Type me!

[Little Linguist]

Okay, okay, I finally have decided:

NOW:

First: Te-dom
CLOSE second: Ne-dom (this might be first? But I kind of like the other one).
Then: Fi-dom
Then: Ni-dom
Then: Si-dom
Then: Fe-dom
Then: Ti-dom
Then: Se-dom (NO WAY IN HEAVEN HELL OR PURGATORY AM I THAT! After reading that description, aw lawd 'a' mercy.)
__________________

AS A KID:

First: Te-dom
Then: Ni-dom/Si-dom (this might be first)
Then: Si-dom/Ni-dom (this might be first)
Then: Ne-dom
Then: Fi-dom
Then: Ti-dom
Then: Fe-dom
Then: Se-dom

 

[BlueScreen]

That says Te Si Ne = ESTJ when younger.

My second guess from that would be INTJ.

The other option is your behaviour was influenced strongly by your parents when you were younger so masked your real functions. Going from your present list and your age, ENFP would be the best fit.

 

[Heart&Brain]

From how you responded to the Ne-dom description, I can't see you as ENFP. It looks to me as if you identify the most with Te and Si, then Ne and Fi. Couldn't that actually be your real functional order: Te-Si-Ne-Fi? Those are the same four functions as the ENFP, just in different order. How do you relate to the profile of the ESTJ-type?

 

[Charmed Justice]

iSXJ as a kid, for sure. You remind me of my mother so much.
From just reading your past post, and especially reading what you've written here, I'd say you're still an iSXJ.

 

[VagrantFarce]

OK!

LL, explain how you think the functions work! Let's see what you know, instead of us feeding you garbage and you trying to desperately find meaning in all of it, because this thread is going nowhere fast.

 

[Space_Oddity]

I would have to guess that most people feel that they have polar opposites inside of them.

Exactly. That was what I was trying to say by the examples I gave. And I'd even go so far and say that's what a huge part of MBTI actually is about. In my opinion, that's actually why the 'polar opposite function pairs' form in true life, i.e. why 'anima and animus' are attracted to each other. We are attracted to someone we deep down are, sometimes so deep that it's uneasy to spot for other people or even us. As an example, I've always felt that INFPs, who are considered the most dreamy and unearthly type in MBTI descriptions, are actually fairly pragmatic in reality, and can be very practical and no-nonsense when it's needed. And conversely, when it comes to ISTJs, I've more than once observed individuals that may have (built) a solid and pragmatic interior, but deep down are more sensitive and dreamy than any INFP I've ever met. NFPs and STJs are similar types function-wise, so MBTI can be used to 'explain' this, but honestly, one doesn't have to be a psychologist to figure out how this could happen, you just have to know the people well.

Once again, it's perfectly possible for you to be an ENFP who used to be rather ISTJ-ish (but your highly intellectual pursuits signify very high N even in young age) but well, changed over time. Sometimes people do change. Perhaps you've changed into who you were meant to be from the start, perhaps you've discovered a whole new true nature of yours. Don't worry about it so much. You're an interesting, unique individual, probably more interesting and unique than most people who don't have any problems fitting themselves into one of 16 boxes

 

[VagrantFarce]

Once again, it's perfectly possible for you to be an ENFP who used to be rather ISTJ-ish (but your highly intellectual pursuits signify very high N even in young age) but well, changed over time. Sometimes people do change. Perhaps you've changed into who you were meant to be from the start, perhaps you've discovered a whole new true nature of yours. Don't worry about it so much. You're an interesting, unique individual, probably more interesting and unique than most people who don't have any problems fitting themselves into one of 16 boxes

I dunno, that sounds like an INP "growing up" to me.

 

[Charmed Justice]

Please allow me to address all your poitns, EnFpFer,

Yea! I totally missed this yesterday.

Yes, I really did mentally compete with everyone. I'm not proud of it now; I think I wasted a good opportunity to get to know people. However, I always had an impending sense that if I did not succeed, I would not get along in life, and I really had a drive to get ahead of the game.

