How Seriously Do You Take The MBTI?

[Ghost of the dead horse]

Oh boy.

MBTI?

It's like an unreliable tool, I've used it and got something done, and hoping I'd have easier time with something new. I've used it for a time, got fond of it, but still looking for a replacement.

I love the fan club though. It's like, did you drive a Lada back then? Me too! Oh the nostalgy.

Not everything old have to be scorned. It does a good job for being invented such a long time ago. Of course it predates some instruments that are better in a psychometric sense, but it introduced a lot of people to the concept of personality.

So, I enjoy it for the framework it provides for talking about personality, even though there are stuff it can't do, like telling if someone is surely some type, what is person's "true" type, do types stay forever and things like that.

Given the variability in results, and poor correlation function test results to function orders lifted from the MBTI charts, parts of it can't be taken seriously.

Srsly, folks who repeat "MBTI is rubbish", take it apart and use what's salvageable. You can talk to a lot of people about personality with using this instrument as an inspiration. We'll have even better instruments soon, tho I doubt if any other instrument is going to get such a huge support - and such a huge discussion - any time soon. Of course, I get your frustration of what seems like undue trust in MBTI. I'm sure many people will find their own disillusionment about it without outside help, sooner or later, with the speed they're comfortable at.

 

[Magic Poriferan]

It could potentially be legitimate for something. As it currently exists in popular usage, it has no credibility.

Sometimes I still get steamed up about it, as I witness people applying it with a mantle of confidence and no understanding of it at all, but I mostly keep quiet. I can't change it, it isn't worth the time.

 

[Athenian200]

Well to tell you, let me tell you about my altar that I have constructed: It takes up about an acre and is 4 pronged, representing, Jung, Myers, Briggs, and Keirsey. Each prong points in the direction of their birth. It is made of marble and solid Burmese gold, and adorned with diamonds hand selected from the mines in Botswana. There are steps leading up to each prong and a picture of the person at the end, and a circle adorning a pentagram(made of the sacred minerals, and other assorted goods) on the end. It is there in which I make my sacrifices, chanting "Mecka lecka hi mecka hiney ho!" before making the final cut.

So in other words, it's just casual.

That's nothing compared to my altar!

I've got four huge, multi-tiered ziggurats with about 16 layers representing each of them, built of bricks made from diamond, emerald, marble, and sapphire respectively, and the bricks are held together with gold. The entire complex takes up a square mile. Further, there are walkways connecting all four of them, and a platform in the middle with an altar that looks like a replica of the Parthenon with a pit in the center, where we ritually sacrifice 10 virgins daily to each of the four gods! We also create effigies of each of the four gods each day, and burn them on top of their respective pyramids (as an honor, of course). There are also smaller golden altars on each of the pyramids for voluntary sacrifices to win the favor of the gods.

 

[Qre:us]

I don't.

Ditto!

I play around with it for fun; esp. around these forums...because, well, TypeC and all. But, in real life, I rarely ever consciously think to apply it, although, for e.g., I know I need to get more in touch with my emotions, as per family, friends, and myself, even if they know nothing of MBTI (which, MBTI translation - Fi). So, some correlations do exist.

 

[Quinlan]

I'm going to marry it!

 

[Littlelostnf]

I really think that when we teach people about the MBTI, we should start with teaching about the cognitive functions; the 16 "markers" or "categories" are simply points on a line graph of personality and many people fall between them. I believe the index would be taken much more seriously if we more closely examine the parts that make up the whole rather than the whole broken down into parts. Or maybe that's my inner Ni talking...

Know what's really funny. I totally agree with what you've said here. Perhaps it's because we're both ENFJs...yup that' has to be it!

Seriously tho I do agree the 16 functions are the key...there are all types of ENFJ, ISFPs blah blah nature and nurture play a part.

I think the MBTI is a fantastic starting point...but it should only be taken so far. I hate when it's assumed I'm a certain way because I'm the type I am. It's fascinating when I do something "true to type" but when I don't don't assume I'm something other than I am because I don't fit what you know about ENFJs. Good thread (even tho I haven't read thru all of it. The initial question was a good one)

 

[laughingebony]

For me, the MBTI is a fun topic for conversation and provides a semi-useful starting point for dealing with people, but the foundation of the theory seems quite shaky. Of course, that may be because I have yet to read any of Jung's work.

 

[Ism]

Too seriously.

I guess it's 'cause I'm young and impressionable.

 

[527468]

MBTI is like an overweight dragonlord. You have to put up with it, then you will quickly drown it with the plunger.

 

[Mondo]

MBTI is like an overweight dragonlord. You have to put up with it, then you will quickly drown it with the plunger.

Yea, I've had that feeling before.

