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#1 |
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Veteran Member [57%]
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I think we can all agree that self discovery is an ongoing process, and that perhaps the MBTI is not the most precise instrument.
Perhaps we can also agree that closely related types, espcially those of us with the auxilliary TJ, can have many traits and behaviors in common, and that in some things, we might be mistaken as equals. And again we can agree that some things are hard to measure--and that the "numbers" we get back from a test relate averages rather than absolutes, tendencies rather than hard-wired behaviors... Even so...after working with a friend of mine who's a grad student in Psychology (I agreed to take part in several tests and experiments related to his thesis) and discussing the finer points of human psychology, cognitive theory and personality type, I think I may be, after all is said and done, an IsTJ. F**k me, a bloody IsTJ. If any of you recall from past postings, I once tested in my earliest college days as an INFP... I was not terribly interested in MBTI or related theories at the time so thought nothing of it, and only casually related to the description of the type (I do recall thinking it wasn't very accurate)---and the careers that were suggested for that type were certainly no more than of passing interest to me. So, fast foward roughly 10 years. Grad school. I test again, and find myself an INTJ. I take several such tests and come out nearly every time an INTJ. I read the desciption and I glory, because this is precisely what I am, at the core of me. I wonder at how I could do a 180 turn on those last two traits, but think this is due to personal choice and the benefits of education, maturity. But after discussion here and deep thought on my own, I think perhaps I wasn't truly FP---or maybe being the tender age of 18 (and horribly naive) had something to do with it... But I was (and still am, to some degree) sure I was an INTJ. For example, these all hold true for me:
But now after talking to R. (my friend) at great length about the different cognitive processes, I'm forced to admit that more often than not I focus on the present, the concrete, and the practical applications/limits of knowledge and experience. If something (anything) doesn't make sense to me, if I can't apply it to some practical end, then I dismiss it and move on to other things. I am open-minded and on cognitive tests I've come out as "balanced" (a result I loved to no end, you can imagine, so proud to feel I was a whole brain kind of thinker) so I'm always willing to hear another idea or approach, and will adopt anything that proves itself to me by my rigorous standards... But my fascination and worship of facts, wonderful, cold hard facts and science is what tipped me over the edge, as R. and I concluded, makes me an "s," though it's close, because the numbers I got were 45% iNtuitive and 55% Sensing... So...still love me? To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Last edited by Stratego; 05-07-2009 at 12:14 AM.
Reason: typos, typos, frickin typos...
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#2 | ||||||
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Member [09%]
MBTI: INTJ
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 362
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I've seen that said of INTJs plenty of times.
Ns can like facts. Ns can like facts from which to abstract and generalise. N isn't totally irrelevant to reality...and even if it were, you can have well developed S capacities (which you clearly already know, since you're in the process of concluding you're an S with strong N capacities). |
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#3 | |||
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Member [16%]
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Just my two cents, but this doesn't necessarily say to me that you would have to be an S. In my experience, this has seemed to an INTJ/INTP distinction as well. While I am perfectly comfortable in the abstract, things have to have some practical application in the concrete for it to matter - even if that practical application doesn't have impact in the immediate present. Said differently, it should be actionable. Many INTPs, however, don't always seem to share this need. |
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#4 |
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Member [04%]
MBTI: INTJ
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 186
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Don't ever ever ever believe a psychology "professional" or test above what you know to be true about yourself. Tests are only approximations - maybe you gave the "wrong" answers at the time. Lots of tests and test-givers are not that great. If you trully admire, relate to, and are attracted to the qualities of an INTJ then you are an INTJ. Creative and odd are definitely not typical ISTJ traits and same with seeing the big picture more than the little details - i would use that as a benchmark.
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#5 | |||
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Member [29%]
MBTI: INTJ
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,192
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Thanks for writing this - you've said exactly what I think and feel about the "actionable" part of the equation. |
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#6 | |||
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Core Member [465%]
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What's wrong with being an S? Have you read all the problems people here have fitting into SJ society? I dunno, it might be nice to naturally fit. To live in the moment without actively trying. To have other people understand your instructions. To get out of my own head more. I've been trying to improve those things about myself for years and develop my sensing functions. |
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#7 | |||
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Member [06%]
MBTI: INTP
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 271
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Increasingly over the years I've found myself becoming more consciously judicious about mental resource allocation. I try to limit involvement (although sometimes unsuccessfully) in things that through repeated exposure have revealed themselves to be essentially hamster wheels. For me it stems not from any distaste for the abstract, but irritation with repetition. |
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#8 |
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Veteran Member [54%]
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Time for me to stick my nose in these discussions. I like ISTJ. I am still not sure why there seemed to be perceived marks against these combined letters.
