Are you a Type-A personality?

By Lionel Wijesiri

The well-dressed man was obviously impatient and tense. One hand was clenched in a fist, the other held a big smartphone. He pushed the elevator button for his floor not once or twice, but five times. The operator was holding the elevator door open for the people to come in. Then the man spotted another elevator across the hall, muttered a curse, and dashed out just as the doors closed on the one he had been in.

Watching him, I realised he was displaying what cardiologists call ‘Type A’ behaviour - hurried, aggressive, impatient and easily angered. Such people, cardiologists agree, are sitting ducks for a heart attack.

Responses

Are you a type-A person? If you are not sure, let us go through some typical responses of a Type A person.

Competitiveness - Type A individuals tend to be very competitive and self-critical. They strive towards goals without feeling a sense of joy in their efforts or accomplishments. Inter-related with this is the presence of a significant life imbalance. This is characterised by a high work involvement. Type A individuals are easily ‘wound up’ and tend to overreact. They also tend to have high blood pressure (hypertension).

Time Urgency - Type A personalities experience a constant sense of urgency: They seem to be in a constant struggle against the clock. Often, they quickly become impatient with delays and unproductive time, schedule commitments too tightly, and try to do more than one thing at a time, such as reading while eating or watching television.

Hostility - Type A individuals tend to be easily aroused to anger or hostility, which they may or may not express overtly. Such individuals tend to see the worst in others, displaying anger, envy and a lack of compassion. When this behaviour is expressed overtly (i.e. physical behaviour) it generally involves aggression and possible bullying.

Adjustments

Now that you’ve identified yourself as Type A, the next step is to begin making adjustments.

Step 1: Become aware of your behaviour. Ask a friend for feedback on your behaviour pattern: ask yourself, at the end of the day, “Did I do anything which might have been hurtful to anyone? Did I show anyone a kind gesture or say a kind word?” Each day, write down things that make you angry: Take note of the time, place, your thoughts and actions. Look for common or repeated items.

Step 2: Inject the Type B Behaviour into your lifestyle. Take a break on and off: Eat a light lunch and take time to browse in a store or walk in the park: Smile at someone: Allow some time to be alone each day: Notice something of beauty: Practise a relaxation technique: Practise patience and trust: Allow yourself to lose at a game: Put yourself in someone else’s shoes: Learn to laugh at yourself.

Step 3: Purposefully show kindness. Accept others as they are: Tell close friend or relatives that you appreciate them: Buy a small gift for someone for no reason: Call or write a friend or relative: Plan an outing for dinner or to the movies to surprise someone: Say a positive “Good Morning,” to family members and co-workers: Find an opportunity to say, “Perhaps I’m wrong,” every day, even if you doubt you are.

Step 4: Dispel the following myths. I need to be hostile to get ahead: I can’t change, this is just the way I am: Showing love and kindness is a sign of weakness: There is a right and perfect solution to everything: It is weak to act unsure or doubtful.

Challenging habits

Unfortunately, Type A’s don’t always come with a high IQ or clearer understanding of oneself. If you are a Type A personality and can manage to control your faults, though, then you have a very bright future ahead of you. Here are few challenging habits of Type A people:

(1) They don’t procrastinate. They hate the idea of wasting time so they do things the moment they come to mind. Why wait and do it later when you can just do it now?

(2) They have several alarms set throughout the day so they always stay on top of things. They wish they could remember it all in order to save time, but this is the best next thing.

(3) They don’t understand the concept of not being capable of doing something. To them, if something can physically be done, then why would they not be capable of doing it?

(4) They understand that laziness is a choice. Most people talk about laziness as if it was some sort of disease. Type A’s look at such people as idiots. Laziness isn’t more of a disease than is ignorance.

(5) They often become passionate. If they are going to do something, then they are going to do something they believe to be meaningful. If it’s meaningful to them, then it deserves their fullest attention; passion is inevitable.

(6) They can muster superior focus. When things need to be done - for Type A’s, things always need to be done - they are able to focus intently and block out the rest of reality. They call it getting into their “zone.”

(7) They’re perfectionists. It’s not that they are trying to be perfect, but blemishes, mistakes and inconsistencies frustrate them. They find them appalling, not being able to allow them to pass their inspection.

(8) Doing things efficiently is their first priority. As little time spent getting as much quality work done as humanly possible.

(9) They centre their life on their careers. Their careers are their passion, their purpose in life. Once they figure out what that is, there isn’t much else that interests them.

(10) Always having a plan for the worst-case scenario is a necessity for them. What’s the worst possible thing that you can possibly imagine happening to you? You losing your job? Your pet Jackie getting run over by a car? They have plans for all.

(11) They walk fast and with a purpose, doing all they can to avoid lines of any sort.

To them, walking is getting from point A to point B do what needs to be done at point B as soon as possible so that they can move on to point C.

(12) They are punctual and expect others to be the same. Other people’s time is worth respecting. The sooner you’re in, the sooner you’re out. That’s what she said.

(13) Doing things with a purpose is the only way they know how to live. If there is not purpose behind action, then Type A personalities don’t see a reason for doing it in the first place. They understand that action is only worth the goal they are trying to achieve.

On a positive note, Type A’s believe the world to work in a logical manner - (minus the illogical creatures that live in it) - and therefore, believe that there must always be a solution for every problem. For the very few that may not have a solution, they can be ignored...