Bjork's type

[Siúil a Rúin]

I found a really fantastic interview with Bjork and Charlie Rose. It is long but a very interesting look into her personality.
YouTube - Bjork Charlie Rose Interview

Here is a much shorter one with British CH5 also offers a glimpse.
YouTube - Bjork Interview British CH5

I couldn't get the Charlie Rose to download, but really enjoyed the second link. She is definitely a fascinating person.

I see what you mean about the introversion. Her body language is intensely inward and somewhat avoidant. She seems as quintessentially P as anyone could possibly be. She describes the process of her life as chaotic, as love 'sneaking up from behind', etc. I still have to say that her dominant function seems like Fi to me. Fi is very passionate. Just how she thinks and her manner does actually draw the listener in to her private world. So far I really couldn't say between INFP and ISFP. You might be curious to know that my sister is an INFP and my mother most likely an ISFP, so I have some intimate feel for both. I just don't accept the stereotype of S's not being inventive or insightful. I find ISFP to be one of the richest personality types. Her comment about her worst fear being boredom, and of not having the 'courage' to take some action could support that type. Ni is also the tertiary function for ISFP, and there is definitely that element in her work, although INFJ would still surprise me. However, i have seen people far more distant from the INFJ descriptions claim that type, so never say never. My INFP sister's emotional world is very personal, private, and she expresses deeply in her visual art. Maybe I could send you a private link to some of her video clips. My sister has very similar body language to Bjork, but has some notable differences in her thinking as well. You could well be right about the NF-ness. Fwiw, if i had to throw in a guess at the moment it would be INFP, but it's hard to dismiss ISFP entirely. What do you think?

Got the Charlie Rose to work!
Charlie: You see yourself just inside the trees, but you don't see the forest.
Bjork: I don't think that is my role... Sometimes when I do each album i do interviews and get a little bit smitten from seeing it from the outside, which may be a little bit healthy... But then I want to get really quickly back to the tree... because you can't work with that sort of view.

...It's a dangerous trap to get too nostalgic, because then you can't create new stuff.

Charlie: do you know where the new stuff comes from or does it just come?

Bjork: ...It's on all different levels... Sound collecting... it's very academic and sit down and you collect. This is the kind of flavor, you spend hours and hours and months and years until you have the sound library of the sounds you want for the beat. It's like being a librarian.

Charlie: Classifying

Bjork: Yes. Part of me is just kind of the singer, kind of the opposite of that, just kind of a force. I should know as little about that as possible.

Charlie: What do you like about this album

Bjork: I was truthful.
...I saw how the soundworld of this album should be before starting the album three years ago... but also many things happened on this album that nobody could have planned. I guess that is the more adventurous aspect of collaboration. I don't have more interest in controlling the collaboration., but you get people involved to get surprises.

Charlie: My sense is that you have always been in love with sound. All kinds of sound. Not just lyrics, but sound.

Bjork: Yeah, yeah... It's just the one most all embracing, all forgiving embracing thing there is. It doesn't ask any questions. You don't have to explain yourself. It's the one world where... that can cover allthe emotional levels of you. I'm the sort of person when it comes to language and communicating on a daily basis i feel like i am trying to put an ocean through a straw. With music it doesn't feel like that... yeah it's just like a warm embrace.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Before my last post gets so long it's unreadable, i thought that interview was worth analyzing. There were some excellent foundational questions in that interview.

The comment about being the tree not the forest seemed telling. That is compatible with Fi. What else is that compatible with?

Describing the collecting and classifying of sounds probably refers to the thinking function? Or possibly the N function? Would it be Te or Ti? I can't ever keep those straight in relationship to classification.

The love of sound because it is 'forgiving, doesn't ask questions, you don't have to explain yourself, it covers all the emotional levels of you'. What does that indicate?

She seems to have stronger Fi than Fe, but possesses both.
She seems to use Ni more than Ne? Unless the classification bit is a Ne trait.
She has little to zero Si, but seems strong in the area of Se
Not sure on the T being Ti or Te, but would suggest it is a tertiary or weakest function

Not sure how that comes together, but it is useful to start with the pieces rather than guessing on finished types. And of course people can have all their functions more highly developed or be borderline types and such.

