Downsides to understanding MBTI well

[garbage]

Understanding mbti well doesn't make it true.

Yup. I can understand the Harry Potter series in full detail, but I can also recognize that it's only a fantasy.

 

[garbage]

I have never understood this "can't put people in boxes" thing.

Watch me put everyone in one box: every one of those 7 billion people is a human. Not only was that not impossible, it was easy.

If all it is is a damn good heuristic that can make people think more clearly about how other people think, I'm totally ok with that.

All of this is true.

We can create a bunch of different boxes and draw lines anywhere we want. The thing we've gotta ask is how descriptive (and thus how useful) our boxes are.

Mashing all 7 billion people into one box separates us from the monkeys--bam, in fact, that's what the whole field of taxonomy does. But it doesn't help us understand within the realm of people any better; and so if that's our aim we've gotta try something else.

Thus, we have our typologies. To the extent that, say, MBTI helps make people think more clearly about how people think, it's a great thing. Knowing the limitations of the theory, though--that it's more of a heuristic than an absolute, or that it doesn't describe behavior unless one reaches way to far--is part of understanding the theory.

The people who develop theories should take on some of the burden of putting their theories in proper context, but they also can't help much if others misuse them.

In short, I'm in total agreement.

 

[Sentient Light]

I believe that being "good at the MBTI" is like saying you've used instructions to build a model airplane.
There's a certain lack of creativity in the MBTI's structure, and that's what makes it depressing.

MBTI is fun as a toy, but can you really ride what you have spent so much time building?
You'd crush it. It's too tiny. You're too big.

 

[entropie]

I have never understood this "can't put people in boxes" thing.

Watch me put everyone in one box: every one of those 7 billion people is a human. Not only was that not impossible, it was easy.

One box for everyone or 16 ?

 

[ancalagon]

There's a certain lack of creativity in the MBTI's structure, and that's what makes it depressing.

What do you mean?

MBTI is fun as a toy, but can you really ride what you have spent so much time building?
You'd crush it. It's too tiny. You're too big.

What do you mean by "crush it"?

One box for everyone or 16 ?

If we can make one box for everyone, then we can make 16 boxes for everyone.

 

[entropie]

If we can make one box for everyone, then we can make 16 boxes for everyone.

Wouldnt that be against you initial thesis, which is boxing humanity into 16 boxes is good ? Cause if you can make 16 boxes, you can make 6 million aswell.

 

[ancalagon]

Wouldnt that be against you initial thesis, which is boxing humanity into 16 boxes is good ?

I'm not following you.

Cause if you can make 16 boxes, you can make 6 million aswell.

True. 6 million boxes would be an unwieldy theory, though.

 

[Mole]

True. 6 million boxes would be an unwieldy theory, though.

Typing ignores the fact that we are inter-subjective.

And inter-subjectivity is dynamic, complex and unpredictable, while typing reifies, simplifies, and is predictable.

So typing is for those unable to enter the flow of inter-subjectivity.

And typing gives the illusion of social control.

 

[Sentient Light]

What do you mean?

I mean that.. at least in my case, using a premade structure [which is the way I see MBTI] to "figure people out" can cause a lack of creativity in dealing with people. You can become predictable in your judgements of people in using the MBTI for dealing with and understanding people.

I've come to realize that part of the fun of socializing/being a social creature comes from solving problems through experience rather than using a "road map"..

What do you mean by "crush it"?

Well, like with cognitive dissonance [my experience with cognitive dissonance is that it leaves a gap where "information" used to be], you'd find out the hard way that your views are too hmmm.. uh.. short-sighted? to be comfortable for long.
It's just a small part of the puzzle if it is even accurate, and if you treat it like it's super important or super accurate, then you're minimizing your view to a small fraction of the understanding of human nature.

 

[entropie]

Typing ignores the fact that we are inter-subjective.

And inter-subjectivity is dynamic, complex and unpredictable, while typing reifies, simplifies, and is predictable.

So typing is for those unable to enter the flow of inter-subjectivity.

And typing gives the illusion of social control.

You are the first one in 14.000 posts and more, I non-ironically tip my hat to. Thank you.

Now my work is done

 

[Mole]

You are the first one in 14.000 posts and more, I non-ironically tip my hat to. Thank you.

Now my work is done

This is quite a compliment, dear entropie. I will remember it and you.

[MENTION=4109]entropie[/MENTION]