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Does Typology build more bridges or walls between people?

RaptorWizard

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And typing is a way to avoid spontaneous interaction, to keep others at a distance, to avoid intimacy, to treat others as things, and to exert your power.
source - Mistyped TypeCentral Members

Because based on what Victor says, it can keep us separated, but supposedly, the theory is suppost to help us understand one another.
 

Tyrinth

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Obligatory cop-out answer: Depends on how you use it.
 

Lexicon

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Because based on what Victor says, it can keep us separated, but supposedly, the theory is suppost to help us understand one another.

Depends on how the concepts are integrated within one's thinking/behavior/perception of the self & others.

It can easily be turned into some sort of prejudice; idealizing some types, while villainizing others. Or, someone may attempt to use it as a tool for manipulation. The list goes on. Nearly any way we choose to read other people, whether the language of "typology" is present or not, can either be used as something constructive, like a compass, to navigate & grasp general patterns to bridge gaps in perception, or it can be used to uphold one's own internal walls, boost ego/sense of control, etc. It's on the individual.


*edit* I LOLed when I read your post after clicking submit, [MENTION=14786]Tyrinth[/MENTION].
 

Mole

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Because based on what Victor says, it can keep us separated, but supposedly, the theory is suppost to help us understand one another.

Of course the propaganda is that typing each other brings us together, and it does because it requires the suspension of our disbelief.

And the suspension of disbelief is far more effective in a group.

So typing forms the same function as religion or art.

My only objection to mbti is that it purports to measure personality, when it is a New Age cult.
 

Mole

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Obligatory cop-out answer: Depends on how you use it.

Just like guns: it depends on how you use them. But this flies in the face of fact, for my country bans assault weapons and has no, repeat no, gun massacres while the richest country won't ban assault weapons and has a regular parade of gun massacres.

And the meta fact is that we create our tools and our tools create us.

The Bible tells us, for instance, we have dominion over nature, but genetics tells us we are part of nature. So when we pollute nature, nature pollutes us.
 

Galena

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I think that how you use it is up to you. Choose to connect aided by typology, or choose to discriminate. But that's the easy answer.

Misusing it is easier, though, for humans. Even well-established indexes of types have their little biases when looked at closely.
 

mintleaf

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Since I've joined this forum and have been able to hear people of various types explain what drives them and how they process their experiences, it's made me more understanding. But I had much more simplistic ideas about what to expect from certain types when I was reading about typology on my own. So, yeah, as Tyrinth said -- depends on the person's approach (attitude + setting in which they learn).

What I especially don't like is the idea of using types as shortcuts to getting to know people.
 

jixmixfix

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Of course the propaganda is that typing each other brings us together, and it does because it requires the suspension of our disbelief.

And the suspension of disbelief is far more effective in a group.

So typing forms the same function as religion or art.

My only objection to mbti is that it purports to measure personality, when it is a New Age cult.

You're such a sensationalist get over yourself.....there is no new age cult being formed. Typing isn't suppose to bring us closer together or farther apart it is simply a tool used to better understand ourselves and each other.
 

wolfy

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I think it would build walls if it is used as a tool to interact with others using. It seems like it would lead to rigidity in thinking concerning others. Outside of contemplation and reflection. I am talking about direct interaction.
 

Entropic

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I feel that based on the few posts I've seen Viktor write, he just seems like a try-hard when it comes to thinking outside the box. Ultimately, typology is no different than any other standard or measurement we use to understand, contrast and compare other people. The labels are ultimately no different than saying that man is white, that man is black and that man is Carribean. They simply describe certain observable traits but it is ultimately up to us to decide how we use these descriptors (labels etc.). A person could know zero about typology but be an incredible misogynist at work because he thinks women are of lesser worth, just like someone who has taken an online MBTI test has gotten the impression that sensors are more stupid than intuitives. The answer is thus simple - labels, and we all operate with them even outside typology, help us categorize people around us but the value we attach to those categorizations depends on the person. The value is not universal.
 