Edit: llnf, i will add that this is the one celebrity that is interesting to analyze and type. The more i think about it, the less clear it becomes. I guess her being so powerfully unique makes her more elusive in certain ways. You may be right from the start, but it is fun attempting the analysis anyway.

 

[Littlelostnf]

Before my last post gets so long it's unreadable, i thought that interview was worth analyzing. There were some excellent foundational questions in that interview.

The comment about being the tree not the forest seemed telling. That is compatible with Fi. What else is that compatible with?

Describing the collecting and classifying of sounds probably refers to the thinking function? Or possibly the N function? Would it be Te or Ti? I can't ever keep those straight in relationship to classification.

The love of sound because it is 'forgiving, doesn't ask questions, you don't have to explain yourself, it covers all the emotional levels of you'. What does that indicate?

She seems to have stronger Fi than Fe, but possesses both.
She seems to use Ni more than Ne? Unless the classification bit is a Ne trait.
She has little to zero Si, but seems strong in the area of Se
Not sure on the T being Ti or Te, but would suggest it is a tertiary or weakest function

Not sure how that comes together, but it is useful to start with the pieces rather than guessing on finished types. And of course people can have all their functions more highly developed or be borderline types and such.

Edit: llnf, i will add that this is the one celebrity that is interesting to analyze and type. The more i think about it, the less clear it becomes. I guess her being so powerfully unique makes her more elusive in certain ways. You may be right from the start, but it is fun attempting the analysis anyway.

I agree she is very interesting and has always fasinated me to some degree. she is the one celeb that I would love to be able to sit and talk to about her art. I took this last post and I'm considering and replying to it but since it takes me forever I just wanted to come back and say I'm def going with the N because there is just something so otherworldly about her that I can't relate it to a concrete anything beyond her process for developing her music which seems a very nfj process....ethereal and otherworldly yet not as random and spontaneous as a p...I don't really know either but it is definately interesting and fun attempting the analysis. Thanks for your posts. I'll be sending some more links to interviews soon.

 

[Littlelostnf]

I've narrowed it down to two NF types that I think Bjork could be. I don't at all think she is an SP. Which of the following two type descriptions would you think sounds most like Bjork based on her music and her public persona (based on interviews).

**********************************************************
????
This types intuition greets the world. What the observer usually sees is creativity with implied good will. Intuition spawns this type's philosophical bent and strengthens pattern perception. It combines with the type of feeling this type employes and gives rise to unusual skill in both character development and fluency with language-a sound basis for the development of literary facility. This type are would be verbal artists. Sensing for this type gives them a natural inclination toward absent-mindedness and other-worldliness, however, feeling's strong people awareness provides a balancing, mitigating effect. This type of sensing is somewhat categorical, a subdued version of SJ sensing, however, it is easily overridden by the stronger functions. This type lives primarily in a rich world of feeling. They have a natural attraction toward essence and ideal. The feeling, receiving its data from this type of intuition, must be the source of the quixotic nature of this type. Feeling is caught in the approach- avoidance bind between concern both for people and for All Creatures Great and Small, and a psycho-magnetic repulsion from the same. The "object," be it homo sapiens or a mere representation of an organism, is valued only to the degree that the object contains some measure of the inner essence or greater Good. Doing a good deed, for example, may provide intrinsic satisfaction which is only secondary to the greater good of striking a blow against Man's Inhumanity to Mankind. They may turn to this type of Thinking for help in focusing on externals and for closure.They can even masquerade as their opposite type but not without expending considerable energy. The problematic nature of this type of Thinking is its lack of context and proportion. Single impersonal facts may loom large or attain higher priority than more salient principles which are all but overlooked.
**********************************************************

