A Refuge or a Trap?

[Mole]

MBTI is a refuge for the chaotic and the depressed.

MBTI provides a structured way of thinking that is clung to as a drowning man clings to driftwood.

So MBTI helps the chaotic or depressed personality improve themselves by becoming an authoritarian personality with a ready-made way of thinking.

The authoritarian personality is an improvement on the chaotic or depressed personality, but in the struggle to move up from the chaotic personality, the authoritarian personality comes to hate the chaotic.

And unfortunately the authoritarian personality has yet to learn to distinguish between the chaotic and the creative. So the authoritarian personality hates both the chaotic and the creative.

So although MBTI provides a refuge from chaos and depression, it is at the price of creativity.

And as we move up from the literate, industrial society to the electronic, service society, creativity is becoming more and more valuable.

And MBTI will be seen less as a refuge and more as a trap.

 

[Nonsensical]

+1

 

[Chunes]

I look at it as more of a stepping stone on the path to self-discovery. At first, you're just clinging to anything you can find. Then you come across MBTI and use it to get closer to finding your true identity. But sooner or later three things happen:

1) You realize that MBTI is just a distorted perception of existence. It's your ego clinging to any identity it can sink its teeth into.

2) You manage to clear yourself of these distortions, and, ironically, discover your true identity when you let go of all your identities.

3) You realize that your true identity can loosely fall into MBTI categories, but fully realize that each identity remains unique, if similar.

 

[Halla74]

Any tool can be abused. If kept in check with knowledge, experience, and common sense MBTI is a very useful tool.

I am tired of people who think they know everything they need to about human civilization because they took an MBTI test and read a bunch of half-assed type descriptions.

Also, stereotypes go really freaking crazy here sometimes.

Why should anyone's type matter with regard to how you interact with them as a person. I'd hate to live in a world where my MBTI type was tattooed on my forehead.

 

[highlander]

MBTI is a refuge for the chaotic and the depressed.

MBTI provides a structured way of thinking that is clung to as a drowning man clings to driftwood.

So MBTI helps the chaotic or depressed personality improve themselves by becoming an authoritarian personality with a ready-made way of thinking.

The authoritarian personality is an improvement on the chaotic or depressed personality, but in the struggle to move up from the chaotic personality, the authoritarian personality comes to hate the chaotic.

And unfortunately the authoritarian personality has yet to learn to distinguish between the chaotic and the creative. So the authoritarian personality hates both the chaotic and the creative.

So although MBTI provides a refuge from chaos and depression, it is at the price of creativity.

And as we move up from the literate, industrial society to the electronic, service society, creativity is becoming more and more valuable.

And MBTI will be seen less as a refuge and more as a trap.

Yes, creativity is becoming more important. Yes, MBTI helps bring a little bit more order to the chaos. However, it does not in any way, shape or form need to stifle creativity. In fact, on a day to day basis, creativity is not generally as valued in society as getting things done. By better understanding our unconscious tendencies, we grow to accept and embrace our individuality and uniqueness more. We better understand and appreciate the creative gifts we have or may tend to have. So MBTI can actually be liberating from the standpoint of creativity.

Let's take a concrete example - say Ni. The way to unleash the creativity and make it meaningful to the world is to find a way to communicate our perceptions to others. Typology is a tool to help us understand how to do this better.

 

[teslashock]

I was fervently chasing an obnoxious little mouse around my room as he scampered back and forth from this corner to that. The little pest thought he had escaped the bludgeons of my broom when he ran into that sanctuary that we call "random hole in the wall."

Little did he know, however, that I was determined to keep him caged from the free life of scurrying around my house, so I placed a copy of Isabel's Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type in front of the hole, and now the little pest will never escape!!!

 

[BlackCat]

You forge your reality. If you make MBTI to be this way, it will be. If you make it to just be a tool, it will be that way.

 

[Jaguar]

MBTI has worked wonders for me.
By knowing that I now have blue eyes, despite seeing brown eyes when I look in the mirror, I have been set free.

 

[highlander]

I was fervently chasing an obnoxious little mouse around my room as he scampered back and forth from this corner to that. The little pest thought he had escaped the bludgeons of my broom when he ran into that sanctuary that we call "random hole in the wall."

Little did he know, however, that I was determined to keep him caged from the free life of scurrying around my house, so I placed a copy of Isabel's Gifts Differing: Understanding Personality Type in front of the hole, and now the little pest will never escape!!!

As long as you have no other openings the size of a dime and it doesn't figure out a way to chew another hole (including through Gifts Differing), you should be in good shape.

Edit: Oh and I forgot. If you see one, odds are there are many more.

 

[teslashock]

MBTI has worked wonders for me.
By knowing that I now have blue eyes, despite seeing brown eyes when I look in the mirror, I have been set free.

This test should prove to be very enlightening for you then. What number do you see?

 

[Halla74]

This test should prove to be very enlightening for you then. What number do you see?

69

 

[teslashock]

69

Say hi to Tiger for me!

 

[miss fortune]

somehow the op seems like it could be construed as accusing all of us all of being depressed or chaotic

not true, my good man... I'm not depressed and I'm just an EP, not chaotic!

MBTI is just a fun mental toy to play with- it shouldn't be used as a way to stereotype and belittle people (like when people used to stick the SJ label on people like a yellow star or something )

Nothing to take too seriously, but dude, no need to decide anyone who dabbles is mental!

 

[Sniffles]

Does Victor have some quota he needs to fufill of posts on this topic? :rolli:

 

[teslashock]

Does Victor have some quota he needs to fufill of posts on this topic? :rolli:

Yes, and it's set by McArthy who's holding a gun to his head.

 

[Jaguar]

What number do you see?

666

 

[Ginkgo]

MBTI can be a refuge if you are David Keirsey and you live in a house.

 

[Halla74]

Say hi to Tiger for me!

Rehab is for quitters!
You = FAIL.

 

[BlackCat]

This test should prove to be very enlightening for you then. What number do you see?

I'll bite!

I see 74, but I can pretty easily see 71 too.

 

[highlander]

I'll bite!

I see 74, but I can pretty easily see 71 too.

struggled with this one - my guess was 74 as well. The 7 was so confusing I thought it might be an 8 and the 4 looks a bit like like a 1.