• You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community, you will have access to additional post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), view blogs, respond to polls, upload content, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free, so please join our community today! Just click here to register. You should turn your Ad Blocker off for this site or certain features may not work properly. If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us by clicking here.

Ever wish you had never learned about MBTI?

nozflubber

DoubleplusUngoodNonperson
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
2,078
MBTI Type
Hype
When I first discovered MBTI and the INTP description, I was ennamored. It was like a personal revelation. So many confusing things became clear. I thought as many of you did - I've been severely cheated to have missed out on a very critical "Hitchhiker's Guide to Life" handbook for such a critical portion of my life.

One year later after this "revelation" I am starting to rethink this as such a wonderful blessing of knowledge. I go around obsessively trying to fit people into these 4 dichotmous, arbitrary measures. I have developed an aversion to what I perceive as "S" types, the description of which is flimsy at best. I even try to, oftentimes with great failure, guide my actions according to what I GUESS is another person's type.

But what is most aggravating to me about this is that I have partially internalized my type while simultaneously externalizing other types, and so have many others everywhere. This is problematic on so many levels. I think the greatest Sin of Science I see on these boards are questions like "how do I get an ENFJ to like me" etc, etc, without providing ANY other information about the near-infinite complexity of variables that is a human being - and those threads actually get a lot of thought-out replies!! If you do this you are a seduced fool like I am and need to reevaluate precisely what the MBTI test is: a SAMPLE of human behavior. You are NOT your type; you TEST as your type.

But enough ranting... if you could do it, would you erase all knowledge of MBTI and "type" from your mind? Why or why not?
 

Usehername

On a mission
Joined
May 30, 2007
Messages
3,794
if you could do it, would you erase all knowledge of MBTI and "type" from your mind? Why or why not?

Yes, I'd erase it. I hate that I can't help but think in this framework. I sense a disconnect with some of my close friends when I keep bringing it up; it's either a) keep my mouth shut and not discuss my buzzing thoughts (which is difficult and frustrating to not be able to speak what's truly on your mind or b) talk and sense their distrust and minor disillusionment of me as a friend because of my putting people in boxes.

I'd get rid of it because I had a good read of people before this (due to me constantly wondering about how things worked... which is annoying because my NTness only gets reinforced. It was good enough. I hate that many times over I keep getting it reinforced.

Although, as a vice, it does have its pluses. :)
 

heart

heart on fire
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
8,456
I would not want to give up any self understanding it has provided me with, so no.
 

Jeffster

veteran attention whore
Joined
Jun 7, 2008
Messages
6,743
MBTI Type
ESFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx
No way! I used to think I was by myself on an island, and everybody else was from some bizarro universe or something, and now I actually find myself being able to communicate much more effectively with people and understand them better because I can recognize their patterns and speak to them in something close to a language they understand. I feel like it's made me a more well-rounded person, and a much less frustrated one because I can actually understand some of the motivations of the other types, even if I don't share them. I've learned the value of having a good balance of types in a work environment or even a group of friends, it's a much richer experience when all kinds of different foods get dipped in the fondue pot.

I feel a lot less alone, and a lot more confident in myself, and special in my own uniqueness and kumbayah and blah blah blah and all that stuff (sorry I can only keep up the NF-like hippie talk for so long) :D
 

nozflubber

DoubleplusUngoodNonperson
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
2,078
MBTI Type
Hype
I would not want to give up any self understanding it has provided me with, so no.

Well that's just the problem - how do you know it's true understanding and not some sort of seducing self-deception that actually obscures clarity as opposed to giving it?
 

Firelie

Magical
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
836
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5
No. It's helped me understand myself better so that I have stopped feeling like a freak, but more importantly it's helped me understand how to better fit in with "normal" society and showcase my personal skills in ways they can be appreciated by others. It's also helped me understand my parents better, which has greatly improved my relationship with them even though I live pretty far away and don't get to be around them much anymore.
 

heart

heart on fire
Joined
May 19, 2007
Messages
8,456
Well that's just the problem - how do you know it's true understanding and not some sort of seducing self-deception that actually obscures clarity as opposed to giving it?

Actually it was learning about the tendancy for self delusion that was most helpful and to find out how I think best and to clear up a lot of confusion between how I thought I was "supposed" to be over how I am more naturally and to allow myself to drop unproductive attempts to be something I am not able to be. For a very long time, the desire to try and radically change myself and beliving I could kept me in a state of being out of touch with myself and spinning in place.

I can see more clearly where my weaknesses and strengths are.

I always had the adversion to S, just didn't know how to put it into words. Me and my husband would talk about it all the time, we would call it "not seeing the big picture" and we thought it was a willful decision to not see it. Now I know better. My father also would talk about this with me and my mother spent years beating it into my head that my N traits were evil...she didn't use those words because she didn't know what N was, but you could have read the Jung definition of it and add curse words and you got her complaints about me. ;) So it has been helpful to have a word for it and to understand more and more about what it really is.
 

Mort Belfry

Rats off to ya!
Joined
Jan 12, 2008
Messages
1,238
MBTI Type
INTP
I'm sick of thinking about it too. In stories that I write now I find have far too many NT characters. At the moment, the main characters of one story goes:

INTP - co protagonist
INTP - co protagonist
INTJ - main antagonist
ENTP - comic relief on antagonist side
ENTP - comic relief on protagonist side
ENTJ - harsh task master on protagonist side

I didn't have any need to know how unimaginative I was.
 

Tallulah

Emerging
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Messages
6,009
MBTI Type
INTP
I have experienced some of the tendencies described in the OP, and I have felt too "boxed in" by being identified as an INTP, but when I can take a step back, I can take myself out of the confining mindset. I think people can be so puzzling for INTPs that it's nice to have a shortcut to knowing them better. Sometimes that makes me stereotype people, but more often, it helps me understand where they're coming from.

