how were you as a child?
- Thread starter Morgain
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The IFP description fits me near perfectly, which doesn't surprise me at all.
The only real exceptions I can think of are that I was never really interested in small babies, and my favourite science lessons were always astronomy rather than biology.
Yep, not as much as you did it seems, but I used to lie to try to get out of trouble all the time, and I was one of those kids that if someone in school had seen a particular movie, I used to pretend that I'd seen it too. I hated to be left out of stuff like that.
And my friends seemed to appreciate it anyway.
The only real exceptions I can think of are that I was never really interested in small babies, and my favourite science lessons were always astronomy rather than biology.
LadyBlahBlah said:
Yep, not as much as you did it seems, but I used to lie to try to get out of trouble all the time, and I was one of those kids that if someone in school had seen a particular movie, I used to pretend that I'd seen it too. I hated to be left out of stuff like that.
Not Barbies, but I did usually name my favourite toys and give them back-stories.
Still do.
That was probably what most people were thinking, but luckily for me most of them were too polite to mention it. :lol:
And my friends seemed to appreciate it anyway.
For a while I was a terror to insects everywhere, but I grew out of it eventually. Most of the time I hated to see things in pain, I'd even pick worms up from the pavement and find them a nice patch of grass so they wouldn't dry out or get stepped on.
Not to that extent, but I did talk to them all the time and treat them as if they were alive.
I had an older brother (ESTP, probably) who disabused me of such beliefs at a relatively tender age.
Mostly I was a nice kid, but I had a really short fuse.
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I was almost incapable of lying as a child. I told a few to get out of trouble but I just couldn't do it most of the time. It confused me when other people lied. Apparently I had "Aspergers" too. I also believed in Santa to a ridiculous age and was vaguely convinced that my stuffed animals formed a protective force at night.
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- Mar 17, 2010
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I remember that my sister used to lie a lot and get me in trouble, eventually she milked it though. I then started lying and getting her in trouble.
Both of us are now generally truthful people.
My son is ENP. What a people person! Mr. Popular since day one. But does he ever get into trouble! I can believe it.
I identify with some things from the INJ list, and some from the INP. Not surprising - I've tested as an INFP before, but usually get INFJ. Seems that hasn't changed much since I was a kid.
I'll color code, too:
Totally me
Indifferent
Definitely not me
INJ Traits
They have vivid imaginations
They're curious about everything, and are always asking "Why?"
They enjoy spending time one-on-one with others, rather than in large groups
They're often off in their own world, and have a dreamlike quality
They enjoy art and music
They love books, and especially enjoy fiction
They're likely to hang back and watch before participating in a social situation
They're intensely private, and don't always share their thought and feelings
They like structure and are unsettled by chaos or unplanned events
They prefer sports that focus on individual performance rather than team sports
They are perfectionists
They're serious and intense
They often seem older than they are, and may have older friends
They are original and independent, and value their uniqueness
They're not overly concerned with grades, but they want to completely understand a subject that interests them
Potential Strengths
They're usually very intelligent
They can grasp the big picture easily
They can see any far-reaching consequences of their actions
They're very resourceful
They are extremely creative and imaginative
They easily come up with good ideas
They're usually well-liked by their peers (I was always picked on as a kid. )
They will completely master a subject that interests them
Their desire to be in control of themselves makes them take responsibility for their actions (I wasn't too good at taking responsibility for my actions when I was a kid. I'm better at it now.)
They are usually confident in their ideas, and know instinctively when they are right about something
Potential Weaknesses
They have short attention spans
They get bored easily with details or routine tasks
They won't put any effort into doing something that doesn't interest them
They frequently don't hear people
Once they have made up their mind about something, they can be very stubborn about it
They ignore details
They are unsettled by change, and don't usually adapt well to new situations
They're uncomfortable and somewhat overwhelmed by large groups
They are rather unaware of their environment, and seem "out of it"
They are rather self-centered, and may be unaware of how their actions or words affect others
They can be controlling and bossy(I am also the oldest child, lol. I think my bossiness has subsided since I no longer live with my brother, though!)
Although they come up with ideas easily, they don't do as well implementing their ideas
INJ Special Needs
INJ children need a good amount of time alone. They get most of their energy from within themselves and their rich imaginations, so they need adequate time alone to recharge their batteries. After a long day of school, the INJ may head to their room to spend some time alone. Respect this need of your child's, and understand that once they have spent time alone they will be ready to interact with you. Don't push them to be around yourself or others until they have spent some quality alone time. An INJ who doesn't get the chance to spend any time alone will be irritable, cranky and tired.
INJs who have made up their minds about something can be quite stubborn and unwilling to compromise. When faced with an INJ who has "dug in their heels" about something, take some time to present them with clear and valid alternatives to their way of thinking. This will help the INJ to not become overly rigid, pompous and unbending in their views.
