Possible to intentionally change your mbti?

[Kfbr]

I've tested an INTJ my whole life and have fit the bill quite nicely. I've always been quiet, non confrontational and always doing my own thing. But I now know I want to go into public service and to law school. The type of law I want to study requires brash, upfront and outgoing kind of people and I knew I didn't have those traits - at the time.

So I said to myself a while ago, I bet an ENTJ would have an easier time with this, let's see if I can be more extroverted. Long story short, I lead a team of colleagues now and I bartend on the weekend with mostly the purpose of improving social skills and many people consider me an extrovert. I'm brash, always take command of situations, outgoing and enjoy the company of people - as long as we are accomplishing something.

I'm in a Psych class to fill my last gen ed requirement and we took the MBTI. I was pretty excited and wanted to showboat all the INTJ's with lots of 'woots!' but tested ENTJ this time.

I was kinda surprised, I wasn't intentionally circumventing the test at all and it was pretty lengthy, about 75 questions.

So, do you believe in mind over matter or am I just fooling myself? I've read through many ENTJ descriptions and now I'm fitting in just fine. I believe if I tried hard enough and followed through I could change another one of my letters, but I think ENTJ is exactly what I need for my future career.

[DeadSpace]

If anyone can alter their patterns of thought...it's an intj. Been outgoing, party maniac a few times, not that hard. Still come back to myself though, by choice, i prefer the quiet. Even during the extravert phases, still had time i spent alone, maybe only a few hours. That was enough though. Organise the day in my head, review it, recharge, and plan (loosely) for the next day. Permanent switch to 'E' decided just wasn't for me. Wanting to be around people...when quite a few irritate the crap out of me....bleh. Mode switch beteen I and E worked better.

[Solaris]

I've tested an INTJ my whole life and have fit the bill quite nicely. I've always been quiet, non confrontational and always doing my own thing. But I now know I want to go into public service and to law school. The type of law I want to study requires brash, upfront and outgoing kind of people and I knew I didn't have those traits - at the time.

So I said to myself a while ago, I bet an ENTJ would have an easier time with this, let's see if I can be more extroverted. Long story short, I lead a team of colleagues now and I bartend on the weekend with mostly the purpose of improving social skills and many people consider me an extrovert. I'm brash, always take command of situations, outgoing and enjoy the company of people - as long as we are accomplishing something.

I'm in a Psych class to fill my last gen ed requirement and we took the MBTI. I was pretty excited and wanted to showboat all the INTJ's with lots of 'woots!' but tested ENTJ this time.

I was kinda surprised, I wasn't intentionally circumventing the test at all and it was pretty lengthy, about 75 questions.

So, do you believe in mind over matter or am I just fooling myself? I've read through many ENTJ descriptions and now I'm fitting in just fine. I believe if I tried hard enough and followed through I could change another one of my letters, but I think ENTJ is exactly what I need for my future career.

Only you know if you are drained by being with all those people or not. As for me, I consider myself somewhat of an aberration (sp?) of the ENTJ type, because I do introspect quite a bit. I only do this intentionally, because I've developed my ability to realize when I need to step back from socializing and think some internal thing over. I pretty much always want what I am doing to have a purpose -- even if that purpose is just to enjoy the time with my friends as much as possible, and bond just a bit more with them. I spent this evening with just one friend, and we had a very enjoyable evening. I know this friend likes to spend one on one time with others, and I can appreciate that now and then.

So I'm not sure that I agree or disagree with you, just expressing something similar from the other direction. However, my I side comes out more INTP than INTJ usually -- because I introspect when I cannot immediately come to conclusions and form plans.

[Jgib5328]

You can't intentionally change your type. You may have become more social, than you used to, but that meant that you are the same as you've always been, but more social. You could've always been a shy or withdrawn ENTJ, or maybe you are just an outgoing INTJ. Overtime some types may change slightly, but it's nothing significant and usually a significant event would have to happen. Like I've said many times in many posts, it is impossible to switch from being Introverted to Extroverted, especially at your age. MAYBE when you are young and your brain is still malleable, it is possible, but going from I to E, means changing your brain chemistry. You are the same type as you've always been, you've just added a new dimension to yourself.

[Parallel]

Don't think about it too much in terms of type. Otherwise you'll feel boxed in by your type when you should be doing the boxing in of type. Just know what you want and what habits you'll slowly need to change to get it. Just because you're an "I" doesn't mean you are destined to become a hermit type. There are plenty of I's that can pull off the face of extroversion when they need to.

