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Fluctuating Personality

Markasin3

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
23
MBTI Type
IXXP
I notice that I am able to slip into a few other personality modes very easily than just my dominant one, which I'm starting to realize is ISFP. The other modes I feel myself able to slip into are INFP, ISTP, and INTP.
Or basically the fluctuation of the two middle letters. (Changing myself from Introvert to Extrovert is very uncomfortable for me, but I enjoy the experience of attempting it)

When I was younger, I was definitely an INFP, and then for a very long time I was an I??? (an INTJ was trying to determine my type then, and he got really irritated that he couldn't get closure with me for those years). After I gave into my artistic side, my dominant type is now ISFP.

I'm able to look through my pictures and can almost pinpoint if I was displaying an ISTP, INFP, ISFP, or INTP in the pictures because I looked so different in each one. (The biggest difference was between ISTP and INFP.)

It feels awesome. I think it is all thanks to the process of trying to find myself. When I was younger, I was a loner and always thought about past problems and mistakes and things(INFP). I got tired of being depressed from all the stressful thinking, so I occupied my time with... ehem.. Star Trek quite deeply for a long time and developed my thinking side well (INTP).
From there, I discovered a pal who became my best friend. He influenced my life a lot and I always looked up to him and did everything he did. He was a definite ISTP. And so I developed my sensory side strongly from being around him for so long (ISTP).
Now, I'm an ISFP, and find myself unusually comfortable here more than the others. I think it was always there, it just took me a long time to discover it and come to terms with it. I even switched my college major choice from architectural drafting to an art field.

(Everything I stated took place within a 15 year span at least. I'm 21 now, so I'm counting back to when I was 6. I think I was too dumb at 5 to include anything before then.)

I took the personality test again recently, and my results came out IXXP, but after thinking about it, I'm slightly more comfortable with the sensory side, and kind of use the thinking and feeling side equally.

It feels awesome, cause I'm noticing more and more that I'm able to relate so well with those other three personality types. I'm constantly tested against these types, because my closest friends are these types too.

One of my newest closest friends is an ESFJ, but I usually just stick to my ISFP or ISTP personality with him and keep things humorous and goofy. If I go anywhere into INTP or INFP with him, he tends to not want to relate to me very much anymore.

Does anybody else feel like this? Cause I'm believing, after this long experience, that everyone is able to choose their personality. It all boils down to just preference.
On another thought, if someone really wanted to change or add to their personality, it can be accomplished.
A person's personality is not entirely fixed.
 

VagrantFarce

Active member
Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Messages
1,558
I agree that typology should not be used to measure who you are and how you think of yourself, and that it's entierly up to you who you really want to be. However, the other side of my brain still says that whatever you choose to become can still be corrolated to a type. :tongue:

Consider that your teenage years are a barrage of hormones, popular culture and peer pressure - none of us come out the other side the same person. It's all a part of growing up and learning to appreciate yourself for who you are, warts 'n all. :) Recognise your strengths, play toward them as much as possible, and shock horror (!), you'll be happy! :)
 

BlahBlahNounBlah

New member
Joined
Dec 16, 2008
Messages
1,458
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7w6
MBTI aside ... Although I think personality is changeable, I don't think it's anywhere near as easy as this. People can struggle for years just to alter one instinct. If you can just attach and detach your lens like that, your personality is probably remaining the same while you're using different skills.
 

Markasin3

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
23
MBTI Type
IXXP
VargrantFarce, your picture disturbs me.... lol... but I appreciate the way you think. :newwink:
 

sleepy

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
536
You might be INTP. They are apparently the most notorious chameleons.
 

nanook

a scream in a vortex
Joined
Jul 22, 2007
Messages
1,361
i think it's normal for introverted perceives (introverted perception/extroverted judging) to switch among all introverted perceiving modes, but there are long term things that ISTp can do, that i could never do, like being strong/lean/healthy *g* -- so the switch is more like an emulation mode. other types switch/emulate on a different axis, keeping their J/P order. (and leave me alone with your comments, if you are a slave to the so called mbti-function order myth/lie)
 

Markasin3

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
23
MBTI Type
IXXP
MBTI aside ... Although I think personality is changeable, I don't think it's anywhere near as easy as this. People can struggle for years just to alter one instinct. If you can just attach and detach your lens like that, your personality is probably remaining the same while you're using different skills.

You make an excellent point that I don't want to discredit. I feel, though, that I have to be the devil's advocate in this just to gain a deeper understanding.

