Has your MBTI type changed? Why?

[Crela]

Hi! This is my first topic so I hope there's not a topic about this yet... If there is, plz forgive me

I was just wondering, are there any other people who's MBTI type has suddenly changed? And if the answer is yes, why do you think that happened? I was ENFP for years, but now the latest two times I did the test I got INFJ.

So, I started using alcohol and smoking when I was 12. At that time my social life really changed. Before that I was the girl who was always alone, talking to her Internet friends at home but not really interested of the other people at school. When I started the use of intoxicants, I became really social. I got a lot of friends. Later I started using drugs. I did fire performances, organized parties, travelled alot etc.

When I quit drug using (and alcohol and cigarettes) I slowly changed. I started being serious about school. I didn't find the other people very interesting anymore or at least I lost my interest of getting to know all the people in the world. Instead, I want to know better the people I know now.

About half a year after quitting drugs I felt that I had changed completely. Now it's been 9 months without drugs and I don't know myself anymore. I got INFJ from the last two tests I did. I've started to think that what if I was really to begin with, but the drugs and alcohol changed my personality.

Is there anyone else with similar experiences?

 

[rawr]

I've changed. Not sure about my type. Really don't care anymore either.

But for point of reference, My N has become more S and my F has become more T.

Not that it matters. Being aware of changes in oneself is probably good, but i don't necessarily feel the need to attach arbitrary letters to it. Again though, reference is nice.
Not sure what stimuli caused the change, but it was not as dramatic as OP.

 

[5r6jhd]

E and I can sometimes change if there is a mood disturbance.

Also, self awareness. I took the test when I was young and I got ENFP. The older I got and the more I got to know myself my results reflected INFJ.

 

[sassafras]

It's well accepted by the proponents of MBTI theory that your type does not change. Barring some kind of brain damage or extreme trauma, your dominant functions will remain the same throughout your lifetime (there's also a theory of shadow functions where, under extreme stress, your function order reverses but this is not a long-term switch).

What usually happens when you get older is that you start to develop and rely on your tertiary and inferior functions so you become more balanced as an individual. By the age of seven, the core personality of an individual is established.

Keep in mind, though, that MBTI personality theory is specifically concerned with cognitive processes, not traits. Traits are the consequence of thought habits and patterns that cognitive processes have adopted over extensive time as a result of an individual's beliefs. As such, traits can change as beliefs change. Cognitive processes, on the other hand, remain static as they refer specifically to approaches in perception and cognition; for instance, the tendency to disassemble information for bottom-to-top analysis or expand on information and look for the 'big picture' are features of cognitive processes. The reason why types are sometimes described by a collection of traits is because they are the most common expression of a given assembly cognitive functions. There are definitely variations on type, sometimes explored by a paired analysis with an individual's enneagram type (which by the way, can and must change).

Observed changes in traits are likely because your beliefs and life circumstances have changed. On a meta-level, however, you still think and process things the same way you did in the past---though possibly with much more balance and precision given your tertiary and inferior functions have had a chance to engage-- therefore, your MBTI type has not changed.

 

[Crela]

NF are the strongest ones for me and I really doubt they could change. But for example the P I had before was propably due to the use of psychedelics. They made me really open. I mean like really-fucking-too-open, if you know what I mean? If you have that kind of experiences then you might have a hunch.

I really believe that drugs can change the personality type because they really change your cognitive processes.

I also agree that I and E might change because of the mood but I'm trying to answer "how would I usually act" instead of "how am I feeling right now" (though my feelings are quite strong so there's no doubt they affect me alot). It's just funny that I got ENFP every time I did the test (E and P around 30%, NF over 50-60%). I did the test for the first time like 4 years ago, and I was ENFP. The percentages have varied a little but I've been really clear ENFP till now.

Meditation might also have something to do with this. I've been meditating daily (30-40 minutes) for over 2 months. There's research done on the fact that meditation actually changes individuals cognitive processes. As Neverwhere also told, I have too definately improved my self-awareness in the past months.

I don't really believe that the "self" or "I" is anything really coherent or even as stabile that many of us think. It's just an illusion that we have a stabile "I" even though were processes in the flow of constant change. But yeah, this is just my opinion and how I see it, not necessarily the "objective truth" if there even is such a thing. I believe that even the cognitive processes can be modified quite alot with the help of drugs or meditation or due to trauma, illness etc.

 

[Lexika]

About half a year after quitting drugs I felt that I had changed completely. Now it's been 9 months without drugs and I don't know myself anymore. I got INFJ from the last two tests I did. I've started to think that what if I was really to begin with, but the drugs and alcohol changed my personality.

Is there anyone else with similar experiences?

You are trying to relate your type to your behaviors, but this is not how it works. Type is defined by your cognitive functions not your behaviors. Your behaviors will of course change year after year, but this is not what defines your type. Your type should remain stable from an early age.

 

[Faye]

Well, it is very difficult to type someone before 18-19 years of age since their personality hasn't fully formed, and as we move into our 20's our personality solidifies. The 18-22 range usually sees a big change as people get jobs, join the military, go to college, etc.. and are exposed to completely new environments and challenges.

Your type is determined by your preference order of the 8 functions, and understanding them is critical to understanding your type. So yeah you could be an INFJ.

Drugs and alcohol will definitely drastically change your personality when you're using them. You should take time to get to know yourself without them.

Also, welcome to the forum!

 

[leebra]

I remember myself of that age and I was already using Ni and a little bit of Fe and Ti only these later two functions had very weak and childish expressions. Going into puberty the auxiliary kicks in and developed into more mature form of itself, and into mid-20s the tertiary makes itself known. Thus you may notice you personality changing with age, as your undeveloped functions suddenly blossom, but this doesn't mean that you have changed you type. It only means that your personality became enriched so to say, it became sort of more multi-faceted.

 

[Roark]

I think E and I can change if you find you prefer one function to the other, but I believe if you actually know your true type, it is very hard to change.

 

[Barnabas]

Some time I think I'm a T, but that usually just because I'm tired

 

[bamf]

I think E and I can change if you find you prefer one function to the other, but I believe if you actually know your true type, it is very hard to change.

Seeing as the function relates to how you gain and spend energy, I think it's pretty hard to change. If you don't fully understand the theory you might waffle back and forth, but your knowledge of your true nature, or therefor lack of, doesn't change your true nature.