[King_Moonracer]

Im a 2nd year psychology major, and am currently taking a "theory of personality" class. Not once have I heard anything about the MBTI, in any of my classes ever, and we just barely skimmed it in my "personality" class.We didnt actually talk about the test, but we talked about Jung's contributions to it, only talking about intro/extro(a)-version and intuition/sensing. We didnt actually talk about it at all, just learning that "Ne, Ti, Fe,etc.." was part of Jungs ideas.

Well, my prof for that class told us to take the mbti online, but nobody did and he didnt explain any of it at all. He said to email him the results, and he never replied/ to me. Small class too, of like 35.

All of my professors say that the Big 5 test is the most popular, but also never mention the MBTI at all, even when i mention it in a question. Even when we talked about the history of personality, we completely skip all of Jung. Why?

Any idea why this is?

 

[Eleventeenth]

Just some guesses:

1. People who aren't necessarily introspective may not care about MBTI, even if you explain it to them. Therefore, it doesn't really gain any traction in the mainstream.

2. I think MBTI, if you really delve deeper than the surface of it, causes you to really look in the mirror - not only at your strengths, but it gives you a general realization of some areas of life that you may be weak at, at least relative to others. A lot of people don't want that, nor do they want self-improvement. They just want to hear warm, fuzzy internet descriptions that paint them in a good light.

3. Even when I've tried to explain MBTI to intellectual, introspective people, there is sometimes an "uncomfortableness" about it. Almost like, "Why are you trying to analyze me?" It's almost taboo with some people. They don't want to know that you have some unique insight into them. And if they have insight into you, they probably won't tell you either. MBTI kind of forces that stuff on people - it makes them transparent and not everyone is comfortable with that.

4. MBTI, or Jungian functions, is not something you can really cover in 1 week in a Psych course. You'd have to dedicate an entire course to it. To talk about it for 1 week would do it no justice and would only confuse people.

 

[pneumoceptor]

I think the reason why the Big Five is talked about more (and derided less) than MBTI is that it's more statistically reproducible. I remember reading an article comparing MBTI to Big Five, but I can't find it now... If I remember correctly, from test to test, there is less variation in a person's preferences with Big Five, especially as time increases between test taking. So it's about trying to make statistically meaningful correlations in an objective manner that passes peer review. I love Jung-derived personality typing, and I find it very useful in my everyday life. Big Five seems a bit more intractable, in that there aren't built-in dichotomies. If I were to really sit down and learn the Big Five, though, I might even like it better... BTW, if anyone can find that article I mentioned (it's been linked to a few times on this site), please post it!

 

[Flatlander]

Well, my prof for that class told us to take the mbti online, but nobody did and he didnt explain any of it at all. He said to email him the results, and he never replied/ to me. Small class too, of like 35.

I'm just as curious about that part. I would ask him what he did, or intends to do, with the results he got.

 

[Eleventeenth]

I'm just as curious about that part. I would ask him what he did, or intends to do, with the results he got.

He's building a database that tracks which MBTI types are "most likely to go online and take the test and then respond to their professor with the results." What he'll do with that database is.......well, top secret. It could have something to do with taking over the world.

 

[GraphicallyAlex]

I think big 5 is overrated, but it is probably a matter of convenience on the prof.'s part.

 

[King_Moonracer]

Ya..it seems jungian type stuff was 1000000x more complex than these other tests.....i honestly dont know how neuroticism can be a personality trait. Im neurotic as fuck, but that is such a general term.

For a final paper, we have to come up with our own theories of personality haha...Im thinking about trying to figure out a way to "type" the environment, as well as the individual. This is because the individual personality changes based on the circumstances at hand, like where you are, or what your experiencing.

 

[donkeybals]

Damn it, mbti never gets any love. And if I have to say "It's not like horoscopes" one more time, one more time, I swear.

 

[GraphicallyAlex]

Damn it, mbti never gets any love. And if I have to say "It's not like horoscopes" one more time, one more time, I swear.

It really isn't... although it does engage Ne like horoscopes, lol.