IFP Traits
Very idealistic
Take things seriously and personally
Quiet and gentle
Extremely sensitive
Shy and reserved with strangers
Enjoy reading
Service-oriented, they want to please others
They love animals and small babies
Likely to be messy and unstructured
They need lots of love and affection
Potential Strengths
Deeply caring and empathic
They're usually very kind and sweet
Laidback and easygoing, they're not likely to create trouble
They adapt well to new situations, and welcome change
They're usually relaxed, peaceful and unrushed
Usually extremely creative and artistic
They are original and genuine
Take things seriously, and aren't likely to be frivolous
They need harmony, and can be good peacemakers
They're faithful and devoted to people and causes
They're often quite faithful to their religion
Potential Weaknesses
They're extremely sensitive and become hurt very easily
They cannot use logic well at a young age
They don't really have a concept of time or schedules, so they are frequently late
May be reckless and irresponsible with money
Tendency to let negative thoughts build up inside them until it becomes an unhealthy situation
They cannot see things objectively - they see everything from their own point of view
If they feel rejected or unloved, they may become very depressed and moody
They are procrastinators and have trouble completing projects
They are so internally focused that they are sometimes completely unaware of how anyone else is feeling
They have difficulty expressing their deepest feelings, and are sometimes unaware of these feelings themselves
Although they care deeply about others, they are self-absorbed and so may be seen as selfish
They cannot take any kind of criticism, and will become defensive and emotional when criticised
They don't like to make decisions, and will put it off as long as possible
They often view decisions with absolute finality, and don't realize that they can change their mind later
They naturally move slowly doing things, which makes them sometimes appear lazy
They have trouble asserting themselves
IFP Special Needs
The biggest stumbling block for IFP children (and for IFP adults) is their extreme sensitivity. IFP kids need to learn and understand that conflict is not something they should always take to heart. The IFP's opinion of himself or herself is largely influenced by other people's opinion of them. If the IFP feel unconditional love and acceptance, they are more likely to feel self-confident, and will be able to handle some criticism. However, IFP's will probably have a lifelong issue with feeling things passionately, and with taking any criticism completely to heart. When correcting an IFP, a parent should always include some positive comment about the IFP along with the negative. This will help the child to know that a specific criticism is not an indictment of their entire character.
I'll color code, too:
Totally me
Indifferent
Definitely not me
INJ Traits
They have vivid imaginations
They're curious about everything, and are always asking "Why?"
They enjoy spending time one-on-one with others, rather than in large groups
They're often off in their own world, and have a dreamlike quality
They enjoy art and music
They love books, and especially enjoy fiction
They're likely to hang back and watch before participating in a social situation
They're intensely private, and don't always share their thought and feelings
They like structure and are unsettled by chaos or unplanned events
They prefer sports that focus on individual performance rather than team sports
They are perfectionists
They're serious and intense
They often seem older than they are, and may have older friends
They are original and independent, and value their uniqueness
They're not overly concerned with grades, but they want to completely understand a subject that interests them
Potential Strengths
They're usually very intelligent
They can grasp the big picture easily
They can see any far-reaching consequences of their actions
They're very resourceful
They are extremely creative and imaginative
They easily come up with good ideas
They're usually well-liked by their peers (I was always picked on as a kid.
)They will completely master a subject that interests them
Their desire to be in control of themselves makes them take responsibility for their actions (I wasn't too good at taking responsibility for my actions when I was a kid. I'm better at it now.)
They are usually confident in their ideas, and know instinctively when they are right about something
Potential Weaknesses
They have short attention spans
They get bored easily with details or routine tasks
They won't put any effort into doing something that doesn't interest them
They frequently don't hear people
Once they have made up their mind about something, they can be very stubborn about it
They ignore details
They are unsettled by change, and don't usually adapt well to new situations
They're uncomfortable and somewhat overwhelmed by large groups
They are rather unaware of their environment, and seem "out of it"
They are rather self-centered, and may be unaware of how their actions or words affect others
They can be controlling and bossy(I am also the oldest child, lol. I think my bossiness has subsided since I no longer live with my brother, though!)
Although they come up with ideas easily, they don't do as well implementing their ideas
INJ Special Needs
INJ children need a good amount of time alone. They get most of their energy from within themselves and their rich imaginations, so they need adequate time alone to recharge their batteries. After a long day of school, the INJ may head to their room to spend some time alone. Respect this need of your child's, and understand that once they have spent time alone they will be ready to interact with you. Don't push them to be around yourself or others until they have spent some quality alone time. An INJ who doesn't get the chance to spend any time alone will be irritable, cranky and tired.
INJs who have made up their minds about something can be quite stubborn and unwilling to compromise. When faced with an INJ who has "dug in their heels" about something, take some time to present them with clear and valid alternatives to their way of thinking. This will help the INJ to not become overly rigid, pompous and unbending in their views.