????
This type enjoys a great clarity of perception of inner, unconscious processes. Just as SP types commune with the object and "live in the here and now" of the physical world, this type readily grasps the hidden psychological stimuli behind the more observable dynamics of behavior and affect. They have amazing abilities to deduce the inner workings of the mind, will and emotions of others. Unlike the confining, routinizing nature of another type of sensing, what this type has frees them to act insightfully and spontaneously as unique solutions arise on an event by event basis.
They are able to expresses a range of emotion and opinions of, for and about people. This type like many others with the last two letters of this type, find themselves caught between the desire to express their wealth of feelings and conclusions about the actions and attitudes of others, and the awareness of the consequences of unbridled candor. Some vent the attending emotions in private, to trusted allies. Such confidants are chosen with care, for this type are well aware of the treachery that can reside in the hearts of mortals. This particular combination of functions provides this type with the raw material which allow them to be quite perceptive. This type's thinking is turned toward the subject. Perhaps it is when their thinking function is operative that they are most aloof. A comrade might surmise that such detachment signals a disillusionment, that she has also been found lacking by the sardonic eye of this one who plumbs the depths of the human spirit. Experience suggests that such distancing is merely an indication that they are hard at work and focusing energy into this function. This type is twice blessed with clarity of vision. Just as they possess a vision which is drawn to the forms of the unconscious, they also have a perception which readily takes hold of worldly objects, however, is the weakest of this type's arsenal and the most vulnerable. Like their fellow intuitives, they may be so absorbed in intuitive perceiving that they become oblivious to physical reality. Under stress may fall prey to various forms of immediate gratification. Many yearn to live spontaneously; it's not uncommon for this type of actor to take on an SP role.

 

[Littlelostnf]

I've narrowed it down to two NF types that I think Bjork could be. I don't at all think she is an SP. Which of the following two type descriptions would you think sounds most like Bjork based on her music and her public persona (based on interviews).

**********************************************************
????
This types intuition greets the world. What the observer usually sees is creativity with implied good will. Intuition spawns this type's philosophical bent and strengthens pattern perception. It combines with the type of feeling this type employes and gives rise to unusual skill in both character development and fluency with language-a sound basis for the development of literary facility. This type are would be verbal artists. Sensing for this type gives them a natural inclination toward absent-mindedness and other-worldliness, however, feeling's strong people awareness provides a balancing, mitigating effect. This type of sensing is somewhat categorical, a subdued version of SJ sensing, however, it is easily overridden by the stronger functions. This type lives primarily in a rich world of feeling. They have a natural attraction toward essence and ideal. The feeling, receiving its data from this type of intuition, must be the source of the quixotic nature of this type. Feeling is caught in the approach- avoidance bind between concern both for people and for All Creatures Great and Small, and a psycho-magnetic repulsion from the same. The "object," be it homo sapiens or a mere representation of an organism, is valued only to the degree that the object contains some measure of the inner essence or greater Good. Doing a good deed, for example, may provide intrinsic satisfaction which is only secondary to the greater good of striking a blow against Man's Inhumanity to Mankind. They may turn to this type of Thinking for help in focusing on externals and for closure.They can even masquerade as their opposite type but not without expending considerable energy. The problematic nature of this type of Thinking is its lack of context and proportion. Single impersonal facts may loom large or attain higher priority than more salient principles which are all but overlooked.
**********************************************************

????
This type enjoys a great clarity of perception of inner, unconscious processes. Just as SP types commune with the object and "live in the here and now" of the physical world, this type readily grasps the hidden psychological stimuli behind the more observable dynamics of behavior and affect. They have amazing abilities to deduce the inner workings of the mind, will and emotions of others. Unlike the confining, routinizing nature of another type of sensing, what this type has frees them to act insightfully and spontaneously as unique solutions arise on an event by event basis.
They are able to expresses a range of emotion and opinions of, for and about people. This type like many others with the last two letters of this type, find themselves caught between the desire to express their wealth of feelings and conclusions about the actions and attitudes of others, and the awareness of the consequences of unbridled candor. Some vent the attending emotions in private, to trusted allies. Such confidants are chosen with care, for this type are well aware of the treachery that can reside in the hearts of mortals. This particular combination of functions provides this type with the raw material which allow them to be quite perceptive. This type's thinking is turned toward the subject. Perhaps it is when their thinking function is operative that they are most aloof. A comrade might surmise that such detachment signals a disillusionment, that she has also been found lacking by the sardonic eye of this one who plumbs the depths of the human spirit. Experience suggests that such distancing is merely an indication that they are hard at work and focusing energy into this function. This type is twice blessed with clarity of vision. Just as they possess a vision which is drawn to the forms of the unconscious, they also have a perception which readily takes hold of worldly objects, however, is the weakest of this type's arsenal and the most vulnerable. Like their fellow intuitives, they may be so absorbed in intuitive perceiving that they become oblivious to physical reality. Under stress may fall prey to various forms of immediate gratification. Many yearn to live spontaneously; it's not uncommon for this type of actor to take on an SP role.

