How have your perceptions towards MBTI changed over time?

mochi

mochi

Permanent Fixture
MBTI
INFP
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At first, I saw MBTI as a way to describe a person's distinct personality.

Now I'm not so sure.

I see it now, as a way of describing different stages in a person's personality. It seems to be constantly changing.

How have your views changed over time?
 
I have learned that people can't be trusted with MBTI.
 
I wish I had taken a closer look at it when I was dating.
 
mochi said:
At first, I saw MBTI as a way to describe a person's distinct personality.

Now I'm not so sure.

I see it now, as a way of describing different stages in a person's personality. It seems to be constantly changing.

How have your views changed over time?
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I think it's useful and can help develop a fuller understanding. I type extreme INFJ but don't feel a lot in common with all INFJs. I don't know what to make of that, but I think you could say its not a definitive ruling about what a person will or won't do. Use it as guidance, but leave the rest to common sense. Jmo



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I think its a useful tool to try and deal with different personality types. It almost doesn't matter how accurate it is, provided it gets people to think about others and themselves. If it does even that much it achieves something.

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I read more into it, this time using more published material than internet forums, and I realized how much misinformation seems to be circulating around the web. A lot of things that are accepted as being typical of one type are actually typical of another, or what is attributed to one function pair is actually one function at work.

I also learned to separate the theory from the practise.
 
Rferraris said:
I think it's useful and can help develop a fuller understanding. I type extreme INFJ but don't feel a lot in common with all INFJs. I don't know what to make of that, but I think you could say its not a definitive ruling about what a person will or won't do. Use it as guidance, but leave the rest to common sense. Jmo
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Are you a strong J? :w:
 
I learned that MBTI is an indication of a state; of a part of someone.
And echoing TDHT; there are misinformation abound. Although I hadn't really read the published materials; I can see some contradictions here and there...and cannot explain it. Drat!

And mainly, the not-so-definite powers of MBTI. :| It's not a BAD form of personality lists, but it's not exactly the ultimate either.

And I have learned the great skill of judging people based on their types. YAY! \o/ /totallynotironicwellsomeofitanyway
 
I've come to use MBTI as an experimental communication tool rather than to read a person's psyche. (It's still fun to "read" someone, of course, despite my inaccurate perceptions.)

I used to use MBTI to distinguish myself from Sensor world, but now I use it to appreciate Sensors, who make up 75% of the world, since I myself am partly Sensing.

I used to use MBTI as a manual for how to sharpen "my functions" and to ignore the lower functions, but now I use it more as a guide to balance myself out and to notice those Tertiary, Inferior, and Shadow Functions that I do actually use.
 
I first thought of it a tool that could give a deep understanding of individuals personality, now I treat it as a very basic way to understand a person at a glance before actually be able to communicate and get to know them better.
 
It hasn't changed. I use it to help me to understand and communicate better with those around me. I've preferred to think of sociology first.
 
I used to think it was BS, then I thought it was really cool and accurate, now I think it is just describing the NF perspective on others (possibly INFJ but Im sure my perception is colored by the forum).
 
chulo said:
How?
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I believe the bell curve of each personality type is explained by how that person's environment/experiences has shaped them. Most of us are INFJs, but there is still so much variation. I have always believed (and will continue) that we are a product of our environment.
 
Sriracha said:
I believe the bell curve of each personality type is explained by how that person's environment/experiences has shaped them. Most of us are INFJs, but there is still so much variation. I have always believed (and will continue) that we are a product of our environment.
Click to expand...

I get what you are saying; our past experiences shape our typology more than our genetics. I can agree with that... I think there is both a genetic and a learned element to being an INFJ. Someone can have the genetics that make them capable of being an INFJ but never have life experiences that cause them to actualize that type. Also some people have the life experiences but their genetic personality won't allow them to become INFJ. For example; I have met people who were super extroverted since they were toddlers. People like that are very unlikely to become INFJ's, but I'm sure they could if life forced them to become it.

P.S. You just gave me an idea for an interesting thread.
 
From my understanding, the theory behind the 4 dichotomies is that everyone is born with a preference. It is very possible and likely that many will grow to either fluently adapt to either, or it may be that life has forced one to go against their natural preference, or perhaps that person has consciously decided to oppose their natural preference.

It is much like the preference between being right or left handed. There are those that are ambidextrous, and there are those that might have preferred to be left-handed, but were forced to be right-handed.

Different influences will ultimately impact our use of preference and how strongly we prefer or oppose in each dichotomy. According to Jung, over time as we mature, learn and grow, the divide between will shrink.
 
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