does type change over time?

[momo]

Hi, i'm momo. It's my first post here. Nice to meet you guys. ^^

It's been said the MBTI type is born and won't change. From my personal experience, my type has changed three times, from ESFJ to ISFJ then INFP which confused me a lot. Which one is real me? How to explain this phenomenon?

Anyone could help, really appreciated.

 

[Metamorphosis]

Were these long term changes? I have always been of the opinion that whenever a person's type is constant but it is possible to repress/elevate certain characteristics in times of stress, etc. which could cause them to appear to be a different type.

 

[Colors]

I thought it was said that you can't officially type someone until at least mid-adolescence- so wouldn't it be more of a development process?

At any rate, you are the real you! Maybe if you explained why you feel like you've changed type, we can help?

And welcome.

 

[momo]

Thanks Metamorphosis and colors.

The first change happened when i got into college when was 5 yrs ago. The reason why I became more introvert is because I was not confident as I used to be. I left hometown and studied in a city thousand miles away. I couldn't speak the dialect fluently. and there was no common topics between me and my classmates.

The second change happened 2 yrs ago when i met my first girlfriend. She is a typical INFP, a Buddhist. I was touched and influenced by her very much. Before meeting her, i never really thought about the purpose of life and self-awareness.

Put it this way, I admire INFP this type but I know I am not. So when making some decisions, i am often in a conflict situation. What I should do and what I want to do are normally different.

I've read some words saying: many people confused about real type with preferred type. and also personal growth does not equal to type change.

It seems agreeable. However, I'm still confused. Don't know how to coorperate these relationships and figure out what's my true color.

Looking forward to ur replies. thanks. ^^

 

[developer]

Thanks Metamorphosis and colors.

The first change happened when i got into college when was 5 yrs ago. The reason why I became more introvert is because I was not confident as I used to be. I left hometown and studied in a city thousand miles away. I couldn't speak the dialect fluently. and there was no common topics between me and my classmates.

The second change happened 2 yrs ago when i met my first girlfriend. She is a typical INFP, a Buddhist. I was touched and influenced by her very much. Before meeting her, i never really thought about the purpose of life and self-awareness.

Put it this way, I admire INFP this type but I know I am not. So when making some decisions, i am often in a conflict situation. What I should do and what I want to do are normally different.

I've read some words saying: many people confused about real type with preferred type. and also personal growth does not equal to type change.

It seems agreeable. However, I'm still confused. Don't know how to coorperate these relationships and figure out what's my true color.

Looking forward to ur replies. thanks. ^^

According to the theory, type does not change, and experience generally seems to confirm the theory. But of course, we learn new behaviours and concepts all the time, so our skillset gets broader and broader. That may confuse you. I would not waste too much time into finding your "true" type, but if you are interested in the topic try this: think of situations in different periods in your life, where you felt truley at ease with yourself, when external factors did not influence you so much. What do they have in common ? How did you act? The answer will then come all by itself.

Ah, and welcome !

 

[momo]

when i am at ease, i'm out-going, talktive and would like to help others. when there's no push, i would prefer a stable and relax life. I don't like competence, i love harmony environment. I don't like things get messy. i like structure. I'm detailed focused and got patience.

That's ESFJ. I've been considering myself as introvert for a long time. I put the limit on myself. Thanks very much, developer.

^^

 

[developer]

when i am at ease, i'm out-going, talktive and would like to help others. when there's no push, i would prefer a stable and relax life. I don't like competence, i love harmony environment. I don't like things get messy. i like structure. I'm detailed focused and got patience.

That's ESFJ. I've been considering myself as introvert for a long time. I put the limit on myself. Thanks very much, developer.

^^

Sounds sensible to me. But please, do not forget: you are you and not some type. Relax, be yourself, enjoy life, do good. If type is helpful, fine, if it confuses you, forget it.

 

[Blackwater]

Types DOES change. Jung and the early MBTI practitioners clearly believed so.

 

[niki]

Type does change, but IMO, it will never possible to change radically, as, for example, from an INFP into an ESTJ , or vice versa, etc.

 

[Totenkindly]

Types DOES change. Jung and the early MBTI practitioners clearly believed so.

And if Jung believed it was true, it must certainly be so?

 

[Ghost of the dead horse]

Welcome! I have also tested and identified myself as a variable array of types in different times. I think it shows person's flexibility and/or instability, or adaptation. It would be helpful to find the reasons for the changes, and any negative consequences that the type change brought.

In any case, it is great to enjoy flexibility in type preference, if the change has been voluntary

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Types DOES change. Jung and the early MBTI practitioners clearly believed so.

References?

