What Difference Would It Make if You Were Mistyped?

[nightning]

Mistyping only affects you if you choose to let type influence your behaviour. It's simply a matter of how consistent your personal view point might be.

 

[Night]

I anticipate it.

The system is designed to emphasize certain traits, while working to quarantine the importance of others. In doing so, a best-fit summary of behavioral preference is established. It's a rough fit, but one that works if the recipient is forthcoming.

How we respond to the perceived importance of our personal MBTI is of far greater relevance than our "earned" MBTI score.

 

[pippi]

I'm curious what others think.

EDIT If you mistyped yourself. If you went through life thinking you were another type.

I don't act a certain way because of 4 letters so it wouldn't affect my actions if it turned out that I'm an ISFJ instead of an INTJ. I didn't discover MBTI until much later than most people, so that probably makes some difference.

If I am typed wrong it would mean that my self awareness is low or that my perception of myself is off, neither of those are great things, regardless of MBTI type. That's one of the values of MBTI typing IMO, learning how you think, how you function, how you relate to others. If I discovered that I had typed myself wrong, that would be a positive step towards the goal of self awareness.

 

[Laurie]

I mistyped myself twice before actually understanding MBTI. It had no effect because I didn't take the time to find out any more about it and it didn't sound much like me anyway.

It only made a difference when I typed myself correctly - because then it actually fit.

 

[redacted]

If you give your type too much weight, it's a huge problem even if you're correctly typed.

If you're mistyped, it might be better, but it's probably going to be worse.

It could be better if you mistype yourself as having a dominant function that you actually need to develop, and then you practice with it. But it could go all wrong if you hold yourself to unreasonable standards, or obscure your view of yourself enough to get into more conflict with other people than necessary.

 

[Nonsensical]

Your type is like the tip of the iceberg of your whole personality. Accounting for like 10% of your behavior, where a lot of your behavior is just like everyone else's, and even more runs on a deeper level than MBTI can define and account for.

 

[alcea rosea]

I'm curious what others think.

EDIT If you mistyped yourself. If you went through life thinking you were another type.

It doesn't matter. I'm still me.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

In a way, this effectively asks what the point to the MBTI.

What do you think the point to it is, wolfy? Whatever you think it is, you have to imagine that it woudn't serve its point so well if someone believed themselves to be the incorrect type, because all that is said of the type they believed themselves to be wouldn't actually be applicable to them.

 

[rhinosaur]

I'm curious what others think.

EDIT If you mistyped yourself. If you went through life thinking you were another type.

I spent a long time thinking I was an INTP. When I discovered typology central and found some other ISTPs to chat with, it was like holy cow, there are so many common experiences and thoughts between us. When I changed my type I remarked that it felt like I'd found a long lost brother (within myself).

I still identify with INTPs, but I never really got the "you and I are the same" vibe like I do from some ISTPs.

 

[garbage]

So I guess being so influenced by ISTJ, yet apparently aware of an N preference is why you thought you were ENTJ?

That's what I'm thinking, yeah. Toward the end of my college days, I also saw a lot more of my ENTj father in me than is actually there.. he's much, much less understanding of and sensitive to other people than I am. He calls my empathic streak "bullshit"

Still, without his influence, I might not have learned how to plan, structure, organize, and lead as I'm prone to do. Being ENFP doesn't prevent me from doing any of that

It is also worthy to note, since you seem to be going with ENFP now, that ENFP and ISTJ are what is known as the "inverse relationship" of each other. They use the same primary four functions, but in reverse order (in four-process theory called the "shadow"). So you would be able to relate a lot to ISTJ processes.

This actually makes a lot of sense.. it could explain why I feel pretty well-balanced or at least see the need for balance ..if i'm actually right about my type this time

I know that I don't want to completely lose the "ISTJ-ness," since I know that its traits can be very useful.. just that there's a time and a place for them just as there are for the other functions.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[bluebell]

If I am typed wrong it would mean that my self awareness is low or that my perception of myself is off, neither of those are great things, regardless of MBTI type. That's one of the values of MBTI typing IMO, learning how you think, how you function, how you relate to others. If I discovered that I had typed myself wrong, that would be a positive step towards the goal of self awareness.

What pippi said.

(btw I'm still not entirely sure I've correctly typed myself)

 

[Petite Etoile]

i thought i was isfj for awhile but i didn't act or make any decisions differently than i do now. I've sord of just accepted the fact that a lot of the types seem to describe me, so i'll never be really sure of what type i am, but it doesn't bother me.

