When you were a child...

[The Ü™]

ExTJ troublemaker in the playground

And what makes you so different now?

 

[faith]

what is a katydid?

Green insects that make lots of rhythmic noise in the trees. Because of the rhythm, it sounds as though several choruses are arguing:
Katy did!
Katy didn't!
Katy did!
Katy didn't!

 

[Totenkindly]

When I was young:

• Spent as much time alone as possible (because when I was alone I was free to do what I wanted, and also did not have to deal with people's emotions and risk offending them somehow).
• If needing to be social, spent time with single individuals than with groups.
• Loved to read (the entire kids' section, then onto the grown-up section of the public library, bags and bags of books each week on any topic).
• Quick to read, quick to learn, quick to understand. I would do all my homework in class as the teacher was explaining the assignment, rarely studied for tests (unless it involved memorization), got all A's without trying.
• Started writing my first book in ninth grade.
• Understood systems very well, excellent with cause and effect and predicting probable outcome of a given action (or conversation).
• Liked to observe the world, people included, and figure out what made them tick and how they fit together.
• Didn't like personal conflict at all, avoided it whenever possible unless I couldn't avoid it; then I played to win, but hate-hate-hated it.
• Intellectually arrogant, felt that my mind could solve all my problems, constantly was deciding whether other people were "smart or stupid," so I could decide if I needed to trust them.
• Didn't quite fit in. Felt like an alien, with thoughts and feelings and imaginations most kids my age did not share.
• Loved to do wordplay, put spin on things, ironic humor, twists -- sense of humor bounced around like a superball in an underground bunker. Also, no limitations -- even venture into taboo territory (if the joke went there) unless I was around someone who would disapprove.
• Loved nature and the outdoors. Spent much of my time climbing trees alone and exploring the fields and roads in my county, on my bike.
• Loved games of all sort, the more cerebral the better. (The more "luck" involved, the more I despised them.)
• Loved RPGs -- they involved imagination, creativity, and comprehensive system knowledge. But I would never actually play. Instead, I would spend most of the time alone, learning and understand the system mechanics and then creating scenarios and characters that made sense.
• Topics of interest when younger: Science, science fiction/fantasy, psychic phenomena, weird things, then branched into spirituality, psychology, and philosophy; then into culture and history.
• Played music, moved into improvisation and composition very early. Excellent sight reader, excellent at play-by-ear. Could see "big picture" of the music as it unfolded and respond to the cues and build off them.
• Terrified of conversation on a personal level, without a topic to guide me. Once (fourth grade) was taken to camp to spend the week and cried so much I came back home, because I felt so insecure.
• Made a distinction early on between how I felt about someone and how I needed to treat them; could see why people might do bad things without meaning to be bad (mostly my parents).
• remember my mom staying in my room with me for an hour when I was six or so, because i was sobbing so hard. I couldn't articulate to her what I was afraid of, because it was so big and she would not understand, NOR could she fix things (so what would be the point?): I wasn't afraid of death, I was afraid of eternity because i could not understand it. I would have rather died than live forever and not be able to get my mind around it.

 

[Oberon]

what is a katydid?

They make a sort of buzzing noise, not unpleasant if you're used to it. Hundreds of them at once can aurally dominate a yard.

 

[faith]

remember my mom staying in my room with me for an hour when I was six or so, because i was sobbing so hard. I couldn't articulate to her what I was afraid of, because it was so big and she would not understand, NOR could she fix things (so what would be the point?): I wasn't afraid of death, I was afraid of eternity because i could not understand it. I would have rather died than live forever and not be able to get my mind around it.

I had a similar crisis when I was six, and again at seven. Horrifying. It made me want to curl into a little ball and scream and scream and scream.

 

[faith]

They make a sort of buzzing noise, not unpleasant if you're used to it. Hundreds of them at once can aurally dominate a yard.

Thanks, Oberon--I was hoping someone would post a picture for me. They're quite loud here in the Alabama woods during summer.

 

[Atomic Fiend]

I was an overly critical, neurotic, self-righteous kid with an overactive imagination.

Now I'm overly critical, neurotic, but not nearly as self righteous. I'm also working on accepting myself and others. I decided to keep the overactive imagination since it's so damn fun.

