WHAT IS AN IMPRIMATUR?

The premise of Throughlines: the Life of Your Personality, the book upon which the ThroughlinesLife Personality Test is based, is that each of us is born with one dominant personality that stays with us our entire life. Imprimatur is Latin for let it be printed, which elegantly captures the idea that we each have an inherent nature that is the wellspring of who we are and how we interact with others. We were imprinted at birth with a dominant way of interpreting ourselves and our relationship with the world, and though we will modify some of our behaviors and perspectives, when we act in accordance with our imprimatur we will have greater inner peace. Kind people, for example, are at peace when in jobs and relationships that allow them to express their kindness more often, but function poorly when their efforts are thwarted by an angry spouse or a job that requires making decisions that seem to hurt others (e.g. an insurance adjustor denying claims or a traffic cop handing out tickets). Where our lives veer off course is not knowing this basic element of ourselves, so we go into careers and relationships that are commonly at odds with it. Knowing our proclivities will help us choose our relationships and jobs more wisely and reduce the number of things we do that make us feel bad about ourselves or about life in general.

OVERVIEW OF THE IMPRIMATURS

Luminaries: Insightful and magnetic 

Compassionists: Sociable and generous 

Peacemaker: Intelligent and welcoming 

Freelancers: Unknowable and intriguing 

Teachers: Informative and socially awkward

Honestians: Truthful and direct 

Bosses: Controlling and insistent 

Takers: Unfeeling and self-absorbed 

Narcissists: Hedonistic and destructive