But the Big 5 is far more complicated than it was shown last night. Yes, it has infinite uses but is actually more complex than it seems and certainly more complex than is possible to present it in bank holiday popular programming.
I think I just mean that I could tell you where I stand on each of the big 5 and you'd actually deduce nothing about me. I'm extremely neurotic and not open at all in any way you would choose to test openess. Because I might be extraordinarily interested in the unusual and the creative, but not for myself but for others. And I'm an introvert so wouldn't tell you about it anyway. And I might hold unusual beliefs but I'm tempered in my responses so would rather argue about why you are wrong than why I am right. And I'm an introvert so have bugger all interest in doing big extravagant things, but I'm stubborn so if you dare suggest that I can't then I'll do it anyway.
The lower level traits encompassed by the big 5 are far more interesting than the overview they might give.
And I suppose what I mean generally is that you can look at something somebody does and explain it away by assessing their neuroticism levels for example, but I don't think you can assess somebody's neuroticism and then have any idea what that means for individual personality iyswim.
So yes, Child Of Our Time and MoustacheMan use a big and extraordinary benchmark for personality testing but only in a light hearted reductive way.
Still interesting though isn't it?