What disorders qualify a person as impossible to type, if any?

[mintleaf]

I've heard people suggest that those with bipolar disorder, autism, etc. may be "un-typable," and I'm wondering what others' thoughts are on emotional/cognitive disorders and typology in general.

If a disorder is said to cause specific personality traits, behavior, and modes of thought, does that potentially limit the number of types possible for an affected person? Or does it simply place them outside the realm of MBTI, creating complexity too great for it to handle?

For example, my brother has a chromosomal disorder causing serious physical, cognitive, and behavioral issues. He's considered mentally retarded and based on the typical MBTI tests and descriptions, his cognitive limitations place him in the S camp. I know that sensors can be extremely intelligent and that intuitors aren't necessarily bright. It's just that if he's an intuitor, it certainly manifests differently in him than in those of higher intellectual ability. Very few (if any) people I've met with cognitive handicaps are interested in what most would consider "abstract theory," a trait typically associated with Ns. Also, what little I've read (it was only recently identified) seems to point to a correlation between xSFx and my brother's disorder.

Anyway, what disorders or general limitations do you think make someone's personality resistant to typing? What other thoughts do you have related to this idea?

 

[RaptorWizard]

Take a look at the various personality disorders, such as Schizoid, Antisocial, Schizotypal, and so forth, which in lesser manifestations would be personality styles like Solitary, Adventurous, or Idiosyncratic. If you want to get really detailed with Typology, those elements could be factored.

 

[greenfairy]

I'm diagnosing myself with Aspergers, so that's my excuse for being un-typable.

Seriously though, I do think there comes a point where people can't be typed if their disorder is severe enough; but I think mild cases of some things can be such that they don't really affect type. It's probably a case by case thing.

 

[RaptorWizard]

I'm diagnosing myself with Aspergers, so that's my excuse for being un-typable.

Seriously though, I do think there comes a point where people can't be typed if their disorder is severe enough; but I think mild cases of some things can be such that they don't really affect type. It's probably a case by case thing.

I have a lot of the traits for aspergers myself and had to overcome the social/communication problems much longer than for most kids, but it soon came to me immediately, kind of like how Einstein didn't talk till he was 6, but right then could speak very well (I learned at age 4).

So ya, someone like an Einstein would be real aspergers, but I just had PDD, traits of aspergers, but not the complete package. (perhaps you are the same way?)

 

[prplchknz]

you can't diagnose yourself, you have too much bias. It's like me saying I'm a fairy, just because i want to be and believe it to be true doesn't make it true.

 

[garbage]

In my experience, bipolar disorder kinda hinders the whole "typing" thing.

Also, the kind of "rod through the head" thing that Phineas Gage went through.

 

[wolfy]

Dead.

 

[prplchknz]

In my experience, bipolar disorder kinda hinders the whole "typing" thing.

Also, the kind of "rod through the head" thing that Phineas Gage went through.

prove it

 

[Starry]

For example, my brother has a chromosomal disorder causing serious physical, cognitive, and behavioral issues. He's considered mentally retarded and based on the typical MBTI tests and descriptions, his cognitive limitations place him in the S camp. I know that sensors can be extremely intelligent and that intuitors aren't necessarily bright. It's just that if he's an intuitor, it certainly manifests differently in him than in those of higher intellectual ability. Very few (if any) people I've met with cognitive handicaps are interested in what most would consider "abstract theory," a trait typically associated with Ns. Also, what little I've read (it was only recently identified) seems to point to a correlation between xSFx and my brother's disorder.

I don't have any answers that pertain to your question but this^^^ I would not even remotely sign off on that. I see a lot of iNtuitives that seemingly imagine the iNtuitive mind to be...oh say...'just like the Sensor mind - but evolved' <--when everything I've read suggests the opposite is true. The best way I can explain the various texts would be to say we are all born iNtuitives and as time goes on our brains become more and more specialized...but for whatever reason that process is halted in the iNtuitive. Basically, an iNtuitive is an adult making use of a brain that was only meant to take them through the first few years of life.

I can't say one way or the other...but if I was forced to choose I would say that 'disorders' would be correlated with N.

 

[garbage]

prove it

I'm bipolar. I've been hard to type and have been labeled across the board by myself and by others (though have now stabilized and have had my "actual" type made apparent). Therefore, my experience is that some bipolar people (perhaps only one) are hard to type.

a lot of iNtuitives that seemingly imagine the iNtuitive mind to be...oh say...'just like the Sensor mind - but evolved' <--when everything I've read suggests the opposite is true

Yeah, +1 here for "screw that noise."

