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Why using the word use when talking about functions leads to misconceptions

Smilephantomhive

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I think the whole language of "using functions" is wrong, or well not good. Let's just say that by this definition that I would use Ne a lot, well idk not a lot compared to Ne dom, but still more than you would expect from a Ne inferior. However I am not a fan on the Ne mindset. Idk, I find can them reckless, shallow, some boring (mainly online ones, tend to be ones on tumblr, well maybe some here, but I did not have anyone specific in mind.). Now are these things correct? Idk. But that's not the point. The point is that people tend to be annoyed with how types that are different than theirs view the world. I think typing people based on mindset over abilities is a much better way to go about things.

Anyway I think abilities is where the N bias comes from. I mean people take thinking concretely as a given. In Piaget's stage thingy concrete operational is before the abstract formal operational. So well people will of course think people who prefer the later, more presumably difficult stage as more intelligent. It makes sense, but obviously I did not want to be perceived as unintelligent.

Some of it, I have trouble putting it into words. I know, and have already I think explained that people used their egos to make their type seem superior in some thread. there is no way someone doesn't use all of them, it is insanely difficult to type anyone. Also abilities change as you get older. Okay mindsets do too, but abilities is much easier than mindsets imo. I don't know, it just seems messy, and has zero objectivity. Don't get me wrong mbti will never be 100% objective, but there has to be some consensus.

I still hate that people think of Ss as sheep. I don't think very many active people here still do, but I find this to bea thing with some newcomers. Idk it could've been old mbti articles and posts that lasted, but sill managed to offend me (fuck why did I ever think I was thick skinned). Anyway I think this belief is due to the tendency to think people that you are not close with don't have original thoughts because you don't know what's going on in their head.

And yeah, I don't use this word lightly, but it is downright evil to think that one group does not think for themselves. I loath people who do this, and don't respect them, and think they are part of the problem. This type of thinking is the route or racism, sexism, all the isms really. I mean being typist isn't as bad as those, but having typists tendencies makes you more likely to be prejudiced in real life.

Another problem with the whole uses language is that even when you remind people that it's about preference, people still think of it as abilities, and that you have to suck at the other things. This causes people to think fs are dumber since well they can't use logic, right? Also if Ns didn't use sensing (like the 5 senses definition) then they would not even be able to function...

Also the 5 sense definition is dumb. This is garenteed to make people think sensors are simple and dumb no matter how much disclaimers you put.
 

Eric B

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I've tried to move away from the term "use", because I've seen where it goes along with the treatment of the functions as "gears" (to borrow the illustration from the old Lenore Thomson Exegesis Wiki), creating a too mechanical portrayal of everyday activities in terms of functions (you shift in one gear and out of the other, one at a time; and certain types only "use" certain gears, etc)., that may seem to make sense at first glance, but then causes confusion when you're really trying to determine what you truly "prefer" (since we do all these things all the time).

The functions are divisions of reality by an ego embedded in an otherwise undivided spacetime; much like "left/right", "above/below", "back/forth", and "before/after". We don't speak of "using" these dimensions, and so functions can be seen pretty much the same way, though we are so accustomed to speaking that way, and they are tied with things we "do".
 
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Smilephantomhive

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I've tried to move away from the term "use", because I've seen where it goes along with the treatment of the functions as "gears" (to borrow the illustration from the old Lenore Thomson Exegesis Wiki), creating a too mechanical portrayal of everyday activities in terms of functions (you shift in one gear and out of the other, one at a time; and certain types only "use" certain gears, etc)., that may seem to make sense at first glance, but then causes confusion when you're really trying to determine what you truly "prefer" (since we do all these things all the time).

The functions are divisions of reality by an ego embedded in an otherwise undivided spacetime; much like "left/right", "above/below", "back/forth", "up/down" and "before/after". We don't speak of "using" these dimensions, and so functions can be seen pretty much the same way, though we are so accustomed to speaking that way, and they are tied with things we "do".

Yeah, the mind is not as mechanical as we would like to think.
 

Bush

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Agreed. "Uses" is an alright shortcut for "primarily approaches the world from", but there's got to be something less unwieldy but more accurate. I'm no pedant by any means, but word choice here does matter because it leads to dumb misconceptions.

"Orients by" and "prefers" seem off as well, but they're stabs at a replacement at least
 

Merced

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I agree. I also think that the word implicates that MBTI is a measurement of behavior and that's an assumption I refuse to support. I think that vocabulary in academic discussion is important and the changing or questioning of word use is valid.
 

Yama

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I agree. I also think that the word implicates that MBTI is a measurement of behavior and that's an assumption I refuse to support. I think that vocabulary in academic discussion is important and the changing or questioning of word use is valid.

Exactly!! MBTI is about COGNITION, which can sometimes predict behavior but ultimately that's not what it's about, yet that seems to be the way everyone approaches it, especially w hen typing other people (and especially fictional characters).
 

Forever

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Yup I agree smoo. I always thought the mechanical function of MBTI just didn’t really apply to reality all that well. Also using the “Te” function for different types sounded incredibly difficult to comprehend especially the differing between S and N (also with Fe) and it seemed like they were “used” differently but not really.

Each function is accessed in its own way and own time depending on maturity of how much the person wants to grow.

Our brains are just all combined into one and interconnected, we don’t just pick and choose how our brain functions (the whole 10% using your brain myth lol)
 
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