Was your outlook generally pessimistic? What is it now?

Homework. Then friends, if I had time.

Oh, you would've been so loved in my house. How were you with chores and other responsibilities?

I was very quiet and shy to the point where I do not even know if I had a core group because I was so completely different from everyone in high school. The fact that I was so driven and not focused on people did not help, however. I took things way too seriously.

Do you know why you took things so seriously? I took a lot of things too seriously too, mainly out of fear.

When alone, I would have a fantasy world, where I would entertain myself and have imaginary friends. I also read a lot, or would act in my room, pretending there were others there, stuff like that.

Now this I can relate to, but it may be more of an "only child" thing. Did you ever want siblings? If you had friends over, did you want them to stay forever or were you ready for them to leave at some point?

I can relate to that only when I was REALLY little. Otherwise, I was very focused. Too focused, really.
Oh, no, intellectual competitiveness was my main drive; it took a back seat when I felt 'sorry' for someone. But then it took a complete back seat. Most people cannot understand this, but when I feel compassion for someone, my Fi breaks my Ne-Te loop.

Yes, I wanted to be right and win. However, when I knew someone was struggling and wanted to succeed, I helped them to do so.

My mother is an ExTJ, and incredibly compassionate. But there are caveats. She doesn't just help anyone, she has to feel as though a person deserves the help she's offering, and she wants to know that a person will use the help she's giving in a way that she finds to be responsible. When you help someone, do you think about how they'll use the resources/time you're giving them? If you felt they were using them improperly or irresponsibly, would you still want to help them at that point?

I debated political and ethical issues, usually in a very conservative manner. I read readings at church. I did poetry reading contests. I acted in plays.

How often did you change your mind once you settled on defending a position from one perspective or another? Have you changed religions, political parties/stances, ideologies frequently?

Let me explain: The adaptation was not the problem. The problem was that everyone looked on me as a child BEFORE I adapted.
That could very well be.

Oh ok, I see what you're saying.

Muchhhhhhhhhh muchhhhhhhhh better, although I still struggle depending on the situation. I have to feel comfy.

What makes you feel comfortable with people now?

Thank you, I appreciated your heart-felt response - it is interesting to see how other people relate to the world. I wish I had been more like you as a child - it would have made life a great deal more interesting, I am sure.

Thank you for sharing all of this about yourself. I think there's always something to gain when people share with each other. What do you like about teaching?

I relate to your continual search for self-understanding and identity. Hopefully all of these differing opinions will be of some help.

*If I were more like you as a child, my home life would've likely been a lot easier.

 

[Little Linguist]

Thank you for responding, EnFpFer. Please allow me to share some (relatively) personal details so that you can get an insight into my person. I appreciate the fact that you have shared this, as it was very insightful, and I want to honor that.

Was your outlook generally pessimistic? What is it now?

Very very very pessimistic as a child. Not quite so pessimistic now. Extreme example: Senior year when someone asked me what I would do if I failed an exam, I replied sardonically, "Probably hang myself by my shoelaces." Of course, I wouldn't have done THAT, but I would have been very angry with myself, chastised myself for weeks, and would have been ashamed to go home. But that shut them up really quickly, "Weird...." Worked, didn't it?

Oh, you would've been so loved in my house. How were you with chores and other responsibilities?

Now that's one thing that I have ALWAYS hated. In fact, as a child I was often given the choice of doing homework or chores, and I always picked homework because it was more enjoyable for me.

Do you know why you took things so seriously? I took a lot of things too seriously too, mainly out of fear.

Yes. I do not know how in-depth you want me to answer this, but I have to give you some background so that you understand.

My mother was very ill, and my father had issues as a result of that and other things, so when I was 9 years old, my paternal grandparents suggested and volunteered to take me in, adopt me for real, and give me a good and loving home.

Because of that, I felt like I wanted to 'prove' to them that they hadn't made a mistake. They were retired, and they could have done so many other things, but they took in a 9-year-old girl. I wanted them to be proud of me, and I wanted to be proud of myself and make the most of the opportunity and the gifts I have/had.

