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Does mbti take away the idea of free will?

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has victor responded to this thread yet

fart
 

Quinlan

Intriguing....
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I think of the functions as natural inclinations like sexual orientation, we can freely choose whether to act on our sexual orientation or not.

Under some circumstances it might be beneficial to ignore/deny our orientation but to do that for too long is likely to leave you feeling trapped an unfulfilled, just like mbti.
 

Salomé

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Free will is an illusion. So is MBTI.

At any rate, OP is nonsensical:
confused bunny said:
it feels like it's less about what I want to do and more about "well, I'm a Fi-Dom, so of course I will do x."

Being "Fi-dom" is about your personal preferences.
Preferences are about what you want to do.
 
A

Anew Leaf

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Free will is an illusion. So is MBTI.

At any rate, OP is nonsensical:


Being "Fi-dom" is about your personal preferences.
Preferences are about what you want to do.

missing the point completely is not an illusion.
 

Elfboy

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I think of the functions as natural inclinations like sexual orientation, we can freely choose whether to act on our sexual orientation or not.
Under some circumstances it might be beneficial to ignore/deny our orientation but to do that for too long is likely to leave you feeling trapped an unfulfilled, just like mbti.

a poor comparison. an INFP using Te is completely different from a homosexual man having sex with a woman. while the actual act itself is possible, it is impossible to choose which gender you are attracted to unless you are bisexual (only a complete imbecile would try and choose to be homosexual, though sadly, I've known a few that did, like they thought it was something that goes in and out of style lol). it is natural for an INFP to use some Te; it's just like a naturally weaker muscle that needs to be grown (that INFP is not going to be able to do what Gordon Gekko does lol). if we're going to use sexual preference as a comparison, it's really more like a bisexual woman who was 80% attracted to women and 20% attracted to men, but grew her preference for men.
 

highlander

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I find that the more I learn about JCF, enneagram, mbti, etc... The more easily I can parse why I make the decisions I do, or react the way I do. At times it feels like it's less about what I want to do and more about "well, I'm a Fi-Dom, so of course I will do x."

Does this make sense? I'm hoping for discussion from others with their own thoughts and experiences about themselves.

Between fate and type, it's a wonder we can actually decide when to go to the bathroom :cheese:
 

uumlau

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I find that the more I learn about JCF, enneagram, mbti, etc... The more easily I can parse why I make the decisions I do, or react the way I do. At times it feels like it's less about what I want to do and more about "well, I'm a Fi-Dom, so of course I will do x."

Does this make sense? I'm hoping for discussion from others with their own thoughts and experiences about themselves.
It no more precludes free will than deciding upon A precludes "not A".

You get to CHOOSE to be/do A or not A. You don't get to dither.

It is possible, of course, to make a choice when one does not realize there is a choice to be made, and one thus finds one's choice made long ago.
 

pinkgraffiti

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.....the bisexual woman that is 80% attracted to woman and 20% attracted to men also CANNOT grow her preferences for men (or women). You can't force who you're attracted to. In the same way you said before about homosexuality.

a poor comparison. an INFP using Te is completely different from a homosexual man having sex with a woman. while the actual act itself is possible, it is impossible to choose which gender you are attracted to unless you are bisexual (only a complete imbecile would try and choose to be homosexual, though sadly, I've known a few that did, like they thought it was something that goes in and out of style lol). it is natural for an INFP to use some Te; it's just like a naturally weaker muscle that needs to be grown (that INFP is not going to be able to do what Gordon Gekko does lol). if we're going to use sexual preference as a comparison, it's really more like a bisexual woman who was 80% attracted to women and 20% attracted to men, but grew her preference for men.
 
R

Riva

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Yes it does.

Yesterday I wanted to go to bed at 11 o'clock like I planned, but I couldn't make myself do it because ENTPs are not supposed to be good at sticking to a schedule.
So I went to bed 5 minutes later.
 

Elfboy

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.....the bisexual woman that is 80% attracted to woman and 20% attracted to men also CANNOT grow her preferences for men (or women). You can't force who you're attracted to. In the same way you said before about homosexuality.

I didn't quite word that the right way. what I meant was that the bisexual woman attracted to 20% men can still have a successful relationship with a man just like an INFP can still use Te. it's just that in both instances it requires a little more work.
 

lunalum

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Yes it does.

Yesterday I wanted to go to bed at 11 o'clock like I planned, but I couldn't make myself do it because ENTPs are not supposed to be good at sticking to a schedule.
So I went to bed 5 minutes later.

No you still have somewhat of a choice.... You see, if you go to bed 5 minutes early you are still technically not sticking to the schedule but end up being in bed when you need to. Sure you'll never be to bed right on schedule but it's only a slight price we pay. That's why I sometimes go to my classes an hour early ;)
 

Vasilisa

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I like Andrew Soloman's words:
One would like to demarcate clearly the boundaries of the self. In fact, no essential self lies pure as a vein of gold under the chaos of experience and chemistry. The human organism is a sequence of selves that succumb to or choose one another. We are each the sum of certain choices and circumstances; the self exists in the narrow space where the world and our choices come together. ... We can never escape from choice itself. One's self lies in the choosing, every choice, every day.​
 

VagrantFarce

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Only if you let it.

