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When MBTI becomes your entire identity

AzulEyes

New member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
622
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Have you ever known anyone to take MBTI too far? To relate SO much to their type(s) and all the tests that are online and to interract with other enthusiasts online that it becomes their primary source of identifying who they are? I know this sounds extreme- but I'm being sincere in wondering about this. Interested what people think.
 
S

Stansmith

Guest
My sense of self has changed significantly since learning that I'm not NeSi. On the one hand, it gives me an opportunity to embrace my actual strengths, while on the other hand, it makes me feel inadequate in certain areas that I once considered myself proficient at.

It's also strange feeling as if you relate to NFs and their personal journeys, and then realizing you're part of the very group you've perceived to be the reason for your social disenfranchisement (sensors).
 

Cellmold

Wake, See, Sing, Dance
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
6,266
Of course, but it's far more common place than people realise.

If a person isn't careful it can colour their entire approach to the world and create prejudice based on assumptions of what a type means about them and others.

After all a skimming view of a person which puts them into a framework to be judged by, is easier than an in-depth examination, then again people do that without MBTI, but this is just one more tool in the box.

If misused that way.
 

Amargith

Hotel California
Joined
Nov 5, 2008
Messages
14,717
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
4dw
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
When that happens, you add extra's, like enneagram and socionics :coffee:
 
W

WALMART

Guest
I've gotten to where the entire theory is abstract, I have all the tools I need to synthesize an infinite combination of realities independent of conscription.

I do think there are heavily entrenched egos regarding even topical implications of type. People tend to fall into the fallacious attitude of, "I am This, I am X, X is This," and it is particularly irksome when the theory doesn't intend to define X or This.
 
G

Ginkgo

Guest
Have you ever known anyone to take MBTI too far? To relate SO much to their type(s) and all the tests that are online and to interract with other enthusiasts online that it becomes their primary source of identifying who they are? I know this sounds extreme- but I'm being sincere in wondering about this. Interested what people think.

Socionics can be even worse. Not only does it detail personality types, but it details which personality types are, according to it, attracted to each other.

This website basically bubbles over with what you're describing, but if you go over to the16types or some other socionics oriented site, the cult-like atmospheres are even more pronounced.
 

AzulEyes

New member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
622
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I have experienced on various forums individuals REALLY taking this stuff to heart to the point that they are biased though try to hide it to appear politically correct- but they very clearly create boundaries for themselves and "like" types and exlude "outsiders" and very much create an "us vs. them" mentality. Women stalking men of a certain type- certain it is the salvation to their loneliness and desperation for love. Men feeding off the type tests to inflate their ego saying, "Yes. I am this number and this combo of letters and I'm this and I'm that- therefore, I fucking rock!" I had to walk away from this stuff but then I get pulled back in. I guess it's like anything. Too much of any good thing starts to stink. Moderation is key. And when did we forget that we are all individual people defined by a myriad of things like our birth, our family, our experiences SO MUCH. Just because you might take information in via "sensing" and use Fe when you interact with people --- so? It's really stupid. And we ALL use ALL the functions. I guess I got into a loop of people in various networking groups and forums that very much have made it "cult like" as another person called it. Great description. I feel like a lack of sense of identity perpetuates this. And I'm sort of getting sick of it. Sorry if this was sort of a VENT. I hope we can carry on in this topic. I think it's a "reality check" type of thing.
 

Coriolis

Si vis pacem, para bellum
Staff member
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
27,230
MBTI Type
INTJ
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
After all a skimming view of a person which puts them into a framework to be judged by, is easier than an in-depth examination, then again people do that without MBTI, but this is just one more tool in the box.

If misused that way.
People make all kinds of (pre)judgements about others, based on gender, race, age, appearance, and many other categories. I find assumptions based on type distinctions, for me at least, are much more accurate than the others - not perfect, but it will get you in the ballpark, while the others will be way off the mark.
 

PimpinMcBoltage

New member
Joined
Nov 24, 2012
Messages
155
Enneagram
8
I have a great deal of fear that my hobby will generally color my world and make it so that I see everything in that context. In that sense I am constantly pulled to study more about the enneagram (even if it's just passively going through internet articles) yet also I generally have a sense of dread that my effort has been pointless and I can't really share myself to others because it's all I have.

I honestly wish that I hadn't taken up the hobby, because I find that every other hobby out there is too physically taxing and chaotic for me to enjoy. Though it's honestly my fault that I'm simply just not a very expansive person to begin with, and that I'm an absolute WHORE for categorical definitions.
 

two cents

New member
Joined
Oct 31, 2013
Messages
125
MBTI Type
INFJ
I agree with you, Coriolis!

People already make all kinds of assumptions about who you are based on various criteria that aren't all that informative. It's not even a bad thing, after all, people have a justifiable interest in knowing who they are dealing with. So long as the assumptions they make have a better than random chance of being accurate, given the observation they are based on, and so long as the people making assumptions realize those assumptions only have a PROBABILITY of being correct (and, can therefore be wrong), it's useful to be able to extrapolate observations about a person to get some idea of what they might be like and how they might act.