[Phaedrus]

Jgib5328 is entirely correct. You can't change your type, but you can change the way you act. I'm an INTJ that can socialize normally, and whose room is exceptionally disorganized. Does that make me an ENTP(ignore that I's can be social and J's can have messy rooms, just accept that it's more than that)? Not at all. I can go to a party and socialize, but I can't really make myself enjoy it. And I still get really annoyed with myself when I come back to my room and can't see the floor. My J acts up, because that's who I am.

Not the best example in the world, but it sort of works, and you'll see what I mean if you try to really change your type. You'll find yourself thinking like an INTJ whether you want to or not. Why you would want to not be an INTJ is beyond me, though.

[Kfbr]

Why you would want to not be an INTJ is beyond me, though.

My future career in politics and law requires a lot of extrovertness, for lack of a better word :D

ENTJs are just as awesome as us, I believe

edit: also, why do I have a Rommel avatar?

[Antares]

My future career in politics and law requires a lot of extrovertness, for lack of a better word :D

ENTJs are just as awesome as us, I believe

edit: also, why do I have a Rommel avatar?


You can be charismatic, charming and outgoing without being an Extrovert :) I'm one of the 'outgoing' introverts.

[Flamethrower]

So, do you believe in mind over matter or am I just fooling myself? I've read through many ENTJ descriptions and now I'm fitting in just fine. I believe if I tried hard enough and followed through I could change another one of my letters, but I think ENTJ is exactly what I need for my future career.

MBTI doesn't measure self-confidence and that is something you can develop at any time. I think it would be easier to "change" between the different types of NT personalities than say NF or SJ. I personally don't entirely agree with the dichotomous style of MBTI because it doesn't measure HOW much you are Extraverted or Introverted, just how sure you are that you are one or the other. I am only just ENTJ and can see aspects of myself in the other descriptions for NT types. I am averagely extraverted on the Global 5 test for instance.

I consider myself somewhat of an aberration (sp?) of the ENTJ type, because I do introspect quite a bit. I pretty much always want what I am doing to have a purpose -- even if that purpose is just to enjoy the time with my friends as much as possible, and bond just a bit more with them.

My I side comes out more INTP than INTJ usually

That sounds exactly like me. :p

[ElstonGunn]

So, do you believe in mind over matter or am I just fooling myself? I've read through many ENTJ descriptions and now I'm fitting in just fine. I believe if I tried hard enough and followed through I could change another one of my letters, but I think ENTJ is exactly what I need for my future career.

Sure, go for it. But is the goal to act like an ENTJ consistently and without burning yourself out, or is to actually become an ENTJ? I'm not sure if you can do the latter, but it sounds like you're already doing pretty well with the former.

[Flamethrower]

Sure, go for it. But is the goal to act like an ENTJ consistently and without burning yourself out, or is to actually become an ENTJ? I'm not sure if you can do the latter, but it sounds like you're already doing pretty well with the former.

Yeah I agree with that. I think you have to have it in you naturally. You probably can't force yourself to be someone you are not. But what you are attracted to (genuinely) such as the kind of job an ENTJ personality would be good at, probably says lots about you too. And I also think it is also possible to become more confident with experience anyway. INTJs in my experience can be really outgoing and confident.

[Solaris]

Yeah I agree with that. I think you have to have it in you naturally. You probably can't force yourself to be someone you are not. But what you are attracted to (genuinely) such as the kind of job an ENTJ personality would be good at, probably says lots about you too. And I also think it is also possible to become more confident with experience anyway. INTJs in my experience can be really outgoing and confident.

I think some INTJs pursue careers like that because they want the challenge. If technical fields are just seem to easy to them, they'll seek challenge in another field.





Solaris added to this post, 2 minutes and 11 seconds later...

MBTI doesn't measure self-confidence and that is something you can develop at any time. I think it would be easier to "change" between the different types of NT personalities than say NF or SJ. I personally don't entirely agree with the dichotomous style of MBTI because it doesn't measure HOW much you are Extraverted or Introverted, just how sure you are that you are one or the other. I am only just ENTJ and can see aspects of myself in the other descriptions for NT types. I am averagely extraverted on the Global 5 test for instance.



