[MBTI General] Jim Carrey/Conan O'Brien interview

[INTPness]

I'm completely convinced that they're both ISTJ. Surely, they both spend most of their free time practicing the latest accounting methods when they aren't goofing around and trying to be so darn funny.

 

[Valuable_Money]

If ENTJ's on this forum say that they can relate to Jim Carrey and his sense of humor, then this is a side of ENTJ's I have never seen before. The ENTJ's I have known have had good senses of humor (when they felt like being funny), but I've never seen one get SO CRAZY and just let it all hang out like Carrey does. And he doesn't just do it at home with family and those who he's comfortable with, he does it all day long.

Not to mention, I don't see the kind of Te in him that I see in other ENTJ's. There was a thread/video about Jay-Z not too long ago and when I watch his interview and compare it with Carrey, they're nothing alike. One is very calculated and business-oriented (with flashes of humor thrown in), while the other just has a full-blown case of goofball-itis.

I don't write this to argue that Carrey is NOT ENTJ. Maybe he is, for all I know. But, if he is, then I have to completely reconfigure my understanding of ENTJ's.

But the thing is its his JOB to be funny.

 

[INTPness]

But the thing is its his JOB to be funny.

This opens a whole new can of worms. I guess when I started this thread, I did so with the background knowledge (based on a biography show I had seen on Carrey some years ago) that he has always been a complete "nut" - even as a child.

So, yes, if he is putting on an act for his "job", then this changes everything. But, if we take his crazy personality at face value (which I do, based on the biography I saw), then the argument that "it's his job to be like that" really goes out the window.

Again, I admit that I have no clue what type the guy is. I'm no expert on MBTI. As stated earlier, however, I'm starting to lean towards ISTJ.

 

[avolkiteshvara]

INTJ

 

[2XtremeENFP]

I can't decide for Carrey if he's ENFJ or ENFP. He's definitely NF.

After sucking at his job/life for a while, he wrote himself a check for 10 million dollars and post dated it some years ahead and used that as a motivation to get his career back on track.

 

[INTPness]

I thought this public statement issued by Conan O'Brien today gave some interesting insight into his personality and humor (from Conan O'Brien Says He Won't Move - Yahoo! TV Blog

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.


Yours,

Conan

 

[Valuable_Money]

This opens a whole new can of worms. I guess when I started this thread, I did so with the background knowledge (based on a biography show I had seen on Carrey some years ago) that he has always been a complete "nut" - even as a child.

So, yes, if he is putting on an act for his "job", then this changes everything. But, if we take his crazy personality at face value (which I do, based on the biography I saw), then the argument that "it's his job to be like that" really goes out the window.

Again, I admit that I have no clue what type the guy is. I'm no expert on MBTI. As stated earlier, however, I'm starting to lean towards ISTJ.

Well it also could not be an act, mabye hes an ENTJ who loved comedy so much that he wanted to become a comedian and being an ENTJ wanted to be successfull at that.

 

[Fecal McAngry]

I can't decide for Carrey if he's ENFJ or ENFP. He's definitely NF.

It should be very, very easy to figure out if Carrey extroverts Ne or Fe.

 

[Fecal McAngry]

Actually, no such thing was pointed out at all. Crazy does not equal "Ne."

You did not follow the Ne-ness of our conversation. The poster had correctly pointed out that Carrey's behavior was uncharacteristic of an ENTJ...

 

[yenom]

How bout this, we give you Jim Carrey and you give us Julius Caesar. (In my opinion they are both ENTPs but you just love sticking your flag over our territory).

 

[Jeffster]

It should be very, very easy to figure out if Carrey extroverts Ne or Fe.

It should be even easier to figure out that extroverts is not a verb.

You did not follow the Ne-ness of our conversation.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Jim Carrey always seemed ESTP to me, but ESFP works too.

This is my impression as well in part based on the progression of his career over time (which may or may not reflect something about him).

To me he doesn't have the same level of Ne vibe I have encountered with other artists. He takes you on a trip, but it isn't the same sort of head trip into a kaleidescope of concepts you would never have dreamed could have any connection, and yet Ne manages to make the random elements gel together like magic.

People confuse Ni and Si all the time, but Ne and Se can actually end up confused as well I think because they share a similar energy, but one is more tangible in the present and the other conceptual.

