Plaid is more than just a pattern on that shirt you bought in the 90s; it has deep historical roots and a meaning that goes beyond fabric. Traditionally, plaid is associated with Scottish heritage, where different clans had their own unique patterns as a symbol of identity and belonging. Over time, plaid has become a familiar and versatile design, made up of multiple colours woven together, each thread contributing to the overall design, recognized around the world. In Personality Dimensions®, “we’re all plaid” refers to the unique blend of traits each person has, that doesn’t fit neatly into one category. Even if you lead with Inquiring Green, Organized Gold, Resourceful Orange, or Authentic Blue, the other three are still a part of you, shaping everything you do. This idea isn’t just unique to Personality Dimensions®, it’s supported by theorists like Carl Jung, who argued that people aren’t purely a “thinking” type or a “feeling” type; they have a dominant function, but their other functions play important supporting roles. Also, Linda Berens emphasizes the dynamic nature of personality, how we shift and adapt depending on the context. She referred to this is your Core, Contextual, and Developed self. Personality isn’t a fixed set of boxes; it’s a living, breathing blend of traits that interact in unique ways.
You’ll probably recognize this in yourself. Maybe you’ve always identified mostly as an Inquiring Green, but you know you’ve got a Resourceful Orange side, with a handful of Authentic Blue as well. You thrive on solving problems, big and small, but you get bored when you’re doing the same things every day. Your Inquiring Green mind loves to analyze, and your Resourceful Orange pushed you to take risks and experiment, instead of just theorizing. Your touch of Authentic Blue keeps you tuned into the people around you, and makes you want to make an impact with what you do. What you get is a great mix of logic, action, and subtle empathy.
Noticing your plaid gets easier when you think about how you act in different situations; at work, at home, with friends, with your extended family; anywhere that needs you to call on different strengths. You may be primarily an Authentic Blue, and you’re able to let that shine in your personal life, but your job might need you to be super organized, by-the-book, and task-oriented. You’re able to succeed at work because you have the steak of Organized Gold, and you’ve learned to develop it over time.
Understanding your plaid is incredibly helpful because it helps you navigate daily life with self-awareness and flexibility. When you recognize the different parts of your personality at play, you can lean into your strengths, take on challenges, and make better choices. It helps you see why some tasks come naturally while others feel like a struggle; why some environments energize you, and others drain you; and why you click with some people but find others frustrating. Knowing your plaid also allows you to shift gears when you need to, like drawing on your Organized Gold side to meet a deadline, tapping into your Resourceful Orange when plans suddenly change, or relying on your Authentic Blue to build relationships. Instead of feeling stuck in one way of being, you can recognize the full range of who you are and use it to your advantage.
It also helps us understand others better. When we recognize that everyone is a mix of personality traits, we begin to understand why some people’s behaviours might contradict each other. Think of that friend who insists on planning every detail of a trip but then suddenly wants to veer off course for an unplanned adventure? They’re not being inconsistent; they’re just a blend of Organized Gold and Resourceful Orange, although they probably planned to be spontaneous. How about that colleague who seems reserved in meetings but suddenly becomes deeply passionate about a particular topic? That’s their inner plaid showing up in full force.
What does your plaid look like? Maybe you’re an Authentic Blue/Inquiring Green with a streak of Resourceful Orange or an Organized Gold/Resourceful Orange with a hint of Authentic Blue. The more you recognize how these threads of personality weave together in your daily life, the better you can understand yourself, and appreciate the unique plaid in everyone around you.
Brad Whitehorn – BA, CCDP is a lifelong Introvert, and the Associate Director at CLSR Inc. He was thrown into the career development field headfirst after completing a Communications degree in 2005, and hasn’t looked back! Since then, Brad has worked on the development, implementation and certification for various career and personality assessments (including Personality Dimensions®), making sure that Career Development Practitioners and HR Professionals get the right tools to do their best work. Brad is also on the board of directors for the Career Professionals of Canada, and an advisory committee member with the Career Development Practitioners’s Certification Board of Ontario.