If you asked me whether or not the impetus came more from outside or inside, I'd say both. There were times when I was weak, and my family always kind of nudged me in the 'right' direction. This was important.

Since I had a 'rough' childhood (no rougher than your average childhood I guess nowadays) I really was thankful for the security and latched onto it like an anchor. They always told me, "We saw you hurt so many times, and we don't want you to be hurt ever again." I respected that, and so I did not want to hurt THEM either. I wanted them to know they had a really good, intelligent, respectable, industrious person who was on their level and not some stupid, weak, dumb ass who went and partied every week, got high on dope, and brought home average grades and couldn't even hold herself in a conversation.

Does that make sense? Of course, I would never abase myself in that way either, but my desire to belong and be accepted by people worthy of respect (and at that time, I deemed my grandparents as the only ones - my classmates, no WAY). So I 'adopted' their values as my own.

Now this I can relate to, but it may be more of an "only child" thing. Did you ever want siblings? If you had friends over, did you want them to stay forever or were you ready for them to leave at some point?

I was dying to have siblings for years. In fact, I begged my mother to have more children even though I knew it would not be good for any of us, which is pretty stupid. I don't know why I did that.

I can count on one hand the number of times I had been invited to someone's house (That's sad) or invited someone over (even worse). Literally. Once when I was 6, I was invited to a birthday party (probably out of pity, I guess) and I got sick afterward. Once when I was 8, and I also got sick afterwards. Once when I was 10 or 12. Once when I was 16. In fact, out of all the years I have been alive, I don't think I have ever hosted a sleepover or a party ever except once. It was when I was 10, I believe. Never again.

I'm kind of ashamed to admit that, but what the hell?

My mother is an ExTJ, and incredibly compassionate. But there are caveats. She doesn't just help anyone, she has to feel as though a person deserves the help she's offering, and she wants to know that a person will use the help she's giving in a way that she finds to be responsible. When you help someone, do you think about how they'll use the resources/time you're giving them? If you felt they were using them improperly or irresponsibly, would you still want to help them at that point?

EXACTLY. I quote, verbatim, what I said to a student who is miserably failing my class due to a bunch of difficult external circumstances at the moment,

"I want to help you because I know you could do this if you put the effort into it. I believe that you can do this. However, you need to promise me and yourself something: If I take the extra time and help you, I want you to take it seriously. You will have to work very hard, and I want you to do so. But if you do, I'm sure you'll make it."

What should I do? Waste my time on some fool who doesn't care and doesn't want to get better? NO! My time is too precious to be wasted on people who don't take things seriously. However, I am devoted and very reliable and put all my mind, heart, and soul into helping people who want and need to be helped. But not every asshole.

How often did you change your mind once you settled on defending a position from one perspective or another? Have you changed religions, political parties/stances, ideologies frequently?

I've wavered 3-4 times throughout my life somewhere between moderate and reactionary conservative/conservative nationalist. Never left-wing. That never appealed to me - always seemed like a bunch of crazy, hippie, idealistic to a FAULT (nothing wrong with idealism, but gimme a break!), nudists on a beach - okay I'm stereotyping here to make a point, but you get it.

However, and I want to make this very clear, I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE CRAZY NEO-CONS...pseudo-intellectual wannabe-a-conservative-but-are-just-a-bunch-of-weird-ass-industrialist-idiots. I want values, not just letting economy run wild. I can't stand Bush for that reason - not because he's conservative but because he IS NOT but PRETENDS to be. Running into wars all over the world and wasting billions of hard-earned dollars? Is that conservative? NO! Signing a bunch of crazy things to hurt American jobs? Is that conservative? NO! Sending our young men to die for a cause that was lost from the very beginning due to a LIE!? Is that conservative? NO!

