave Vorondur disbelieving looks. “He attacked Finrod?” Max repeated.

Vorondur nodded. “I had to call in Jim Harrison to mediate.”

“Ohmygod! You’re really serious, aren’t you?” Sunshine said, her eyes widening in shock.

Vorondur simply nodded, taking a sip from his mug. After a moment, Max asked a question. “So what do you need us for? I’m assuming you’re going to be counseling your fearless leader yourself?”

“And you would be assuming wrong,” Vorondur said, leaning back in his chair. “Finrod agreed to attend the class with Glorfindel and then all of them agreed to take it.”

“All of them? The whole lot of you? That’s what, close to forty?” Max asked.

“Thirty-eight, not including me,” Vorondur said. “And actually, I don’t think all of them will attend, at least not all the Wiseman Elves, but certainly all of the Valinórean Elves, with the possible exception of the youngsters.”

“Youngsters?” Sunshine echoed. “Oh, you mean, Finrod’s son and niece and those other two… uh….”

“Calandil and Elennen, or Cal and Alan as they prefer to call themselves now, yes,” Vorondur supplied.

“Odd to call someone who’s older than recorded history a youngster,” Max said with a shake of his head.

Vorondur smiled. “It’s all a matter of perspective.”

“So, I take it you want to split everyone up into smaller classes,” Sunshine said.

“Yes. Even if we discount the Wiseman Elves, that’s too many for a single class. I want them to be smaller, no more than, say, six or seven in each class.”

“That’s four classes, six if you include the Wiseman Elves,” Max pointed out. “Hellava lot of classes. Between the three of us that’s two classes each on top of our other duties.”

“I know and I know I’m asking a lot from you both, but I think it’s important that we have these classes and soon. Spring semester doesn’t begin until the thirtieth. That gives us the next two weeks. If each of you takes one class, I can handle the rest, since my schedule is more flexible than yours.”

The two Mortals looked at one another and Sunshine shrugged. “I guess that might work. Kind of hard to think of counseling people who are so old though. I would’ve thought you’d had it all figured out by now.”

Vorondur smiled. “No. I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. My friends are all suffering from culture shock, both in the sense that this world is alien to them, and in the sense that they are no longer the lords and masters of all that they survey. Finrod, for instance, once ruled a kingdom, and quite successfully for over three hundred years, and even in Valinor he retained the title of ‘prince’ and all that that implies. Now, he’s working in a bookstore, one where he isn’t even the owner, but an employee, and his boss is a thirty-something Mortal. However much he may enjoy the experience, it is a situation that I imagine most of the folks back home would find distasteful, demeaning and downright insulting. He has to know this and it has to hurt on one level, even if he refuses to acknowledge it openly. And he’s not the only one to be suffering.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Max said with a nod. “So is that true for you Wiseman Elves as you call yourselves?”

“No, not really. We’ve all lived among Mortals for too long and have engaged in any number of occupations over the centuries. Their problem is that they are now surrounded by Elves from Valinor, from the Blessed Realm, as it is sometimes called, and there is a sense of inferiority among the Wiseman Elves, at least on one level. On another, they feel superior because they see their fellow Elves struggling to integrate themselves into this society while they maneuver through it without thinking.”

“Lots of conflicting emotions then on everyone’s part,” Sunshine said with a nod.

“Exactly,” Vorondur said.

“So, do you feel inferior to these other Elves?” Max asked, giving Vorondur a sly look.

Vorondur laughed. “Not at all. I’m a psychiatrist, remember? We’re superior to everyone.”

The two Mortals joined in the laughter. “Okay, so how do you want to handle this?” Max asked once they had calmed down.

“The first thing I plan to do is have them all take the Myers-Briggs,” Vorondur replied.

“Huh? But why? That’s really geared for, you know, us,” Max said, pointing to Sunshine and himself.

