MBTI and the holidays

[King sns]

How do you feel about the holidays?
I know a lot of people hate them, I wonder if there's an association with type.

Mindless shopping, repetitive music, commercialism, crowds galore sounds like an average INT nightmare.

 

[Phantonym]

I like the holidays. But I think the only reason why I do is that I've managed to block out all the pointless hoopla that accompanies it. Hating something is such a waste of emotion, so why bother with it. Most of the stress that people associate with the holidays means nothing to me. I'm indifferent towards shopping, I don't do presents, I don't go to crowded shopping centres or when I absolutely have to, I choose a time when they are less crowded. And I carry my own tunes with me all the time, so I don't even notice the music.

I associate the holidays with warmth, positive emotions and family, so I eagerly await them every year.

 

[Ethereal]

To say that I am a Grinch or a Scrooge would be inaccurate. I seriously could care less about the holidays. That doesn't mean I am necessarily against it, however, if I was caught up in my insecurities than perhaps I would. Being that I don't care about it, but am in an environment that does care about it and tries to make me care, then it would be this aspect that gets me in a buzz.

This may be a conformity thing. I am not a conformist, but at the same time I am not a nonconformist. I don't care about conformity, which means that I do not care to go against it. A nonconformist would, and a conformist would if conformity impinged too much into the not-a-conformists individuality.

Besides, I think that if sentiments to the holidays were type related, then the Rational temperament would probably be against it the most while the Idealist would love it the most. The Guardians would accept it because it is a tradition and the Artisans may just enjoy it because it is fun

 

[Quinlan]

I like them but think people take them waaaayy too seriously.

 

[teslashock]

Preface: This post is coming from a person that doesn't have a religious investment in the holidays. They are strictly a social tradition for me.

I like the holidays, but I hate the social pretense that states how you absolutely HAVE to get everybody a gift, otherwise it's assumed that you don't "care" about them. That really bothers me. I don't see why following an arbitrary social tradition should automatically imply that you care about somebody and why not following that arbitrary social tradition should automatically imply that you're a complete cold-hearted douche. It's annoying. Some times I can't think of the proper gift to get somebody (regardless of how much I care about said person), and I don't want to just give the same old traditional bullshit that everybody uses as gifts when they can't find the perfect one, so I'd just prefer to refrain from the whole gift exchange with certain people.

That's not to say that I don't like giving/receiving gifts. I love this. I just hate how it's a mandatory expression of compassion and ridiculous rule of social propriety. It just seems so random and nonsensical.

I really like the family/friends part though. The holidays bring people together (even if it is for a rather arbitrary social reason) and it's great to just relax with the people that I care about.

Oh, and the food is great too.

 

[Jaguar]

I think the holidays are great. No Mr. Grinch here.

 

[Wild horses]

The holidays can be a painful time for some people, however, I must say that I like to opt out of the all the commercialism and just use it as an excuse for partying and special times with those that I care about... I find it's a great time then... I also like the magical and I just think that this holiday inparticular has a touch of the impossible attached to it

 

[OrangeAppled]

I greatly dislike holidays. They are contrived, materialistic, shallow, annoying, etc.
I've found most INFPs are not fans of holidays. On other forums they all gripe over how "fake" they are.

Most xSFJs, ESFPs, and ENFJs I know just DIE over holidays. They are so sentimental about that crap.

 

[BlackCat]

I like them but think people take them waaaayy too seriously.

Yes.

I see holidays as rituals made to keep people coming together. They give a valid excuse for the family to get together and socialize. Holidays are there to try to give life some meaning to people. Too bad I see it like that... lol. They mean nothing to me.

 

[Walking Tourist]

I think that the holidays are fun and a good distraction from the fact that it's cold and dark outside. I love to sing and am in three choral groups so that keeps me busy. I like the colors and the decorations. I like to go to church and see lots of people, all of whom seem happy. Of course, I also like the Christmas cookies!
What can I say? Food, friends, and song. For me, it's all good.

 

[Eric B]

Relief (tertiary) Si field day!

 

[ajblaise]

Holidays were pretty cool from ages 0 to 8. Then it stopped being about fun and more about monotonous social convention.

 

[NewEra]

I love the holidays and am upset when they are over. The reason for this is I have far less work during the holidays, get presents, and... not much responsibility. I also love the festiveness that goes on during the holidays - the music, the sights, the lights, etc.

