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Benefiting from Knowing Your Type?

SubtleFighter

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
253
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
For those of you who have figured out what your type is, whether it's regular e-type or instinctual variant, do you feel like knowing this has benefited you in your life?
 

Darya

New member
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
159
Enneagram
4w5
I discovered Enneagram about 10 years ago while i was in college... remember very clearly the first time i read the book "Awarenss" by Myryam Adehan, I cried for about 2 days from joy that indedd I am not lonely in my weirdness!!! Its been extremely hellpful as sometimes I tend to apply it in my practice as a therapist with teens!!

( btw never underestood how an INFJ can be anything but 4 or atleast 5w4 ?? yet I know there are many 6's 7's and 9's..
 

AphroditeGoneAwry

failure to thrive
Joined
Feb 20, 2009
Messages
5,585
MBTI Type
INfj
Enneagram
451
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Yeah. A lot. I have always been interested in relationships and the quality of space between myself and others. When I discovered MBTI and JCFs, it explained so much and continues to help me to understand others I interact with. If I connect with anyone beyond like an hour, I start to try to tease out their personality type, and I naturally use it to help me understand them, which helps me to know how to better perceive them, and communicate with them.
 

Fluffywolf

Nips away your dignity
Joined
Mar 31, 2009
Messages
9,581
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
9
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Yes. Before I invested time into getting to know myself and typology in general, I found myself in a rut. I was one way, my environment wanted me to be different and I grew generally apathetic to it all. I didn't have the tools required to deal with it.

When I was introduced to typology I grew interested to find out more about why I am the way I am and why others are the way they are. Trying to understand peoples reasons and motivations. And in the process I've learned to accept myself and grow more self aware about the fact I'm not weird or anatomically incorrect or something.

I got new energy to immerse myself more deeply in the environment around me as well as work on improving my weaknesses, and catching myself in the act with an emotion or behaviour that I can now clearly recognize for what it is and deal with it. As opposed to just chugging it up to being odd.

But the learning and improving is not yet done. This is a process that will continue until I die. :p
 

AphroditeGoneAwry

failure to thrive
Joined
Feb 20, 2009
Messages
5,585
MBTI Type
INfj
Enneagram
451
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
See, I never really have the conscious notion of 'improving my weaknesses.'

Except for maybe improving my intelligence, or mind. I never have the notion of improving my personality though. That just doesn't make sense to me, though I have read it in MBTI writings, etc. How can one improve one's personality? Isn't one personally always just right where one should be? I sorta think the only way to improve is to simply live, and go through life.

*ponders*
 

Fidelia

Iron Maiden
Staff member
Joined
May 31, 2009
Messages
14,497
MBTI Type
INFJ
I think it's helped me to understand my natural tendancies, both good and bad. As a result, I also know what kind of person has qualities that can help me out of a rut when I fall into it. It also has made me more aware of why I admire certain traits in other people and what is a realistic way for me to develop those areas. I think observing other people of my type has also made me more aware of things that I do and made me evaluate whether they are good or bad behaviours.

Understanding MBTI has also helped me figure out my interactions with other people and given more context for their behaviour and motivations in places where I may have dismissed them as selfish or immature otherwise. It has also helped me to be less sensitive because I understand them better.
 

VagrantFarce

Active member
Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Messages
1,558
It can definitely be a trap, since there's so much focus on trying to understand your type, rather than transcending it. So it's less about knowing what type you are, and more about knowing where you should be going. :)

Though this is very hard to attain, since it really only comes from genuine wisdom and experience rather than a clever diagram.
 

Lady_X

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 27, 2008
Messages
18,235
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
784
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
it has been very illuminating...yes.

it's helpful when i catch myself doing something out of instinct thats not beneficial to me and can make myself stop. things i never realized i did before.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
I am probably the most boring combo. ENFJ 5w6 sp/so (Bill Gates is ENTJ 5w6 sp/so....yeah).
It helps me to understand my defense mechanisms and made me more self-aware about what type of things trigger me. Since then, I have become more calm and less reactive to things and feel a bit more at peace. But at the same time, I want to come up w/ more productive ways of dealing with things. I have a tendency to avoid, avoid, avoid things that bother me until it blows up in a massive emotional shitstorm. I am of the ultimate denial/repression tritype (593).
 

SubtleFighter

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
253
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
btw never underestood how an INFJ can be anything but 4 or atleast 5w4 ?? yet I know there are many 6's 7's and 9's..

Why do you find it hard to wrap your mind around INFJs not being 4?
 

SubtleFighter

New member
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
253
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I am probably the most boring combo. ENFJ 5w6 sp/so

On the contrary, I find the combination of Fe-dominant along with 5 and sp-dominant really interesting because of the pulls in opposite directions.
 
G

Glycerine

Guest
On the contrary, I find the combination of Fe-dominant along with 5 and sp-dominant really interesting because of the pulls in opposite directions.

Thank you. It all adds up to a lot intellectualization of people (in general) from a distance and my private life.
 

Gamine

in-game
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
810
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
3w2
Not a positive experience so far...