Regarding religion, I was a staunch Irish Roman Catholic for 18 years. Then I switched and just was...well, nothing. Then I became a Muslim for a few weeks, decided it made no sense, and cut that out. Then I got involved with Siddha Yoga, which was really helpful but there's not community near me and I don't care anyway. Now I just meditate alone and I'm more into spirituality until something more meaningful (if ever) comes along.

What makes you feel comfortable with people now?

I'm only really comfortable being with people I truly relate to, where I can have good, stimulating conversation or playful fun (a good mixture is awesome ). Fun means innocent fun, nothing like drinking or clubbing or weird stuff like that. Even out from under the auspices of my family, I cannot stand just drinking, clubbing or dancing. Not my thing.

It's not that I hate it, or that I think it's EVOOOOOO or something, I just do not like it, and I do not see the point. You can't talk or enjoy because the music is too loud. It's a waste of money. I'm a terrible dancer, completely uncoordinated, and just make an ass out of myself. Drinking is the biggest waste of time and is harmful for the body. Generally vacuous people who have nothing to offer me. So why bother?

Thank you for sharing all of this about yourself. I think there's always something to gain when people share with each other. What do you like about teaching?

Sure, I enjoy sharing, especially when people take me seriously, because most people don't. I'm so different that they do not think I am 'for real', whatever that means. Anyway, I AM 'for real,' and I sense that you and most others on this thread respect that, so I want to give as much info as possible to make a typing accurate. It's worth my time and effort, you see.

Teaching. I get great joy out of the transformation I see from uncomfortable, awkward, insecure sort-of English speakers to confident, able English speakers. I know this will provide them with something they can use, and I enjoy seeing the development.

However, I get very frustrated if I put everything I have into my teaching and nothing comes out of it. Or if people don't listen or take me seriously (which rarely happens). Then I get very irritated and just want to leave (but I do not, obviously).

Every once in a while, you have a rare nugget, where you can have great conversations with people who want to learn. There's one class I have now with people taking their A-levels, and they want to talk about social and political issues, are able and willing to engage in different projects and activities, and the class flows smoothly and wonderfully. In the first lesson, a young lady came and asked me for extra help of her own accord (long story). I was compelled to help her because of her drive and interest, and she's actually quite bright.

Once I had a student who founded his own science business and he was quiet, bright, capable, and very intelligent and knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics. One never knew what would come next. Quickly, we decided to put the book aside, and discussed everything from philosophy to economics, from history to society, from music to literature, from politics to business. I LOVED those classes. He gave me his wisdom and knowledge (he was in his mid-60s) and I gave him my knowledge of English. We learned from each other, and I loved it. He also appreciated and respected me, and I him. Brilliant.

I relate to your continual search for self-understanding and identity. Hopefully all of these differing opinions will be of some help.

Very much so. I have really appreciated your input (and others' as well!) It has been most helpful, and I would appreciate any additional insight you or others may have.

*If I were more like you as a child, my home life would've likely been a lot easier.

My family mentioned the fact that I was always a 'good girl' and a 'good woman' with 'good values' who led a 'good life.' Eh, whatever that means. I tried my best. I was not really a problem child until I started struggling with some of my 'issues' or whatever. But I had definitely never taken drugs or smoked; I did not start drinking until I was 21. I did not have anything to do with guys (not even a kiss) until I was 20. First movie at 19. You get the picture. I mean how easy do you get?

 

[Space_Oddity]

I dunno, that sounds like an INP "growing up" to me.

Why not, but that wasn't exactly my point at that moment.

All things considered, Little Linguist, perhaps after you described to us what you were like when you were a child (function-wise or other), you should ask yourself why do you think you were like that, and why do you think you changed. I'm sure this of all things actually might shed some light.


EDIT: Sorry, I didn't manage to read what you wrote above. Thanks a lot for sharing all these things , it was very interesting and you sure seem like a talented writer (from what I can tell with my own limited English abilities ). I still maintain that you are an ENFP, and from what you wrote about your growing-up, it seems to me quite obvious where your STJ tendencies originated, and there's nothing abnormal about it.

