While plenty of complicated tests have been developed over the years to help people crack the code of their true personality, Fisher Nuts www.fishernuts.com (NASDAQ: JBSS) has found a simple and delicious way to predict who people are.
Forget Meyers-Briggs, forget Jung. Never mind going to a big university to sit through a battery of tests that seem more like torture than fun. Fisher Nuts makes it easy:
If you like salted peanuts, you’re likely an extrovert and very charming; if you like walnuts you are a natural born leader; if you like pecans, you’re loyal; if you like almonds, you’re motivated and conscientious; if you like cashews, you are easy-going.
In other words, you really are what you eat; or at least what you like to eat. What a conversation builder! Say a couple friends are in a passionate discussion about music or art. And at one point, flustered by a response, one says, “You’re nuts!” to the other. Luckily, the guy being besmirched is familiar with the handy Fisher Nuts study. “To be specific,” he replies proudly,” “I’m a cashew, which is lucky for you!”
This revelation can then lead to all sorts of pondering. What kind of nut is your favorite singer, or favorite actor? Is the person you’re dating the right kind of nut for you? What if you’re a cashew and your spouse is a walnut? Is that a bad sign? What if you’re a peanut/almond blend?
The nutty findings stem from a recent study on nut preferences and personality conducted by Alan R. Hirsch, M.D. founder of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. Dr. Hirsch has conducted more than 200 studies on sensory phenomena and disorders.
The nut study, commissioned by Fisher Nuts, asked more than 1,000 men and women to select their favorite nut from five unlabeled samples of almonds, walnuts, salted peanuts, cashews and pecans. After a battery of personality tests, diagnoses were determined for each individual and statistically correlated with the choices of nuts.
Everyone falls into one of five personality groups, as further defined by the nut they choose:
• Salted Peanuts: dramatic extroverts who crave novelty and thrive as the center of attention. They are easily bored with the usual routine, and while charming in social situations, are sensitive to criticism and rejection. These are people to take to a party. They probably love roller coasters and karaoke.
• Almonds: scrupulous, conscientious, moral perfectionists who have high standards for themselves and others. While intensely motivated, they tend to become over committed at work or home, taking on more projects than they can comfortably complete. Hands-on approach to problems makes almond-lovers ideal workers.
• Pecans: devoted, loyal, true friends. Overly generous, pecan lovers will consider others’ needs before their own. Dependable, they are most comfortable with the usual routines of life. They are tenacious, committed team players who don’t require adulation, and are satisfied sharing accolades with their friends, family or co-workers.
• Cashews: empathic, easy-going, well-adjusted. Cashew lovers make the perfect spouse or parent. Calm and level-headed, they can be depended upon in times of crisis or emergency. A cashew is a good person to have around when the plumbing goes awry or the lights go out. A cashew just knows what to do
• Walnuts: aggressive, achievement-oriented, natural leaders. Competitive, successful, driven, intolerant of defeat. Walnut lovers demand the best at work and at home. They are easily irritated with the routine side of life. They cannot tolerate life’s inconveniences such as being stuck in rush hour traffic or waiting in long lines.
“Through selection of food pathways, one’s hidden true self is symbolically revealed,” reports Dr. Hirsch. “Nut (choices) can unravel the hidden mood, personality and motivation.” He explains that while societal and cultural norms do influence our food choices, it is indeed possible to tie nut preferences to personality. “The foundation of the personality is laid at age 3-5 years,” he says, “concomitant with the formulation of food preferences, like personality, (food preferences) once formed, remain intransigent throughout the lifespan.”
The study was a natural for Fisher, which processes and distributes nuts globally. What kind of nut is the company itself? That depends on whom you talk to.
“First and foremost, we wanted this to be fun and informative,” says Julie Nargang Director of Marketing – National Brands with John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., owner of the Fisher brand. “While there’s obviously some humor involved, it’s also worth noting that there’s a whole scientific field built around people’s food preferences and what that says about them. By combining the two, we can bring attention to the fact that nuts are a healthy and wholesome snack. And they liven up recipes for baked goods, salads and other food favorites. Nuts and fun go together; look at the places they wind up: parties, celebrations, sporting events, movies and family board games. There must be a connection!”
Nargang notes that as part of the fun, Fisher has launched a consumer quiz that focuses on the nut personality findings. Consumers can access the quiz online at www.fishernuts.com or at Facebook.com/fishernutsbrand to find out just what nut they are.
John B. Sanfilippo & Son, Inc., founded in 1922, is a leading processor, marketer and distributor of shelled and in-shell nuts and extruded snacks that are sold in multiple distribution channels. Their products can be found under the company’s Fisher and Sunshine Country brand names and under a variety of private labels.
For more information about Fisher products visit www.fishernuts.com.
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