MBTI mostly focuses on the kinds of cognitive processes a person uses the most. As such, it's a great tool so long as it's not taken out of context and used to define everything about someone, even traits that aren't measured by the test. I've certainly found it very helpful in understanding how people around me think.
 

AzulEyes

New member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
622
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
I have a great deal of fear that my hobby will generally color my world and make it so that I see everything in that context. In that sense I am constantly pulled to study more about the enneagram (even if it's just passively going through internet articles) yet also I generally have a sense of dread that my effort has been pointless and I can't really share myself to others because it's all I have.

I honestly wish that I hadn't taken up the hobby, because I find that every other hobby out there is too physically taxing and chaotic for me to enjoy. Though it's honestly my fault that I'm simply just not a very expansive person to begin with, and that I'm an absolute WHORE for categorical definitions.

I get this- it draws you in for that fact. And I love your DORF type. LOVE! ;)
 

Cellmold

Wake, See, Sing, Dance
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
6,266
I agree with you, Coriolis!

People already make all kinds of assumptions about who you are based on various criteria that aren't all that informative. It's not even a bad thing, after all, people have a justifiable interest in knowing who they are dealing with. So long as the assumptions they make have a better than random chance of being accurate, given the observation they are based on, and so long as the people making assumptions realize those assumptions only have a PROBABILITY of being correct (and, can therefore be wrong), it's useful to be able to extrapolate observations about a person to get some idea of what they might be like and how they might act.

MBTI mostly focuses on the kinds of cognitive processes a person uses the most. As such, it's a great tool so long as it's not taken out of context and used to define everything about someone, even traits that aren't measured by the test. I've certainly found it very helpful in understanding how people around me think.

Perhaps, but lets use a hypothetical.

Lets say I am an SJ and you know I am an SJ, (in fact many would be in agreement), how would you approach me about a discussion of say determinism or existentialism?

How would you approach me on the subject of various social issues that are prominent in discussion today?
 

two cents

New member
Joined
Oct 31, 2013
Messages
125
MBTI Type
INFJ
Well, if you tell me you are an SJ of one sort or another, all it tells me is that it is likely that one of your two most frequently used cognitive functions is Si (introverted sensing). That (because of the nature of this specific cognitive function) is not a relevant piece of information in trying to approach you in a discussion of broad topics in philosophy or social issues.

Now, being an SJ also means that the other one of your prominent cognitive functions is going to be Fe or Te. Depending on which one it happens to be and whether I can figure it out, I could try to focus my argument on the aspects of [whatever I'm defending] that are most relevant to you. For Fe that (broadly) might focus more on harmonious relationships among people, and for Te perhaps on efficiency/effectiveness of systems. But, more importantly, rather than helping me better appeal to the way you see the world, knowing this will help me better understand what you are saying, to interpret your points in the way you mean them, rather than projecting my own meanings onto the words. Obviously, I can never completely escape my own perspective, but I can at least try to figure out where you are coming from, and I think that knowing what cognitive functions are primarily driving your argument helps.
 

Jaguar

Active member
Joined
May 5, 2007
Messages
20,647
Preferring vanilla ice cream over chocolate doesn't make me vanilla ice cream.
 

skylights

i love
Joined
Jul 6, 2010
Messages
7,756
MBTI Type
INFP
Enneagram
6w7
Instinctual Variant
so/sx
Perhaps, but lets use a hypothetical.

Lets say I am an SJ and you know I am an SJ, (in fact many would be in agreement), how would you approach me about a discussion of say determinism or existentialism?

How would you approach me on the subject of various social issues that are prominent in discussion today?

This is an interesting question.

I like to think of the MBTI as a tool. I don't employ it all the time, just when it might be useful.

Hypothetically, I approach you about a discussion of determinism/existentialism. This is unlikely because I generally find those topics snooze-worthy. But I'd probably approach you whatever my native way of approaching people about things is. Trying to be warm, conscientious, inquisitive.

The same would be true regarding discussing various social issues.

I would only bring in MBTI if I thought I was struggling to talk with you for some reason. Like maybe you are giving me a really in-depth historical explanation of an event and I am just not understanding why that's relevant. I realize you're an SJ and you're probably using specific concrete details to illustrate something to me. Now I can try to look at your explanation in that light and see if it makes more sense to me.

The funny thing in this scenario is I think my ISFJ would be more interested and be a better conversationalist regarding determinism/existentialism. And as a 6w7, I'm not exactly the most by-the-book example of an ENFP, either. So I try to keep in mind that it's just a theoretical framework. A shortcut. Nothing more.
 

Such Irony

Honor Thy Inferior
Joined
Jul 23, 2010
Messages
5,059
MBTI Type
INtp
Enneagram
5w6
Instinctual Variant
sp/so
My type is the most important thing about myself.

I've got my type tattooed on my right shoulder.
I've got my type on my license plate.
My type is on my business card.
You can find my type in my email signature.
I've got a t-shirt with my type on it.
I spend 4 hours a day on forums with people of the same type.
I put my type on my resume.
I have a framed poster in my bedroom with my MBTI results.
I really hate people of the opposite type.

No, I'm not obsessed with my type at all.

