Created an INTJ . . . Opposite Family Members Drove us this way

[Sazeriel]

Do you think that we were driven to become INTJs because we craved opposition from our family?

I had my family members take the personality quiz, and I discovered that all of them had completely opposite results than me. It really didn't suprise me. It's not that I don't like/love my family, but I have this opposition about them that makes hard to do anything civil with them.

[Sliderule]

I doubt it, you're just a freak of nature.

One of us one of us.....

[PHS Philip]

No, but I do think I was pushed into TJ by other factors. Grades 1-5 were not exactly a happy time for me, so I think I was driven into the immature TJ ultra-'rational' way of thinking to deal with it. As things have gotten better for me, the more FP side has started to come back, which is why I think I could easily have been an INFP. Now that that side isn't actively suppressed, it's quite strong.

[Synamon]

Do you think that we were driven to become INTJs because we craved opposition from our family?


I think you are confusing cause and effect. You oppose them because you are an INTJ.

[Antares]

My family is semi-traditional, and I'm an INTJ. To my mother, I was always psychologically troubled because she could not understand why I think the way I do.

[IgnoranceIsKind]

This is a very legit assumption. I've always had my little speculation that I turned out as an INTJ not by what are inherent characteristics, but by developments by virtue of my parent's upbringing.

[ercaras]

This is somehow confusing me.
Are personalities acquired or innate? Or a little bit of both maybe?

If it is acquired, and based on the things you guys have been sharing, then I'm starting to think that INTJ people suffered from severe trauma or abuse sometime in their past? Ummm... Like Sir Isaac Newton being sexually harassed or beaten? Hehehehe... Funny thought...

[Ryokurin]

I don't think its a issue of someone or something driving us to be an INTJ, just circumstances and life conditions. I definitely remember being a bit more outgoing and social when I was very young. Not enough to be considered extroverted, but the biggest reason I know I became INTJ over the years was due to growing up in places where I was the only child around. When you are used to coming up with your own games, or using your imagination for entertainment, it's a shock to your system learning something new like baseball, football and other kids games. That got me picked on and labeled as odd, so after being upset about it all for a while and realizing it was just going to get worse I retreated back to doing things on my own.

There's always a reason, but no one forced you to become anything. Its a choice you made to cope at some point because it works for you.

[Maayan]

Do you think that we were driven to become INTJs because we craved opposition from our family?

I had my family members take the personality quiz, and I discovered that all of them had completely opposite results than me. It really didn't suprise me. It's not that I don't like/love my family, but I have this opposition about them that makes hard to do anything civil with them.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but a desire to develop your personality in order to be different or unique relative to other people doesn't seem very INTJ-ish to me. That seems very touchy-feely.

[PHS Philip]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but a desire to develop your personality in order to be different or unique relative to other people doesn't seem very INTJ-ish to me. That seems very touchy-feely.

Well, I think what he means is more like this. When I'm arguing with someone, if they're making a bad argument for their position, I sometimes find myself drifting farther to the other side that I normally would be in response. So it's more, you see too much of the other side of the dichotomies, so you drift toward INTJ because too much of the other side of the dichotomies bothers you.

[Storm]

This thread is in opposition to a thread I just started:INTJs raised by INTJs (To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.).
So, obviously I'm going to disagree. Synamon got it right, you're confusing cause and effect.

[Sazeriel]

you're confusing cause and effect.

Ok, I can understand that. That's probably what happened. My INTJish tendencies drive me away i guess.

Thanks for the input.

[Fox]

I believe in both Nature vs Nurture.

People and events did help shape the person I am. I also was fortunate enough. Well not really fortunate to have a clinical evaluation done of me at very early age. I speech development type issues. Kinda interesting to read a report but how I spoke and interacted with people at the age of two & a half. In many ways I am exactly the same person.

Plays in the same room with other children but tends to keep to himself and is very possessive of toys.

Still very true today. Don't touch my sh!t or I'll cut ya.

[Vagrant]

My mother's side of the family is consistently NT -- it practically runs in my family. My brother is ENTP, I'm INTJ, my mother is INTJ, my uncle is INTP, my grandma is ENTJ, my grandpa was INTJ...

There's just something going on in my family. :p I was never driven away from my mother's side, so much as found myself wanting to be more like them.

[PHS Philip]

I think you are confusing cause and effect. You oppose them because you are an INTJ.

I think it makes sense that INTJ tendencies could become more pronounced because of this sort of thing though.