 

[Little Linguist]

Okay folks I hope all of ^^^ that insight provides a bit more information into my persona. Probably shouldn't share all that on the Internet, but who gives a crap.

Anyway, to your other questions. ESTJ? Let me take a look at the profile and get back to you. I must admit from the type descriptions, I really like Te and either Ni or Si. But I don't want to skew my perception based on something before I have evidence.

Vagrant asked me about what I thought the functions meant. Let me try to put it as succinctly as possible:

Te: Organize self and world to make things more efficient and bring about results in a way that you can actually tangibly or intangibly measure.

Ti: Um? Making models and definitions and a lot of weird stuff. I don't really get this.

Si: Use past experience and knowledge you have gathered to help you make accurate conclusions.

Se: Noticing things in the world around you and acting immediately. (HA!)

Ne: Seeing something, but not focusing on the thing at hand, but jumping from one thing to the next to reach some truth.

Ni: Eh, I don't really know? Seeing patterns in phenomena to figure things out (and...maybe...act...some...day....?) Rich inner world, blah blah blah - eh, who am I kidding? I have no idea.

Fi: Knowing what's good and bad and making decisions due to ethical stuff.

Fe: Knowing what others say is good and bad and making decisions due to their expectations?

Better explanations would be appreciated.

 

[Little Linguist]

Why not, but that wasn't exactly my point at that moment.

All things considered, Little Linguist, perhaps after you described to us what you were like when you were a child (function-wise or other), you should ask yourself why do you think you were like that, and why do you think you changed. I'm sure this of all things actually might shed some light.

I described some of this in my thread above (two threads ahead of this one). I was like that because it gave me security, which was a security I could not feel when I was growing up with my parents. They somehow knew that and provided.

In spite of the fact that I honored my grandparents, I often blamed them for my erratic behavior. e.g. "I don't go clubbing because my grandparents would kill me." or "I don't wear sl---y clothes because my grandparents would never accept it." Truth be told, I did not want to do that, but I did not want to admit it, so I put the blame on them. I know, bad thing to do, but I am human and make mistakes.

I couldn't be bothered with all the nonsense teenagers go through. Drinking, partying, dancing, blah...what was the point? What would I get out of this vacuousness? How would it help me? It wouldn't!!! It would bring me down, distract me.

See, my grandparents were retired. We were lower middle class. If I wanted to study, they did not have the money. Everything I have ever wanted, I have had to work HARD for. I needed to PROVE to the world - with no connections or resources - that I had something to offer. LOOK HERE, WORLD, I CAN DO THIS!!!! ACCEPT ME!!!!!!! No one was going to coddle me and I did not WANT OR NEED that. I just wanted them to acknowledge that I could DO it.

So I worked very hard in school, focused, was extremely competitive because I wanted to be the best!!!!!! I DAMN IT. NOT YOU. YOU don't need it. YOU have daddy's cadillac or mommy's trust fund. I NEED THIS!!!!!!

In fact, I played the system to get the best marks. I planned it. Not illegally of course, but I shifted classes, took extra classes to boost my GPA through a trick in the system. It really pissed off some ultra Fi users, but f it!!!!!!

At the end of the day, this ultra-extreme competition, what did it get me? FOURTH!!! FOURTH PLACE DAMN IT - not even place one, because I was too damn lazy and idiotic in my first year. I should have placed in all honors, then I would have been even better than the valedictorian, but I didn't.

But it was all good. I got accepted to the school of my choice (I only applied to places I was sure to get in. I hate rejection.) Jesuit university. Acceptable. 3/4 scholarship. Funding from the state. It was all good.

And I was burned out. I had a breakdown when I was 18. I can't explain how it happened. It was partially a combination of an eating disorder (not eating), not sleeping, depressed, and I just started kind of passing out, had no strength. No desire. To. Do. Anything. Very unnatural for me. I just wanted to get out and leave this stupid idiotic world. I was completely overwhelmed by it. All these things I had been sheltered from. Sensory overload. Too much. To. Handle. Can't. Do. It. Anymore. All this fighting? WHY? Where did it get me. BLAH!

