I've found that people don't understand and can't do many things if they see no personal gain in understanding or doing.
Contrary to my findings I like your idea very much.
Maybe the proliferation of webapps is the first steep in this direction? Gathering massive amounts of data about using application by individual users plus tools used for behavioral analysis - maybe?
I'm thinking even simpler than that, although your approach is interesting as well. Psychologist have gotten very good at using a series of questions to figure out basic personality traits. If you could develop a test that generates values which can be shared in a standardized manner with any program, then those programs could all present data in ways that make sense to the user.
Example: Macintosh has several different options for how you interact with files (cover flow, collapsible folders, icons) If all of the programs that allow for file interaction knew that I am visual and prefer to see coverflow by default then I'd feel much more at home as an end user becasue my interactions become more consistent no matter what program I am using.
Other areas that could benefit: color usage/dialogue boxes.
Overall paradigms for file organization - I, for instance am very spatially aware, whereas many people would prefer rigid folder hierarchy as the method of choice for organizing and finding files.
Contrary to my findings I like your idea very much.
Maybe the proliferation of webapps is the first steep in this direction? Gathering massive amounts of data about using application by individual users plus tools used for behavioral analysis - maybe?