 

[Qre:us]

Every time I changed my type I could feel myself adjust my behaviour slightly to fit with the type. Not consciously but more like checking whether it fits whether it is congruent.

I don't do that now.

May I ask: what was your pattern of behaviour before you became aware (knowledgeable of) MBTI/Jung typology - that whole theory?

 

[wolfy]

who cares. i probably am but that doesnt mean im going to panic and act differently. i am who i am, if it fits my profile, then great. if it doesnt, my mistake.... :rolli:

It's not about panicking. It's about utilizing it as a tool. If it has no affect on your thinking and behaviour then what use is it. None.

May I ask: what was your pattern of behaviour before you became aware (knowledgeable of) MBTI/Jung typology - that whole theory?

It was as it is now.
I don't have any doubt I'm ISFP. Especially reading the childhood stuff. I can relate too well.

I want to answer more but the question is too broad and I can't think of any framework to use.
I really can't see patterns in my behaviour. Motivations I can clearly see.
I want to answer but you know...

Please clarify.

In a way, this effectively asks what the point to the MBTI.

What do you think the point to it is, wolfy? Whatever you think it is, you have to imagine that it woudn't serve its point so well if someone believed themselves to be the incorrect type, because all that is said of the type they believed themselves to be wouldn't actually be applicable to them.

You could move down deeper from that point to whether or not we are all essentially so similar that maybe if we did mistype we would actually take on the characteristics of the other type and maybe better off because of it depending on our goals.

I don't really believe in the blank slate theory but it's interesting to think about.

My personal feeling would be it would be a terrible waste to mistype. I would say we all have inborn strengths that are sometimes hard to uncover. There is no one harder to see than yourself.
And working against or to be more precise not to your strengths would be huge mistake.
Of course I'm not talking just about MBTI here but the whole process of self discovery of which MBTI is a part.

 

[Qre:us]

It was as it is now.
I don't have any doubt I'm ISFP. Especially reading the childhood stuff. I can relate too well.

I want to answer more but the question is too broad and I can't think of any framework to use.
I really can't see patterns in my behaviour. Motivations I can clearly see.
I want to answer but you know...

Please clarify.

I guess, the easiest way to tackle this Q would be to recall if there were certain behaviour/habits/traits that became highlighted, or, that you see you're trying to suppress once you became aware of them (they made sense due to your awareness of MBTI/Typology).

Maybe it's easier to recall what you stopped doing once you found out, than what either merely 'changed', or maybe you can recall, what you do more of now?

If anything?

You kinda answered, though, saying 'it was as it is now', but if you can think of some more specific instances? perhaps? i dunno.

 

[A Schnitzel]

I can't think of a single difference.

 

[Alpha Prime]

None.

"Type" is only a 4-set of characters. It does not define your personality, unless you're an idiot.

 

[disregard]

My type (or, the type I choose to assign to myself) used to have an affect on my self-perception.. but now it has basically none. So... if I was mistyped, I wouldn't mind one bit. Or raise an eyebrow.

 

[wolfy]

I guess, the easiest way to tackle this Q would be to recall if there were certain behaviour/habits/traits that became highlighted, or, that you see you're trying to suppress once you became aware of them (they made sense due to your awareness of MBTI/Typology).

Maybe it's easier to recall what you stopped doing once you found out, than what either merely 'changed', or maybe you can recall, what you do more of now?

If anything?

You kinda answered, though, saying 'it was as it is now', but if you can think of some more specific instances? perhaps? i dunno.

I haven't changed. When I was really interested and trying to figure it out I would check to see if what I was doing fit. But really people soon revert to their natural way.

I think if you mistyped and were actually wanting to get any use out of it then it would make a difference. You'd tend to grind gears.

How could it not?

Unless you're just wasting your time screwing around in a system you have no intention of using in a constructive way.

 

[garbage]

I haven't changed. When I was really interested and trying to figure it out I would check to see if what I was doing fit.

This, yeah. Maybe P's are more prone to it, perhaps 'accepting' the idea that their MBTI type 'could' be explaining their behavior or otherwise fit them.

Unless you're just wasting your time screwing around in a system you have no intention of using in a constructive way.

Well.. there are other ways to use it constructively, like as a tool to understand other people.

I dunno.. some people are less affected by outside perceptions of themselves overall, whether their input comes from other people or from a tool like the MBTI.