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How Do You Differ From Your Type?

Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
170
MBTI Type
ISTJ
My husband made the statement just a little while ago that, in his personal opinion, he didn't like the MBTI because he felt like it made too many generalizations or something like that. So, I was wondering... how do you differ from your type? Anything hugely significant? And are there any generalizations about your type that your particularly don't like?
 

Totenkindly

@.~*virinaĉo*~.@
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
50,187
MBTI Type
BELF
Enneagram
594
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Generalizations I do not like about INTPs? That we are:
1. Cold / Don't care about people.
2. Don't have emotions / are machines.
3. Don't live in the "real" world.
4. Don't have any "common sense."

There are tendencies to these things, true; but they usually are expressed openly only by dysfunctional/extreme INTPs, and the rest of the time it seems to be more a misunderstanding or the results of another type's excess.

For example, we can have "common sense," but there are other concerns that prevent us from just accepting a purely common sense solution. And we see the destructive elements of impulsive emotion, so we tend to detach such things from our decision-making, so we can make a "fair and impersonal" decision that weighs all factors into account rather than just the ones we happen to favor at the time.

We also do not indulge in showy displays of emotion and don't deal well when others "over-emotionalize" around us, it's just too much to deal with. We usually show we care by listening, or giving advice, or sharing information about the world; if we did not care, we would not bother, we just feel uncomfortable with more personal emotional displays of affection.

--

As far as me personally, I focus much more on my N and less on my T, and I've developed some more formalized social ability so that I can come across as warm and friendly in a way that most INTPs do not. (It's more like the Fe version of friendliness.)

I struggle between trying to reduce life down to one defined equation, versus viewing life as an infinite number of viewpoints depending on where I place my feet.

I also enjoy isolation, but at the same time desire very intimate personal relationships in terms of "knowing" someone deeply [it's more the exchange of personal information than spending time together that interests me... so I suppose that is more an INTP approach to intimacy].

I'm also very sensitive to how others might be feeling and consider that a factor to take into account, rather than to be dismissed as irrelevant to the question at hand (especially if we are talking inter/intrapersonal matters).

--

The generalizations are such because they help define the extremes. But few people are at the extremes. No one will ever fit perfectly into a generalization. That's simply to be expected and accepted. It doesn't mean the concepts are useless, they just give a starting point from which to individualize.
 

Kyrielle

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,294
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
how do you differ from your type?

Not by much from the other INFJs here I've seen.

And are there any generalizations about your type that your particularly don't like?

Plenty. But mostly it's the big assumption that what type you are assumes you will behave like the type descriptions. And the other generalisations that lead to prejudices that make absolutely no sense (to me), because people are making generalisations about generalisations about generalisations.
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2007
Messages
7,312
MBTI Type
INTJ
I differ from INTJ in that I recognize the value of emotions. I'm like my type in that it's hard for me to feel or understand them. But I think the happiest, most well-rounded people make decisions and live life by melding logic and emotion. I can't do that, but I think it's good, and that is certainly not an INTJ outlook.
 
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girlnamedbless

New member
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
186
MBTI Type
ESFJ
I really do not obsess over what people think of me. I am extremely shy at first and I think gossip is stupid. Most people annoy me.
 

Lateralus

New member
Joined
May 18, 2007
Messages
6,262
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
3w4
I'm not a flake. I find most people boring/annoying/stupid. I don't care about having a "large circle of friends".
 

Natrushka

Pareo cattus
Joined
Jun 7, 2007
Messages
1,213
MBTI Type
INTJ
In general I don't spend a lot of time thinking about the future. I'm aware of it, but I don't have five year grand schemes.
 

Recluse

New member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
213
MBTI Type
INXP
Lateralus wrote:
I'm not a flake. I find most people boring/annoying/stupid. I don't care about having a "large circle of friends".

