Flâneuse
don't ask me
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2014
- Messages
- 947
- MBTI Type
- INFP
- Enneagram
- 9w1
- Instinctual Variant
- sp/sx
I agree that narcissism and its worst symptoms (unwillingness to question one's own judgment and failing to empathize with others and even to recognize they are fully human too) are behind a lot of problems in the world, from individual acts of cruelty to large-scale injustices.
However, I don't think using MBTI is necessarily a sign of narcissism - it depends on how it is used. Narcissists don't want to discover their real selves, so instead of using type theory as a tool for genuinely learning the truth, they would use it superficially and counterproductively as a means to validate their self-image and, in some cases, as a way to validate their images of others as inferior. They likely pay attention to the parts of type and function descriptions that make them sound gifted and special, taking them at face value without really questioning how true it is of them, while avoiding getting too deep into the ugly side of being a particular type. They also are probably quick to buy into negative stereotypes of certain other types, while ignoring or failing to recognize the value of their strengths, as a way to boost their feelings of superiority. (For example, how some people use a certain typing to augment their "special snowflake" or "super-genius" delusions about themselves while believing that certain other types are generally stupid, shallow (ironic!), irrational, or weak, etc. I've seen some of this here, but far less than on certain other typology forums.)
I think that using typology in an honest and nuanced way, however, can help people increase self-awareness and better understand others and their perspectives (and that different perspectives can be equally valid according to different values), which can lead to greater empathy, which is counteractive to narcissism and elitism. In order to be a useful tool to deepen understanding of the self and others and lead to growth, MBTI and function theory should be used to confront the self's weaknesses and recognize the value of others' strengths just as much as it used to recognize and value the self's strengths. (It can be useful in this way, but because many are more comfortable sticking to comfortable self-delusions it may be more common for it to be used to in the narcissistic, self-obscuring way, possibly giving some the impression it's never useful.) Also, types and functions should be used as heuristics rather than perfect maps of the self and others - people should recognize that every individual is unique and that no one fits perfectly into one of the boxes, but instead that the boxes just define patterns themselves, not individuals, and that these patterns fit different people in different ways and to different degrees. Instead of just taking what is said in descriptions at face value, a person should take what is said as suggestion and observe for themselves what is true or not. I think Jung & MBTI offer some very insightful suggestions that can speed up the process of learning about other people. And sometimes a particular suggestion is found to be untrue, but it raises a topic or question that one wouldn't have thought of themselves, and this leads to the person finding their own insights about the topic.
However, I don't think using MBTI is necessarily a sign of narcissism - it depends on how it is used. Narcissists don't want to discover their real selves, so instead of using type theory as a tool for genuinely learning the truth, they would use it superficially and counterproductively as a means to validate their self-image and, in some cases, as a way to validate their images of others as inferior. They likely pay attention to the parts of type and function descriptions that make them sound gifted and special, taking them at face value without really questioning how true it is of them, while avoiding getting too deep into the ugly side of being a particular type. They also are probably quick to buy into negative stereotypes of certain other types, while ignoring or failing to recognize the value of their strengths, as a way to boost their feelings of superiority. (For example, how some people use a certain typing to augment their "special snowflake" or "super-genius" delusions about themselves while believing that certain other types are generally stupid, shallow (ironic!), irrational, or weak, etc. I've seen some of this here, but far less than on certain other typology forums.)
I think that using typology in an honest and nuanced way, however, can help people increase self-awareness and better understand others and their perspectives (and that different perspectives can be equally valid according to different values), which can lead to greater empathy, which is counteractive to narcissism and elitism. In order to be a useful tool to deepen understanding of the self and others and lead to growth, MBTI and function theory should be used to confront the self's weaknesses and recognize the value of others' strengths just as much as it used to recognize and value the self's strengths. (It can be useful in this way, but because many are more comfortable sticking to comfortable self-delusions it may be more common for it to be used to in the narcissistic, self-obscuring way, possibly giving some the impression it's never useful.) Also, types and functions should be used as heuristics rather than perfect maps of the self and others - people should recognize that every individual is unique and that no one fits perfectly into one of the boxes, but instead that the boxes just define patterns themselves, not individuals, and that these patterns fit different people in different ways and to different degrees. Instead of just taking what is said in descriptions at face value, a person should take what is said as suggestion and observe for themselves what is true or not. I think Jung & MBTI offer some very insightful suggestions that can speed up the process of learning about other people. And sometimes a particular suggestion is found to be untrue, but it raises a topic or question that one wouldn't have thought of themselves, and this leads to the person finding their own insights about the topic.