 

[JungyesMBTIno]

The only thing in MBTI that is horoscopic is a lot of the type descriptions, since many use very vague statements that give no indication of cognitive functions hierarchies and can broadly apply to any type, since they basically tell a type what their views "tend" to be and detail persona behavior, rather than anything that can be traced back to cognitive functions. The "views" of types are probably written exactly the way those in horoscopes are - broadly enough so that they might come off as convincing for the types they "represent," even though when you closely analyze them, the "coherence" breaks down and each statement loses any inherent meaning.

 

[JungyesMBTIno]

3. Even when I've tried to explain MBTI to intellectual, introspective people, there is sometimes an "uncomfortableness" about it. Almost like, "Why are you trying to analyze me?" It's almost taboo with some people. They don't want to know that you have some unique insight into them. And if they have insight into you, they probably won't tell you either. MBTI kind of forces that stuff on people - it makes them transparent and not everyone is comfortable with that.

I don't blame them, due to the fact that most MBTI understanding comes in the forms of pervasive stereotypes, rather than anything palatable. A lot of intellectual people I know don't give a crap about it, including my twin sister at this point. The most effective way I've found for me to subversively talk about MBTI with people IRL is just to throw out thinly veiled questions like, "What do you prefer more, the heart approach or the head approach?" which usually produces telling responses and tends to be a source of interest to people, since it's a well-known topic outside of the MBTI, as well as very general extraversion/introversion questions, also well known outside of the MBTI. J/P is meaningless to me, while I think S/N is easy enough to infer without getting into it and bound to be controversial.

 

[King_Moonracer]

Damn it, mbti never gets any love. And if I have to say "It's not like horoscopes" one more time, one more time, I swear.

haha i know right??? weird though, i am an aquarius lol AND entp....SAME SHIT!!!

 

[Eleventeenth]

I don't blame them, due to the fact that most MBTI understanding comes in the forms of pervasive stereotypes, rather than anything palatable. A lot of intellectual people I know don't give a crap about it, including my twin sister at this point. The most effective way I've found for me to subversively talk about MBTI with people IRL is just to throw out thinly veiled questions like, "What do you prefer more, the heart approach or the head approach?" which usually produces telling responses and tends to be a source of interest to people, since it's a well-known topic outside of the MBTI, as well as very general extraversion/introversion questions, also well known outside of the MBTI. J/P is meaningless to me, while I think S/N is easy enough to infer without getting into it and bound to be controversial.

Well, for example, if you clearly recognize someone you work with as an ENTP (it's totally obvious from your numerous interactions with them) and in some of your interesting discussions with that person you try to give them the "non-stereotypical nonsense" because they seem interested in knowing more (i.e., you give them Jung's original function descriptions and you explain the 8 functions, etc.), there's obviously something palatable/substantive there. And the person seems interested: "Ohhh, that's pretty cool. I should get my hands on some of the stuff that you're reading. Thanks for printing the 8 functions for me, I'll read them in more detail." But, then they start talking about astrology. Then, when you check back with them a few weeks later, they might say, "Yeah, I read some of it but it just didn't really interest me the way it interests you." A lot of people that I've told about it have acknowledged that it's very interesting, but they don't really want to make it one of their main interests in life. Everybody has to choose what is interesting to them and how they'll spend their time - so, each person will have their own priorities and "pet projects" that they spend time on.

 

[JungyesMBTIno]

Interesting. The only time I almost got into it with someone was with the boss I was volunteering for in a planetarium (who I'm clearly sure is an ENTP), and I brought up Jung and personality tests...then, the conversation pretty much died once I mentioned the words "personality tests." I think it's a lot more comfortable to talk about this stuff in the anonymity of the internet than to do it in person. It totally depends on the interests of people also. Not everyone will catch onto this stuff instantly, particularly anything Jung-related (I have no idea how anyone can catch onto Jung instantly, since he's very vague and complex).

 

[Wayne]

Im a 2nd year psychology major, and am currently taking a "theory of personality" class. Not once have I heard anything about the MBTI, in any of my classes ever, and we just barely skimmed it in my "personality" class.We didnt actually talk about the test, but we talked about Jung's contributions to it, only talking about intro/extro(a)-version and intuition/sensing. We didnt actually talk about it at all, just learning that "Ne, Ti, Fe,etc.." was part of Jungs ideas.