That sounds exactly like me. :p

That's sort of comforting really. I know I function like an ENTJ, but many descriptions paint us as these overbearing monsters, and I'm just not. I, too, see bits of myself in all the NT descriptions, but identify most with ENTJ. I forget how E I am on the Global 5. I think I was an SCOEI or something like that...maybe I'll get into that system now I think I have a decent handle on MBTI.

[Flamethrower]

That's sort of comforting really. I know I function like an ENTJ, but many descriptions paint us as these overbearing monsters, and I'm just not. I, too, see bits of myself in all the NT descriptions, but identify most with ENTJ. I forget how E I am on the Global 5. I think I was an SCOEI or something like that...maybe I'll get into that system now I think I have a decent handle on MBTI.

The description for ENTJ does sound really overbearing yes. I am not like that. I don't know any ENTJs that are monsters either. On Global 5 I am quite balanced on S and O. But I always get SCOEI. I think I am borderline with INTP though (and didn't you say the same?) But a statement that really describes me is:

"The most important thing to ENTJs is demonstrating their competence and making important things happen".

Compared to:

"The most important thing to INTP is their privacy and the opportunity to solve complex problems in unique ways".

I do think the key thing for ENTJs is the drive to make stuff happen and manifest in the real world not just keep all their ideas inside themselves. This seems to be the thing that nags me the most.

Here is a big five test anyway if you want to find out what your E/I scale is. Maybe Kfbr would like to try again and see if the result is SCOEI! (ENTJ)
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[Alaron251]

I think you may be right. I changed a lot since I was younger, like for example, if someone speaks to me - and seem reasonably nice I would speak to them like I speak to one of my close friends. Though before that I 'shied' away from speaking with people I didn't really know, but eventually I just told myself I will become more communicative - viola I did.

[Jgib5328]

I think you may be right. I changed a lot since I was younger, like for example, if someone speaks to me - and seem reasonably nice I would speak to them like I speak to one of my close friends. Though before that I 'shied' away from speaking with people I didn't really know, but eventually I just told myself I will become more communicative - viola I did.

That just means that you gained more confidence and lost some social anxiety, doesn't mean you changed your type.

[Solaris]

The description for ENTJ does sound really overbearing yes. I am not like that. I don't know any ENTJs that are monsters either. On Global 5 I am quite balanced on S and O. But I always get SCOEI. I think I am borderline with INTP though (and didn't you say the same?) But a statement that really describes me is:

"The most important thing to ENTJs is demonstrating their competence and making important things happen".

Compared to:

"The most important thing to INTPs is their privacy and the opportunity to solve complex problems in unique ways".

I do think the key thing for ENTJs is the drive to make stuff happen and manifest in the real world not just keep all their ideas inside themselves. This seems to be the thing that nags me the most.

Here is a big five test anyway if you want to find out what your E/I scale is. Maybe Kfbr would like to try again and see if the result is SCOEI! (ENTJ)
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Yes, if there are no results forthcoming, I get....antsy, irritated. When I am dealing with personal things in which I cannot, for one reason or another, move forward or get results, I start stress cleaning. Se really is my relief function, as I generally turn to cleaning, running, or martial arts to relieve the most intense stress. Once I've calmed a bit, I start writing in my journal so that I process things and don't just ignore it all once the initial intensity is gone.

Global 5: sloan SCOEI; sloan+ Scxe|I|; primary Inquisitive; S(74%)C(64%)O(52%)E(64%)I(76%)

I don't remember what any of that means, but those were my results from that test a while back.

[Flamethrower]

Yes, if there are no results forthcoming, I get....antsy, irritated. When I am dealing with personal things in which I cannot, for one reason or another, move forward or get results, I start stress cleaning.

:laugh: I start kicking butts!

Global 5: sloan SCOEI; sloan+ Scxe|I|; primary Inquisitive; S(74%)C(64%)O(52%)E(64%)I(76%)

OK similar to me except I get a much lower S (about 52%).

[Solaris]

:laugh: I start kicking butts!

Hence my adoration for martial arts. I love throwing people, it's my favorite. ;D

[Flamethrower]

Hence my adoration for martial arts. I love throwing people, it's my favorite. ;D

:thumbsup: Good one. I bet you are a black belt in something too. My butt kicking is more of the verbal type.

[mxdntz]

When I think I am an INTJ, I test as a INTP. When I think I am an INTP, I test as an INTJ:huh:

[Serket]

I don't know about actually being able to change your MBTI. I know I have faked my results before. It just seemed more fun to test as an INFJ "the Messiah" at a religious retreat.