Living Without Definition

[gloomy-optimist]

In response to Eldanen: Knowing where you're at and what your strengths and weaknesses are can be very beneficial to both society and the individual, I think. From personal experience, I know that typing myself really helped clarify many things about myself that I couldn't quite understand on my own; I felt different a lot of the time, and it helped me understand why.
BUT if society becomes dependent on typing, and if we refuse to accept our own individuality in conjunction with our type, then we are pretty much putting our own development on lockdown. Grouping should be used as a helping mechanism; not so much a deciding one.

In response ygolo: I'd say it would be important to maintain a healthy check on behavior. "Modifying" is a strong word, but I don't think there's a personality out there that doesn't have to have some sort of positive feedback in order to remain a healthy, happy individual; a fairly regular regiment of activities that provide some sort of mental rejuvenation beyond instinct is necessary or else behavior and personality tend to change and become negative...

[Ilah]

Originally Posted by Edahn

This is an interesting point I came across in reading some stuff by OSHO a while ago. It's one of the reasons I refused to type myself for a long time. Your type can act like a straight jacket, preventing you from expressing some parts that aren't aligned with the expectations of that type.

I think you're right that people contradict themselves naturally on behavioral, cognitive, and affective levels. The interesting thing is the release you get when you allow those contradictions to coexist. I would suspect that it's a result of letting go of having to be anyone and be satisfied with who you are.

Meh. I don't really have anything interesting to add. I'm just babbling.

I agree that typing can be a straight jacket. However, to some understanding personality differences can free you from another straight jacket. I grew up hearing about how people were, supposed to act, supposed to feel, supposed to be motivated by, etc. It is the "one size fits all as long as you are a medium" standard and lots of that didn't fit me. But I tried to make it fit because that how people are suppose to be.

It is better for an INTJ to be straight jacked into the role of an INTJ that to try to force herself into the role of an ESFx. Of course it is better not to be straight jacketed at all.

I see the point about the OP and getting pigeon holed. My Fi (my tertiary trait) is fairly strong and several people have suggested I might be an NF rather than NT. Because I lable myself T, people assume my F is low.

Ilah