Could it be possible that a person would change much faster than the norm if there was enough need for it? Granted I didn't put every detail into my life story, but that's because I didn't want to bore everyone.
At each stage I felt like there was a need for change because I was overwhelmed by one trait and neglecting the other side of the trait. I felt the imbalance and a natural pull.

Thus you see the step by step progression. INFP to INTP to ISTP to ISFP

A step by step progression is reasonable because it's not an overwhelming change all at once. No doubt, I struggled with each, but also got comfortable with them that they became second nature. (Remember, this is a span of 15 years. Not like 5 years.) Especially my thinking side. When I did the first change from feeling to thinking, it was dramatic and took time. I ignored and shut off a lot of my feelings, almost vulcan as it were, in an attempt to be more reasonable and controlling of myself. Also I needed it in order to understand and fix the complications I was having with others. Eventually it became easy and not much of a problem after a few years.

Also, VargrantFarce stated that I was in my teenage years.

When we are born, we don't come with personalities. It develops. Babies are just waiting to be influenced and molded into something.
Granted, now that I'm 21, it is much difficult to change my traits because I believe I'm closer to stability, but at my youth, I think I was more flexible and more malleable. Change was far more easy. I think all of this needs to be accounted too.
 

BlahBlahNounBlah

New member
Joined
Dec 16, 2008
Messages
1,458
MBTI Type
ENTP
Enneagram
7w6
Remember, this is a span of 15 years. Not like 5 years.


Sure. I'd say a type could change incrementally over the course of 15 years. I'm definitely not one of those "you're born with your type and it's set for life" believers. My current type isn't the same as my childhood type.
 

Markasin3

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
23
MBTI Type
IXXP
You might be INTP. They are apparently the most notorious chameleons.

Really!? That'll be awesome. I admire an INTPs intelligence. If this is the case, then I must have been undercover for a very long time.
 

sleepy

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
536
Really!? That'll be awesome. I admire an INTPs intelligence. If this is the case, then I must have been undercover for a very long time.
I dunno. Don't know much about you. But this is like your main point, and also a significant intp trait.

Art is archetypical isfp though. I also have this idea that some intp's, especially the ennagram 5w4 type, can have this borderline personality. intp-infp-isfp. Maybe it's the art that does it. Brings out the concrete, please share if you like.

Generally I think this is possible. And even happens. Some people are more multi task then others.
 

Markasin3

New member
Joined
Jan 8, 2010
Messages
23
MBTI Type
IXXP
Hey, I thought I share this. I might also copy and paste this to another thread.

I took the test from two different tests. The first one I took was in the book Please Understand ME II, and the second one I took was from similarminds.com four days later.

This is my results from the book:
10 introverted, 0 extroverted
10 sensing, 10 intuitive
10 thinking, 10 feeling
15 perceiving, 5 judging

Four days later, this is my results from the site:

Introverted (I) 67.65% Extroverted (E) 32.35%
Sensing (S) 50% Intuitive (N) 50%
Thinking (T) 51.43% Feeling (F) 48.57%
Perceiving (P) 62.16% Judging (J) 37.84%
 

sleepy

Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
536
You might be INTP. They are apparently the most notorious chameleons.
rep
no actually they're not

This was where I got it from, dunno if it's accurate or apply to all. Granted there is a difference between resembling a chameleon and actually being one. I meant the former, just to be clear.

INTP Central
INTPs preference for intuitive perception (rather than action) with respect to people results in them resembling a chameleon. The INTP can fit into many different modes of behaviour, even contradictory ones, in order to get into the mindset of the other person. The goal is to gain enough intuitive data to analyse and assess the person. In doing this, the INTP remains somewhat reserved, never wholly identifying himself with his surroundings. As chameleons, INTPs are therefore approachable and open, unless the Ne tells the INTP that the other person is a type he doesn't like, in which case the reserved attitude may become too obvious. The chameleon behaviour can be particularly strong when discussing something. The INTP may even argue something that he doesn't really believe himself. Sometimes it is for the intellectual stimulation that comes with the challenge of arguing from a variety of standpoints. Otherwise, it may be to avoid early conflict before the situation has been fully assessed. Chameleons hide their true selves. INTPs do not do this cynically, or indeed all the time, but it is a result of the strong desire to remain detached and observe.
 

BlueGray

New member
Joined
Oct 7, 2009
Messages
474
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
5
The chameleon idea isn't really a change in personality. I don't think it's internal change as much as giving so few external cues that people's view of the INTP can change easily.
 
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