 

[Laurie]

For me, it's like a hobby. It's entertaining and thought-provoking. I type friends/family/celebs for fun, but it's not like it changes my impression of them. They are still the same people they always were. It's really funny to see my interaction with them in retrospect after figuring out their type too. I also find it interesting to make the connection between two people who give me the same "vibe" but are also very different (oooh, they are both ESFPs!).

I also think it is useful in the sense that it can help you to see that not everyone has the same thought process as you. I mean, I knew that to begin with, but grasping cognitive functions really explains the differences. I view the types as caricatures and generalizations of how the functions often work together, not as fully accurate descriptions of individuals.

It's comforting for me to know my own type and know that I am not an alien, and to help me see my strengths (which is something I often don't see) and my weaknesses in a more objective way.

I think people who are offended by MBTI and by people making generalizations based on it actually take MBTI more seriously. I think the generalizations mostly open up productive discussion and broaden people's views on types. When you understand the thought process behind certain behavior, it can make it less annoying or offensive. You get a glimpse of where other people are coming from.

This.

 

[Mole]

That's nothing compared to my altar!

I've got four huge, multi-tiered ziggurats with about 16 layers representing each of them, built of bricks made from diamond, emerald, marble, and sapphire respectively, and the bricks are held together with gold. The entire complex takes up a square mile. Further, there are walkways connecting all four of them, and a platform in the middle with an altar that looks like a replica of the Parthenon with a pit in the center, where we ritually sacrifice 10 virgins daily to each of the four gods! We also create effigies of each of the four gods each day, and burn them on top of their respective pyramids (as an honor, of course). There are also smaller golden altars on each of the pyramids for voluntary sacrifices to win the favor of the gods.

And they tell me it's not a cult.

 

[entropie]

 

[alcea rosea]

Im ah so serious about it.
Dead serious.
Haha.

 

[Poki]

I really think that when we teach people about the MBTI, we should start with teaching about the cognitive functions; the 16 "markers" or "categories" are simply points on a line graph of personality and many people fall between them. I believe the index would be taken much more seriously if we more closely examine the parts that make up the whole rather than the whole broken down into parts. Or maybe that's my inner Ni talking...

Especially if we add a time scale and see the how we change and who we are around, that would make it a much more dynamic syatem, but isnt that what socionics is trying to do with type relationships and how they interact. All they need to do is take it one step further and give a psuedo type that each type acts like when they around other certain types.

 

[NewEra]

For me, it's like a hobby. It's entertaining and thought-provoking. I type friends/family/celebs for fun, but it's not like it changes my impression of them. They are still the same people they always were. It's really funny to see my interaction with them in retrospect after figuring out their type too. I also find it interesting to make the connection between two people who give me the same "vibe" but are also very different (oooh, they are both ESFPs!).

I also think it is useful in the sense that it can help you to see that not everyone has the same thought process as you. I mean, I knew that to begin with, but grasping cognitive functions really explains the differences. I view the types as caricatures and generalizations of how the functions often work together, not as fully accurate descriptions of individuals.

It's comforting for me to know my own type and know that I am not an alien, and to help me see my strengths (which is something I often don't see) and my weaknesses in a more objective way.

I think people who are offended by MBTI and by people making generalizations based on it actually take MBTI more seriously. I think the generalizations mostly open up productive discussion and broaden people's views on types. When you understand the thought process behind certain behavior, it can make it less annoying or offensive. You get a glimpse of where other people are coming from.

This.

That^^.

 

[iamathousandapples]

That's nothing compared to my altar!

I've got four huge, multi-tiered ziggurats with about 16 layers representing each of them, built of bricks made from diamond, emerald, marble, and sapphire respectively, and the bricks are held together with gold. The entire complex takes up a square mile. Further, there are walkways connecting all four of them, and a platform in the middle with an altar that looks like a replica of the Parthenon with a pit in the center, where we ritually sacrifice 10 virgins daily to each of the four gods! We also create effigies of each of the four gods each day, and burn them on top of their respective pyramids (as an honor, of course). There are also smaller golden altars on each of the pyramids for voluntary sacrifices to win the favor of the gods.

I was wondering when you would get the parthenon expansion, sadly I have less to work with, but I'm sure the gods will understand .

 

[Athenian200]

And they tell me it's not a cult.

If it is a cult (which I deny), let's just say I'm not so much a follower as a leader, if you know what I mean.

You know, cults of followers that you can manipulate with signs from the thing they believe in can be useful... you shouldn't be so quick to condemn them.

 

[Mole]

If it is a cult (which I deny), let's just say I'm not so much a follower as a leader, if you know what I mean.

I'll follow you to the ends of the personality.

 

[GZA]

Not very... I used to take it more seriously but then I realized it was a huge joke to take this seriously because its so loosely defined and everything... theres just no way to seriously apply this stuff in any consistent way.