You can think and do and say whatever you want, and it's up to you at any given moment to decide what your own limits are.

You are responsible for what you believe, and no one else.
 

wolfy

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Free Willy... do dolphins have an mbti type? Do dolphins have free will? Does mbti take away a dolphin's free will? I guess it could do if they decided wrongly that that spinning in the air thing wasn't in their nature.
 

Quinlan

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I'm sure there are some very dour dolphins out there somewhere.

They're probably called Frank and Walter.
 

Mole

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Group Hypnosis, Free Will, Group Bullying and Suicide

MBTI is a form of hypnosis. And it is even more powerful because it is a form of group hypnosis.

And under hypnosis our critical mind goes to sleep and we become suggestible and so we lose our free will.

And as MBTI is based on no empirical evidence, it must be maintained by group bullying.

And the price of group bullying is that some individuals will be driven to suicide.
 

DonCoryon

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I don't think the MBTI does anything to freewill. Psychological types simply try to label what is already occurring inside our minds. Your biological brain prevents freewill not the labels that we use in an attempt to understand what the brain is doing.

In the below video by Sam Harris he discusses the illusion of freewill. In it he describes freewill as simply a label we use to describe what we assume are choices made.

http://youtu.be/dodTNPp12rg
 

Rim

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MBTI is a form of hypnosis. And it is even more powerful because it is a form of group hypnosis.

And under hypnosis our critical mind goes to sleep and we become suggestible and so we lose our free will.

And as MBTI is based on no empirical evidence, it must be maintained by group bullying.

And the price of group bullying is that some individuals will be driven to suicide.

Within the theory of the MBTI I have INFP preferences. That doesn't make me a slave to the INFP group. In fact I don't agree with many "INFP things" because they are not me. I am an individual with my own set of ideals, beliefs and I make my choices my way. The MBTI or any personality system only explains a part of the personality, in this case preferences towards gathering and processing information. It isn't meant to isolate groups of people from each other or to give a full account of one's personality. By example no INFP is like another. If anything I learned to appreciate people whom I found offensive thus far for the qualities and the viewpoint they can bring to the table.

Your type is not who you are, it simply puts a label on your preferred way of seeing the world. I see some people just fail to comprehend this. For the record the N vs S thing is bullshit and pushing a type on someone who disagrees with your opinion is also wrong. Opinions are like testicles...if you hit them hard enough :\ it doesn't matter how many you got. By God I will crush the balls (opinions) of anyone who says they know me better then I know myself!

Theories like this don't restrict free will, you can still do whatever you want, think the way you want. There are certain limitations thou. Your IQ will limit your capacity to reason, if you are mute, then you won't be able to be a singer and so on. We are all limited by what we are to a certain degree. Within those limitations we can chose to be what we want.

The MBTI in itself is less restrictive then other things in our lives, some people just chose to let it limit their potential. That is their own failing and as usual humans fail, I never expected anything less.

I say fuck the group, if they don't like it, they can smell my middle finger. I am who I am and don't tolerate idiocy of any kind, especially group minded idiocy.

People too often get stuck in the us vs. them mentality and can't see the whole picture, where everyone has something to add. This isn't a system's failing. It simply is a failing on people's part.

If there is one thing my suicide attempt has thought me is that I'm strong on the inside, I can trust myself, I like myself and I will no longer allow the world to get the better of me. I despise group bullying.

Yes I have INFP preferences and yes my motivation is that of a counter phobic 6. Deal with it! I'm not a sadsack INFP, because stereotypes are rubbish. Thou sweet melancholy is awesome.

<_< there, I broke the stereotype didn't I? Good.
 
A

Anew Leaf

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I notice on these boards that people will occasionally defend their behavior by saying "Well, I am a type 8 so I am compelled to push this issue." To me, yes, it's lovely that they are a type 8, but it is still a choice to push the issue.
 
0

011235813

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I remember asking myself a similar question the first time I was formally diagnosed with a mood disorder. Before I had external confirmation, I knew there was something about me that was pushing me towards certain behaviours and holding me back from others, but it was a part of me, a part I didn't like and knew I had to stamp out. Diagnosis externalised that. I began to look at it as something that was me and not me at the same time and basically had a grip on me and what I could and couldn't do by virtue of its definition and characteristics. Reifying it according to external standards gave it more power over me until I learned to accept that I was giving away control as much as I was having it taken from me.

Obviously I'm not comparing MBTI to a personality disorder but it does have some similarities in the way its definitions are constructed. It takes personal inclinations, behaviours, and characteristics, sorts out recurring trends, and classifies them into sixteen labels which come to be defined as comprising those particular characteristics. So once you have that label slapped on you, you're somewhat susceptible to letting it define you in every particular. But those labels are created by assessing individuals; individuals aren't defined by those labels.

So um yeah. I had a point in there somewhere. I think. But I don't really know, because I'm an INFP. :saturned:
 
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