%% Last Updated: - [[2021-02-13]] %% You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information—words, facts, books and quotations—or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable. ## Shared Theme Description People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information. ### What makes you stand out? Instinctively, you continually absorb, integrate or catalogue new information with ease. Ever eager to expand your knowledge base, you read avidly. Because you can access your memory bank at any time, you are free to process writers’ or researchers’ ideas immediately or at a later time. Because of your strengths, you have acquired a sophisticated vocabulary, comprised of technical, subject-specific or complicated words. Whenever you describe the intricate steps of procedures, you are likely to rely on this terminology. Your attention to detail works to your advantage when you are addressing experts. Because you comprehend the meanings of their words, you can talk about how things function in a language they understand. By nature, you relish the nuances and intricacies of language. Your sophisticated or specialised vocabulary allows you to choose words for their power and clarity. Whether speaking or writing, you convey what you are thinking and feeling in a forceful, matter-of-fact manner. Usually no one has to second-guess — that is, wonder about — the true meaning of your intentions, messages, expectations or orders. Chances are good that you have a strong, no-nonsense, sober side to your personality. It explains why you often engage in conversations that delve into weighty or philosophical matters. You like to think deeply and carefully about various issues. Then you want to talk with serious-minded people who can help you explore, expand upon, question or modify your thinking. Driven by your talents, you challenge others with your elaborate, complicated and difficult-to-understand vocabulary. This is no accident. You mean to gain the advantage by presenting yourself as an accomplished, knowledgeable and trustworthy human being. Your choice of words probably gives you an air of authority in discussions, conversations, debates or presentations. Language allows you to state your opinions so they sound official and influence listeners. ### Questions 1. As you read your personalised strengths insights, what words, phrases or lines stand out to you? 2. Out of all the talents in this insight, what would you like for others to see most in you? ### Action Items - Look for jobs in which you are charged with acquiring new information each day, such as teaching, research or journalism. - Devise a system to store and easily locate information. This can be as simple as a file for all the articles you have clipped or as sophisticated as a computer database. - Partner with someone with dominant Focus or Discipline talents. This person will help you stay on track when your inquisitiveness leads you down intriguing but distracting avenues. - Your mind is open and absorbent. You naturally soak up information in the same way that a sponge soaks up water. But just as the primary purpose of the sponge is not to permanently contain what it absorbs, neither should your mind simply store information. Input without output can lead to stagnation. As you gather and absorb information, be aware of the individuals and groups that can most benefit from your knowledge and be intentional about sharing with them. - You might naturally be an exceptional repository of facts, data and ideas. If that’s the case, don’t be afraid to position yourself as an expert. By simply following your Input talents, you could become known as the authority in your field. - Remember that you must be more than just a collector of information. At some point, you’ll need to leverage this knowledge and turn it into action. Make a point of identifying the facts and data that would be most valuable to others, and use this information to their advantage. - Identify your areas of specialisation and actively seek more information about them. - Schedule time to read books and articles that stimulate you. - Deliberately increase your vocabulary. Collect new words and learn the meaning of each of them. - Identify situations in which you can share the information you have collected with other people. Also make sure to let your friends and colleagues know that you enjoy answering their questions.