Come on not one guess? Please.....

 

[artie]

On TV I saw Bjork beat up a journalist for saying "Welcome to Hong Kong", quite the sensitive artist. I wonder what type that would be most consistent with or if shes beaten up many people off camera.

I know almost nothing about Bjork but think mimicry of niceness for the purposes of predation is as common in public personas as it is in the natural world.

 

[Littlelostnf]

On TV I saw Bjork beat up a journalist for saying "Welcome to Hong Kong", quite the sensitive artist. I wonder what type that would be most consistent with or if shes beaten up many people off camera.

I know almost nothing about Bjork but think mimicry of niceness for the purposes of predation is as common in public personas as it is in the natural world.

What's interesting is that that is not what happened. Actually she'd said she didn't want to stop and talk because she wanted to get her son to bed and the journalist started asking Bjork's (at the time 10 year old son) "So what's it like to have a famous mom" and she lost it and that's when she hit her. It wasn't that the journalist said Welcome to Hong Kong. I'm fairly certain that's the only time something like that happened but you know how "sensitive artist types are" (ha) I'm not sticking up for her hitting the woman but i do like a story told correctly.

 

[artie]

I think you probably are Bjork.

 

[Littlelostnf]

I think you probably are Bjork.

How did you know

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

I must admit I originally would guess that Bjork is INFP, but after reading this thread I lean more toward INFJ.

 

[Littlelostnf]

I must admit I originally would guess that Bjork is INFP, but after reading this thread I lean more toward INFJ.

May I ask why you think so? I always thought P too but after really watching interviews, reading her lyrics and so forth i really am leaning towards INFJ too. I'd just like to know why you think J. Not sure J is right but since I think I'm the only person who thinks so i'd like to hear why someone else might think it is so. Thanks.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

May I ask why you think so? I always thought P too but after really watching interviews, reading her lyrics and so forth i really am leaning towards INFJ too. I'd just like to know why you think J. Not sure J is right but since I think I'm the only person who thinks so i'd like to hear why someone else might think it is so. Thanks.

I see a certain benefit to Bjork being INFJ. If she is in fact, then (sorry folks) but there is NO WAY Hitler is one too.

Silliness aside, because of the presence of Ni in her work she is closer than many other celebrities and leaders suggested on this site. I'm not sure i could call her a dead center, textbook version of one because her Fi and Se are particularly strong. Ti is stronger than Se for INFJs which means they are more logical/analytical than Sensory. I'm guessing she could be a borderline type. (INFJ Ni Fe Ti Se)

 

[The Ü™]

I see a certain benefit to Bjork being INFJ. If she is in fact, then (sorry folks) but there is NO WAY Hitler is one too.

Silliness aside, because of the presence of Ni in her work she is closer than many other celebrities and leaders suggested on this site. I'm not sure i could call her a dead center, textbook version of one because her Fi and Se are particularly strong. I'm guessing she could be a borderline type.

Okay, who brought up Hitler on this thread? I know I didn't.

Meanlittlechimp and I both settled on ENFP for the Fuehrer.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

May I ask why you think so? I always thought P too but after really watching interviews, reading her lyrics and so forth i really am leaning towards INFJ too. I'd just like to know why you think J. Not sure J is right but since I think I'm the only person who thinks so i'd like to hear why someone else might think it is so. Thanks.

