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- Dec 23, 2009
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- MBTI Type
- INTJ
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- Instinctual Variant
- sx/sp
The new type community
A recent thread pointed to this article and I found it to be pretty interesting.
First - what bothers me. There were a number of "stupid quotes" about type that people were making online, which were interspersed throughout the article. I think a few are good because it does illustrate a point but the number of them (18) just serves to paint a picture that people on typology forums are a bunch of ignorant noobs, which is a bit insulting.
However, I think there are a number of points that are relevant and worthy of discussions. She basically paints these things as reality - that it is the new world and that type practioners need to deal with it.
1. The free online tests aren't very good - On the whole, I completely agree with this. Nothing on the Internet compares with the official MBTI test or being assessed by an experienced professional practitioner. Time is money and it continues to surprise me that there are so many people who will spend hours on end on Internet forums but not pay the nominal fee for a worthwhile assessment. I'm curious as to how or why people don't realize this.
2. Democratization of information - A second point the author mentions is that because of all of the free information dissemination, she runs into situations where people seem unwilling to pay for certain services or information because it is free. She also mentions that there is one line of thought in the type community that the popularity this drives is good for business because more people are interested in the topic and its potential. I have some definite opinions on this which I will elaborate on later.
3. The dangers of inaccurate information dissemination and how that information is used - She refers to the "cult of the amateur". Because there are so many people making comments that are misinformed or wrong, it is potentially damaging. People don't understand the theory, concepts or how they should be applied.
4. What can be done by type professionals? - She mentions the following, "How do we retain the value of our education and experience? Most of us haveinvested time and money to acquire our certifications. These credentials were the destination, but during our journey we grasped the value of ‘gifts differing’.Now that value is being trampled by boorish dilettantes who perceive us as price-gouging ‘middle men’ raking in profits andpreying on their vulnerability. How do werefute that image." It's a valid question and one that is faced by any kind of consultant that has invested years in their craft. How do they continue to be relevant and be financially rewarded for the work that they do? (by the way, I am a consultant with numerous certifications of a different kind, so I understand a little bit of where the author is coming from).
Any thoughts on this? I have a number of opinions that I will elaborate on later.
Also, please refrain from any attacks on the publisher of the article. Focus on the the content - the points and the arguments contained in it. I'd like to know your opinion and if you have to resort to attacks on a person to make your point, it demonstrates a weakness in your arguments.
A recent thread pointed to this article and I found it to be pretty interesting.
First - what bothers me. There were a number of "stupid quotes" about type that people were making online, which were interspersed throughout the article. I think a few are good because it does illustrate a point but the number of them (18) just serves to paint a picture that people on typology forums are a bunch of ignorant noobs, which is a bit insulting.
However, I think there are a number of points that are relevant and worthy of discussions. She basically paints these things as reality - that it is the new world and that type practioners need to deal with it.
1. The free online tests aren't very good - On the whole, I completely agree with this. Nothing on the Internet compares with the official MBTI test or being assessed by an experienced professional practitioner. Time is money and it continues to surprise me that there are so many people who will spend hours on end on Internet forums but not pay the nominal fee for a worthwhile assessment. I'm curious as to how or why people don't realize this.
2. Democratization of information - A second point the author mentions is that because of all of the free information dissemination, she runs into situations where people seem unwilling to pay for certain services or information because it is free. She also mentions that there is one line of thought in the type community that the popularity this drives is good for business because more people are interested in the topic and its potential. I have some definite opinions on this which I will elaborate on later.
3. The dangers of inaccurate information dissemination and how that information is used - She refers to the "cult of the amateur". Because there are so many people making comments that are misinformed or wrong, it is potentially damaging. People don't understand the theory, concepts or how they should be applied.
4. What can be done by type professionals? - She mentions the following, "How do we retain the value of our education and experience? Most of us haveinvested time and money to acquire our certifications. These credentials were the destination, but during our journey we grasped the value of ‘gifts differing’.Now that value is being trampled by boorish dilettantes who perceive us as price-gouging ‘middle men’ raking in profits andpreying on their vulnerability. How do werefute that image." It's a valid question and one that is faced by any kind of consultant that has invested years in their craft. How do they continue to be relevant and be financially rewarded for the work that they do? (by the way, I am a consultant with numerous certifications of a different kind, so I understand a little bit of where the author is coming from).
Any thoughts on this? I have a number of opinions that I will elaborate on later.
Also, please refrain from any attacks on the publisher of the article. Focus on the the content - the points and the arguments contained in it. I'd like to know your opinion and if you have to resort to attacks on a person to make your point, it demonstrates a weakness in your arguments.