• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Environment Factoring in to MBTIs?

megeetaytay

New member
Joined
Mar 2, 2013
Messages
13
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
471
Instinctual Variant
sx
I know that generally people believe that one is born with a specific type and it is a matter of nature, not nurture. However, I am wondering if there are other alternative opinions you members have about the topic. I am curious because I am an ENFP, and my sister who is 21 months younger than me is an INFP. We both are very very influential in each other's lives (I am more influential to her, naturally because I am older). Is this a coincidence that we both are NFPs?? Or does anyone have any type of explanation for this?? Out of our seven member family, we are the only NFPs, and we are also definitely the closest to each other (we are with each other almost all day everyday).
Your opinions are appreciated!
 

Cellmold

Wake, See, Sing, Dance
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
6,266
It has been covered and mentioned before that often people will, due to environment and necessity, masquerade under the guise of another type and it's way of doing things without being aware of it, because they have been conditioned by circumstance to act that way.

More individual or certain people within types might have trouble seeing such an option since to them it would be a betrayal to themselves or their ideals. But not everyone is that.....defined in themselves.

It can be hard to decipher a true inclination from a mere role, but that's all part of the fun for some.
 
W

WALMART

Guest
I'm afraid it will come down to the nature vs. nurture ordeal, which is far from resolved.


I'd say about a third nature, two thirds nurture.
 

INTP

Active member
Joined
Jul 31, 2009
Messages
7,803
MBTI Type
intp
Enneagram
5w4
Instinctual Variant
sx
when it comes to this whole nurture or nature question, the answer is nature via nurture. meaning that nurture can either support or hinder the genetic dispositions.

extraversion and introversion can be seen in really small babies by looking at how they react to external stimuli. introverts react easier with fear to strange strong stimuli than extraverts do. example our lecturer in developmental psychology class used was that she had some client who was really extraverted and had recently had her second child. with her first born she did her typical strong expressions and lots of sudden and loud what ever baby talk, and her first child liked that sort of style very much. but when she had her second child the baby just started crying when she engaged with her typical highly extraverted style. so the client was confused and didnt understand what she was doing wrong or was there something wrong with the baby. but there was nothing wrong with the baby, the extraverted mom just didnt understand to tone down a bit with the strong extraversion with her new introverted baby. this doesent rule out the possibility that something might happen to a child that makes it take more introverted attitude even if genes would push towards extraversion.

when it comes to functions, i think that genes prefer building more neurons and connections to certain brain areas and this is the genetic aspect of personality. however what happens in your environment can support the same areas or different areas which your genes prefer.

i think that in order for your type to become different from what your genes support, the support to other types needs to happen really early, before brains start to develop towards certain direction and start to form preferences. also i think that with some people genes have stronger effect to type than others.

this isnt about someone thinking that he is one type, because his behavior supports other than actual type, that false type is about persona(part of personality which adjusts to external world) and identification with persona instead of actual self. its really difficult to say whether all cases of 'type other than type supported by genes' are about identification with persona or not and no one has the answer to that.
 

EEW

New member
Joined
Mar 24, 2013
Messages
80
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
so/sp
I know that generally people believe that one is born with a specific type and it is a matter of nature, not nurture. However, I am wondering if there are other alternative opinions you members have about the topic. I am curious because I am an ENFP, and my sister who is 21 months younger than me is an INFP. We both are very very influential in each other's lives (I am more influential to her, naturally because I am older). Is this a coincidence that we both are NFPs?? Or does anyone have any type of explanation for this?? Out of our seven member family, we are the only NFPs, and we are also definitely the closest to each other (we are with each other almost all day everyday).
Your opinions are appreciated!

I don't think that it's a coincidence - espeially in your situation (and in mine)
My bro is ENTP, he idolizes me (quite a bit - but he doesn't want to give in :p). I think that goes for you too.
It's a game between nurturing and nature. It influences eachother. (even the nurturing your nature - e.g. when you're abused as a kid you'll probably be more I by nature)
In your case, that would be that you are a factor for his type - probably nurture. You're maybe that big of an idol that he will feel INFP by nature. It all depends on the circumstances.

P.S. I never heard of nature-nurture, but I get the big picture. I tried my best with answering (good luck that I have a similar situation), but I am too lazy to look up nature-nurture (haha).
 

527468

deleted
Joined
Oct 22, 2008
Messages
1,945
I know that generally people believe that one is born with a specific type and it is a matter of nature, not nurture. However, I am wondering if there are other alternative opinions you members have about the topic. I am curious because I am an ENFP, and my sister who is 21 months younger than me is an INFP. We both are very very influential in each other's lives (I am more influential to her, naturally because I am older). Is this a coincidence that we both are NFPs?? Or does anyone have any type of explanation for this?? Out of our seven member family, we are the only NFPs, and we are also definitely the closest to each other (we are with each other almost all day everyday).
Your opinions are appreciated!

Tests and general descriptions often deal in nurture; the type and functions itself deal in nature.

This means, because one of you is influential to the other's life, it's possible one of the preferences NFP wipe off on the other, but they're just preferences, not type.
 

Little_Sticks

New member
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Messages
1,358
They both factor in and differently for everyone; that's what makes it so interesting to use and think about.
 
Top