“We’re not so different, psychologically speaking, Max,” Vorondur replied gently. “We’re more alike than you might think and the Myers-Briggs will give us a baseline to work with.”

“If you say so,” Max said, still looking dubious. “I would suggest you administer it to them all at the same time and in a large group.”

Vorondur gave the Man a considering look. “Any particular reason why?”

“If they’re taking it together, first, they see that they are being treated like everyone else, and second, there’s no way for them to prepare for it if others have taken it first.”

“Ah, yes, of course. Very good. Then let’s do that. Can you get one of the larger lecture halls? That way they can spread out and will be unable to… cheat.” He gave them a conspiratorial smile and they both grinned back.

“No problem,” Max said. “Just pick the day and time.”

“The sooner the better, since we’ll need time to analyze the data,” Vorondur said. “Let’s say Wednesday at two. I’ll alert everyone so they can alter their schedules accordingly.”

“Wednesday at two it is,” Max said. “Sunny and I will gather all the materials for you. Do you want us to be on hand?”

“Yes. I want to introduce the two of you and you can help monitor. Some of them may have a problem understanding what a question is asking or may need clarification of vocabulary. English, after all, is a foreign language for most of them still.”

“We’ll be there,” Max said and Sunshine nodded her acceptance.

“I would’ve thought you’d had them all typed by now, though,” Sunshine said.

“Oh, I have, or at least I have a good idea what their dominant and auxiliary functions are, especially among the Wiseman Elves. We’ve all lived so long that we’ve pretty much developed all of our cognitive functions, but I’m noticing that a number of people are reverting to type and I mean that negatively. People are stressed for any number of reasons and it’s having a negative impact on their behavior. Finrod is clinically depressed and Glorfindel’s emotions are barely in check.”

“Which is why you want to hold these classes,” Sunshine said.

“Yes. We really need to get a handle on the anger and confusion that more than one of them is expressing before it impacts on all of us and that means everyone in Wiseman. The anger of the Eldar, when released, is a terrible thing to behold and no Mortal should be subject to it.”

Both Max and Sunshine raised eyebrows at that, exchanging considering looks. Max cleared his throat. “Well, Sunny and I will be glad to help. I suppose if we can deal with off-the-wall college students, we can deal with a few fractious Elves.”

Vorondur grinned, standing up and going to the counter to rinse out his mug before heading for the door. “Give me a call when you’ve got the room.”

“Will do,” Max said.

“See ya, Ron,” Sunshine added with a smile. “Have a splendiferous day.”

“I’ll try, Sunny,” Vorondur said, giving them a wave as he left the office.

****

“So what are we doing exactly?” Finrod asked Glorfindel as they shuffled into the large lecture hall with the other Elves.

“Ron didn’t say,” Glorfindel answered. “He just said to meet him here at two. I guess we’re going to have our first anger management class.”

“Well, I don’t plan to attend them all,” Barahir said, following directly behind Glorfindel and Finrod. “I don’t see the point. I’m not the one having trouble coping.”

“Yet, it would be unfair to make some of us attend these classes and not have everyone attend,” Finrod pointed out. “Also, I thought everyone had agreed to do so.”

“No one is being forced to take these classes,” Vorondur said from where he was standing in the front of the classroom with Max and Sunshine, having overheard the conversation. “Attendance is completely voluntary. The only ones who have to attend are Quinn and Loren by order of Judge Harrison. The rest of you may attend or not. So take a seat but spread out. I want at least three seats separating you on either side and don’t sit directly behind anyone.”

The Elves took a few moments to get themselves situated before Vorondur continued, introducing the two Mortals. “Max and Sunny are going to help me with the classes, but before we get to that I want to start by having you take something call the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.”

“You mean we’re taking a psych test to see if we’re normal or not?” Glorfindel asked, giving him a brittle smile.

“No, Loren,” Vorondur said with infinite patience. “This is not that kind of test. The Myers-Briggs is a psychological testing tool to help people understand themselves and others. It is completely nonjudgmental. Lawrence, Cal and Alan would take this test as part of their Psych 101 class, so they’ll have a jump on the other students in that respect.”