MBTI has helped me clarify things that are important to me, and it's helped me not to feel so strange and guilty for being the way I am. Overall, the good far outweighs the bad.

I tend not to post on INTPc very often because it can serve to reinforce both my fears and a tendency to go way overboard in embracing the less-acceptable parts of my personality. Not a dig on INTPc--I've just noticed that about myself. If I post only occasionally there, I can enjoy it and maintain more of a balance.

Overall, I'd say MBTI has been a great help to me.
 

Thursday

Earth Exalted
Joined
Mar 14, 2008
Messages
3,960
MBTI Type
ENTJ
Enneagram
8w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
No
Its just another thing i can obsess over
damn Ni-Ti loop
 

Magic Poriferan

^He pronks, too!
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Messages
14,081
MBTI Type
Yin
Enneagram
One
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Well that's just the problem - how do you know it's true understanding and not some sort of seducing self-deception that actually obscures clarity as opposed to giving it?

Well, I hate to throw this old cliche out, but... How would you determine that any self-understanding is really the truth?
 

Magic Poriferan

^He pronks, too!
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Messages
14,081
MBTI Type
Yin
Enneagram
One
Instinctual Variant
sx/sp
Personally, I don't feel plagued or boxed in, because it was my personal conclusion and voluntary acceptance. If I determined something to be terribly wrong with the system, than I could change it or discard it as I plase.
I think it's rather odd that a number of you feel that your belief in it is now out of your hands.

I general, I don't forget the fact that people get test results because of who they are, rather than being who they are because of their test results.

There would be no point in forgeting everything I've learned about the MBTI.
 

Falcarius

The Unwieldy Clawed One
Joined
Apr 23, 2007
Messages
3,563
MBTI Type
COOL
Sure all the time, but especially when I call random people SJ,SP, NF, NT or whatever else to do with MBTI. It means I have to keep explaining what MBTI is, otherwise they think I am mental.

To be hounest I am neutral; So yeah, it gives a understanding of oneself and other. But, I don't like the way people use it to pigeon-hole themself / others, and it also has a tendency to make people more close-minded.
 

nozflubber

DoubleplusUngoodNonperson
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
2,078
MBTI Type
Hype
Well, I hate to throw this old cliche out, but... How would you determine that any self-understanding is really the truth?

Some things are worthy of more skepticism than others. For example, I see no point in questioning that I live in Florida, I have what appears to be a human body and I am using it to type this, and so on. Rampant philosophical skepticism just leads into an infinite regress of questions, so I accept those basic things as truths.

MBTI, on the other hand, is very worthy of my skepticism on a number of levels. The potential for delusionment/alienation/pigeon-holing people already mentioned, plus the fact that it has little acceptance in the scientific community, demonstrates no predictive validity and yet SEEMS to be insightful makes me question what the hell it really is doing.

I would be ready to drop it on a moment's notice if it weren't for one thing - why is there so much consistency between self-evaluation of type and how others type you? This really nags at me. Jung was either a brilliant scientist or a skilled magician.
 

Xander

Lex Parsimoniae
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
4,463
MBTI Type
INTP
Enneagram
9w8
I'd not throw it away. It has assited me many a time and guided me from the path of "I hate this guy, he's stoopid" to understanding that it's probably not because he's stupid but more that he just doesn't think like I do. With this attempt at language conversion (and I do believe it is an attempt, a damn fine one, but likely not conclusive) I can at least try to find out how to bridge the gap that type difference can leave me with.

Of course some "hims" are stoopid... there's no doubt there. Still, thinking about how it maybe me misinterpreting holds me off from that decision for a while and stops me making rash judgements.
 

colmena

señor member
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
1,549
MBTI Type
INXP
On film:

'Perhaps my desire to understand what profoundly moves me has prevented me from being profoundly moved.'
 

Nadir

Enigma
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
544
MBTI Type
INxJ
Enneagram
4
I don't really mind MBTI in the same way I don't mind seeing those astrology horoscopes... I found it fascinating when I first came across it, but in retrospect that was probably because I was so certain that I was in some way deficient or sick. Now that I'm out of that phase I've found that MBTI just doesn't do much for me, and is a dubious vantage point from which to consider things.
 

Kyrielle

New member
Joined
Apr 26, 2007
Messages
1,294
MBTI Type
INFJ
Enneagram
4w5
Sometimes I do. I get sick of thinking about it sometimes. As a matter of fact, I'm in the process of purging it from my everyday life so that when I meet someone I enjoy being around or really dislike, they're nothing more than people I like/dislike for whatever reason and not some type.

I'm getting to the point where when I see "N's" and "S's" and "J's" and "P's" or "E" or "I" (etc...) as way of summarising every person with that letter in their type (whether that effect is intended or not), I want to throw my computer out the window and scream "People aren't letters!" But because I love my computer like I would a puppy, I don't do that.
 

Leysing

New member
Joined
Mar 21, 2008
Messages
309
MBTI Type
FiSi
No.

MBTI has been very helpful in understanding myself and dealing with others. For example, my relationship with my impulsive barrel-of-gunpowder ESFJ mother has improved greatly as I understand why she acts and thinks the way she does. I also have found reasons to my nerve-tearing oversensitivity to everything bad and wicked and evil and repulsive and revolting and disgusting.

But sometimes I almost utter something like "That person is clearly a strong J" but fortunately manage to keep my mouth shut. I could receive some weird glances.

But, yes, occasionally I put the whole MBTI thing out of my mind. I try not to let the theory lead my interaction with other people, but rather reserve it as a helpful tool.
 
Top