[PaulH]

I apologise for the obviously loaded question. But this does worry me - partly because I have been there a while back.

I am not an MBTI expert but my understanding is that this is simply a tool to help people discover their own and other's preferences. In particular to help you understand other people. It's not designed to define skills, roles, or even really personality (16 categories is a bit of a blunt intrument for that !)


1) The use of 4 pairs of preferences simply does not support the depth that people take this - bearing in mind that everyone is not at the same score of say Introvert/Extrovert etc - It's simply acts as a catalyst for exploring yourself and others.

2) I get concerned that people start to identify with BEING INFJ. Now I understand this. I went through this a while back and it helped me understand a hell of a lot about myself. So I am not knocking it but after a while I really started thinking - ok I know my preferences - what do I do with that? I then started to let go of BEING INFJ and started to work with my skills and preferences - it made a hell of a difference to my life. Note I am not trying to change me to another type, say I don't like being INFJ nor am I disowning INFJ - I simply found that identifying too closely with it as a role rather than preferences was limiting and holding me back

3) yes INFJs might be a tad prone to getting to deep on this!


I really don't wish to hurt/crit anyone here - I am not having a go at anyone - more curious about others' experience.

Does MBTI move you forward or hold you back?

 

[scrybaby]

I have the opposite view.
I believe that knowing your personality type can actually help you overcome a lot of your predispositions.
For example knowing that I'm an introvert has improved my social interactions with others. Before I understood introversion, I would just get really fed up around people to the point of anger and not know why. These days I can take little breaks when I'm feeling overwhelmed in a social situation and because of this my overall interaction with people is greatly improved.

Knowing that I'm constantly looking at the big picture has helped me realize that sometimes I have to just stop thinking and start doing or nothing is going to get done.

Being aware that I'm more feeling than thinking has helped me not take things so personally (something I had such trouble with when I was younger that I lost friendships because of it). It has also kept me from making decision purely based on emotion which has been good for me on a professional level.

Knowing about my judging nature; has helped me to not be such a stickler for plans and neatness to the point that it stresses everyone else around me out.

So for me it's been a great tool for personal growth.

 

[Zomboy]

Very good!

Likewise, after all the 'shock and awe' of discovering my type lost its fervor, my mind began to wander again. I tried to fit myself into both the NFs AND the NTs, and have achieved what I find to be a reasonable balance between the both

I haven't done this with any of the sensor types because I simply don't find them as interesting, though that is not to say that they aren't (One of my close friends is an ESTP)

I personally like this better than having the title of "INFJ". To me, this suits me more. Also, it sounds really cool to brag about

I have the opposite view.
I believe that knowing your personality type can actually help you overcome a lot of your predispositions.
For example knowing that I'm an introvert has improved my social interactions with others. Before I understood introversion, I would just get really fed up around people to the point of anger and not know why. These days I can take little breaks when I'm feeling overwhelmed in a social situation and because of this my overall interaction with people is greatly improved.

Thank you Scrybaby, for bringing this up

The very same thing happened to me. Out of my group of friends, I am the only introvert. A lot of the times, I'd get tired and grumpy and nobody could figure out why. Now that I can understand myself better, I know what to do in those situations

And I like it! Having my alone time to relax and re-energize myself has greatly increased my mood and given me an oddly 'sunny' disposition on things

Sometimes, a little insight is all you need

 

[ENTrePenuer]

A tool is just a tool.

Given to a wise person it will be useful.
Given to a fool it will cause havoc.

I know now that most people should not have access to the mbti.

 

[fourthwall]

MBTI is good for understanding HOW you view the world around you. Enneagram is good for understanding WHY you are the way the way you are...the underlying forces that drive you.

I think it's helpful and accurate, but I don't let it define me.

 

[SarahWilliams]

Agree with the OP.

I've found people to get carried away with this. Does the MBTI determine facial features, and body types? I would argue no - but I think some people think that it does!

The healthy approach would be to find your type, and then to work against your preferences whenever possible

 

[Abstract Essence]

thats what she said...

I havent done one of these in a while!

 

[PaulH]

Scrybaby - I don't think yours is the opposite view - your use of MBTI to find out a little about your self, play to your strengths and deal with your weaknesses sounds like a very healthy approach. This is the way I view it.

 

[Ethanol]

I take everything with a grain of salt. I don't agree with what everybody has to say on this forum (INFJ), and I posted a video up on the INFJ personal video section making a comment in the end that I feel that everybody is different even within the INFJ category. I stated that for a reason, because I don't really believe we are all alike at all. (If that was the case, everybody here would've suffered social anxiety, speak multiple languages, have strict parents, are christians, went to a private school, love art...etc...)

I always keeping myself in check and make sure I don't let my own beliefs in the MBTI define who I am, because I don't feel that 4 letters can sum up my experience as an asian american, as a bilingual american, as a minority, as a woman, etc..etc... the list goes on. Like I said even though we may take in information the same way, biology and environment has a lot to do with our makeups and that can't really be summed up in 4 letters.

So to agree with a few posters above, it's just a tool.

Edit: I know people have studied the MBTI system in depth. I have read a few articles, but I honestly don't want to give it more time than I have to. I know maybe 5-10% of how the whole system works... but I have other things that I need to do, so I'm kind of picking and choosing what to invest my time in. If my profession was a psychiatrist, maybe I would take that time... as a design student though, I'd rather read books on design theory and composition.

 

[vel]

The very first post I made was on ENTJ forums. Then I started posting in INTJ forums, then I lurked in INxP forums. Besides just reading the INFJ profile then descriptions of all the function of that wiki website, I haven't even visited INFJ forum for quite some time. My interest in MBTI has been primarily fueled by wanting to understand how other people see the world, why they think what they think and do what they do.

So I don't think it holds me back. I don't really want to cement myself into this one personality preference, but I rather wish I could switch to other personalities - kind of wake up one day and think to yourself "today is a good day to be an ISTP or ESFJ" and then *bam* and your cognitive preferences get switched :tongue:

 

[scrybaby]

Scrybaby - I don't think yours is the opposite view - your use of MBTI to find out a little about your self, play to your strengths and deal with your weaknesses sounds like a very healthy approach. This is the way I view it.

PaulH, Yeah, I realized shortly after I posted that opposite probably wasn't the best word. It's really more like we are saying the same thing in a different way.

 

[The Proof]

I identify more with not being an INFJ tbh, so MBTI is kinda like a tool, that's it