“So what is this test supposed to reveal about ourselves?” Finrod asked.

Instead of answering, Vorondur turned to Max, who looked surprised but then nodded and addressed the Elves. “Have you ever noticed how people identify others by some descriptive term, either positive or negative, and usually very subjective, in other words, not necessarily true? You might refer to someone as a know-it-all or uptight. Loren’s a space cadet—”

“Hey!” Glorfindel protested while the Wiseman Elves all laughed and Finrod was demanding to know what a space cadet was.

“That means our fearless leader’s a brainless fool,” Daeron answered with some glee. Glorfindel turned around and gave him a raspberry, which just set everyone laughing again.

Max grinned, pointing to Daeron. “And there’s the perfect example, ‘fearless leader’. It’s a judgmental descriptive that categorizes a particular person, in this case, Loren. You all understand to whom it refers and why and if we took the time to have everyone provide a descriptive for everyone else in the room, you might be surprised at how close your descriptions are to one another, though some of them will be totally inaccurate. But that’s other people labeling you. The Myers-Briggs is a self-reflective test. In other words, you describe yourself and you do so through preferences, choosing one option over another.”

“Thanks, Max,” Vorondur said. “Sunny, why don’t you describe the test itself?”

“Sure, Ron, no problem,” the Woman said, stepping forward a bit to address the Elves. “The test consists of a series of questions with opposing choices. For instance, a question might ask ‘After working all day, would you rather attend a party or stay home and read a book?’. Each choice is equally valuable. There is no right or wrong in any of this. Each of us makes choices based on how we perceive the world and how we prefer to interact with it. So, in taking this test, keep in mind that there is no judgment here. There is no good or bad, merely personal preference.”

“Thanks, Sunny,” Ron said and then continued with the explanation. “Once Max, Sunny and I have analyzed the data, we will break you up into smaller groups and arrange for a time and place to meet. You will be given the results of the test and we will explain the meaning of it all. Hopefully, you’ll then have a better idea of where you and other people are coming from, as the saying goes.”

He nodded to Max and Sunshine, who began handing out the forms and pencils while he continued talking. “Fill out the front using your Mortal name and then I’ll tell you when to start. There’s no time limit to this. Take as much time as you need, but don’t agonize over any particular question. Just remember, each choice is equally valid and valuable.”

“What if you cannot decide between choices?” Finrod asked.

“You must make a choice,” Vorondur said. “Leave no question unanswered.”

“Choose the one option that you can live with more than you can live with the other if such a choice were presented to you in real life,” Sunshine suggested.

“In other words, do you prefer death by balrog or death by orc?” Glorfindel quipped with a mischievous grin and all the Elves laughed.

“When you are done,” Vorondur said once they had calmed down, “you are free to leave or you may sit quietly and wait for everyone else to finish. If you have any questions about what you are reading, just raise your hand and we’ll come around to help. Everyone set? Then go to it.”

There was the rustle of papers and then silence as the Elves set about answering the questions. Vorondur kept an eye on everyone. Max and Sunshine, veteran test-givers, were alert and not at all bored as they helped to monitor the Elves. Vorondur saw more than one set of eyebrows lift in surprise at the questions being asked and hid a smile. Some of the choices were not what one would expect.

The Wiseman Elves, for the most part, seemed to take the questions in stride. Daeron was actually smiling through the whole of it and he noticed that Amroth was going through the questions rather rapidly, taking little time to contemplate the two choices and he suspected the former king of Lorinand had taken the test before and already knew which choice he would make. Glorfindel, he saw, was frowning but he did not linger over any question. The Twins were purposely seated on opposite sides of the room at Vorondur’s insistence, for he thought that they were more telepathically joined than most suspected. He would’ve preferred to have those two in separate rooms if not separate buildings but that was impractical and unfair. He hoped that being separated by several other Elves would help mitigate their psychological closeness so that their answers reflected their own thoughts and not their twin’s.

