Acting, Mirror Neurons and IXTP/IXTJ

[meanlittlechimp]

I have a theory about mirror neurons, acting and IXTJs /IXTPs. Just a random thought, that I haven't thought through completely.

My hunch is that a hugely disproportionate number of people afflicted with Autism and Aspergers fall under those MBTI types. It's also understood that people with Aspergers and Autism have something wrong with their mirror neuron functions on a genetic level.

The ability to act well is largely to due with how well your "mirror neurons" function. Therefore, most IXTJs/IXTPs tend not to act as well; because something about their braintype, which makes them score higher than average on IQ tests, typically comes paired with this poor mirror neuron activity.

[Nausved]

I don't know much about mirror neurons, but I've read a little.

From what I understand, watching someone eat a banana should cause neurons in your brain to fire off as if you were eating a banana. This gives you the ability to "empathize" with the banana-eating. (This applies to situations much more complex than this, of course.)

I, personally, am terrible at reading other people's emotions. If something's wrong, you pretty much have to tell me point blank, or I'll never figure it out. But once I know what's wrong, I find that I am very good at empathizing. If you tell me about how your dog died, I'll feel like my dog just died. (Note: This doesn't actually mean I'll be able to comfort you!)

I try to cultivate empathy—not only because I like it when others empathize with me and I want to return the favor—but because it's just plain useful. I love, love, love to argue, but it's very hard to argue effectively if you have difficulty looking at an issue from many different perspectives. If you can't do that, you'll never convince anybody why your perspective is the correct one—and, even worse, you'll never be able to amend your perspective if it's actually the wrong one. And I hate being wrong.

[gogurtdynasty]

I'm the same way... I think that i naturally assume that others respond the same way i do to things and i'm pretty much oblivious unless things are verbally communicated with me. Once it's explained I'm really very open and understanding and very easy to talk with about subjects... I just need things explained to me a little extra.

[BlackHawk]

From what I understand, watching someone eat a banana should cause neurons in your brain to fire off as if you were eating a banana. This gives you the ability to "empathize" with the banana-eating. (This applies to situations much more complex than this, of course.)


We did an exercise like that in Literature once. It doesn't work with me.

But I'm good at acting. Just because I can't empathize with what the character is doing doesn't mean that I can't still portray the emotions/actions effectively.

[meanlittlechimp]

We did an exercise like that in Literature once. It doesn't work with me.

But I'm good at acting. Just because I can't empathize with what the character is doing doesn't mean that I can't still portray the emotions/actions effectively.

Are you good at acting F? I could imagine some good INTJ actors only doing certain roles, that play up existing traits. Are you good at acting hysterical, crying etc?

Are you very good at mimicry and easily pick up the body movements and physical gestures/expressions of others. People who are nothing like you? Have you ever acted in a serious manner, college and above (or even high school dramas)?

[eternaltriangle]

I posted some clips on youtube, of me impersonating various people (some of the impersonations are terrible). Some of the comments I got was that the way I moved my face was completely wrong, and that I didn't get the facial mannerisms at all (watching it, my face does seem to move strangely while I speak). I tend to be good at so-so impersonations because I can pick up the key differences between how somebody speaks and how I speak. With language I have always been very intuitive - a sentence "sounds wrong" rather than my seeing a particular mistake (I know where it is appropriate to use a word, but not the definition of the word - that made the GRE verbal section hard). My impersonations are not dead-on by any stretch, but I am fairly versatile, and they stick with me because I don't need to memorize every little thing I do.

*(if you are interested)
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[BlackHawk]

Are you good at acting F? I could imagine some good INTJ actors only doing certain roles, that play up existing traits. Are you good at acting hysterical, crying etc?

I can do sentimental parts, cruel, evil parts, romantic parts, outgoing parts. I am not very good at hysteria, though. But playwrights are cliche enough that it's almost always the female part that involves that.

Are you very good at mimicry and easily pick up the body movements and physical gestures/expressions of others. People who are nothing like you? Have you ever acted in a serious manner, college and above (or even high school dramas)?

Yes, is I make an effort, I can come off almost exactly like anyone I observe.
And no, I have not done high-level acting.