How many psychological theories do you reckon were developed by cardiologists? None? Well that’s not surprising — but it’s also not true — because that’s exactly what cardiologists Meyer Friedman and Ray Rosenman did when they introduced their “Type A and Type B Personality Theory” in an effort to bridge the gap between a persons mental and physical health. For those who aren’t familiar with the theory, check this article out.
Since our type A friends are the ones often credited with all the successes and achievements in life — on account of their ambitious and organized character — we thought it’s time that us B types say what makes us great, and importantly what makes us just as likely to succeed as our stressed-out counterparts. Below are 10 reasons type B people are very likely to be successful, lets see how many you match!
1. They are comfortable in what they potentially lack
It has become common practice to be told that if you lack confidence in something, you should just pretend as though you don’t lack anything at all. If you lack confidence in the decisions you make, the key is to pretend that you are completely certain in your choice, “fake it ’til you make it” so to speak. The same goes for business, relationships, physical insecurities and so on. The problem with this is — apart from being highly unauthentic — is that you’ll always feel like you’re walking on egg shells, forever vigilant in case you slip-up and reveal your façade for what it is, a façade.
This is where the observant character of type B personalities comes in. They know exactly what they lack, and then they get comfortable with it. It’s easier to do when you’re a calm person, and not focused purely on one aspect in life. You’ll be staying true to yourself, and everybody else will sense it. A small trick with big rewards.
Mistaken for: Complacency
2. They are not slow, but calculated
One of the greatest attributes of B types is their ability to effectively analyse their options. Their lack of anxiety and stress means that not only are they free from a clouded judgement, but that their decisions are never made on a whim, they are thought out and weighed up. Crucially, this means that the choices they make are informed, propelling them even faster towards success city. It’s ironic how slower decisions bring speedier success, who’d have thought?
Mistaken for: Tardiness
3. They are easier to get along with
We have all experienced that neurotic friend/colleague/boss who was a nightmare to work with. Always chopping and changing their minds, always setting unrealistic deadlines and forever biting off more than they can chew. Type B workers on the other hand are calm, patient and realistic — their coolness transfers on to the people around them — and since they are comfortable with themselves and their decisions, their team will be comfortable with them also.
Type B people know that success is seldom a solo act. They know the value of a great team therefore they treat them as such, not merely as pawns in a big game of corporate chess. This makes building a network, team or social circle a much easier goal with a higher rate of success.
Mistaken for: Overly agreeableness
4. They may be more creative.
It’s shown that B type people are more likely to be attracted to creative occupations and hobbies such as art, writing, architecture, counselling and so on. If this is indeed the case, then it makes sense that they may also be successful within science, technology and business careers because they are equipped with the ability to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions which otherwise would have gone unnoticed. The aim of the entrepreneur is to create a solution to a need, B people are truly in their element here.
Mistaken for: Being a know-it-all
5. They are less likely to be taken advantage of.
Who here is more likely to be viewed as susceptible to being taken advantage of, someone who is anxious, stressed, sensitive but ambitious? Or someone who comes across as calculated, confident and who is supported by a strong and trusted team? These B characteristics show that although you are a kind and patient person, you are not to be taken for a fool. You are a great person to have on somebodies side for sure, but you’re also someone of whom it would be unwise to be made an enemy.
Mistaken for: Arrogance
6. They are more rounded people.
It’s easy to get caught up in the lightening fast pace of the world around us, especially if you find yourself in business. Because of this it is also easy to lose track of the other equally important aspects of life, we’ve all heard of company CEO’s with broken families, or people with all the “success” in the world but who’s social skills are abysmal. What is success to someone who’s family resent them, or who’s friends have long since drifted away. To lose track of all the important aspects of life except one is to lose success entirely.
This isn’t the case for our laid-back B’s, they don’t get caught up in all that. They know that it is important to spread their attention across the different aspects in life, thus becoming the most well-rounded and success-prone version of themselves.
Mistaken for: Unfocussed
7. They are more introspective.
Just like the point above, it is far too common to lose this crucial skill to the wind when you’re in the hurricane of success. However this is so key to attaining success that it deserves it’s own point. Ones ability for introspection is directly proportional to their success, period. For how else would they judge toxic behaviours such as self-deception, maybe what they could have done better, or how they can make progress in their methods, relationships and so on. If you can’t improve yourself, how can you expect to improve your family, your business or your world.
Mistaken for: Being hyper-critical
8. They are not delusional.
Many self-development writers nowadays are capitalising on the all-too-common “positive energy” trend. They profess that no matter what happens in your life, if you can just stay positive then all will be swell. Now obviously this can be beneficial, but only to a point. Many writers are encouraging a delusional level of positivity such that people will ignore warning sign after warning sign. They will keep doing the same toxic behaviours, they keep believing they are right, and they fail to heed the advice of others all in the name of positivity. These behaviours are a product of the “you’re perfect just the way you are” teaching. It’s impossible to improve when you believe you’re already perfect, success is therefore a no-go.
Self-critical type B people know to stay grounded. Their judgement isn’t impaired by sky-high levels of stress (or conversely, positivity) and their success doesn’t blow up their ego.
Mistaken for: Negativity
9. They know when to quit.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. Who said that? Some smart guy some time ago, wait, Einstein? Yes, and he was right once again. Type B people know that beating a dead horse won’t get you much farther than a beaten dead horse. If an idea is constantly bringing back failures no matter what you try, only a fool would continue. B’s know when it’s time to move on, and that is very important and sadly often overlooked in today’s environment of “never give up, never quit, never surrender!” This kind of behaviour is an arrow to the knee of success.
Mistaken for: Being weak-willed
10. In the end, they are more satisfied with life.
One problem with type A people is that they are always battling, always accomplishing and looking for the next challenge, which sounds great in theory. However, they never stop to appreciate their achievements, like a sculptor creating his perfect masterpiece without taking a step back to look at it. B’s take joy in accomplishing things, they slow down their pace just long enough to savour the moment and to feel an intense satisfaction in their masterpiece. They are both the sculptor and the admirer of their work.
Mistaken for: smugness
Featured photo credit: StartupStockPhotos via pixabay.com