 

[Venom]

I think that the holidays are fun and a good distraction from the fact that it's cold and dark outside. I love to sing and am in three choral groups so that keeps me busy. I like the colors and the decorations. I like to go to church and see lots of people, all of whom seem happy. Of course, I also like the Christmas cookies!
What can I say? Food, friends, and song. For me, it's all good.

I love the holidays and am upset when they are over. The reason for this is I have far less work during the holidays, get presents, and... not much responsibility. I also love the festiveness that goes on during the holidays - the music, the sights, the lights, etc.

+3!

1. great food and dinner atmospheres (Fe, Se)
2. usually less school work (Ni, Se)
3. sometimes vacation and looking forward to new places (Ni, Se)
4. excuse for people to have fun and get together for reasons other than drinking themselves stupid (Fe Se)
5. time of year where kids and adults can have fun together (Fe Se)
6. something to ask people about when you run into them (Fe)
7. its a nice re-calibrating, "yearly gauge everything" point... other holidays serve this too (how have my last 21 christmases been?). (Ji, Pi)

 

[Unkindloving]

I don't make them a big deal, but everyone else does so i live vicariously through them. I can go back to the peace of my own Scrooge-self at the end of the day.
I don't really like buying things for people, but i like baking and cookie exchanges. Decorating the tree is a nice event when children aren't present.

I can go either way with it. This December has gone by like nothing for me. I didn't even realize how close Christmas is. Bah Humbug

 

[Eric B]

Every year I do my little rundown of Macy's Herald Sq.; my favorite store for the holidays. I never buy anything, but just pass through all the floors, reminiscing beign taken shopping for the holidays as a kid.
For the past few years, some of the stores had begun staying open 24 hours Christmas week, so I took the advantage to go in the dead middle of the night, even beyond the normal late hours the stores used to have. So I left my house at 2, and got there at 2:47. You would think that would be PM and not AM. Leaving at the time coming home from the latest possible hours stores would open in the past (like 1AM).
There was no one outside, but a few people inside, workers in groups just waiting around, lots of guards on their walkie talkies, yet the McDonalds was for some reason rather busy. (Should have posted this from there on my cell, then).

Interesting to see "life" at a time when everything is usually totally dead.
Then I decided to swing by Rockefeller Center (It was exactly 4 by then), but that was completely closed, and the tree even off. (Never sure what went on there overnight).
Have a headache now (not able to get fully asleep before or after), but it was quite interesting. Like being in some paradise or land of endless plenty; to have things open all night.
Shows where the money is (Unlike Transit and other businesses and the economy in general where we are in perpetual cutback mode).

 

[compulsiverambler]

I love the holidays and am upset when they are over. The reason for this is I have far less work during the holidays, get presents, and... not much responsibility. I also love the festiveness that goes on during the holidays - the music, the sights, the lights, etc.

+3!

1. great food and dinner atmospheres (Fe, Se)
2. usually less school work (Ni, Se)
3. sometimes vacation and looking forward to new places (Ni, Se)
4. excuse for people to have fun and get together for reasons other than drinking themselves stupid (Fe Se)
5. time of year where kids and adults can have fun together (Fe Se)
6. something to ask people about when you run into them (Fe)
7. its a nice re-calibrating, "yearly gauge everything" point... other holidays serve this too (how have my last 21 christmases been?). (Ji, Pi)

All of that's true for me, except for travelling, never done that, no need in our family, and I don't like asking people what they've done because unless it's out of the ordinary or emotionally powerful I'm not really interested, and I don't usually feel like telling people about what I've done, either.

I think my Fi, Ne and Si get a lot out of Christmas as well. All the magic and mystery, outlandish stories and folklore and how much 'good will' and joy and peace and beautiful imagery and hope are stressed, and the nostalgia. Although I'm not religious I love a lot of Christmas hymns and some popular Christmas singles, too.

And I don't think anyone's mentioned snow yet. That's one the best bits! When the sun starts to go down it looks like a thick, smooth blanket covered in glitter.

 

[Mad Hatter]

I don't mind the commercialism, repetitive music (except for "Last Christmas") or even the faint religious overtones - I can stay at home if want to avoid it. Problem is, my relatives keep invading said place every year at the annual giveaway distribution and fill it with mindless conversation and forced sociability :rolli:.

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

Holidays don't bother me. Christmas music can get annoying though.

 

[Begoner]

I don't have a problem with holidays per se, but rather the attendant festiveness -- seasonal songs on the radio and overly cheery people tend to irk me.