 

[Windigo]

Yeah, no doubt.

The ENTJs I know are actually among the loudest, craziest people I know. Although when they are kids, they can border on obnoxious.



I've seen you try to type a lot of people on this forum and I must say, your typing process (or thinking in general?) seems extremely limited.

Well put! Has anyone taken into account the role of ADHD on Personality?
How would ADHD affect the ENTJs outward appearance? Maybe his parents are ESFPs and so "doing the right thing" meant making his family happy?

And how does Jim Carrey act at home? I know lots of ENTJs who use comedy as a means of controlling their environment (it helps divert people from the fact that they are slowly taking over the world.) His humour is crazy and yet it always has important points to make which I believe are "don't be afraid of the truth" and "don't take yourself so seriously."

As an ENTJ I am often happy to engage in humor with like minded people who have a great grasp of the language and of irony and sarcasm. Many ENTJs I know also have a knack for revealing THE TRUTH in a humorous way to make it more palatable.

How is he in an argument? What does he act like in a room full of chaos? How does he run his home? What kind of friends does he have?

We do have to be careful not to judge the outward appearance an ENTJ presents to the world. He may have carefully cultivated this at a young age.
ENTJs learn how the world works from an early age.

 

[INTPness]

Well put! Has anyone taken into account the role of ADHD on Personality?
How would ADHD affect the ENTJs outward appearance? Maybe his parents are ESFPs and so "doing the right thing" meant making his family happy?

And how does Jim Carrey act at home? I know lots of ENTJs who use comedy as a means of controlling their environment (it helps divert people from the fact that they are slowly taking over the world.) His humour is crazy and yet it always has important points to make which I believe are "don't be afraid of the truth" and "don't take yourself so seriously."

As an ENTJ I am often happy to engage in humor with like minded people who have a great grasp of the language and of irony and sarcasm. Many ENTJs I know also have a knack for revealing THE TRUTH in a humorous way to make it more palatable.

How is he in an argument? What does he act like in a room full of chaos? How does he run his home? What kind of friends does he have?

We do have to be careful not to judge the outward appearance an ENTJ presents to the world. He may have carefully cultivated this at a young age.
ENTJs learn how the world works from an early age.

This is probably the best argument/explanation I've read so far in favor of Carrey possibly being an ENTJ. I've said all through this thread that I don't "know" (for certain) his type, but where I'm having a hard time accepting him being ENTJ is:

1. He has always reminded me so much of all the ENTP's that I know and he has NEVER reminded me of any of the ENTJ's I know.

2. I've never seen anyone in my life act as goofy and crazy as him with primary Te. Every single ESTJ/ENTJ that I know does not act like that - at least in my presence. I've seen Te users with great senses of humor, but it's much different than the humor he displays. I know an ESTJ that thinks Carrey is a complete idiot.

 

[Fecal McAngry]

It should be even easier to figure out that extroverts is not a verb.

It is, in typology. An important verb. One introverts a function when one directs it inward. One extroverts a function when one directs it outward.

ex⋅tro⋅vert
  /ˈɛkstrəˌvɜrt, -stroʊ-/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ek-struh-vurt, -stroh-] Show IPA
Use extrovert in a Sentence
See images of extrovert
Search extrovert on the Web
–noun
1. an outgoing, gregarious person.
2. Psychology. a person characterized by extroversion; a person concerned primarily with the physical and social environment (opposed to introvert ).
–adjective
3. Also, ex⋅tro⋅vert⋅ed. Psychology. marked by extroversion.
–verb (used with object)
4. Psychology. to direct (the mind, one's interest, etc.) outward or to things outside the self.

 

[OrangeAppled]

I thought this public statement issued by Conan O'Brien today gave some interesting insight into his personality and humor (from Conan O'Brien Says He Won't Move - Yahoo! TV Blog

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I've been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I've been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I've been absurdly lucky. That said, I've been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn't the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn't matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it's always been that way.


Yours,

Conan

This further suggests NF to me. I considered ENFJ, but I'm not sure on the I/E part. I can't see ENFP for some reason, but something says Pe to me. Heart suggested INFP, and I can actually see it, but it wasn't my first guess.