One way type can change is if you take online tests that are unreliable.

 

[hotmale]

Hi, i'm momo. It's my first post here. Nice to meet you guys. ^^

It's been said the MBTI type is born and won't change. From my personal experience, my type has changed three times, from ESFJ to ISFJ then INFP which confused me a lot. Which one is real me? How to explain this phenomenon?

Anyone could help, really appreciated.

I do not think the underlying architecture of type can change- but that behavior can be modified by certain conditions in the environment.

For example, according to Jung, personality is set when one is about 6 years old- however variables in the environment can affect the way an individual responds to stimuli and that can change as the individual begins to display more traits that are natural to his personality and not to certain stress/trauma factors.

 

[anii]

My short answer is: No.

 

[proteanmix]

Types DOES change. Jung and the early MBTI practitioners clearly believed so.

Yes he did.

And if Jung believed it was true, it must certainly be so?

So what brings you here?

References?

One way type can change is if you take online tests that are unreliable.

I'm currently preaching about reading Jung's Psychological Types. Just for your ease and comfort I found the exact reference. C.G. Jung, Psychological Types, Princeton/Bollingen, 1971 p. 285-286. Section called "The Type Problem in Psychopathology"

...introversion and extroversion are not traits of character at all but mechanisms, which can, as it were, be switched on and off at will. Only from their habitual predominance do the corresponding characters develop...I have frequently found that environmental influences to be just as important. In one case of my experience, it even happened that a man with markedly extravert behavior, while living in close proximity to an introvert, changed his attitude and became quite introverted when he later came into contact with a pronounced extravert personality. I have repeatedly observed how quickly personal influences can alter the duration of the secondary function even in a well-defined type, and how the previous condition re-establishes itself as soon as the alien influence is removed.

Jung states this in other places, but this is the first one I flipped to. Of course we've had technological advances since then measuring introversion and extroversion so I don't know how much of this is still true. But as far as the other functions are concerned, yes I think you can by becoming more aware of them and how they work. If you're in an environment that forces you to use a lesser preferred function then you can build skill and awareness of that function. As for completely switching types, I don't know, I'm leaning towards no.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

I have repeatedly observed how quickly personal influences can alter the duration of the secondary function even in a well-defined type, and how the previous condition re-establishes itself as soon as the alien influence is removed.

It is interesting that he says it switches back quickly. I wonder if these changes are ever considered permanent or temporarily influenced by environment. If they are environment dependent then it not a completely stable change. I would like to read more about that. It is a rather fundamental aspect to this whole personality system.

 

[proteanmix]

It is interesting that he says it switches back quickly. I wonder if these changes are ever considered permanent or temporarily influenced by environment. If they are environment dependent then it not a completely stable change. I would like to read more about that. It is a rather fundamental aspect to this whole personality system.

Yah! That's what's blowing my mind right now. I need to read Gifts Differing to figure out where Jung and MBTI diverged, because they have diverged. Now people simple use letters as if the functions don't even exist. Most information on the internet doesn't even address function attitudes and a good portion of MBTT research doesn't either. Jung's theories have been diluted to really bad tap water that have the nasty aftertaste of chlorine and copper. Maybe sewer water? OK, really bad city water that's verging on FDA intervention.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Yah! That's what's blowing my mind right now. I need to read Gifts Differing to figure out where Jung and MBTI diverged, because they have diverged. Now people simple use letters as if the functions don't even exist. Most information on the internet doesn't even address function attitudes and a good portion of MBTT research doesn't either. Jung's theories have been diluted to really bad tap water that have the nasty aftertaste of chlorine and copper. Maybe sewer water? OK, really bad city water that's verging on FDA intervention.

That was beautiful.

I have some of Jung's writings and just need to take a sit down and read more.

 

[Eicr]

from http://www.indiana.edu/~jobtalk/HRMWebsite/hrm/articles/develop/mbti.pdf

"The primary method for testing reliability is to give the test to a person on two occasions. This procedure is known as “test-retest reliability." Typically, the test-retest interval can range from several weeks to more than a year. Because type is said to be a constant characteristic, we would expect that people's personality would not change over time. Several studies, however, show that even when the test-retest interval is short (e.g., 5 weeks), as many as 50 percent of the people will be classified into a different type.7 "

MBTI can be a lot of fun, but Im always careful to take it with a grain or two of salt, after all, no one claims its an exact science.

 

[Ms. M]

My type changed from INFJ in my late teens to INTJ present day, and INTJ descriptions sound exactly like me. I agree it's possible for your type to change, but not drastically going from one extreme to another. There's no way I'll wake up a year from now an ESFP.