Being open about being a 3 on this site and with friends who know me in person and understand the enneagram has hurt some relationships I feel. People from TypeC who I have had few (if any) interactions with seem completely comfortable telling me how terrible of a person I must be, and how everything about me which is friendly or kind is obviously just an attempt to deceive them. If anything, those interactions are effective diagnostic tools to find out the integrity of the stranger who declares me to be a liar.

Learning what it meant to be a 3 helped to give inner thoughts and conflict a vocabulary. I already knew what motivated my decisions before discovering it, and finding reflections of other 3s might help me find peace.
 

Zarathustra

Let Go Of Your Team
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Messages
8,110
For those of you who have figured out what your type is, whether it's regular e-type or instinctual variant, do you feel like knowing this has benefited you in your life?

Yes, for sure.

I got really into the enneagram starting about two months ago, after having been into the MBTI/Jungian typology for several years.

I found the MBTI/Jungian typology to be much more obvious, easy to find my type, and immediately valuable.

The enneagram, on the other hand, requires more work.

Really diving into it, once you are certain of your type, for me at least, was actually quite difficult.

It's far more subconscious than the MBTI/Jungian typology, and the illuminations it invites are far more jarring.

But that is where the value comes from: it jars you, shakes you up a bit, and then, it's your job to do the work.
 

Santosha

New member
Joined
Feb 1, 2011
Messages
1,516
MBTI Type
HUMR
Enneagram
6
Instinctual Variant
sx
It can definitely be a trap, since there's so much focus on trying to understand your type, rather than transcending it. So it's less about knowing what type you are, and more about knowing where you should be going. :)

Though this is very hard to attain, since it really only comes from genuine wisdom and experience rather than a clever diagram.

Yes! And while I believe this is perfectly the case, I also can't help but wish their were volumes written on overcoming fixations, point of growth and others stories. What a shame.
 

Zarathustra

Let Go Of Your Team
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Messages
8,110
Yes! And while I believe this is perfectly the case, I also can't help but wish their were volumes written on overcoming fixations, point of growth and others stories. What a shame.

I really liked Vagrant's post as well, and I agree with your sentiment, but I've canvassed the literature pretty well now, and I think there is a good amount of material out there.

Just got this in the mail a few days ago:

 

Darya

New member
Joined
Jun 4, 2012
Messages
159
Enneagram
4w5
Why do you find it hard to wrap your mind around INFJs not being 4?

well because almost all INFJ attributes matches with type 4. .... For instance, having a chaotic inner world, having regular despressive mood, being compasionate , sense of depth, connection to sprituality...... My sister is 6 and she is the lovliest human you can ever meet, but dont see her as 4.... It just my opinion..
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Knowing my MBTI type is nice in terms of defining how I usually think, but ultimately I find the enneagram more valuable, I believe. It shows me how and why I struggle as I do - I'm afraid, so I avoid, basically. And sx tells me how I tend to plunge into things and sp-last tells me how I forget to take care of myself.
:laugh:

I am probably the most boring combo. ENFJ 5w6 sp/so (Bill Gates is ENTJ 5w6 sp/so....yeah).

I think this is a fascinating combination, actually. Fe and 5 and sp.
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Knowing my MBTI type is nice in terms of defining how I usually think, but ultimately I find the enneagram more valuable, I believe. It shows me how and why I struggle as I do - I'm afraid, so I avoid, basically. And sx tells me how I tend to plunge into things and sp-last tells me how I forget to take care of myself.
:laugh:

I am probably the most boring combo. ENFJ 5w6 sp/so (Bill Gates is ENTJ 5w6 sp/so....yeah).

I think this is a fascinating combination, actually. Fe and 5 and sp.
 

SilkRoad

Lay the coin on my tongue
Joined
May 26, 2009
Messages
3,932
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
6w5
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
well because almost all INFJ attributes matches with type 4. .... For instance, having a chaotic inner world, having regular despressive mood, being compasionate , sense of depth, connection to sprituality...... My sister is 6 and she is the lovliest human you can ever meet, but dont see her as 4.... It just my opinion..

It's a bit of a (common) cliche that all INFJs are 4s. I figured out pretty quickly I wasn't one.

I probably look a bit more like an ISFJ. [MENTION=5627]BlackCat[/MENTION] pointed out that INFJ 6s may look more heavily Fe on the outside and be more heavily Ni on the inside. Exactly how I am. I constantly see and synthesize connections that most don't, apparently. But I also (mostly) come across as warm, diplomatic and somewhat anxious. (Although I am much more anxious internally than I look. I look calm and almost 9-ish a lot of the time.)

I know I'm kind of "different" but am less and less interested in emphasizing my own different-ness, unlike a typical 4. I'd generally rather find common ground. Of course I particularly love finding people who are "different" in a similar way. I worry about friendships, relationships and loyalty, struggle between trusting too much and trusting too little, and so on.

As well as there being a lot of INFJ 4s (although I think it fits better in some ways with xNFP types), there are a lot of 6s, and at least quite a lot of 9s and 1s. I think quite a lot of INFJs typing themselves as 4 could be something else.
 
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