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Myers Briggs Personality Type
Hello, the Myers Briggs Personality type thing was mentioned in another thread, and so as not to detract from that topic I decided to start one on this.
Perhaps this is just for fun, but perhaps we will see some sort of vein of similarity come through here.
I think I am an INTP. I've been tested before, but the results are long-lost....I know I was introverted and intuitive and that I think too much. My daughter is good with this stuff and she thinks I'm either INTP or INTJ. (If I'm not mistaken). So maybe I'm on the fence on that last letter.
LOL another useless attempt to shoehorn people into categories. If it has no predictive power (and it looks like it doesn't), then it has no utility. But it makes people feel smart and in control when they can rattle off a bunch of four letter acronyms and pretend to shove you into a box...
It's true that the MBTI has fallen out of favor in academic psychology, precisely because it has very little predictive power and therefore not much utility, at least for academia. It's much more intended as a tool for self-exploration, and as such I find the MBTI valuable. It's a starting point for thinking about yourself and others. It describes the lenses (cognitive stacks) through which different types look at the world, what kind of information they prioritize over others. As such, it doesn't really say what might be better or worse, it's a qualitative difference, a preference for one lens over another.
Just the basic distinction between introversion and extroversion is very helpful. Introverts aren't necessarily shy, they can be outgoing and fun, but they burn energy socializing and need time alone to recharge. Whereas extraverts feel energized after spending the night out with friends and drinking. This can deepen the understanding of one's own needs in intimate relationships; instead of feeling guilty for preferring to stay at home, the partner understands that it's not the introvert who is a recluse and loner, but actually needs that quiet time with a book, playing video games or just chilling on the couch daydreaming in order to feel good.
Nobody is really trying to put anybody in a box. I would argue that it's not about superiority or control, it's really about better understanding people. And so the MBTI can be a useful tool for better connecting with family, friends, and partners.
But it takes a little effort to answer 64 questions before making a quick judgment. If you're curious and willing to take the time to answer 64 questions, here's a good test: https://www.humanmetrics.com/personality
Some of what you say regarding self-exploration and reflection may be true, although you don't necessarily need a personality test to accomplish that. One of the dangers in getting lumped into a category by a test you consider authoritative is that you may begin to believe everything the test is supposedly telling you about yourself. Kind of like believing in a horoscope which is intentionally vague, you can convince yourself of something that is not real, which may then lead you down a mistaken path of behavior. Or like being diagnosed with a disorder such as ADD, which some people use as an excuse for having poor behavior and taking pharmaceuticals, rather than attempting to take control of whatever predispositions led to the diagnosis of ADD. You get a card that says, "This is what you are, you can't change it, but it's not your fault", when you should be thinking, "This is your predisposition...are you happy with the outcome? If you're not, you can do things to change it".
The supercomputer company that I was at in the 80's hired someone to come in and test everyone at a team-building session. It was kind of fun, and actually kind of illuminating to me as a young'n. I remember the thing that came out of it the most, for me, was that I was told to listen more carefully to the "message behind the message" and not listen like Spock of Star Trek to people. They were right! It had never occurred to me that people might not say exactly what they meant. hahaha.
I agree with everything you say, especially psychiatric diagnoses are very problematic and most of them are just a place for big pharma to sell their drugs. I'd even say that most diagnoses are bogus, and instead of empowering the patient, they victimize them, making it harder to get a grip on your life. I'm not saying that mental illnesses don't exist, but the categories are mostly arbitrary. The DSM III was basically drawn up by a bunch of so-called experts in the field who discussed the details as if they were choosing a restaurant to go to for dinner, discussing which diagnoses should be included and which should not. The list of symptoms that qualify for a diagnosis was voted on by the small group of psychologists and psychiatrists. Far from scientific. Another indication of how important the DSM is to Big Pharma: they buy up the bulk of each edition to give free copies to mental health institutions, inpatient facilities and so on. Prices for the book range from $60 to almost $200 for a copy. The 'marketing' expenses are easily worth the money, as psychotropic drugs are very lucrative. It's a rigged system. And the ones who suffer are the patients who, instead of getting better, get worse over the years as they take their prescribed medication. They need this pill like a diabetic needs insulin. That's the kind of ill-informed metaphor that's being used. And the people who say that have gone to medical school.
This is a very informative talk about the creation of DSM: Psychiatry & Big Pharma: Exposed - Dr James Davies, PhD - YouTube
I am also not a fan of these (for reasons stated above, and others of my own). But I feel like people have burst @lil-chick s bubble before the thread even got started 🙁 party-poopers hahaha.
For what it is worth, I typically come out ENTJ / INTJ . Very strong on the NTJ, almost 50:50 on the introversion vs. extroversion.
ENTJs - the great visionaries.
I'm an INFJ.
What else do we have here? Speak up, people! You know, a silent party isn't as much fun, and lil chick is hosting, making all these delicious low-VA snacks and even offering some bacon to the brave ones. Have you tried the homemade iced tea? It's delicious!
Interesting distribution so far. I've done two tests in the "far away" past, the first intj, the second in not sure, maybe it was intp, and close to something else. I also work in software. 😄 So I guess high 5 to lil chick and the other intj's.
edit: so yes, people can also change over time. I still find the mtbi types quite interesting, as they way they describe oneself can feel almost uncanny.