[MBTI General] Changing

[Danbenyo]

First of all I wrote this thread here, beacuse ur the "thinkers" by the MBTI test.
Im starting to dout this MBTI system, U cant divide 6,879,900,000 people to 16 personalities, do you?
I dont think that the MBTI system is wrong, not at all. Im just saying U cant take this too seriously or to personal, Because when u do, u fit yourself to the stracture of the written' just like astronomy.
After this long introduction, I wanna know what do u think about the MBTI system?
Can an INFP change to an ESTJ? Can a personality change?
I will be happy if more Question Markes will be added and answerd.
lets discuss.

 

[INTPness]

I don't have all of life's answers, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 99 times out of 100, you (INFP) are not going to morph into someone that behaves, acts, and thinks like an ESTJ. If you look back to when you were a child, you were probably different than others in a lot ways. Your personality was beginning to take shape. As you get older, that personality is probably going to become more of an identity of who you are, because you will have figured out what you like, what you don't like, etc. You'll be more "sure" of who you are as a person, you'll have more of a foundation. Someone who is young and more immature is more able to be "molded" or changed by the advice of a friend or by social/peer pressures. Once you know who you are, these things *can* still be valuable, but they often times have less of an influence.

As has been mentioned on these forums over and over again, MBTI does not have all the answers. It's just simply a loose, fairly accurate (the trends are obvious if you watch, listen, and interact with people) interpretation of how people behave and what their preferences might be. Human behavior will be what it will be - regardless of what MBTI says. Human behavior precedes MBTI and it's theories/explanations. I have found MBTI to be very accurate in a general sense. This person is ENTJ - they have a tendency to be directive, to want to complete tasks, to stay on schedule, etc, etc. But, I have no idea what's going to make that person cry, or laugh, or what types of foods they may like, what will touch them, what will make them angry, etc. MBTI can't really explain that. These are individual things that make each person truly unique. 2 INFP's might be similar in their demeanor, their desire for time alone, their admiration for things that are artistic, etc. But, those 2 people will be moved, inspired, or hurt by different things. Only real human interaction allows us to experience these things - to see them come to life rather than just reading a theory on paper.

But, let's face it - I know "Te" when I see it. If I see a person who is very comfortable and expressive with people (extrovert) and very comfortable using Te, right away I know that they are most likely going to be ExTJ. IxTJ's are a little more subtle and reserved. So, when I see Te in use (only using Te as an example), I have a very "general" idea of what I'm working with - I know the person is probably going to be organized, expect results and conclusions in a timely manner, etc. But, there's also a whole lot that I don't know about them too.

 

[ReflecTcelfeR]

I thought at one time it was possible to change. To completely become something that you weren't before, and it be permanent. Over the last year or so I have quickly realized how wrong I was to think that one can completely change. I talked with someone about personality theories and my take on it. Whatever you experience in life will change you and I agree with the theory that you are a culmination of your experiences and that no one can be confused as to 'who they are' because confusion only further develops their personality. That being said, I agree with INTPness that their are fundamentals that cannot be changed and I believe that this is what the MBTI system is trying to find. It's finding the bones of the human decision, what structures our choices. It won't give us what they pick, but can guide us to the bigger answer as to what free will may look like.

 

[catalyst]

I, too, have wondered. While I have known my classification since 16, recently retook a shorter version and came up INTJ - but was literally one point higher in the J...I think if I retook the longer version I originally took, it would probably still be INTP. I was raised by to J parents, my husband and most of my boys are J's so I think maybe I either developed or adapted towards the J more over the years - like picking up a survival skill......

I have not really spent any time thinking about the MBTI, or classifying anyone until about a week ago. I think you can take another trait on - like a veneer, but it isn't really the 'bones' of who you are, structurally. Most people have varying percentages as well, which would lead me to think the closer in span, the easier to emphasize an underlying quality. Since I scored 100% in introversion, while it may be more balanced to try and push myself in that area, I believe it will be less successful than if I tried to develop an underlying j, for instance. My personal experience seems to quantify that.

The test, like every test, has limits. I honestly believe I have a respectable IQ, for instance. However, due to past verbal/emotional abuse by my stepfather in math - can not quantify it in an IQ test due to a mental block in math. I know this because OTHER tests have indicated that math should be by best subject - but when I see a math problem, my brain scrambles and its like I'm reading a foreign language. This, despite the fact that I trully enjoy and appreciate math. Any pressure and it becomes emotional - which scrambles my brain..... All that to say that each test measures one facet of something, not that whole thing. Tests are one dimensional, life is not. Too many variables........

 

[INTP]

personality type is crap name for types, jung used name psychological types, because its about your psychology, not about your personality, even tho your psychological type reflects to your personality in some levels.

and no you cant change your type, but you can train your functions. for example Ne user who trained Se, will always start the perception from big picture and then go to perceiving details. Se user training Ne and looking at the big picture will go to big picture through the details or at least focus on some detail inside the big picture automatically. and even if you train your perception on details(Se), you have to make some conscious effort on looking to them, more you train the Se, less conscious effort you need, but you still need some, unlike when using Ne.

ESTJ and INFP uses all the same functions, but in different order. its pretty much impossible to use those functions in "wrong" order, but you can learn to silence your Fi to some degree by simply ignoring it and train your Te, but you will never use your Te in same way as ENTJ does, so i dont think its wise trying to silence your Fi and it will only cause you trouble, instead you should strive for balance between your natural functions, by training the lower functions, but not forgetting your stronger ones and trying to figure out when you should lean to Te and when to Fi.