The Valinórean Elves were slower than the Wiseman Elves, all of whom finished within a half an hour. A couple of times, someone raised a hand and either Max or Sunshine went to them, quietly explaining the meaning of a word unfamiliar to the Elf in question. Vorondur purposely refused to help on that score, preferring to let his Mortal counterparts handle it, since they would be dealing with the Elves on a professional level anyway and they all had to get used to the idea.

Eventually, the last person finished and Vorondur was unsurprised that it was Finrod. The tests and pencils were gathered up.

“We will schedule the classes to begin next week,” Vorondur said. “I’ll let everyone know when and where.”

“Are you really going to have these Mortals run the classes, though?” one of the Valinórean Elves asked, casting a dubious look at said Mortals.

“Max and Sunshine are my colleagues,” Vorondur said with quiet authority, “and well trained to handle any of you. Please do not think that because they are Mortals that they are incompetent. I assure you they are not.”

With that, he dismissed them. Most of the Elves made their way out, quietly discussing the test, some of them commenting on the strangeness of some of the choices they had been asked to make.

“I kept thinking, well, it all depends on the situation,” Vorondur overheard Aldarion say to Gilvagor, speaking in Quenya. Aldarion now went by Aidan and Gilvagor now called himself Gavin.

“Yes, I know,” Gilvagor said with a nod. “I kept thinking, well, if I’m in Ingwë’s court, I would do this, but if I were running about Beleriand being chased by orcs, I would do the other, so which do I choose?”

There were many nods of agreement among the other Elves as they exited the room.

Glorfindel and Finrod lingered, which did not surprise Vorondur, but the four youngest Valinórean Elves also remained behind, which did. Finda and his gwedyr made a beeline for Sunny, practically surrounding her and asking her questions about the test and about psychology in general. Vorondur was not entirely surprised at that. Sunny was very attractive even by Elvish standards and the ellyn were naturally attracted to beauty. Sunny, for her part, took their attention in stride and answered their questions in a straightforward manner.

Nielluin, on the other hand, went to Finrod who automatically drew her into his embrace as he and Glorfindel conversed. Vorondur joined them while Max stood by listening.

“A most interesting experience,” Finrod said. “I look forward to learning what it all means.”

“Keep in mind that, whatever the test reveals about yourself, it is not a judgment either for or against you,” Vorondur reminded them. “Each personality type is equally valid and valuable. This test explains what is normal rather than what is abnormal psychology.”

“So, have you taken this test?” Glorfindel asked Vorondur.

“Of course, and I will be happy to tell you what my baseline personality type is when we meet in class.” He turned to Max. “Do you and Sunny want to get a start on these tests? I have a counseling session at three-thirty, but I’ll join you as soon afterwards as I can.”

“Sure, no problem,” Max said, then gave them a wry grin, “just as soon as I rescue the fair damsel from that lot.” He nodded toward where Sunshine was still answering the ellyn’s questions. Vorondur, Glorfindel and Finrod all smiled.

“Finda, á tulë si,” Finrod called out and all three ellyn stopped their questioning, gave Sunshine respectful bows and came at once.

Max shook his head in wonder. “Wish I could get my kids to do that,” he muttered as he gathered up the test booklets and shoved them into a briefcase. The older Elves exchanged amused smiles.

“You all have a splendiferous day,” Sunshine called out as the Elves exited the room.

“I’ll see you two later,” Vorondur said with a wave.

For a moment, after the Elves had all left, the two Mortals just stared at one another. Then, Sunshine gave Max a shrug. “Well, it should be interesting to see how this all goes, shouldn’t it?”

“Yeah, it should. C’mon, let’s get started on these.” He grabbed the briefcase and the two headed back to their office.

****

Á tulë si: (Quenya) ‘Come now’.