Well it's a tough call either way, but some of the song lyrics posted earlier on seem more INFJ such as those to "Violently Happy". INFJ's seem to have that sort of Violent/Harmless dicotomy inside them. Also I have a harder time imagining an INFP hauling off and hitting some reporter for asking her son a question, but I can see an INFJ doing it.

Other than little details like those, I'd type her as some sort of INF, but now I'm leaning toward INFJ.

 

[proteanmix]

How are people able to tell INFJ lyrics from ENFJ lyrics? What if you're dealing with eNfj vs. a InFJ?

 

[Littlelostnf]

How are people able to tell INFJ lyrics from ENFJ lyrics? What if you're dealing with eNfj vs. a InFJ?

Tonia did mention ENFJ at one point and I really considered that...only thing is I definately think she is more introverted. So unless she's an E leaning way towards I....I think I'm going with I. (also Bjork describes herself as introverted with times when she' extroverts but I definately think it tires her out and it's not something she does totally naturally.

 

[The_Liquid_Laser]

Well I'm not saying I know Bjork well enough to get a strong read on her, but she doesn't really show up anywhere on my extravert radar. I'd narrowed her down to INFP/ISFP/INFJ since all three types can seem similar outwardly until you get to know them better. I originally thought of her more as INFP, but now I'm leaning more toward INFJ.

 

[artie]

I'm just sceptical it's always possible to find a persons personality from analysing their art/entertainment and their public persona, in interviews etc, a private investigator might be necessary.

Psychopaths(for instance) can not only appear nice and sweet or frail and delicate, they can appear nicer and sweeter than any genuinely nice person and do it for longer, almost like a cartoon character. If they seem too good to be true and have hypnotised you, they probably are too good to be true.

A lot of Bjorks charm is that she is like a little girl, her voice, exhibitionism, hitting people, this points to immaturity which points to personality disorders*, I'd say a barage of them in her case.

I'm not saying she can't be a genius entertainer or make a great contribution to humanity through her art.

*"Emotional Vampires" by Al Bernstein

 

[Littlelostnf]

I think Artie had a run in with Bjork...

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

A lot of Bjorks charm is that she is like a little girl, her voice, exhibitionism, hitting people, this points to immaturity which points to personality disorders*, I'd say a barage of them in her case.

I'm curious what effects those precise qualities have on typing her? To what extent are those qualities being assumed to fit easily in with INFJ? I would have to suggest they have no particular relationship at all.

Whatever Bjork's type, I see strong use of (not in any particular order) Se, Fi, Fe, Ni, and possibly Ne. i would venture to suggest her type is one in which Ti/Te is the last function. She doesn't exhibit or speak to logic, analysis, or structured thinking. Her presentation seems to be a strong mixture of Feeling, iNtuition, and Sensing. She is clearly either a Sensor with highly developed iNtuition or an iNtuitor with highly developed Sensing. These two qualities run in such close tandem in the presentation of her work, the best way to determine which is dominant is to compare earlier and later work. According to personality theory we tend to develop our strongest functions first. Was her early work presenting with less Sensory or less iNtuitive qualities? Which has become noticeably more refined? Which quality has developed into her later life. This close interplay of the two is why i think she is likely a Feeling dominant. Those personalities have S and N as the next two functions with T as the last. This seems so strongly consistent with her presentation. That is why i just can't quite buy the INFJ line hook and sinker.

If you notice that even me as an INFJ naturally applies a noticeable degree of analysis and logic to this discussion whereas the feeling dominant iNtuitives are more comfortable responding based solely on instinct and personal impression. I see Bjork as much more closely aligned with this second group. This is what people miss when they make assumptions about INFJs - we look ALOT like INTJs. We are as close to them as INFPs are to ISFPs. If a person looks absolutely nothing like an INTJ in their thought processes, the chances of them being an INFJ are lessened.

Typing people based only on the dominant and secondary functions leads to false conclusions. Tertiary and last functions can be very strong in people's personality. This is an important consideration if one cares to reach a reasoned conclusions about analyzing anyone's personality.

On a curious note: how many INFJs here find that they naturally resonate with Bjork as an inner ideal? She is interesting, but kinda alien to me personally. How do others feel? Also, how many feeling dominates readily identify with her expression?