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Newbie to typing and eager for input! Type me?

lace

New member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
2
I'm new to the whole idea of personality types. Immediately when I read about them I was very intrigued - I love the idea of finding out more about yourself and others, and understanding the underlying reasons why we do what we do. I'd like to know more about my type so I can make better decisions going forward in life, etc., but like a lot of people, I'm having trouble landing on a relatively definite or accurate type. I'd really appreciate it if those of you well-versed in personality typing would evaluate me.

I understand typing is better used as a guide than a concrete diagnosis so to speak, but I would love to get a more specific and educated answer than the generic free typing tests have given.

So below I'm trying to answer questions I'd consider relevant. I'm sorry it's so lenghty despite my efforts to be concise! I'm female if that matters. Thanks in advance :)

--------What motivates you?

My priorities, and the things that energize and encourage me even when I'm tired are family and friends (my desire to see them happy and healthy and be with them), beauty (like in art and nature) and the promise of adventure (the many possibilities in the world, particularly travel, languages, people) and testing the waters to see just what I'm capable of. I am young still (22) so I'd like the chance to run a lot of stuff by myself in the hopes that I learn more about myself and the world - especially since I was very isolated as a child, being homeschooled.

(Although at the same time, I believe you don't have to see or do a lot to understand the basic principles of the world and how it works, or to be wise in matters of living, because I've discovered that [even with the complexity in the world] there are a handful of essentially simple concepts and patterns that repeat and echo throughout the different aspects of life, from art to science to day-to-day grind stuff.)

I also have a desire to help people (particularly those I'm close to) and improve the world with elegant solutions that take lots of things into account and accomplish multiple goals at once by going to the source of a problem. If I can't do that, I'll settle for the next best thing I can do and try not to stress about compromise.

-----------What do you enjoy doing?

I like art, crafting, making things with my hands, and have been doing it since a young age. I like trying new things and usually get overly ambitious with projects. This sometimes leads to me getting discouraged and deciding "Nevermind... what's the point?" and moving on. I've learned to sew, knit, crochet, paint, make jewelry. A common compliment I've gotten is that I'm good at most skills I try. Doing hair and makeup, music, writing, mimicking accents, all sorts of random things. When I was 13, a company in California approached me, wanting to fly me there and hire me to do writing for their website because of my activity on a forum. They didn't realize I was so young.

I usually perform well under pressure, but it wrecks my nervous system. I took violin lessons several years ago and, despite starting many years later than my peers, excelled to the point of getting noticed and advanced by my teacher. However, when I participated in a competition I had an epiphany: I hated (and sucked at) performing and competing. The stress and the expectations it placed on me. I realized I didn't get a 'buzz' from sharing my abilities - I just liked tinkering to get my technique right, and seeing if maybe, just maybe, I could pull off something way beyond my skill level. I do think that with time I could learn to enjoy performing, since as I said, I've been very isolated and I've grown in ways I previously wouldn't have expected to.

I can procrastinate because of my perfectionism, but I'm very self-motivated. I homeschooled myself through high-school alone at home while my mom and dad worked all day while also looking after my grandmother. When I decide I want to change or try something, I don't rely on others to encourage me to pursue it - I just give it a shot.

I also cook for my family on a daily basis (enjoy that!), and I like outdoor activities, reading about nutrition (people I know often come to me for advice on the subject), and tame activities like going for a drive or just hanging out.

-------------What kind of social interaction do you like?:

More one-on-one and small groups. I get a bit of a charge off of positive social interaction (laughing, joking, just general happy conversation and hanging out). However, like a typical introvert, I run my batteries out quickly. How quickly depends usually on how comfortable I am with those I'm around, whether or not they're confrontational or edgy, etc. I don't like debating or arguing, which seems to energize and enliven some, but totally exhausts me and makes me nervous, except on a choice few subjects about which I have deep certainty and convictions. I'm not likely to contradict people (unless in jest or trivial matters), even though I'll be very honest about my opinion, especially if I'm asked. I don't usually volunteer my opinions.

I get 'glazed over' after a period in a party-type atmosphere where others are talking all high-pitched, feigning interest, and using grossly exaggerated facial expressions. I just have no interest in that. I appreciate authenticity, even if it means a bit more 'awkward silence' is inevitable. In situations like the previously described party, I'll just people-watch, listen, and ponder, and I enjoy doing that (people often catch me staring wistfully at space and ask if everything's ok. I'm like... "Oh yes. No worries!")

