An actual MBTI thread!
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I use the cognitive function line-ups to spot potential similarities between how people operate and better understand them,
but,
all of my therapists have told me to use MBTI "with extreme caution".
but,
all of my therapists have told me to use MBTI "with extreme caution".
For sure. I sure don't like to be put in a box. In my work though, I've found that some of the MBTI insights, especially with regards to some of the functions, has helped me establish better therapeutic relationships with my pateints. MBTI has been a good reminder to me, that not everybody uses the same thought process; it demonstrates, quite nicely, just why that is. Somehow, MBTI has helped me be able to verbalize stuff that was on the tip of my brain. But, one should never assume certain qualities on another person, as that would be an injustice to their character.
Agreed. I probably ought to have differentiated MBTI from Jungian function analysis. I shy away from the raw letter codes, profiles, and similarly bundled mental candy. Those were advised against because of the fairly shallow depth and limited application. Understanding the functions, how they work and manifest in the different line-ups, was strongly encouraged and has been very useful thus far. Once I have a better grasp of everything, I'll begin tentatively using the codes for shorthand purposes and clarify later with more detail if needed.
I am hoping the college I go to in the coming fall has courses specifically on them, else I will buy and devour the related literatures on my own. I intend to become a mental health counselor and, well, this model would be an excellent resource - especially since it is beginning to receive attention and potential expansion from the neurological community via Dario Nardi.
I have only worked in the forensic subset of psychology. The psychologists I worked with never use MBTI because of a paucity of research correlating it with any of the variables relevant to their practice (i.e. risk assessment). They generally criticized it for lack of sufficient empirical validation.
I don't use it in real life much. It is fun to try type someone then see if they can agree, but thats about it. I am not using it for anything much serious.
I have a few friends who use it, to some degree, to better their communications with other individuals. So if they know a certain person is NT they might put the message one way or if the person is SP it might be in some other way. It's also to better understand the message they recieve because of the different types ways of perception and thus the way their message is put when passing it on.
I have noticed one of the major job site companies in my country asks you to do the MBTI when signing up on their site. Don't know how they use it though and I dont like the idea that they do, becuase of the heavy stereotyping issue related to the MBTI.
I have a few friends who use it, to some degree, to better their communications with other individuals. So if they know a certain person is NT they might put the message one way or if the person is SP it might be in some other way. It's also to better understand the message they recieve because of the different types ways of perception and thus the way their message is put when passing it on.
I have noticed one of the major job site companies in my country asks you to do the MBTI when signing up on their site. Don't know how they use it though and I dont like the idea that they do, becuase of the heavy stereotyping issue related to the MBTI.
How do you use MBTI in real life?
When one has been introduced to a system of functioning/knowledge and that person has assimilated that knowledge, then chances are that they start using it both consciously and sub-consciously. I honestly don't believe that the awareness of using knowledge can be distinguished from lack of awareness of doing the same.
Long story short --- I think it factors in the most when met with someone I clearly don't get along with. I have to make it a point to "figure" them out. Soon as I start having trouble with an individual, I cue my brain to start analyzing them and breaking down their behaviour down to a science and correlate it back to all that I've learnt about MBTI, JCF and Enneagrams and everything else I've picked up over time so that I can treat them well. And honestly now it happens sub-consciously. It's part of all of the different streams of possibilities that consistently flow in my head.
Of course --- A human is much more complex than a machine and no exact science exists --- but still, I see MBTI, JCF and Enneagrams as sort of "Dummies guide to people" / as a pseudo-science which helps me break down some of that complexity and leave the rest up to unpredictability based on the sum of their life experiences - which eventually does complete my picture of them after a few conversations.
Of course, I constantly turn it inward as well and continue to develop a broader/deeper understanding of myself.
When one has been introduced to a system of functioning/knowledge and that person has assimilated that knowledge, then chances are that they start using it both consciously and sub-consciously. I honestly don't believe that the awareness of using knowledge can be distinguished from lack of awareness of doing the same.
Long story short --- I think it factors in the most when met with someone I clearly don't get along with. I have to make it a point to "figure" them out. Soon as I start having trouble with an individual, I cue my brain to start analyzing them and breaking down their behaviour down to a science and correlate it back to all that I've learnt about MBTI, JCF and Enneagrams and everything else I've picked up over time so that I can treat them well. And honestly now it happens sub-consciously. It's part of all of the different streams of possibilities that consistently flow in my head.
Of course --- A human is much more complex than a machine and no exact science exists --- but still, I see MBTI, JCF and Enneagrams as sort of "Dummies guide to people" / as a pseudo-science which helps me break down some of that complexity and leave the rest up to unpredictability based on the sum of their life experiences - which eventually does complete my picture of them after a few conversations.
Of course, I constantly turn it inward as well and continue to develop a broader/deeper understanding of myself.
It works well when you are putting together a framework for a team or a study group.
In fact, at my University, it's one of the things they look at when deciding who will be rooming with whom
I personally use it as a means of understanding myself better and why I react to certain situations/people the way I do. This also applies to my brief assessment of other people.
It's not the end all be all in personality classification, but it provides a pretty decent rough sketch.
In fact, at my University, it's one of the things they look at when deciding who will be rooming with whom
I personally use it as a means of understanding myself better and why I react to certain situations/people the way I do. This also applies to my brief assessment of other people.
It's not the end all be all in personality classification, but it provides a pretty decent rough sketch.
Recently a mentor told me that to prepare for an interview I must understand the technology at a "high level", meaning I don't need to understand the small details. I also had a limited amount of time to prepare so understanding the small details was not feasible. While studying I told myself "be a Sensor". It helped me stay away from intricate details and simply learn what I needed. It also helped me keep things simple during the interview and not shoot myself in the foot by going off on a tangent I didn't fully understand.
That's how I first learned about MBTI. We were making groups in a class and the teacher made everyone take the MBTI test. Then he put the groups together based on types. The class had nothing to do with psychology too.
So true... also I've noticed some people put themselves in a box and forget to improve which is really unhealthy.
Could they be favoring some other system instead, like OCEAN (I would choose MBTI over OCEAN any day)?
I would hope they are not favoring ANY "system" at all. With a system there is less room for an open mind, which would put limits on your understanding of people. And that would be the opposite of what I would expect from therapists.
Understanding how I operate is successful strategy. Seeing how that could interfere/conflict with others is also a useful tool. MBTI does more to help me understand myself than anything as I navigate my professional relationslhips. I say professional because there is less impetuous to create personal dialogue so it helps to create a framework based on a model. I never try and guess anybody's MBTI entire type but it does help to understand if I am dealing with an F or a T type. Also preparing myself for an E type. Knowing how to interact with the I types so as not to upset their universes and such. It gives a general understanding that can be fine tuned to the individual as more data becomes available.
Well, I've never heard of that system so I don't know. I doubt it though, they were all approachable/personal and very hands-on, lets-systematically-analyze-and-deconstruct-your-(unique)brain-together types. Worked quite well while it lasted.
I use it to see how the functions and types actually play out, in all their unexpectedness when paper is departed for people.
But patterns do seem to emerge.
But patterns do seem to emerge.