English Majors and Type

[Sarcasticus]

Simple. I'm curious: if you're an English Major (BA/MA/Phd), what's your type?

 

[Thalassa]

ENFP

Currently taking a break from 3 1/2 years of being an English major, but literature has been my favorite subject since high school.

 

[Oberon]

Gotta love those native ENxP verbal skills.

 

[miss fortune]

My ENFJ sis is an english/creative writing major... she shall eventually graduate!

I voted for her here

 

[Totenkindly]

INtP.

But I was a math major for two years prior.
Now I work in computers.

 

[Totenkindly]

INtP.

But I was a math major for two years prior.
Now I work in computer tech.

 

[Phantonym]

 

[Jaguar]

I can see Jen and I are going to have to drag in more NTs.

 

[Tallulah]

I'm an INTP with an MA in English.

 

[Venom]

INtP.

But I was a math major for two years prior.
Now I work in computer tech.

inferior temptation pulled you off track??? I went from business to science, and I'll probably end up in business after all

 

[LEGERdeMAIN]

I was some sort of English - Prof. Writing major until I had a stroke. I claim to be an xSTP but I don't believe me.

 

[proteanmix]

I majored in English, but not the silly English literature stuff that gave me stomach aches and made me question my emotional affect. Actually my affect was to retch, but whateves. I wrote a poem about poetry inducing a bulimic state within me, but that was a little joke between the professor and I.

Language, Writing and Rhetoric!!

 

[Unkindloving]

Your poll has INTJ twice. Your likely unintentional neglect for ISTJs makes my heart a tad warmer .

I'm not an English major, but i do know an INTP and ISTJ who are.

 

[miss fortune]

I concluded that I would NOT add English to my majors list after getting asked to leave the class once after informing a professor that her favorite short story was "completely and utterly pointless and I feel like I just wasted an hour which I could have spent doing something more entertaining- like watching my toenails grow"

I did not know that it was her favorite story, but decided that if that's the sort of department you can get in trouble in for sharing your opinion, I did not belong there

That and the fact that every different class seemed to want for me to use a different method of citation- I was used to MLA from my other classes and objected to having to clutter my head with the 30 other citation styles available too :steam:

If the department hadn't been so picky, I'd probably have an english major!

 

[Tallulah]

I concluded that I would NOT add English to my majors list after getting asked to leave the class once after informing a professor that her favorite short story was "completely and utterly pointless and I feel like I just wasted an hour which I could have spent doing something more entertaining- like watching my toenails grow"

I did not know that it was her favorite story, but decided that if that's the sort of department you can get in trouble in for sharing your opinion, I did not belong there

That and the fact that every different class seemed to want for me to use a different method of citation- I was used to MLA from my other classes and objected to having to clutter my head with the 30 other citation styles available too :steam:

If the department hadn't been so picky, I'd probably have an english major!

When I teach lit, I try not to ever take stuff like that personally, and I don't expect people to like everything I like, but it's possible that she heard your comment as a direct challenge to her, since she was the one that picked it for you to read. It's sometimes hard to tell with students.

Most English departments do use MLA, since it's kind of the standard for English journals, but I have seen a few use Chicago.

 

[miss fortune]

we were asked to use APA on a few papers... SATAN invented APA!

My thoughts on the matter were- if she asked us our opinions on the story and I was the only one in the class who'd even bothered READING it, she should take pleasure in my honesty!

the story was Flaubert's "A Simple Heart"

 

[SolitaryWalker]

Other than art or cooking, English is the last subject I would want to major in. From the little that I know about the subject, I am having a difficult time understanding how anyone who is interested in understanding reality could do work in 'academic English' without any great discomfort. Too often the Postmodernist dogma reigns and many ideas are reduced to 'interpretations' or 'perspective' as a result. I keep getting the impression that the whole discipline promotes the belief that what truly matters is understanding a person's viewpoint, his biases and personal opinions rather than the essence of the studied ideas. I understand that they'd retort that it is important for people to acknowledge their bias and not mistake their arbitrary opinions for facts or that complete objectivity is impossible. However, I do not see this as a sufficient excuse to ignore the pursuit of truth altogether. I am not claiming that this is what every savant of English believes, but it seems to me that many do, possibly even an average professional in the field does. That is unsurprising to me as the discipline is first and foremost an art. Just as artists can't be expected to be deeply interested in understanding the world, the literature enthusiasts should not be expected to do so either.

I'd love to have someone on the forum post a plausible argument in an attempt to refute my conclusion. For a long time I've been looking for a reason to treat this discipline with some measure of intellectual respect, yet my endeavor has been futile thus far.

 

[LEGERdeMAIN]

Other than art or cooking, English is the last subject I would want to major in. From the little that I know about the subject, I am having a difficult time understanding how anyone who is interested in understanding reality could do work in 'academic English' without any great discomfort. Too often the Postmodernist dogma reigns and many ideas are reduced to 'interpretations' or 'perspective' as a result. I keep getting the impression that the whole discipline promotes the belief that what truly matters is understanding a person's viewpoint, his biases and personal opinions rather than the essence of the studied ideas. I understand that they'd retort that it is important for people to acknowledge their bias and not mistake their arbitrary opinions for facts or that complete objectivity is impossible. However, I do not see this as a sufficient excuse to ignore the pursuit of truth altogether. I am not claiming that this is what every savant of English believes, but it seems to me that many do, possibly even an average professional in the field does. That is unsurprising to me as the discipline is first and foremost an art. Just as artists can't be expected to be deeply interested in understanding the world, the literature enthusiasts should not be expected to do so either.

I'd love to have someone on the forum post a plausible argument in an attempt to refute my conclusion. For a long time I've been looking for a reason to treat this discipline with some measure of intellectual respect, yet my endeavor has been futile thus far.

There is no mystical "essence" and you're not a Greek philosopher.

 

[SolitaryWalker]

There is no mystical "essence" and you're not a Greek philosopher.

Thank you sir, that was ingenious. You truly made me think.

 

[Grungemouse]

INTP and I'm a first year in English & creative writing. Currently thinking of switching to just doing English, because I'm not enjoying the creative writing aspect as I thought I would. It's too emotional and personal for my liking. I'm enjoying the linguistic and literature side, however. In order to understand historical context in a particular era, I would sooner look into the art and literature for a more accurate, fuller picture than you would from reading a history book. Literary theory is a little dry, but I'm fairly solid in my 2:1 in it. Not a brilliant grade, obviously, but not bad for a first year and being completely new to it?

I'm studying it in hope of going into the publishing industries, preferably as an editor. One can dream.