An Alternate Definition for MBTI

[Actual]

For yet another time, I was reading and came to be disturbed by something popping up again and again related to the MBTI:

"I think Gandhi is a great example of the INFP pattern."

"For one thing, isn't the notion of "passive resistance" PERFECT for INFP?"

"[Ghandi] seems to magnificently showcase everything the INFP pattern seems to stand for."

"[Ghandi quotes represent] general INFP philosophy"

http://www.infjorinfp.com/docs/Gandhi.htm

Is anyone else disturbed by the implications of these comments?

Was Ghandi a great and moral man, or was he merely a manifestation of an impersonal pattern?

And his ethics, oh, those are also just matching the INFP template too, *yawns*.

And I suppose that Christ was only so empathetic because he was an INFJ? That had nothing to do with some other external reality?

The MBTI should be redefined to Murdered By Type Imposition, because that's precisely what is implicated by it when weilded like that.

When one maps behavior to a theory every behavior becomes a manifestation of the theory and nothing more.

Nevertheless, I am deeply thankful for the great people and help found here. My beef is with the theory itself as it is being applied in these cases and not the benefits of it nor the people involved with it.

This post represents a PERFECT pattern for INFP types, of course, so note it clearly for future reference! ;-)

 

[charlatan]

I think saying Gandhi is an example of INFP is different from Gandhi's moral greatness (whatever his flaws) reduces to being INFP! In other words, there may be

a) very morally great people who are not INFPs, maybe INTP for example who embody moral greatness through a somewhat different philosophy

b) other INFP who exhibit similar patterns, but who don't rise to Gandhi's greatness.

Now, it's true some do succumb to going "we're so empathetic cuz of our Ni and Fe combination!" and that's a problem. I think we can do without that.