MBTI and feeling special

[Tayshaun]

Is MBTI only appealing for those who feel unusual, misunderstood, or like they 'do not fit in''?

According to CAPT the rarest types are:

INFJ 1-3% of total population
INTJ 2-4%
ENTP 2-5%
ENTJ 2-5%
INTP 3-5%
INFP 4-5%
ESTP 4-5%
ISTP 4-6%
ENFP 6-8%

95% of forum presence is filled by types which represent about 25% of the total population.

A common interpretation is that their type is so uncommon that they are most likely to be interested in personality theories. Perhaps it's the magical N-intuition, which can realize the potential of classifying personalities unlike the oh-so unimaginative S, which allures to them?

Could a general feeling of being misunderstood, unrelated with personality type, be responsible for such enthusiasm?

To refresh some memories:

• An individual takes an MBTI assessment.
• Several dozen answered questions later, four seemingly random letters show up. "PRFV, hmm..."
• Then comes the type description "except for a thing or two, that's pretty accurate!"
• PRFV are estimated to account for 1-3% of the U.S. population. "It's true, there aren't many like me that I know", "that explains a lot!"

For many, it seems that it's the impression of being dissociated from peers, or having society work against them, that drives them to exploring MBTI.

Thoughts?

 

[NewEra]

That's an interesting site you provided.

The most common type is apparently ISTJ, consisting of 11-14% of the overall population. ISFJ is not far behind, with 9-14% overall.

Most common in males is ISTJ, of which men are 14-19%.

Most common in females is ISFJ, of which women are 15-20%.


Anyway, to answer your original question, yeah I was surprised to not see that many S's here on this site, because I thought S was more common (and I was right). It could be the misfit theory that you bring up, but I take the tests just for the fun of it anyway. By the way, what's PRFV, are those random letters you just threw in there?

 

[Tayshaun]

By the way, what's PRFV, are those random letters you just threw in there?

Yes, to express how what you first see is four seemingly random letters that make no sense yet.

 

[Lauren Ashley]

I study MBTI because it's one of the many ways of understanding others, and it's theory. I like theories and researching theories.

 

[Tayshaun]

I study MBTI because it's one of the many ways of understanding others, and it's theory. I like theories and researching theories.

Was the first step self-exploration or understanding others?

 

[Athenian200]

I'm surprised ISxJs are so common. I thought it was ESxJs that were the most common.

 

[garbage]

Was the first step self-exploration or understanding others?

I have similar motives (understanding others), but I wanted to try to reach a greater understanding myself first before I sought to use the model to understand others. It just made sense to progress in that way, since I began to see traits in myself that could be explained by the model.. which in turn helped me understand the model better.

 

[Lauren Ashley]

Was the first step self-exploration or understanding others?

A couple of acquaintances introduced me to it, separately. The first one asked me to take it because she wanted to know my type. She figured I was IN of some sort. I got INFJ and said to her, "Great. There it is." I didn't think much about it. Then another wanted to know, and she explained it a little better, so after I took the indicator she sent me, I researched it. It proved to be a solid way to understand different types of people, so long story short, here I am. I had many other ways to understand myself before MBTI, which I still use primarily, but now I just add in MBTI/Socionics.

 

[Tayshaun]

I have similar motives (understanding others), but I wanted to try to reach a greater understanding myself first before I sought to use the model to understand others. It just made sense to progress in that way, since I began to see traits in myself that could be explained by the model.. which in turn helped me understand the model better.

Was the exhilaration of discovering the rarity of ENTJs a factor in becoming immersed?

 

[Tayshaun]

It proved to be a solid way to understand different types of people, so long story short, here I am.

An interesting thread on its own merits: "How did you end up here?"

 

[AfterHours]

I was 12 or 13 when I discovered MBTI and how 'unique' I was. I did use it primarily at that time to validate my sense of self as I had confidence issues and didn't feel properly appreciated. I think I came across the subject while looking up personality tests because I liked reading descriptions of myself. Luckily I've grown and learned a lot since then. It's embarrassing to think about now.

 

[Tayshaun]

I think I came across the subject while looking up personality tests because I liked reading descriptions of myself. Luckily I've grown and learned a lot since then. It's embarrassing to think about now.

I originally liked reading descriptions of myself as well and I was 19!

I have a feeling it is often precisely this which draws many people to personality theories involving types at first.

Self-exploration has to begin somewhere after all...

 

[garbage]

Was the exhilaration of discovering the rarity of ENTJs a factor in becoming immersed?