I became cold. distant. unnerving. My floormates were scared about me. I never came out of my room. I was pale and skinny. Lifeless. I spoke like a robot, cold and sardonic.

My dean called me and asked me if she could speak to me, "I'm fine." "You're missing classes. What's wrong. Talk to me." "Nothing's wrong, I'm fine." We had a discussion. She said I should take some time off. "Not necessary," I said. "Hm, yeah, you're not eating; you're not attending class."
"I don't care anymore and I just want to die." Now that shocked the hell out of her, of course. I didn't really want to die, I just wanted the bullshit to end. I was sick of running around in circles, learning for classes that didn't matter when I was probably just going to be some loser anyway, and blah. I was really a mess. I don't know what the hell happened to me. I turned from Krupp steel to an emo in the space of three months.

To my dismay I left and returned to university three times before I got my rear back in gear. I do not really know HOW I managed that. BUT somehow through some very supportive people, I got back on track. I started eating again, getting some joy and kick back into my life. The drive came back, thankfully, and unlike 80% of people who leave college three times, I went back for good - a stronger, healthier, more balanced person no longer living off of diet coke and fat burner smoothies.

In high school, right before my breakdown I tested IXTJ. Once I came back, I was INTJ for my four years of university.

I would say the big shift came when I went to Germany. I saw this as my 'BIG CHANCE.' I could leave the past behind me, pick up everything new: a new culture, a new language, new friends, new folks who did not know me at all.

I could form a new person. Mold myself as I saw fit. And no one would know the difference.

And that was the first time I started testing NF. I was around 25 at the time that I started consistently testing INFP with some INFJ results.

This time in Germany opened me up. I experienced new worlds. Started seeing things from COMPLETELY new perspectives. I gained insights I had never had. New ways of doing things, of thinking...

And for the first time, I WAS LOVED! I was loved by people who were not family. Of course, I was not really loved....I was admired, seen as a curiosity, or whatever, but it was GREAT! I thrived, I came into my own, felt like a PERSON for the first time.

All the negative stuff was gone, behind me, and ahead of me, I could see clearly. I knew where I was, what I wanted, where I was headed. My head was clear.

After I opened up (about two years), I started testing less and less *I* and more and more *E*. Until I've tested ENXP.

But there has always been that part of me that turns a sordid eye to the past and asks, "Where did that come from?" "What was that? A BLIP?" "Where did these years of IXTJ go? What was that? Who am I really? What is this person called Carolyn?" You see I had never ASKED those questions before because I was so DRIVEN by other things.

And now I'm OBSESSED with this question of who I am and how I can reconcile who I am now with who I was then. What is real? Then or now? Where am I headed? Where is this development going? Is this all fake? Did I MAKE CAROLYN??? Did I fashion her when I came over here? Or did she just pop out on her own? Where did she come from?

I want to understand how I developed and see where I'm going and THAT is why it is so important for me to understand type. It is one tool of many.

 

[Grace]

Sounds INTP to me.

 

[SolitaryWalker]

Regarding religion, I was a staunch Irish Roman Catholic for 18 years. Then I switched and just was...well, nothing. Then I became a Muslim for a few weeks, decided it made no sense, and cut that out. Then I got involved with Siddha Yoga, which was really helpful but there's not community near me and I don't care anyway. Now I just meditate alone and I'm more into spirituality until something more meaningful (if ever) comes along.

Hands down, my favorite part of the thread.

, and I want to make this very clear, I'M NOT ONE OF THOSE CRAZY NEO-CONS...pseudo-intellectual wannabe-a-conservative-but-are-just-a-bunch-of-weird-ass-industrialist-idiots. I want values, not just letting economy run wild. I can't stand Bush for that reason - not because he's conservative but because he IS NOT but PRETENDS to be. Running into wars all over the world and wasting billions of hard-earned dollars? Is that conservative? NO! Signing a bunch of crazy things to hurt American jobs? Is that conservative? NO! Sending our young men to die for a cause that was lost from the very beginning due to a LIE!? Is that conservative? NO!

