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Is MBTI imaginary?

Xyk

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Joined
Mar 27, 2011
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284
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5
Yes, the printing press was invented in 1440 and gave us printed words, sentences, paragraphs, chapters, books and libraries. And libraries were categorised. And so we started to think in terms of categories. Why, we even categorised ourselves into personality types.

However the Random Access Memory (RAM) became available in 1970 and so made categories redundant.

But here we categorise ourselves using MBTI while we actually relate to one another with Random Access Memory.

What will happen when we start thinking in terms of Random Access Memory?

Are you seriously trying to say there was no categorization before the printing press? Humans have always categorized. This is a plant that I don't eat, this is a plant that I do eat, this is an animal that I attack, this is an animal I don't attack, this is a human I attack, this is a human I support, this is a human towards whom I have no strong feelings, etc.

Categorization is something that is pretty basic in the human mind, as well as other animals.
 

ItsAlwaysSunny

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Feb 19, 2011
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92
MBTI Type
IDK
i question whether or not mbti and the cognitive functions are real or not all the time. but ultimately it doesnt matter because it'll either help you understand people better or it wont. if it does what you want it to do then it doesnt really matter if its real or imaginary. hopefully that makes sense to someone other than me. :)
 

Mole

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Mar 20, 2008
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Types and Roles

Are you seriously trying to say there was no categorization before the printing press? Humans have always categorized. This is a plant that I don't eat, this is a plant that I do eat, this is an animal that I attack, this is an animal I don't attack, this is a human I attack, this is a human I support, this is a human towards whom I have no strong feelings, etc.

Categorization is something that is pretty basic in the human mind, as well as other animals.

Go into any library before computers and random access memory and you will be confronted by the Catalogue.

But now no library has a Card Catalogue. The Catalogue has been confined to the dustbin of history.

But we suffer from a hangover from the Catalogue and categorising, and so we still categorise ourselves into personality types.

And as personality types disappear into the dustbin, we shall find we have roles.

What role will you play in the electric tribe of typologycentral in the global village?
 

Mole

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i question whether or not mbti and the cognitive functions are real or not all the time. but ultimately it doesnt matter because it'll either help you understand people better or it wont. if it does what you want it to do then it doesnt really matter if its real or imaginary. hopefully that makes sense to someone other than me. :)

The problem is that we delude ourselves so easily. Why, it was only a short time ago that we all were deluded enough to think that the Sun went round the Earth.
 

dala

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Jan 17, 2011
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intp
What's the difference between a category and a role?
 

InTheFlesh

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CFV
I may be wrong, but;
Role - accepted by the individual the title was placed upon
Category - externally imposed
 

Mole

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I may be wrong, but;
Role - accepted by the individual the title was placed upon
Category - externally imposed

Yes, the authoritarian society imposes a category, while we are helped to discover our role.
 

dala

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Jan 17, 2011
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214
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intp
Not sure I can go with that one InTheFlesh, because the post specifically talks about categorizing ourselves.

A category murders to dissect, while a role enlivens society.

I'm not sure what you mean. Can you give an example of each?
 

InTheFlesh

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Well, it could be argued that the reason we feel it necessary to categorize ourselves is because of an external pressure pushing down by societal power.

But I've really done enough arguing on here, I will refrain from picking another fight beyond my passive-aggressive response above :D
 

dala

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intp
Yeah we do seem to be going off topic, don't we?
 

ItsAlwaysSunny

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IDK
The problem is that we delude ourselves so easily. Why, it was only a short time ago that we all were deluded enough to think that the Sun went round the Earth.

thats what im saying though. it doesnt matter if its real or imaginary, all that matters is if you believe it or not. im not saying that you shouldn't question it and i think that most smart people would question it, but even if its proven that the cognitive functions are total nonsense there will still be people who believe in it and therefore it is real to them.

personally, i think mbti is just a cool way of categorizing different thought processes and styles.
 

NegativeZero

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Mar 2, 2011
Messages
158
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INxP
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5w4
MBTI is imaginary because it was imagined.

Computers were (once) imagined. Therefore, computers are imaginary. Folks, there is a huge difference between being real and being valid. The interesting discussion is about whether or not MBTI is valid.
 

Qlip

Post Human Post
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Jul 30, 2010
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ENFP
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Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
I'm starting to agree with Victor on this one, but my mind is still open on the matter. MBTI is verry useful, especially for catagorizing and for highlighting certain thought processess. But, the more detailed it gets it seems to become less useful. Most people are learning cognitive theory on confirmation bias alone... MBTI theory is correct, because I have Fi, this process must be some sort of consequence of having Fi.

I can't say that some people don't function exactly as MBTI describes, I just don't so far believe it to be universally applicable. And why should it be? Supposedly MBTI is useful in describing a healthy functioning mind. Even if this is true, how different from healthy must you be before MBTI is no longer useful in describing your processess. How many people are 'normal'? Is it really likely that unhealthy types end up being unhealthy in a predictable way? To many things going on here.
 

Giggly

No moss growing on me
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Jun 12, 2008
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9,661
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iSFj
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2
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Logically, I keep coming back to this (that it's imaginary) so yes I do think it is, but is fun to play around with. You know like as an exercise in using your imagination, and of course it's fun to discuss with others.
 
A

Anew Leaf

Guest
I think mbti is good to get a "snapshot" of how one or another person thinks.

In the end I am simply me. And you are simply you. And here we sit quietly in the rain together despite our alphabet soup of differences.
 

Mole

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Mar 20, 2008
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I'm starting to agree with Victor

It's a slippery slope when you start to agree with me, for I factor your disagreement into every post. It's as though I stretch the elastic in one direction and I rely upon you to stretch it back. If you agree with everything I say, we have a positive feedback loop that can go into runaway. It's like a dance, I take one step and you take a counter step., and so we dance one step after another. And after a while the dancers become the dance.
 

Mole

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Mar 20, 2008
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here we sit quietly in the rain together despite our alphabet soup of differences.

Alphabet soup in the rain - I wonder what it spells - it certainly casts a spell that can't be dispelled by the rain - Saturned!
 

Octarine

The Eighth Colour
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Oct 14, 2007
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Aeon
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