Also, I'm hard to impress or excite, but when I do get excited I'm pretty bubbly and laugh a lot, and it probably contrasts starkly to my usual state. I hardly ever get really mad. When I do, I'm not extreme - I just say what's upsetting me or what I find unfair/wrong, etc. I try to end conflict and come up with solutions that prevent it from reoccurring.

---------- How do people usually describe you?

Sweet, quiet, giggly, funny (I actually make people laugh quite often, especially in a slower, more easygoing environment where I'm given the time and space to talk.) My friend says I'm a perfectionist, relies on me for creative insight, says I tend to 'mother' people too much at the expense of myself, and thinks I'm very rational and composed about things (she was taken aback by how I handled my mother's life-threatening illness without wallowing in self-pity)

I find lots of people like me because I listen to them, and I hardly ever rub anyone the wrong way. Children often take to me as well, because I don't treat them like deaf retards (I find that irritating. I remember being a kid - I wasn't stupid and I appreciated it when people treated me like a small, young human instead of a dog! lol)

I'm usually very rational and try to keep things in perspective of the big picture.

------------------Random things I like:

Sherlock holmes!!
Dr.Who
Happy, cheerful things like polka dots and sunny days (cheesy I know)
British humor
Cats
Knitting
Swimming
Hiking
People-watching
Good books (Agatha Christie mysteries!)
Trying on the ideas and worldviews of other people and keeping an open mind
Discovering new life hacks or better ways of doing things
Foreign accents - so amusing!
Interesting and/or deep conversations
Silly or quirky, unexpected things
 

Evo

Unapologetic being
Joined
Jul 1, 2011
Messages
3,160
MBTI Type
XNTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Welcome :) you feel like an ISFJ to me. The way I go about figuring out a type though, is I try to figure out the letters first...like for example do you need things neat and organized and/or planned to think clearly? If the answer's yea you might have a J at the end. Then once you have all 4 letters you can try to see if your functions match the way you view and decide upon things.
 

lace

New member
Joined
Aug 20, 2012
Messages
2
Thanks you guys!

Reading about ISFJ's, it does seem to be a good fit. But I don't think I have much of the 'need to be needed' that they talk about (I like to help but I don't depend on it for purpose and fulfillment) or the fear I read something about. I think I'm a little less uptight and more spontaneous than they describe them too, but I'll have to read more to find out what that means I guess.

Inari Love, thanks for the suggestion! I'll try that approach. I've only seen the tests thus far, instead of a breakdown of the meaning of each letter, so I'll do some googling.

I've tested INFJ a lot, but I always doubt whether I'm able to objectively answer questions about myself and whether I'm clouding my results by what I want to be vs. what I am, since I know that's critically important to getting an accurate result.
 

Evo

Unapologetic being
Joined
Jul 1, 2011
Messages
3,160
MBTI Type
XNTJ
Enneagram
1w9
Instinctual Variant
sp/sx
Thanks you guys!

Reading about ISFJ's, it does seem to be a good fit. But I don't think I have much of the 'need to be needed' that they talk about (I like to help but I don't depend on it for purpose and fulfillment) or the fear I read something about. I think I'm a little less uptight and more spontaneous than they describe them too, but I'll have to read more to find out what that means I guess.

Inari Love, thanks for the suggestion! I'll try that approach. I've only seen the tests thus far, instead of a breakdown of the meaning of each letter, so I'll do some googling.

I've tested INFJ a lot, but I always doubt whether I'm able to objectively answer questions about myself and whether I'm clouding my results by what I want to be vs. what I am, since I know that's critically important to getting an accurate result.

ISFJ's can tend to be a tiny bit uptight/anxious but that's also when they are immature....that's another thing you have to keep in mind. If you are a mature person the stereotypes of a certain type may not apply to you at all. My second guess was infj for you. It is very hard to stay objective and not try to answer the questions as who you would want to be and who you actually are. (that also sounds like an intuitive thing to say) It took me like 3 or 4 years to figure mine out...but once i did...it felt like a weight had actually been lifted because i felt like I was understood for once. Not everyone is able to have a type match them so perfectly. For me, someone else had to actually sit down and listen to all the descriptions of every one i thought i was and we finally came across it and they were like "that sounds just like you." So having an outside prospective is helpful as well.

Sometimes if I was having trouble typing someone i would go to this website http://personalitypage.com/html/personal.html and look at the person's positives and negatives under the tab "growth." I think it's an ok website to start out with but there's not much about the functions.

Keep searching though the rewards in self discovery can be very fulfilling :)
 
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