What exactly does it mean to be Conservative. It seems to me that political talk is usually emotional loaded and fraught with poor reasoning and ambiguously defined terms. Its often hard to get anything more than a mere approximate notion of what somebody means in any conversation about politics. The same is true of religion. Can we claim that Bush is not a true conservative with any greater legitimacy than those who would like to claim that people who spread violence in glory of Islam are not true Muslims?

In the case of Islam we have a book in which the message is communicated in an obscure enough of a manner to eliminate the possibility of an emergence of a single non-controversial interpretation of scripture. At least that is something. With regard to Conservatism, we do not even have that. In short, can we cherish any hope of having any kind of a meaningful conversation about political ideologies? These days the discourse degenerates into a play on words too fast.

With regard to your type, you're asking all the wrong questions. All this autobiographical content will at best only match you up with some personality figures that are associated with MBTI types, but that won't help you as they are too vague and inconsistent. Their vagueness and inconsistency is what got you questioning your type in the first place, it is too easy to identify with many types at the same time.

If you want to know your type, you ought to examine your unconscious tendencies of thought rather than your hobbies or big decisions that you've made in your life.

 

[Little Linguist]

Solitary,

Thank you for your input, and you raise several good points. My unconscious motivations? Well, how can you know your motivations if they are unconscious? What should I be looking for here? What do you mean exactly?

I want to know what you mean, because perhaps you are right when you say autobiographical information may not be so helpful...I thought it might be, but maybe not.

Perhaps you could give some insight on what would be more useful if you explain what you mean a little bit more clearly.

 

[SolitaryWalker]

Solitary,

Thank you for your input, and you raise several good points. My unconscious motivations? Well, how can you know your motivations if they are unconscious? What should I be looking for here? What do you mean exactly?

I want to know what you mean, because perhaps you are right when you say autobiographical information may not be so helpful...I thought it might be, but maybe not.

Perhaps you could give some insight on what would be more useful if you explain what you mean a little bit more clearly.

You may not be able to easily detect an unconscious thought, however, its consequence are much easier to notice. If you are a dominant Intuitive type, the most easily of all; your mind begins operating in an abstract manner. If you are a dominant Thinking type, your mind the most easily notices structure in the world around it. If you are a dominant Feeling type, your mind the most easily recognizes some objects as pleasant and others as unpleasant. If you are a dominant Sensing type, your mind the most easily focuses on the concrete, physical environment.

In order to know your type you must see which activity is the most natural to you. Some things may be easy for you to do because of your background or experiences, you need to look past that. You need to see what habits of thought you have that were more inborn rather than cultivated as a result of your interaction with your environment.

 

[Little Linguist]

You may not be able to easily detect an unconscious thought, however, its consequence are much easier to notice. If you are a dominant Intuitive type, the most easily of all; your mind begins operating in an abstract manner. If you are a dominant Thinking type, your mind the most easily notices structure in the world around it. If you are a dominant Feeling type, your mind the most easily recognizes some objects as pleasant and others as unpleasant. If you are a dominant Sensing type, your mind the most easily focuses on the concrete, physical environment.

In order to know your type you must see which activity is the most natural to you. Some things may be easy for you to do because of your background or experiences, you need to look past that. You need to see what habits of thought you have that were more inborn rather than cultivated as a result of your interaction with your environment.

Solitary,

I have noticed that I tend to be quite abstract in my thinking and speech. As I have said in other posts, I can tie things together in different subject areas and put them together. My actual language is also relatively abstract, I believe, although I am not certain. I guess one would have to define abstract.

As a child, I think I was more of a thinker, as I definitely noticed structure. Now, I'm more of a thinker/feeler or feeler/thinker. So does that mean I'm really a thinker with developed feeling, or am I more of a feeler who developed thinking to deal with an environment? How do I know?

Sensing - focusing on the concrete, physical environment - has always been a challenge for me from a very young age. Although it has gotten better over time, I still struggle with this concept.