For some reason, that first sentence caught me as funny: "I'm not a flake, I swear! I've never done anything flaky in my life!" ;)
 

lastrailway

New member
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
508
Positively different:
Clean-freak
Responsible/get things done
I observe details
Negatively:
Sometimes too dull and boring
Not as flexible as I would like
Can have obvious emotional outbursts (rarely, thankfully)

...and about a million of other things, which is why I cannot persuade myself I am really an INTP
 

Recluse

New member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
213
MBTI Type
INXP
lastrailway,

Based solely on your list, I would say you're an ISTJ.
 

niffer

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,217
MBTI Type
ENfP
Enneagram
8w9
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
I'm rather forceful...I can also get extremely aggresive and physically violent if provoked.

I also have a really big ego, which I subtlely make apparent once in a while.
 

Maverick

New member
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
Messages
880
MBTI Type
ENTJ
The best word to describe me would not be "leader" (it would be Maverick).

In work situations, many people have considered me as such and elected me to such a role.

However, a real leader for me is charismatic enough to build alot of social and political power. His authority cannot be solely based on competence if he wishes to climb the ladder and/or gain support. I'm just not good enough at charming people and acting in a way that will be socially popular as to become the most popular person around. As such, I will only occasionally be the one driving a social group (i.e. talking the most, getting all the attention, being the most liked, deciding what to do and where to go, ...). When reading the MBTI descriptions, I feel more like an extraverted INTJ than an actual ENTJ, alpha male type that imposes his will to everyone around him. I just couldn't care less about telling people what to do or controlling social situations unless it serves some kind of practical purpose.

As such, at home or with friends I'm really not commanding at all. I just offer suggestions for things and am pretty laid back really. Not what you would typically expect from an ENTJ.
 

niffer

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,217
MBTI Type
ENfP
Enneagram
8w9
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
When I'm around females, I turn super-manly and go into "alpha-female" mode. It makes me want to organize things.
 

Shimpei

New member
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
339
MBTI Type
ISFJ
Enneagram
9
Sometimes I get my T out so I don't always come off as a soft-hearted furry-fluffy bunny. :)
 

Recluse

New member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
213
MBTI Type
INXP
niffer wrote:

When I'm around females, I turn super-manly and go into "alpha-female" mode. It makes me want to organize things.

I should invite you over to my garage. :yes: That should keep you busy for a while. ;)

Shimpei wrote:

Sometimes I get my T out so I don't always come off as a soft-hearted furry-fluffy bunny.

A tough bunny, huh? I hear those can be dangerous. I recall President Jimmy Carter fending off a killer rabbit in the swamp:

The Straight Dope: What was the deal with Jimmy Carter and the killer rabbit?
 

Sona

Permabanned
Joined
Jul 23, 2007
Messages
511
MBTI Type
ISTJ
Apparently, I'm supposed to be a hard worker. I've hardly ever worked in my life, always get my dads credit card and spend his money. Spending other peoples money is fun.
 

Recoleta

No me digas, che!
Joined
Aug 8, 2007
Messages
600
MBTI Type
ISXJ
I don't like it when ISTJ's get characterized as having little/no imagination. I mean, I find myself daydreaming all the time, even though when I do daydream it's usually in a lot of detail. Also, I think ISTJ's generally have a really witty, dry, and quick sense of humor. To me, at least, that kind of humor means you have to be pretty creative. Maybe I'm only speaking for myself, but I think my S/N divide is something like a 60/40ish split so I'm not entirely deprived of N although most of my tendencies are toward S.
 
Joined
Sep 8, 2007
Messages
170
MBTI Type
ISTJ
Apparently, I'm supposed to be a hard worker. I've hardly ever worked in my life, always get my dads credit card and spend his money. Spending other peoples money is fun.

Hmm... ya know, I can kinda relate to some of that. Around my mom's house (and now this one), I've been known to be kinda lazy (not doing any housework and whatnot and having a tendency to sit around alot). But, at school (and college) and when I had a job for a very short time, I never took breaks except to eat, or the breaks I was given were used primarily for work. The way I see it, I guess, is, if I'm at work/school, especially since I'm not too social, what else is there to do? I might as well work while I'm there so I can be lazy at home, lol.
 
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