In case you haven't already figured it out I am being sarcastic.
 

Sunny Ghost

New member
Joined
May 28, 2010
Messages
2,396
My type is the most important thing about myself.

I've got my type tattooed on my right shoulder.
I've got my type on my license plate.
My type is on my business card.
You can find my type in my email signature.
I've got a t-shirt with my type on it.
I spend 4 hours a day on forums with people of the same type.
I put my type on my resume.
I have a framed poster in my bedroom with my MBTI results.
I really hate people of the opposite type.

No, I'm not obsessed with my type at all.

In case you haven't already figured it out I am being sarcastic.

Had to look it up after you said it:

2772813623_1e986ba621_m.jpg

Hope he at least typed himself accurately.
 

Chad of the OttomanEmpire

Give me a fourth dot.
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
1,053
MBTI Type
NeTi
Enneagram
478
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Despite the fact that I find this annoying, I've been guilty of it.

This is about right:
My sense of self has changed significantly since learning that I'm not NeSi. On the one hand, it gives me an opportunity to embrace my actual strengths, while on the other hand, it makes me feel inadequate in certain areas that I once considered myself proficient at.

I was kind of insulted to find out that I was
a) not a Ti-user
b) a thinking-function inferior

Current theories basically dismiss my propensities to finding out "how things work", tinkering with broken equipment, figuring out machines easily, defining and categorizing, and loving statistics, which is frustrating. And I realize that being Te-inferior doesn't mean you are stupid, illogical, or dogmatic, but plenty-o-folks are guilty of acting like that's what it means. Frustrating.

Plus, I don't see myself as nearly compassionate or empathic enough to be a "feeler", lol.

I also felt this way when I was mistyped at 6--HOLY SHIT, all the life-defining problems in my life are tangential issues, and I have a whole host of problems I didn't know about??? I was mistyped for that one, though. Not likely for xNFP.

So yeah...I'm probably taking that too seriously. I also don't really have a life right now, so that's part of it--no way to change the subject or get it off my mind.

I have experienced on various forums individuals REALLY taking this stuff to heart to the point that they are biased though try to hide it to appear politically correct- but they very clearly create boundaries for themselves and "like" types and exlude "outsiders" and very much create an "us vs. them" mentality. Women stalking men of a certain type- certain it is the salvation to their loneliness and desperation for love. Men feeding off the type tests to inflate their ego saying, "Yes. I am this number and this combo of letters and I'm this and I'm that- therefore, I fucking rock!" I had to walk away from this stuff but then I get pulled back in. I guess it's like anything. Too much of any good thing starts to stink. Moderation is key. And when did we forget that we are all individual people defined by a myriad of things like our birth, our family, our experiences SO MUCH. Just because you might take information in via "sensing" and use Fe when you interact with people --- so? It's really stupid. And we ALL use ALL the functions. I guess I got into a loop of people in various networking groups and forums that very much have made it "cult like" as another person called it. Great description. I feel like a lack of sense of identity perpetuates this. And I'm sort of getting sick of it. Sorry if this was sort of a VENT. I hope we can carry on in this topic. I think it's a "reality check" type of thing.
I agree with this, and this is one of those things that actually helps bystanders like me take the theories to an unreasonable degree.

My own issues with personality theory aside, I don't really understand why folks sometimes resort to explaining EVERYTHING in terms of these two theories. Those who have also studied it, have informed me that mainstream human psychology likely provides a better explanation for us being what we are.
 

AzulEyes

New member
Joined
May 16, 2012
Messages
622
MBTI Type
ENFP
Enneagram
7w6
Instinctual Variant
sx/so
Despite the fact that I find this annoying, I've been guilty of it.

This is about right:


I was kind of insulted to find out that I was
a) not a Ti-user
b) a thinking-function inferior

Current theories basically dismiss my propensities to finding out "how things work", tinkering with broken equipment, figuring out machines easily, defining and categorizing, and loving statistics, which is frustrating. And I realize that being Te-inferior doesn't mean you are stupid, illogical, or dogmatic, but plenty-o-folks are guilty of acting like that's what it means. Frustrating.

Plus, I don't see myself as nearly compassionate or empathic enough to be a "feeler", lol.

I also felt this way when I was mistyped at 6--HOLY SHIT, all the life-defining problems in my life are tangential issues, and I have a whole host of problems I didn't know about??? I was mistyped for that one, though. Not likely for xNFP.

So yeah...I'm probably taking that too seriously. I also don't really have a life right now, so that's part of it--no way to change the subject or get it off my mind.


I agree with this, and this is one of those things that actually helps bystanders like me take the theories to an unreasonable degree.

My own issues with personality theory aside, I don't really understand why folks sometimes resort to explaining EVERYTHING in terms of these two theories. Those who have also studied it, have informed me that mainstream human psychology likely provides a better explanation for us being what we are.

Thanks for accepting my vent and responding to it. :) I do appreciate it.
It's a great thing. We just cannot create boundaries over this stuff. We all are capable of utilizing all the functions. It's about preference. It makes life more interesting and productive when we all are a bit different. But let's not get too caught up into this stuff, people! ;)
 
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