The Notorious Type A Personality - Do We Really Need It?
In the 1950s, a keen-eyed secretary working at a San Francisco medical office made an observation that would change the face of psychology forever. She noticed patients with coronary disease sitting in hard-upholstered chairs and quickly getting up when their names were called. This insight was seized upon by cardiologists Dr Ray Rosenman and Dr Meyer Friedman, who coined the term "Type A" personality to describe competitive, productivity-obsessed individuals prone to aggressive behavior.
Their research posited that these Type A personalities were more likely to suffer from heart attacks. This concept gained widespread attention, including a bestselling book, "Type A Behaviour and Your Heart." However, the industry's exploitation of this idea was swift and ruthless. The tobacco industry co-opted the research to argue that smoking didn't cause cancer but rather that smokers were more prone to being Type A, thereby contributing to their health problems.
Fast-forward to TikTok, where personality classification is all the rage among teens. You can almost hear the sound of 1,200 tabs opening as people dive headfirst into researching and obsessing over their personalities. I'm guilty of it too - when I stumbled upon a viral video about Type A personalities, my productivity went out the window.
The search for the mysterious secretary who initially sparked this concept was a fun exercise, but ultimately futile. If she existed (and some accounts say so), her name remains elusive. So, what can we take away from this phenomenon? Most personality "science" is, frankly, rubbish. We're desperate for organisational systems to make sense of ourselves and the world, so any theory that promises clarity is bound to grab our attention.
My takeaway from all this is clear: I need to work on my procrastination issues. So, let's leave Type A personalities aside and focus on what really matters - becoming more productive and less stuck in a cycle of distraction. After all, there's enough junk science out there without needing any more of it.
In the 1950s, a keen-eyed secretary working at a San Francisco medical office made an observation that would change the face of psychology forever. She noticed patients with coronary disease sitting in hard-upholstered chairs and quickly getting up when their names were called. This insight was seized upon by cardiologists Dr Ray Rosenman and Dr Meyer Friedman, who coined the term "Type A" personality to describe competitive, productivity-obsessed individuals prone to aggressive behavior.
Their research posited that these Type A personalities were more likely to suffer from heart attacks. This concept gained widespread attention, including a bestselling book, "Type A Behaviour and Your Heart." However, the industry's exploitation of this idea was swift and ruthless. The tobacco industry co-opted the research to argue that smoking didn't cause cancer but rather that smokers were more prone to being Type A, thereby contributing to their health problems.
Fast-forward to TikTok, where personality classification is all the rage among teens. You can almost hear the sound of 1,200 tabs opening as people dive headfirst into researching and obsessing over their personalities. I'm guilty of it too - when I stumbled upon a viral video about Type A personalities, my productivity went out the window.
The search for the mysterious secretary who initially sparked this concept was a fun exercise, but ultimately futile. If she existed (and some accounts say so), her name remains elusive. So, what can we take away from this phenomenon? Most personality "science" is, frankly, rubbish. We're desperate for organisational systems to make sense of ourselves and the world, so any theory that promises clarity is bound to grab our attention.
My takeaway from all this is clear: I need to work on my procrastination issues. So, let's leave Type A personalities aside and focus on what really matters - becoming more productive and less stuck in a cycle of distraction. After all, there's enough junk science out there without needing any more of it.
I'm not sure about the whole Type A personality thing either, tbh 
. I mean, who hasn't been guilty of procrastination at some point? 
It feels like a convenient excuse to explain why we're stuck in a rut sometimes. And can you even really identify yourself as Type A or not? It's all just a bit too... formulaic for me 
. Instead of getting caught up in the hype, let's focus on finding real solutions to our productivity woes 
. Maybe it's time to ditch the labels and just get stuff done already 
!
the whole type a personality thing is just an excuse to blame people for their own stress and anxiety 
like we need another label to explain why some people are more competitive than others 
. Can you imagine having to label yourself like that? Sounds kinda weird 
. Can you tell me more about this mysterious secretary who supposedly came up with Type A personality? Did she actually exist or was it just some made-up story? 
. And honestly, I think it's super easy to fit into someone's label - just take some online quiz, follow the steps, and voila! You're a Type A personality 
. Meanwhile, my productivity is suffering because I'm too busy stressing about what type of person I am 
. Can't we just focus on being our best selves without all the extra noise?
. But does that really make you more prone to heart attacks? 
. I think it's time we stopped trying to label ourselves into neat little boxes and just focus on being our best selves, you know? 
.
. Like, can we just accept that everyone's got their own quirks and struggles? We don't need some fancy classification to tell us how to be productive or behave. Newsflash: procrastination is real for anyone, not just those who are 'Type A' 