 

[prplchknz]

I'm bipolar. I've been hard to type and have been labeled across the board by myself and by others (though have now stabilized and have had my "actual" type made apparent). Therefore, my experience is that some bipolar people (perhaps only one) are hard to type.

, i'm schizoaffective bipolar or bipolar I (the jury's still out, some psychiatrists say schizoaffective some say bipolar 1) thought i was schizoaffective depressive but than i had a manic episode anyways not important i've been pretty easy to type.

 

[garbage]

, i'm schizoaffective bipolar or bipolar I (the jury's still out, some psychiatrists say schizoaffective some say bipolar 1) thought i was schizoaffective depressive but than i had a manic episode anyways not important i've been pretty easy to type.

That's exactly why I only provided one example and didn't generalize to all bipolars

 

[prplchknz]

That's exactly why I only provided one example and didn't generalize to all bipolars

oh

 

[mintleaf]

The best way I can explain the various texts would be to say we are all born iNtuitives and as time goes on our brains become more and more specialized...but for whatever reason that process is halted in the iNtuitive. Basically, an iNtuitive is an adult making use of a brain that was only meant to take them through the first few years of life.

I can't say one way or the other...but if I was forced to choose I would say that 'disorders' would be correlated with N.

that's interesting. I've never heard that, but the same thing has been said about synesthetes. I doubt there's a significant correlation, but all of the famous ones I can think of off the top of my head have been typed as Ns: Nabokov, Tesla, Feynman, Tori Amos...

I'd probably agree. And I forgot to clarify - I wouldn't say that there's a correlation between my brother's disorder and xSFx. I'm just assuming that people like Keirsey might.

 

[Starry]

that's interesting. I've never heard that, but the same thing has been said about synesthetes. I doubt there's a significant correlation, but all of the famous ones I can think of off the top of my head have been typed as Ns: Nabokov, Tesla, Feynman, Tori Amos...

What's interesting to me is, while I've never heard of synesthetes, ADD & ADHD are now being described as having the same origins - a condition I've been told I have. Yet it is a confusing thing to know what is what when the symptoms of ADD seem strangely indistinguishable from the MBTI of the ENxP.

 

[The Ü™]

You're all wrong. The complexity of human personality qualifies a person as impossible to type.

 

[Mal12345]

I've heard people suggest that those with bipolar disorder, autism, etc. may be "un-typable," and I'm wondering what others' thoughts are on emotional/cognitive disorders and typology in general.

If a disorder is said to cause specific personality traits, behavior, and modes of thought, does that potentially limit the number of types possible for an affected person? Or does it simply place them outside the realm of MBTI, creating complexity too great for it to handle?

For example, my brother has a chromosomal disorder causing serious physical, cognitive, and behavioral issues. He's considered mentally retarded and based on the typical MBTI tests and descriptions, his cognitive limitations place him in the S camp. I know that sensors can be extremely intelligent and that intuitors aren't necessarily bright. It's just that if he's an intuitor, it certainly manifests differently in him than in those of higher intellectual ability. Very few (if any) people I've met with cognitive handicaps are interested in what most would consider "abstract theory," a trait typically associated with Ns. Also, what little I've read (it was only recently identified) seems to point to a correlation between xSFx and my brother's disorder.

Anyway, what disorders or general limitations do you think make someone's personality resistant to typing? What other thoughts do you have related to this idea?

Multiple personality disorder.

 

[Thalassa]

I would agree with Mal mostly MPD, and severe forms of schizophrenia that can actually cause cognitive decline.

Most people who have bipolar disorder are functional, and in personality disorders typically the person still shows clear preferences.

I think Dario Nardi is wrong that a person has to conform to the current societal standards of "perfect."

 

[Thalassa]

Also note that David Keirsey doesn't believe in mental illness, he thinks certain types are more likely to show certain "dark sides" or poor emotional/mental health in particular ways.

 

[greenfairy]

you can't diagnose yourself, you have too much bias. It's like me saying I'm a fairy, just because i want to be and believe it to be true doesn't make it true.

I know, I was halfway joking. I mean if i have the money some day to seek a real diagnosis I might, but until then I will believe it is probable and so it is also probable that I am untypable.

And it's fine to believe you are a fairy. I think I'm both a human and a fairy at the same time, and that belief has done me no harm at all.