 

[alcea rosea]

I was very much extrovert as a child and always smiling (at least that is what my dad says). I had great imagination and was very much Ne. I was very fond of sports, drawing, reading (fantasy, fiction, and detective stories) and drama. I had many friends and loved people. I loved all kinds of group activities, games, parties and family gatherings. I also loved (and still love) all furry animals.

I was sensitive and very F. I cried easily and felt empathy (or sympathy or something like that) for people very easily. I was not allowed to see any “bad” adult movies as a child but after seeing one at my friends place I had nightmares for 6 months after that. Even these days I do not like to watch horror movies because I tend to get too involved.

I was quite restless child and had poor concentration skills. I got tired of people quickly and wanted to be the one who says what to do. School was quite easy for me and I did not use too much time in doing my homework or studying to exams. The biggest problem in school was my restlessness and poor concentration skills.

My dream occupations were a elementary school teacher or a journalist when as a child. I was interested in biology, geography and psychology later in school. I loved writing poems and stories until my imaginary writings were “banned” in school. I was not really interested in math (too much work to be done there even if I was ok in math), physics or chemistry. I was also quite good in computer programming.

I think I was pretty much ENFP always. I was always aware that I should improve my P (I was such a messy child) and I should try not to be as sensitive and F (I wanted to be tough). Being E has always been my strongest visible side..

 

[Totenkindly]

I had a similar crisis when I was six, and again at seven. Horrifying. It made me want to curl into a little ball and scream and scream and scream.

ugh -- thanks for reminding me in great detail.

lol *HUG*

I know, it was horrible, wasn't it? I don't even know if I really have gotten past it, either -- I just block it out and don't think about it, because I can't do anything about it. It just is what it is.

 

[prplchknz]

what I remember
-watched are you afraid of the dark and had nightmares from it, yet loved the show
-if my brother barely touched me I would imagine it to be a hundred times worse and more painful (I was convinced that it hurt, even though it probably didn't) I would burst in to tears
-a family friend told me years later I would put aside money to give to charity when I was in like 1st grade.
-I dreamt of changing the world, making it better. I was more of an idealists than then I am now. I wonder what happened
-I loved going to bars (I didn't drink) but my dad would take me to them and I'd get a burger and coke
-I didn't eat alot, but their wasn't a food I didn't like (except grits eewww and milk)
-I loved going to church (hate it now)
-I didn't have many friends but I always and one or two close ones
-I got in trouble for not speaking up in school
-I use to swing all recess with the goal of touching a tree branch, that now looking back I would have never reached it
-I always pretended to be in far a way places
-loved riding my bike through puddles
-I was convinced my wallpaper had it in for (I thought it was going to eat me)
-Thought the grim reaper disguised as a country singer hid in my dad's office, and I would run past it.
-I thought their was monster under my bed for the longest time and did a running jump to get into bed and leapt out of bed.
-I never slept, and was always tired.
-I hated school, I remember being 1st or 2nd grade and asking my mom why I had to got school. And she said because it's the law, I didn't like that answer.
-When I got mad I would ride my bike around the neighborhood, I got in trouble a few times because I would be gone for a really long time, sometimes I wouldn't say I was leaving.

 

[Oberon]

I just block it out and don't think about it, because I can't do anything about it. It just is what it is.

Oddly, I find the infinite to be pretty unimpressive. Want to see infinity? Look up at the sky on a cloudless night, and there it is. Look between the stars, and there's infinity staring back at you. It looks pretty flat, honestly.

Now, that which is not infinite, but merely very extremely large: that's impressive.

It's illogical I know, but true for me.

 

[Domino]

Eternity makes me freak out. I don't think about it.

 

[Oberon]

...and yet, as far as we can tell, eternity surrounds us in time, and infinity in space. We have never lived within the bounds of the finite, except in the sense that our perception is limited.

 

[Domino]

Dimensional "created" space I can handle. That includes multiple branes and alternate universes. What I can't handle is "eternity", something without time limit. Our present universe, as old as it is, still had a genesis, and will have a terminus long after we're gone.

When the wheels fall off of the concept of limitations, I can't handle it. I have to have parameters, even if those parameters are wide-ranging or relative to another position other than mine. Eternity is within the experience of no one and therefore undefinable. I like abstractions fine, but things that refuse all human conceptual definition make my nervous system hum like a high-tension power line. I hate it.