Well, my prof for that class told us to take the mbti online, but nobody did and he didnt explain any of it at all. He said to email him the results, and he never replied/ to me. Small class too, of like 35.

All of my professors say that the Big 5 test is the most popular, but also never mention the MBTI at all, even when i mention it in a question. Even when we talked about the history of personality, we completely skip all of Jung. Why?

Any idea why this is?

MBTI is popular science. It should be taken for what it is.

A person has not much to gain from making a personality test in public. Some of them might have done it but kept the result for them selves.

 

[King_Moonracer]

I'm just as curious about that part. I would ask him what he did, or intends to do, with the results he got.

Probably nothing haha, just would have given us the extra credit point...hes extremely laid back....

come to think of it, i have no idea what type he is. He is a very strange man. He is one of those professors that the students like, because hes fun to take a class from. But I just....sense something about him hahah. He says he is introverted, and i get that because, well, hes a psychologist haha. He sucks at small talk and is gets tons of energy from teaching....the lecture is his comfort zone..

ISTP with anxiety issues maybe.

 

[aravis]

I had a friend who taught an MBTI class at her grad school for psychology.
Gotta take that class one day!

 

[King_Moonracer]

What is cool about this class though is that the final paper is a project in which you have to come up with your own theory of personality, using what you've learned...awwwww fuckin yeeeahhhh

Ive been thinking about it a lot, im not sure what ill come up with. I'm thinking about coming up with some type of way to "type" you based on certain situations you encounter or external circumstances.....because cmon now, is neuroticism really a personality trait? (Big 5) Instead of giving you a label or test scores, you might get answers like, "you act this way in this situation, due to these external factors, which is why you think the way you do. Taking cultural and social norms into consideration"

You could say that nobody is naturally introverted, we are social creatures. But external factors such as interests, social expectations, mental issues, could all determine your behavior and feelings relative to the situation your in.

Take a bunch of nerdy ass INTJ internet tough guys, throw em all in the same room and have them argue about which side of "the force" is better.....soon, you have a bunch of "introverts" bitching at each-other, acting not so introverted anymore.

Ya, i know there are holes in the theory, but this is just one idea floating around in my head....ill let you know what i come up with haha. I might even need some help to simplify it.....ya, ill go all out on it and shit, probably end up with like a B-....cry myself to sleep afterward.

 

[Wayne]

Ive been thinking about it a lot, im not sure what ill come up with. I'm thinking about coming up with some type of way to "type" you based on certain situations you encounter or external circumstances.....because cmon now, is neuroticism really a personality trait? (Big 5) Instead of giving you a label or test scores, you might get answers like, "you act this way in this situation, due to these external factors, which is why you think the way you do. Taking cultural and social norms into consideration"

The problem with that is that people can think totally different but still act the same way. Does that mean that they have the same personality?

The best way to describe someones personality is imo to looking at factors that you really cant change that much.

Like how empathic you are.
And how intelligent you are.

Your empathy and your body physically reactions (tears etc) during emotional stimuli is one way to describe your emotional personality.

Looking while a cat gets brutally killed for instance or watching a child being beat up.

Will you feel for the victim and how much? or will you enjoy it?

I am pretty sure you can get accurate answers during brainscan.

Intelligence and empathy describes you pretty good imo. Also some kind of extrovert factor and maybe some kind of MBTI N/S factor.

 

[King_Moonracer]

The problem with that is that people can think totally different but still act the same way. Does that mean that they have the same personality?

The best way to describe someones personality is imo to looking at factors that you really cant change that much.

Like how empathic you are.
And how intelligent you are.

Your empathy and your body physically reactions (tears etc) during emotional stimuli is one way to describe your emotional personality.

Looking while a cat gets brutally killed for instance or watching a child being beat up.

Will you feel for the victim and how much? or will you enjoy it?

I am pretty sure you can get accurate answers during brainscan.

Intelligence and empathy describes you pretty good imo. Also some kind of extrovert factor and maybe some kind of MBTI N/S factor.

Ya, thats what i was going to be thinking about next, how consistent their thought patterns and emotions are, and if they express these thoughts and feelings. certain situations might cause them do express them, if the situation appeals to them in some way.