I didn't really think about how rare the type was at first, but my interest definitely stemmed from the fact that I didn't really feel that I knew myself. I think that if I were more like other people (that is, a different type), I may not have had that problem.. so perhaps I wouldn't have become as interested in it.

I also didn't think as much about how rare my type was, so much as how rare certain traits (such as intuition) were. It just helped me make sense of myself and others.

ENTJs love organizing and categorizing anyway, so it's a perfectly natural tool to use to help my understanding.

 

[BlueScreen]

I took the test and tested as INFJ. I didn't know much about MBTi and the profile fitted okay so I went with it. After reading more I realised there was no chance that I was a J. Knowing I was clearly a feeler who lead with intuition, I chose the other intuitive feeler (ENFP). After reading more ENFP fitted to a T, and also incorporated all my not so good points, which INFJ did not.

Being an ENFP I have a love for psychology and understanding people, and I had to know everything about it. I realise MBTi is quite an imperfect way of defining people, but never really needed a way to define people, just communicate what I saw. To define people primarily by something like MBTi actually goes against my cognitive process. But I do use it in getting to know them also, mainly to speculate on blind spots and as a guide to improve the speed of reading a person.

ENFPs are normally quoted to be a bit lower in frequency than was suggested too, we just like to take surveys and our personality profile and attributes are attractive to choose. We're still the most common of the Ns though.

 

[Tayshaun]

I also didn't think as much about how rare my type was, so much as how rare certain traits (such as intuition) were. It just helped me make sense of myself and others.

Originally, I fell in a trap with the N/S dichotomy.

It created two groups:
the vast majority superficial, a small minority deep.

This is of course is entirely wrong. Only, I am afraid that many are drawn to MBTI feeling like they belong to a small "enlightened" community surrounded by the crowd of Ss, ESXX in particular, for who the world is better adjusted.

 

[redacted]

For many, it seems that it's the impression of being dissociated from peers, or having society work against them, that drives them to exploring MBTI.

Thoughts?

Definitely definitely true.

A lot of people that were rejected by their peers or somehow didn't feel like they fit in are drawn to systems like this because it gives them the external validation they could never get from other people.

Unfortunately, this is probably the reason for all the S hate on this forum. A lot of Ns (especially INs) were rejected by/don't fit in with a largely S population, and now that they realize they're not just crazy (they're intuitive!), they realize how much they resent S types. Or, I should say, the people they perceive as S types. Unfortunately, it's never that simple. I think some N types are just as closed-minded as S types, and some S types are totally chill and accepting (and smart, and fun to be around). But some people, especially the ones with big resentments, take MBTI too far, and fall victim to confirmation bias, which, unfortunately, leads them even further from the rest of the population, only to get sanctioned more, only to build resentment more, which fuels even more confirmation bias, etc.

 

[Tayshaun]

Being an ENFP I have a love for psychology and understanding people, and I had to know everything about it. I realise MBTi is quite an imperfect way of defining people, but never really needed a way to define people, just communicate what I saw.

Wouldn't most on the forum, all N and I types, write "as an xNxx or Ixxx I have a love for psychology and understanding people".

I was wondering in the OP if it all stemmed from of a feeling of not being understood?

 

[Tayshaun]

Unfortunately, this is probably the reason for all the S hate on this forum. A lot of Ns (especially INs) were rejected by/don't fit in with a largely S population, and now that they realize they're not just crazy (they're intuitive!), they realize how much they resent S types. Or, I should say, the people they perceive as S types. Unfortunately, it's never that simple. I think some N types are just as closed-minded as S types, and some S types are totally chill and accepting (and smart, and fun to be around). But some people, especially the ones with big resentments, take MBTI too far, and fall victim to confirmation bias, which, unfortunately, leads them even further from the rest of the population, only to get sanctioned more, only to build resentment more, which fuels even more confirmation bias, etc.

....

*reads on*

....

 

[Lauren Ashley]

Originally, I fell in a trap with the N/S dichotomy.

It created two groups:
the vast majority superficial, a small minority deep.

I've always classified people into "intuitive" and "not intuitive," basically based on who would discuss and think about my [well-researched] theories about people and the world. Some of those who wouldn't I've since found out are classified as "intuitive" in MBTI, but I still think "not that intuitive." MBTI's baseline for intuition is way too low

 

[Tayshaun]

I've always classified people into "intuitive" and "not intuitive," basically based on who would discuss and think about my [well-researched] theories about people and the world. Some of those who wouldn't I've since found out are classified as "intuitive" in MBTI, but I still think "not that intuitive." MBTI's baseline for intuition is way too low

You just gave a glimpse of your cool personality there!

Edit: Evan is making me wonder now. You were saying this with some self-derision right?