Child Prodigies

MerkW · 02-16-2008, 11:06 PM

I started the exact same thread on a socionics forum. So thus I proceed. Here are some people who were child prodigies during their childhood. What do you think is the MBTI type of each? Also, do you think that there is any correlation whatsoever between MBTI type and child prodigies?

Norbert Wiener, mathematician

Terrence Tao, mathematician

Blaise Pascal, mathematician

Brian Greene, theoretical physicist, mental calculator

John von Neumann, mathematician (among other things)

Daniel Tammet, mental calculator, linguistic savant

H.P. Lovecraft, writer

Pablo Picasso, visual artist

Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, social reformer

John Stuart Mill, philosopher, social reformer

Bobby Fischer, grandmaster, chess prodigy

Carl Friedrich Gauss, mathematician

Ruth Lawrence, mathematician

William James Sidis, polymath, mathematician, scholar

Paul Erdos, mathematician

The Grey Badger · 02-16-2008, 11:12 PM

Erdos, at a guess, INTP.

Uberfuhrer · 02-16-2008, 11:18 PM

Bobby Fisher: ENTp

H.P. Lovecraft: INTp

Daniel Tammet: ENTp or ISTp

Brian Greene: INTj

Blaise Pascal: ISFj

William James Sidis: ESTp

Ruth Lawrence: ESFj

Terrence Tao: ENTp

Best guesses...

I don't want to use MBTI types here because then they would all be stereotypical NTs.

And keep in mind, I'm not very good at Socionics, so take my types with a grain of salt.

nemo · 02-16-2008, 11:52 PM

John von Neumann strikes me as an ENTJ, from what little I've read of his biography.

Erdos -- INTP.

Dunno much about the others.

MerkW · 02-17-2008, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemo

John von Neumann strikes me as an ENTJ, from what little I've read of his biography.

Definitely.

@ Uber:
Ruth Lawrence as an ESFj? I doubt it. Also, I am pretty sure that Brian Greene is an Exxp type. Sidis is definitely not an ESTp. I could agree with the rest.

Uberfuhrer · 02-17-2008, 01:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merkw

Definitely.

@ Uber:
Ruth Lawrence as an ESFj? I doubt it. Also, I am pretty sure that Brian Greene is an Exxp type. Sidis is definitely not an ESTp. I could agree with the rest.

I'm using Socionics Visual Identification (to the best of my ability). Ruth Lawrence appears to be an ESFj in Socionics, Greene an INTj.

MerkW · 02-17-2008, 01:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uberfuhrer

I'm using Socionics Visual Identification (to the best of my ability). Ruth Lawrence appears to be an ESFj in Socionics, Greene an INTj.

Aha. I thought you were socio-typing them by using model A blocks. In my opinion, V.I. is very dubious. I would not be surprised if there were a correlation between facial expressions and voice tone, yet a correlation between facial structure and personality sounds like rubbish to me.

Uberfuhrer · 02-17-2008, 01:17 AM

I think Bobby Fischer was an MBTI INTJ, if that makes you feel better.

MerkW · 02-17-2008, 01:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uberfuhrer

With that said, I think Bobby Fischer was an MBTI INTJ.

Sounds rather reasonable. Definitely IxTx. Rather interesting character, he was.

GZA · 02-17-2008, 05:19 AM

Care to name a few more non-mathematician prodigies?

I only say that because this is a cool idea but I don't find mathematicians interesting for the most part.

I'll take a stab at Picasso though, but I'll need to look at some of his works and read about him a bit more.

Cool idea!

02-16-2008, 11:06 PM	#1 (permalink)
MerkW Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Type: Location: Beyond the observable universe Posts: 534	Child Prodigies I started the exact same thread on a socionics forum. So thus I proceed. Here are some people who were child prodigies during their childhood. What do you think is the MBTI type of each? Also, do you think that there is any correlation whatsoever between MBTI type and child prodigies? Norbert Wiener, mathematician Terrence Tao, mathematician Blaise Pascal, mathematician Brian Greene, theoretical physicist, mental calculator John von Neumann, mathematician (among other things) Daniel Tammet, mental calculator, linguistic savant H.P. Lovecraft, writer Pablo Picasso, visual artist Jeremy Bentham, philosopher, social reformer John Stuart Mill, philosopher, social reformer Bobby Fischer, grandmaster, chess prodigy Carl Friedrich Gauss, mathematician Ruth Lawrence, mathematician William James Sidis, polymath, mathematician, scholar Paul Erdos, mathematician __________________ "The mathematician's patterns, like the painter's or the poet's must be beautiful; the ideas like the colours or the words, must fit together in a harmonious way. Beauty is the first test: there is no permanent place in the world for ugly mathematics..." - G.H. Hardy "Another roof, another proof." - Paul Erdős INTJ (I = 100, N = 100, T = 88, J = 43) Solitary/Idiosyncratic, 5w6 sp/sx RL(x)EI (RlxE\|I\|)- Inquisitive Dominant Reserved Idealist ILI-Ni/INTp

02-16-2008, 11:18 PM	#3 (permalink)
Uberfuhrer Metal Join Date: May 2007 Type: ENTP Location: C-Town, Ohio Posts: 8,830	Bobby Fisher: ENTp H.P. Lovecraft: INTp Daniel Tammet: ENTp or ISTp Brian Greene: INTj Blaise Pascal: ISFj William James Sidis: ESTp Ruth Lawrence: ESFj Terrence Tao: ENTp Best guesses... I don't want to use MBTI types here because then they would all be stereotypical NTs. And keep in mind, I'm not very good at Socionics, so take my types with a grain of salt. __________________ "Knowledge is power; the more I know about you, the more power I have over you." --Überführer

02-17-2008, 01:17 AM	#8 (permalink)
Uberfuhrer Metal Join Date: May 2007 Type: ENTP Location: C-Town, Ohio Posts: 8,830	I think Bobby Fischer was an MBTI INTJ, if that makes you feel better. __________________ "Knowledge is power; the more I know about you, the more power I have over you." --Überführer

02-17-2008, 05:19 AM	#10 (permalink)
GZA Resident Snot-Nose Join Date: Aug 2007 Type: infp Location: Slums of Shaolin Posts: 1,622	Care to name a few more non-mathematician prodigies? I only say that because this is a cool idea but I don't find mathematicians interesting for the most part. I'll take a stab at Picasso though, but I'll need to look at some of his works and read about him a bit more. Cool idea! __________________

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02-16-2008, 11:12 PM	#2 (permalink)
The Grey Badger Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Type: INTP Location: Albuquerque Posts: 98	Erdos, at a guess, INTP.

02-16-2008, 11:52 PM	#4 (permalink)
nemo Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Type: Location: Kathmandu Posts: 446	John von Neumann strikes me as an ENTJ, from what little I've read of his biography. Erdos -- INTP. Dunno much about the others.

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