 

[Danbenyo]

So just like a ADD u can strive to balance but u cant change it?

 

[INTPness]

So just like a ADD u can strive to balance but u cant change it?

Why would you want to change who you are? I'd be miserable. When I was younger, I tried to "be like this" or "be like that" and the further away I got from my actual self, the more miserable I became. There's comfort and happiness in being true to yourself and who you are. I've worked in ESTJ fields and worked my butt off and in some ways I was better than others (because I brought a different set of skills to the table; spotted different things that were wrong, spoke up about certain situations, thought things through/analyzed more in-depth, etc.) and in other ways the ESTJ's were better than I was (they spoke clearly and concisely, they stuck very well to routine, they didn't care about offending people, they got to work at 5am and left at 8pm every single day all year long, etc.). But, I wasn't being me. I "fit" more into the INTP mold than I do the "ESTJ" mold (to use MBTI terms), so it doesn't do me any good to "try" to be an ESTJ or to take on an ESTJ career. All it does is make me miserable because I'm not being an INTP.

 

[Totenkindly]

First of all I wrote this thread here, beacuse ur the "thinkers" by the MBTI test.
Im starting to dout this MBTI system, U cant divide 6,879,900,000 people to 16 personalities, do you?

Why not?

We divide the bulk of the material world into plant, animal, and mineral... and the categories hold, don't they?
Just because there are millions/billions of things and only three categories does not mean the categories are not valid.

The issue is how specific we make those sixteen types.
If they aren't broad enough or adaptable enough, then they're no good.

I think people often make MBTI categories far too rigid.
Another issue is that the categories are just a framework by which to view people's methods of perceiving and then evaluating information by which to make decisions. It's not even a zoological framework, it's contrived.

So it can be useful but isn't necessarily 100% accurate for all people everywhere. Some people might seem to fit in the centers of the categories, while others will be in the gray areas.

 

[Danbenyo]

There is a diffrent between saying:"Rose is a flower" and "Rose is red" isnt it?

 

[Danbenyo]

Why would you want to change who you are? I'd be miserable. When I was younger, I tried to "be like this" or "be like that" and the further away I got from my actual self, the more miserable I became. There's comfort and happiness in being true to yourself and who you are. I've worked in ESTJ fields and worked my butt off and in some ways I was better than others (because I brought a different set of skills to the table; spotted different things that were wrong, spoke up about certain situations, thought things through/analyzed more in-depth, etc.) and in other ways the ESTJ's were better than I was (they spoke clearly and concisely, they stuck very well to routine, they didn't care about offending people, they got to work at 5am and left at 8pm every single day all year long, etc.). But, I wasn't being me. I "fit" more into the INTP mold than I do the "ESTJ" mold (to use MBTI terms), so it doesn't do me any good to "try" to be an ESTJ or to take on an ESTJ career. All it does is make me miserable because I'm not being an INTP.

Well im only 15 in the middle of adolescence, so its pretty much the age that im realy not sure who am I.

 

[INTPness]

Well im only 15 in the middle of adolescence, so its pretty much the age that im realy not sure who am I.

Uh, oh, I see. In that case, always be true to who you are. Sometimes in life you have to try new things and push yourself to do things you don't want to do, but for the most part, you want to find the things and the way of living that makes you happy - makes you feel alive, makes you feel comfortable in your own skin. For example, when I was in high school, my parents used to tell me that it was strange that I didn't go out with friends and party every single Friday night. I'd rather stay in and read a book and I was made to feel that this wasn't right. Well, they were right in the sense that it's good to be around other people "sometimes". But, as I've gotten older, I've learned how to balance that. Sometimes I really don't want to go out with friends. I really just want to stay inside, by myself, and do nothing. Read, get on the internet, watch some TV, listen to some music, take a nap, work on a project or a hobby, etc. I'm happy when I'm doing those things. It's relaxing, it's peaceful. Just because most people your age party until 3am, doesn't mean that it's right for you. Sometimes the thing that's right for you is what nobody else is doing. And sometimes what everyone else is doing, might not be right for you. If it doesn't "feel right", then it probably isn't right for you. Stay true to yourself, but also try to find some balance like other people have mentioned.

 

[guesswho]

The MBTI presents traits of a whole, not the whole. Therefor it can present the traits of 10000000000000 people.

 

[Danbenyo]

How do you "train" your sensing?

 

[Stevo]

We divide the bulk of the material world into plant, animal, and mineral... and the categories hold, don't they?
Just because there are millions/billions of things and only three categories does not mean the categories are not valid.

Although I admire the spirit of your post I have to say as a scientist with more than a passing interest in cladistics and taxonomy a classification system based on the three terms "Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral" is pretty terrible.

 

[INTPness]

Although I admire the spirit of your post I have to say as a scientist with more than a passing interest in cladistics and taxonomy a classification system based on the three terms "Animal, Vegetable, or Mineral" is pretty terrible.

Classic INTP response.

 

[Danbenyo]

I still think that Personality and character are too complex to be analaysed by TESTS.

 

[INTPness]

I still think that Personality and character are too complex to be analaysed by TESTS.

Then you should probably remove the "INFP" under your avatar.

 

[Thalassa]

Why? That makes it even more likely that s/he is INFP...

 

[Stevo]

I still think that Personality and character are too complex to be analaysed by TESTS.

Classic INFP response.

 

[ReflecTcelfeR]

Stick with the cognitive theory behind MBTI. Avoid describing a personality, understand why we make choices instead and slowly understand why the diversity exists within human personalities. This is what I believe this system is truly trying to describe. I believe Enneagram is the next logical step after the Cognitive Theory.