IFP Traits
Very idealistic
Take things seriously and personally
Quiet and gentle
Extremely sensitive
Shy and reserved with strangers
Enjoy reading
Service-oriented, they want to please others
They love animals and small babies
Likely to be messy and unstructured
They need lots of love and affection
Potential Strengths
Deeply caring and empathic
They're usually very kind and sweet
Laidback and easygoing, they're not likely to create trouble
They adapt well to new situations, and welcome change
They're usually relaxed, peaceful and unrushed
Usually extremely creative and artistic
They are original and genuine
Take things seriously, and aren't likely to be frivolous
They need harmony, and can be good peacemakers
They're faithful and devoted to people and causes
They're often quite faithful to their religion
Potential Weaknesses
They're extremely sensitive and become hurt very easily
They cannot use logic well at a young age
They don't really have a concept of time or schedules, so they are frequently late
May be reckless and irresponsible with money
Tendency to let negative thoughts build up inside them until it becomes an unhealthy situation
They cannot see things objectively - they see everything from their own point of view
If they feel rejected or unloved, they may become very depressed and moody
They are procrastinators and have trouble completing projects
They are so internally focused that they are sometimes completely unaware of how anyone else is feeling
They have difficulty expressing their deepest feelings, and are sometimes unaware of these feelings themselves
Although they care deeply about others, they are self-absorbed and so may be seen as selfish
They cannot take any kind of criticism, and will become defensive and emotional when criticised
They don't like to make decisions, and will put it off as long as possible
They often view decisions with absolute finality, and don't realize that they can change their mind later
They naturally move slowly doing things, which makes them sometimes appear lazy
They have trouble asserting themselves
IFP Special Needs
The biggest stumbling block for IFP children (and for IFP adults) is their extreme sensitivity. IFP kids need to learn and understand that conflict is not something they should always take to heart. The IFP's opinion of himself or herself is largely influenced by other people's opinion of them. If the IFP feel unconditional love and acceptance, they are more likely to feel self-confident, and will be able to handle some criticism. However, IFP's will probably have a lifelong issue with feeling things passionately, and with taking any criticism completely to heart. When correcting an IFP, a parent should always include some positive comment about the IFP along with the negative. This will help the child to know that a specific criticism is not an indictment of their entire character.
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ITP Traits
This was the basis of most of my young interactions until I learned that people don't respond well to logic.
I think, when I was young, my mom tried to inform me of how the things I say affect others, but a lot of it sort of culminated into a HUGE inferiority complex. Constantly being told that what I am doing and how I am acting is fundamentally wrong really set me up for some complications later in life. That being said, I think it was a misinterpretation on my part and I am glad that it is clear to me nowadays.
The kids on the playground that would exploit others always filled me with intense emotion. However, my father always prohibited me from any sort of physical conflict and I listened.
I really want to send this list to my mom and see if she agrees with these characteristics for me.
- Logical and objective
- Tend to be adventurous, and enjoy taking physical risks
- They're original and value their uniqueness
- They're highly independent, and don't like being told what to do
- They have no interest in controlling or leading others, or telling them what to do
- Quiet and serious
- Honest and direct
- They're very observant
- Curious and interested in learning new things
- Quick to learn new things
- Not overly affectionate or demonstrative of their love
- They enjoy books
- They have a tendency to be loners, and may have one or two friends, rather than lots of acquaintances
- They're very easy-going and undemanding
- Often prefer to work alone rather than in groups
- They want to be good at things that interest them, and they apply their own standards rather than trying to impress anyone else
- They get bored easily - Well, I tended to move through topics easily, at that time it was hard to get new stuff to be interested in so yes.
- They value precision in communication, and are irritated by exaggerations and half-truths
- When interested in something, they exhibit extreme competence and will master it completely - I usually move on before mastering something
- They're flexible and can adapt well to new situations
- Laid-back and easy-going, they're usually easy to get along with
- Strong sense of fairness
- They're highly observant, and quickly incorporate new data into their thinking
- They're usually quite intelligent, and able to do well in higher education
- They're quite honest and truthful
- They take things seriously, and are seldom frivolous or flighty
- They have open and accepting natures, although they're not always interested in people
- They don't have a good sense of time or schedules, and may frequently run late or miss deadlines
- They will strongly resist being told what to do, which may present a discipline problem - I actually think I was pretty good about following orders from my parents, although I despised them if I wasn't given a good reason to do something.
- They do not like to make decisions, and prefer to leave things open until the last possible moment - I have gotten a lot better at making decisions, but this was definitely a trait when young.
- They will resist doing anything that they don't feel like doing
- They're often unaware of how others are feeling, or how their own behavior affects others
- They keep their own feelings closely guarded and well-hidden from others, sometimes even from themselves - I do this too much still
- When stressed out or upset, they may react with extreme emotions that are inappropriate or exaggerated for the situation Yea...
- Highly objective and detached, they may have difficulty forming close bonds with people
- With their risk-taking natures, they might get into some trouble - I have always been a well behaved child, if I didn't fear death by my father, things would probably be different.
This was the basis of most of my young interactions until I learned that people don't respond well to logic.
I think, when I was young, my mom tried to inform me of how the things I say affect others, but a lot of it sort of culminated into a HUGE inferiority complex. Constantly being told that what I am doing and how I am acting is fundamentally wrong really set me up for some complications later in life. That being said, I think it was a misinterpretation on my part and I am glad that it is clear to me nowadays.
The kids on the playground that would exploit others always filled me with intense emotion. However, my father always prohibited me from any sort of physical conflict and I listened.
I really want to send this list to my mom and see if she agrees with these characteristics for me.