A few random quotes that suggest feeling, intuition, and Pe over Je:

Q: How did you come to work at The Simpsons?

Conan:....I had no plan whatsoever. I was in this big transition phase in my life where I decided, "I'll just walk around New York City, and an idea will come to me."

.......

It was such a quick thing. When I quit Saturday Night Live, I went out and bought a '92 Ford Taurus.... I had just bought it when the call came, and I thought, "Well, that's all right, I'll have a really cool time, I'll tell them I can't be there for five weeks and I'll do a Jack Kerouac-in-a-Ford-Taurus cross-country trip, and I'll grow a beard and wear an eye patch." I had all these romantic ideas, but then they said, "No. We need you here in two days."

BG: After having been a writer for so long, why was it so important for you to get in front of the camera?

Conan: It wasn't. If NBC had been casting a sitcom instead of a TV show, I probably would not have tried to get that. I'm someone most things don't feel right to. You sense when something's right. There's a reason, for example, why I never tried out for football: I just knew I would suck.

Personally, I don't really tell people off. I can't confront people - it's my biggest problem.

 

[Windigo]

This is probably the best argument/explanation I've read so far in favor of Carrey possibly being an ENTJ. I've said all through this thread that I don't "know" (for certain) his type, but where I'm having a hard time accepting him being ENTJ is:

1. He has always reminded me so much of all the ENTP's that I know and he has NEVER reminded me of any of the ENTJ's I know.

2. I've never seen anyone in my life act as goofy and crazy as him with primary Te. Every single ESTJ/ENTJ that I know does not act like that - at least in my presence. I've seen Te users with great senses of humor, but it's much different than the humor he displays. I know an ESTJ that thinks Carrey is a complete idiot.

Why thank you.

And I have to agree with you for the most part, I really do not like Jim Carrey's humor except for in Liar, Liar. And although in first grade I did get in trouble for making farting noises with my arm pit during a particularly boring lecture . . . I wasn't actually trying to make people laugh, but mastering the technique as the boy next to me was teaching me how.

As I matured I became a much bigger fan of the sarcastic remark from the back of the room, pointing out the irony of a current situation and the humorous anecdote which reveals a greater underlying truth about the world. I am not much into "physical" comedy and always hated the Three Stooges or the ridiculously inane Lucile Ball sort of comedy that sets up a series of impossible events preceeded by a lie of some sort. I hate that stuff.

But my ENTP daughter IDOLIZES Jim Carrey!

 

[Totenkindly]

OK, I give up. You guys are both right. They're ENTJ and gay.

Maybe gay ENTJs come off as ENTPs...?

Anyhoo, Carrey's about the most ENTP-ish (Ne style) ENTP I've ever seen.

I don't know O'Brian that well, I wouldn't quibble with ENTJ based on what glimpses I've had though. It Could Be True!

 

[five]

Jim Carrey is an ESFP.

 

[Istbkleta]

This is my opinion and I would love somebody knowledgeable to correct errors:

Te-Ni is relatively easy to recognize in the dynamic of the facial expressions and eyes.

Jim Carry, Chris Rock are not ENTP.


The facial muscles are controlled and as if "tight". The eyes don't match the facial mask. The comedy is controlled and rehearsed.

The Te-Ni's appearance of tightness and controlled facial muscles along with their very characteristic eyes are very different from Ne-Ti.

Ne-Ti has more "fluid" and "random" facial muscle movements. The eyes are more "withdrawn", as if the ENTP is looking through a glass, creating the feeling of aloofness. It is again "controlled" but much more withdrawn than the ENTJ because the T is introverted and controls the inside, while ENTJs' T is extraverted and controls the outside.

Te-Ni is easy to spot mostly because of how controlled ENTJs are. Most adopt appropriate facial movements to fit in but the eyes-face disparity gives them away. The better ones usually wrinkle the area around the eyes to improve the effect.

Furthermore Te-Ni does not usually surprise itself because it plans and has the self expression under control.

A Ne-Ti might laugh at what they say because they are more prone to expressing first without the consent of the introverted judging function which then "listens" to what the ENTP has already said.

EDIT: here is an example of what I believe is an ENTJ - ENTP conversation. Te-Ni vs. Ne-Ti