Types Of People

I think almost everyone tends to group others by personality type. We make subjective surveys of Harry or Jill and form a stereotype about that person. For instance, "Jill is always late. It's because she is not a reliable type." Thus, from one habit we formal generalization about the person's character. Sometimes that generalization may be right and sometimes it is not. But the idea that we can "type" others is convenient and reassuring to us. This is because humans exhibit more complex forms of behavior, and that is why we have to type others.
You do this typecasting too. Everyone does. It's probably good that we do it as long as we don't make the "type" into a completely negative one. Some of the most common personality "types" we run into include the "laid back type" or the "hard working", the "reflective type" or the "intuitive type", the "daring type" or the "never risk type", the "funny type" versus the "serious type", the "sensual type" versus the "intellectual type"...and on and on. A person can be a combination of many personality types or have multiple types. I think it is fun to try to label them (though we all know that people hate it when you tell them they are a certain personality type). Another thing we do when typecasting is to try to make the whole personality fit the type we have identified. For example, if John likes to collect things we say he is "old fashioned" and "sentimental" when it may be that he just likes to collect things. But we feel more comfortable when labeling the other person as a certain type.
I think close relationships like friendships, love affairs and marriages are better when the two people involved are opposite types. If Jim never asks for directions and Kathy always does, it is more interesting for them. A little difference always makes the two people more interested in each other. The old saying that opposites attract is often true because, by nature, humans like the people they are closest to more when they are different from them. It's probably because we tend to dislike or are bored by our own type so much that we don't want another one around too much.
But this "opposite is best type" equation doesn't work in casual relationships. In fact, when someone is a different type in such relationships (like WITH co workers, for instance) we dislike the differences and find them annoying. It is just "easier to get along with her if she were more cooperative (like me)., we think".
I don't mind when people label me the type they see me as being, even when is is a negative one. It's because it only helps me typecast them more easily. Besides I have been labeled as many different types by many different people, since like you and everyone else, I sometimes play a role that typecasts me in one situation, but abandon that role for another when in another environment.
Go ahead and tell me what type I am. I figure if you type me then that means YOU must be a......Haha It's ok for you to list my type or types when you reply and of course I will appreciate the negative remarks even more than the positive. You see I'm the "type of person" that gets a kick out of hearing about my flaws.