Does this help you? If not, please feel free to ask additional questions and/or clarify to help us pinpoint the truth.

 

[SolitaryWalker]

Solitary,

I have noticed that I tend to be quite abstract in my thinking and speech. As I have said in other posts, I can tie things together in different subject areas and put them together. My actual language is also relatively abstract, I believe, although I am not certain. I guess one would have to define abstract.

As a child, I think I was more of a thinker, as I definitely noticed structure. Now, I'm more of a thinker/feeler or feeler/thinker. So does that mean I'm really a thinker with developed feeling, or am I more of a feeler who developed thinking to deal with an environment? How do I know?

Sensing - focusing on the concrete, physical environment - has always been a challenge for me from a very young age. Although it has gotten better over time, I still struggle with this concept.

Does this help you? If not, please feel free to ask additional questions and/or clarify to help us pinpoint the truth.

Types could change among small children and possibly even older children as our habits of thought aren't as solidified then as they are for adults.

Usually, however, the change in type doesn't happen for children unless they are subjected to constantly altering circumstances.


The only way to know if you are a thinking type or not is to see if your mind naturally looks for structure in the world without external reinforcement. If it does seem to you that you look for structure in the world, is that because of your education? Your interactions with people? Something you do on a daily basis? Is it a learned attribute?

Or is it something that you've always done with very little external reinforcement.

Bottom line is, you are a certain type only if the tendencies of this type correspond to the natural dispositions that are activated the most easily in your mind.

 

[Little Linguist]

Types could change among small children and possibly even older children as our habits of thought aren't as solidified then as they are for adults.

Usually, however, the change in type doesn't happen for children unless they are subjected to constantly altering circumstances.


The only way to know if you are a thinking type or not is to see if your mind naturally looks for structure in the world without external reinforcement. If it does seem to you that you look for structure in the world, is that because of your education? Your interactions with people? Something you do on a daily basis? Is it a learned attribute?

Or is it something that you've always done with very little external reinforcement.

Bottom line is, you are a certain type only if the tendencies of this type correspond to the natural dispositions that are activated the most easily in your mind.

It is very hard for me to separate learned attributes from natural ones, as crazy as that sounds. I know that no one had to TEACH me how to be abstract, or at least it did not seem that way.

No one had to teach me to be structured or follow the rules. I did it. However, I always looked for reasons for things. I would not follow a rule if I did not know the reason, for example. Once I knew a reason and it made sense, I followed it. I preferred order and stability, but I had issues with keeping my spaces tidy or doing chores. In addition, I had to learn to keep myself organized to prevent myself from forgetting things and being haphazard.

When I was younger, I was not naturally in tune with how I or others were feeling. If people asked me how I felt about something, I had to think about it. If people said, "How do you think that person felt when you did X?" I thought about it, but not before. I could not understand certain reactions of people. I would predict they would act in a completely different fashion and got entirely put out when I got a different result.

I hope this helps. If not, we can clarify a bit more.

 

[SolitaryWalker]

It is very hard for me to separate learned attributes from natural ones, as crazy as that sounds. I know that no one had to TEACH me how to be abstract, or at least it did not seem that way.

No one had to teach me to be structured or follow the rules. I did it. However, I always looked for reasons for things. I would not follow a rule if I did not know the reason, for example. Once I knew a reason and it made sense, I followed it. I preferred order and stability, but I had issues with keeping my spaces tidy or doing chores. In addition, I had to learn to keep myself organized to prevent myself from forgetting things and being haphazard.

When I was younger, I was not naturally in tune with how I or others were feeling. If people asked me how I felt about something, I had to think about it. If people said, "How do you think that person felt when you did X?" I thought about it, but not before. I could not understand certain reactions of people. I would predict they would act in a completely different fashion and got entirely put out when I got a different result.

I hope this helps. If not, we can clarify a bit more.

We haven't been making significant progress because I do not know if any of the qualities you are telling me that you have are more resultant of natural dispositions or interaction with your environment.