Siúil a Rúin

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My impression is that people tend to have a lot of social fears because of past hurts. There is a deep drive to avoid similar hurts in the future, and so by categorizing the people who caused hurt, we think we can avoid similar hurts in the future by avoiding others in the same category. That approach creates a terrible mess in comprehension and communication and absolutely builds walls. The human mind is so skilled at confirmation bias, that we think our points are proven, that our prejudices are reasoned. I don't know if people can get past that because it tends to be the modus operandi of most.
 

Bamboo

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My impression is that people tend to have a lot of social fears because of past hurts. There is a deep drive to avoid similar hurts in the future, and so by categorizing the people who caused hurt, we think we can avoid similar hurts in the future by avoiding others in the same category. That approach creates a terrible mess in comprehension and communication and absolutely builds walls. The human mind is so skilled at confirmation bias, that we think our points are proven, that our prejudices are reasoned. I don't know if people can get past that because it tends to be the modus operandi of most.

It's easy to forget to do, but I think that you can train yourself to intentionally try to prove the opposite (or if not a binary, then prove something coming from another angle), which is something that you have to decide to do before you start (or even during) information gathering.


The big thing I notice with typology of any kind, not just MBTI but forming any group identity is in-group and out-group biases. There is a natural tendency to see people in your group in a more favorable light and people outside of it in a less favorable one, which can readily become a dangerous thing (but also fosters a sort of group cohesion).


Also, I think what you're saying about social fears makes sense, but it begs the question: what if the category of "avoidables" is an accurate one? Often people make categories that don't match up with reality. A mean person was wearing a red dress, so you avoid people wearing red dresses - doesn't make sense. And then confirmation bias kicks in and people look for examples of mean people who wear red dresses and they find them. And you'd have to be more specific about them being "mean". Maybe you didn't realize you were doing something to them which elicited that response. Then again, it seems pretty reasonable that if you identify that some people aren't just "mean" (they are really just different than you, more direct) but are "abusive", it makes sense that you try and avoid these people. Not psychologically avoid that they exist (denial), but proximity/life avoid.
 

Entropic

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It's easy to forget to do, but I think that you can train yourself to intentionally try to prove the opposite (or if not a binary, then prove something coming from another angle), which is something that you have to decide to do before you start (or even during) information gathering.


The big thing I notice with typology of any kind, not just MBTI but forming any group identity is in-group and out-group biases. There is a natural tendency to see people in your group in a more favorable light and people outside of it in a less favorable one, which can readily become a dangerous thing (but also fosters a sort of group cohesion).

I think this is true with any group identity, though. It's just how basic human psychology works.
 

Bamboo

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I think this is true with any group identity, though. It's just how basic human psychology works.

Uh, yeah, that's what I said?

me said:
The big thing I notice with typology of any kind, not just MBTI but forming any group identity is in-group and out-group biases....

Extending the term typology to mean "any grouping system".
 
I

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It builds walls when people believe it's more important than it actually is.
 

Entropic

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Uh, yeah, that's what I said?

Yes, but in the context of typology. I simply expanded and generalized the statement. I thought the expansion was unclear? Or at least I didn't pick it up as such.
 

Cellmold

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It's all just guesses and observations. But although I say that, I would say there is some legitimacy to identifying patterns in human behaviour.

The difficulty is....having to pull something from outside of common human perception in order to identify that which doesn't yet have definition or words, but for some, this most definitely exists. This is the issue Jung had and spent most of his life trying to understand and grasp.

It could be that psychological types is an unfinished vision in some sense. Could be there is another stage for others to flesh out.

However...there will always be people who want to delve that little bit deeper, to dive into the depths of what lies behind the eyes. It's a need to understand and not just for understandings sake....also for caring. Although that depends upon motive.

There are still discrepancies that cannot yet be answered empirically as well, for example the differences between individuals from the same nurture and nature are often unexplained even in modern psychology.

Where that gap lies there shall always be someone wishing to fill it up. If not MBTI then something else.

It can be called a cult, a childish belief system that can trap a person from true self-awareness. But even so at its core lies a strong grain of truth, this is humanity and you cannot keep the boot on it's neck forever.
 

violet_crown

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Maybe. I'm somewhat proned to collectivize people anyways. Typology is mostly a handy way to keep track of the categories.
 
G

garbage

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Builds bridges when studied for an hour or so. Builds walls when studied for a year or more.
 
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