[INTP] How do I move away from the INTP mindset into another personality?

[soulraiderx]

Hi there guys, first post, and as topic gives away, I'm INTP.

What are some ways to change your personality type? With the current progress in neuroscience, I can't see how it's impossible, especially when considering the ideas of neuroplasticity and how workable the brain really is. I know that many of the personality traits have been embedded over the course of many years, however I also know that it's completely viable to change those traits from even an intro- to an extrovert.

I don't feel comfortable living as an INTP and I never really have, but only recently have I understood myself. Rather than accepting myself however I've decided to not, which has opened up a sense of hatred for my own self-being. I'm sure many of you can relate to this.

My question is how do I go about changing. I've analyzed myself accordingly, which is unfortunately what an INTP would do, but I can't figure out how to rework my personality into myself. Do I just play opposite day every day?

Still on topic, why do people still consider the MBTI test to act as a path for their entire lives?

 

[JocktheMotie]

You spelled "INFP" wrong.

 

[soulraiderx]

You spelled "INFP" wrong.

No, I'm sure I spelt INTP right. In fact, I'm probably a lot closer to ENTP rather and INFP.

 

[Totenkindly]

Can you consistently play opposite every day and feel like you are acting authentically, without running yourself into the ground eventually?

Maybe you can be an extrovert first. Don't spend any time alone. Go to every social event you can think of, but always always always make sure you are around someone or at least looking for someone to engage. Don't live in your head at all, if possible. Even if you do not know what to say, say anything. Think and feel things outside your head. See how you bear up under that particular pattern of behavior.

Next we shall work on your emotive skillz.

 

[soulraiderx]

Can you consistently play opposite every day and feel like you are acting authentically, without running yourself into the ground eventually?

Maybe you can be an extrovert first. Don't spend any time alone. Go to every social event you can think of, but always always always make sure you are around someone or at least looking for someone to engage. Don't live in your head at all, if possible. Even if you do not know what to say, say anything. Think and feel things outside your head. See how you bear up under that particular pattern of behavior.

Next we shall work on your emotive skillz.

How come I don't see extroverts always talking to themselves when they're alone then?

 

[Trentham]

How come I don't see extroverts always talking to themselves when they're alone then?

How do you see them when they're alone?

PS - the answer to the question is - Extroverts need real people to interact with, not imaginary ones or projections of their inner self. In fact I'd wager that talking to oneself is more of an introvert's habit.

 

[Totenkindly]

How come I don't see extroverts always talking to themselves when they're alone then?

Hmm. Maybe you are an ENTP.

 

[Tallulah]

If you think you hate yourself now, just wait until you try (and fail) to become something other than you are.

You can strive for balance, but it's a terrible idea to try to become another personality type, motivated by self-loathing.

 

[soulraiderx]

If you think you hate yourself now, just wait until you try (and fail) to become something other than you are.

You can strive for balance, but it's a terrible idea to try to become another personality type, motivated by self-loathing.

Why is it a terrible idea? It's a completely plausible experiment. Change doesn't come from being content - change comes from problems. If you're content with who you are, how can you expect to ever change?

 

[nanook]

stop being a hater *g*

(this is my heading for the text below, not a response)

my best idea about change is this: judgemental functions are containers of scripts and perceptional functions are containers of preferences and certain goals ("collect such aspects, ignore others"). both preferences and scripts can be absolutistic. in the case of scripts it can easily be put into words: a script could read: "you should maintain the community". or it could read "you should maintain the community instead of agency". developement is the taming of any functions attempts to rule your whole world. i will actually claim, that any function, if understood with sensitivity, has an intrinsic need for it's opposite and therfore strives to facilitate or welcome it's oppostie. a function, if left alone by means of sensitivity, is "postive" in nature. one takes care of community, another takes care of agency. it's not a contratiction in fluid intelligence, but it's a contradiction in static scripts/believes or preferences. but scripts and preferences are not initially sensitive/fluid/alive. they are negative, reactive, stubborn. they need to evolve, following sensitivity. if you change your scripts and preferences so they won't inhibit other functions, other functions will activate as a result of their own aliveness. you don't have to start to "do" those other functions. i think its futile to "try" any function. once you can "try" it, once you can have the illusion of being the doer in the realm of this function you have allready identified with this function or you have converted it into your distal self*. you have allready reached the goal. also it wouldn't help to come up with a script/preference that wants to supress the verry function that came up with the script.

(* the proximate self being the one we think of when we say I (I do, etc)
the distal self being the one we think of when we say "this made me angry" or "my motivation to do")

 

[Chloe]

Not that I managed to do it myself, but i was really impressed with this line;when we truly know who we are, we can easily be what we are not. - something like that. i guess ... thomson chick said it, lenore... or dario nardi... or the woman who works with dario nardi

so ... when you are truly sure who you are... i guess it's easier to just act sometimes, when necessary as something thats not the most natural state.. because you dont feel fake, you explored yourself. know your limits. and play within those limits. as INTP you know your Fe will never be as in ENFJs, but once you know what your Ti,Ne really is, you can put them aside for a while, induldge in Fe....
because after all, despite MBTI type being inborn.. we are fluid..

because when you dont really know or feel at ease with who you are then you tend to cling, sometimes, even more to you top functions..
i can see this in for example Fi users who tend to cling to their values, being overprotective of them.. because they see some treat that isnt there. it's like they are afraid that something or someone will take them away from themselves.. so they protect it by being Fi to the max... while the truth is nobody can take yourself away from you, and if you really are aware of that on many levels... you can let go of that and play with other functions...
in short: not take yourself too srsly.

 

[Salomé]

Drugs.

 

[Lao]

Which other personality were you thinking of moving into?

 

[ReflecTcelfeR]

I'd say hitting your head with a hammer in 'just the right spots' should work. If you forget who you are, make sure you don't hurt your ability to create future memories, then you can 'change' (though it doesn't constitute as such now that you've forgotten that you wanted to in the first place). Bam! Done. Just hope that you don't fall into that way of thinking again. This will more than likely only work once, if that...

P.S. What do you find so 'uncomfortable' about being an INTP?

 

[Mr. Sherlock Holmes]

Drink. Party. Sllap yourself if you feel like correcting someone or teaching them anything. Get into sports. Never sit down and do nothing unless you're sleeping (gives you time to think). Stop learning things.