 

[sleepy]

Some stuff from when i was a kid.
Early age-3-7
-Used to suck at my bed lining, all night long, so every mornings the corners where all wet.
-With the food I made small perfectly circular balls under my tongue that i hid under my plate, these i arranged in some way or the other, falling asleep while doing this at the table, sometimes hitting my head in the table in the process.
-Always falling and hurting myself, cronically, according to my mother. I dont remember.

Age 7-15
-My brothers where scared of being alone and when it was dark, I was the opposite. Used to go to many of these 'hunted' houses where people had seen ghosts(at least claimed they had) alone in the night hoping to see them. But did not. Used to always imagine that there where all sorts of creatures and stuff watching me when i walked alone in the woods. Think I was more fascinated then scared.
-Started reading fantasy books at about 13-14. When i started a big fantasy book, i usually don't let it down until it is finished. Sometimes went up to the mountains and stayed there.
-In topics i was interested in I collected all i could find from the library's, and everywhere else. Still have have huge piles with magazines on those topics stored away that i dont know what to do with.

 

[Totenkindly]

Oddly, I find the infinite to be pretty unimpressive. Want to see infinity? Look up at the sky on a cloudless night, and there it is. Look between the stars, and there's infinity staring back at you. It looks pretty flat, honestly.

*curls up in little ball and screams and screams and screams*

 

[MerkW]

Dimensional "created" space I can handle. That includes multiple branes and alternate universes. What I can't handle is "eternity", something without time limit. Our present universe, as old as it is, still had a genesis, and will have a terminus long after we're gone.

When the wheels fall off of the concept of limitations, I can't handle it. I have to have parameters, even if those parameters are wide-ranging or relative to another position other than mine. Eternity is within the experience of no one and therefore undefinable. I like abstractions fine, but things that refuse all human conceptual definition make my nervous system hum like a high-tension power line. I hate it.

I feel the exact opposite. I always love concepts that completely go against all natural and instinctive human reasoning, including various paradoxes.

Infinity itself is indeed very paradoxical. With the Hilbert Paradox in mind, a hotel with an infinite amount of rooms may be completely full, yet still have room for an infinite number of more guests. I truly love such things.

 

[INTJMom]

My mother says I was always cleaning things when I was 3.
And I used to love to pretend to talk on the phone. I still love talking on the phone.

I am an INTJ/INFJ mix.

 

[white]

Interesting on how the E/I, P/J characteristics can be seen much earlier - where could I find more information on that? I'm not sure myself that the I/E is clear. The P is though.

- I was happiest when I could spend hours on the beach, picking, poking, and playing with all the denizens of the coast.
- I hated crowds, meeting relatives, strangers. Now I still have to force myself out to socialise.
- Was convinced of the monsters under the bed too - would do the same running leap as purple chicken, only the other way around - from the light switch to the bed at night. (don't the monsters disappear in daylight? )
- I'd do my homework in the next lesson (like Jennifer) so I wouldn't have to do it at home though.
- I thought Eternity was a concept meant to punish. But I craved space.
- Some older relatives thought I was stuck up. This was primarily because of a refusal to speak in babytalk.
- However, my twin and I would spend hours chatting with each other in our own language, and we apparently understood each other - there're still tapes of that around, and we've not been able to figure out what we were saying.

Perhaps an anecdote that's probably ENTPish.

Was about 2 and running around at a dinner party, apparently I saw something out the glass door while playing with the other kids. Went and made a dash for the shiny thing, straight into the glass door, and sent myself into a concussion for 10 whole minutes and became the star attraction of the evening, unwittingly. That's kind of ENTPish on hindsight, no.

 

[prplchknz]

1st of all the light in my room was a lamp so all I had to do was reach over and turned it off and 2 I was scared of the dark so I left it on

also I remember I use to have this reoccurring dream from 7-14 where my whole family is murdered but I'm not so I use to make one of my parents sleep with me or I would sleep in their bed cuz as long as things weren't like in the night mare. I think when I got to 12 my mom quit listening and told me too go to sleep then 14 maybe 13 it changed as my brother had just turned 16 that he was out with friends and he got killed in a car crash and my parents were still hacked up. Maybe I saw something on tv I wasn't suppose to when I was little, still this was the main reason why I never slept.

and my grandma was scared that people would walk all over me when I got older, as I tended to be laid back, and go with the flow. Most of the time I would go with what everyone else wanted. I was easy to please, still am.