Generally speaking, I have a weakness for IxTJ*, or anyone who is disciplined and balanced in his/her approach. That is quite ideal to me. Bottom line, don't let yourself be boxed in by these letters. I think of them as our comfort zones. The challenge is to be flexible in stepping outside of them when need be. If you can, more power to you. If anyone is in obvious and typical MBTI "XXXX" mode, I am compelled to tease them, myself included. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. *OK. I am bias since my husband is one. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. |
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#9 |
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Administrator
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Nothing you've described is inconsistent with being an INTJ.
The "J" in the INTJ makes shim want to apply shis theories to the real world. Have you seen the amount of concrete facts people demand around here to back up your theories? I would look into the cognitive functions. Do you get ideas out of nowhere and then check them with logic? Do you look at the big picture and look for the details? Or do you carefully build up to big ideas based on details? Do you primarily get ideas from the concrete world that you observe? |
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#10 | |||
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Core Member [103%]
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Last edited by altoid; 05-07-2009 at 10:06 AM.
Reason: grammar
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#11 |
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Member [05%]
MBTI: INTJ
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 206
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I'm an INTJ but most of my coworkers are ISTJs (a lot of us took the test a few weeks ago for kicks)...
On the surface we appear to be pretty similar - and honestly before taking the test I would've guessed that we all probably had the same personality type - but the major differences between me (the INTJ) and my ISTJ coworkers seems to be how we view the rules... I see the rules as suggestions that are not above ignoring, modifying, or being subject to a complete overhaul... the INTPs seem to view the "rules" in the same way that I do... The ISTJs on the other hand absolutely will not EVER break the rules - not like federal laws or anything but more in the sense that they will never do do anything different than the way "it's always been done before" and depending on the situation I am usually more than willing to completely ignore "the way it's always been done before" for the sake of reaching the end result... Also... I agree with the post above from altoid as well... I think in grad school they do try to limit intuition but I've found that rather than loosing my intuition I've learned to apply it differently... in the end you just can't get papers published on intuition... but I think intuition can definitely lead to new discoveries it just has to ultimately be backed up with verifiable and repeatable evidence... so maybe a person in grad school might seem more like an ISTJ due to training but is still and INTJ in regards to how they process information etc... etc... Please post what you ultimately decide I'm interested to know. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. I should also add that I don't think there is anything wrong with being an ISTJ... I'm curious more on how static the personality types really are and if certain [more balanced people, unfortunately not me.. To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. ] go through some sort of personality continuum throughout their lives... thereby making personality classifications somewhat useless for them.. |
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#12 | ||||||||||||
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Veteran Member [57%]
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Thank you, Synamon.
Exactly. I don't tire of exploring theory, or talking about and thinking about grand theories like those in physics (which fascinates me) but I do tire of theoretical hocus pocus that circles the issues or ideas without actually going anywhere. To be a bit vulgar, I loathe mental masturbation for it's own sake.
I do both, truly. I know I often complain about the negative bastards at work---but this has been the case most places I've worked---I have to conform, so to speak, to the common way of doing things, so I often go by the standard procedure (until they stop watching me/monitoring me, that is) and then branch off when I'm tired of playing by the rules. Which brings me to the next comment:
And therein lies the crux of my self-proclaimed INTJ-ness. I loathe "the rules," even the very phrase makes me grit my teeth, because while I see the value in practical rules like "no running on the wet tile," and so on, most rules to me seem ridiculous, limiting, rigid, and anal. I often break rules or simply ignore them--- |
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#13 | |||
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Member [47%]
MBTI: ISTP
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 1,913
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Last edited by Synamon; 05-11-2009 at 03:32 PM.
Reason: snipped long quote
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#14 | |||
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Veteran Member [57%]
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Yes, correct...and very astute of you. We talked about this (my friend and I) because there is some overlap there, as well (in auxilliary functions). As I've read further on MBTI, I found that it is rare to show a balance between dominant and inferior functions---but on the cognition tests I consistently demonstrated left brain / right brain "switching," as he (my friend) described it, and a true iffy-ness on these two functions. So maybe I'm the exception? |
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#15 | |||
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Member [05%]
MBTI: INTJ
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 206
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I'm so sorry to hear that... I know exactly what you mean... I have also found that certain people are incapable of having a discussion about the facts of a situation without getting their feelings hurt (regardless of personality type) and this seems to be another source of frustration for me at work... The expected "sunny" expression in this situation is very difficult for me to accomplish... |
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#16 | |||
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Veteran Member [57%]
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Yes, my experience has been the same. |
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#17 | |||
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Member [28%]
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My mother is the most intensely INFP person I've ever met IRL.
When I was a child, she used to believe I was EXACTLY like her. She still thinks this to a degree. She just can't understand my need for things to work, my lack of a need for constant harmony, and my feeling that someone is merely stupid if they try to hurt me (they're not, as she believes, Satan incarnate for hurting a poor NF). Personally, I value when I put myself into what I take as ISTJ mode. It get sooooo much done! I can only do it while holding my breath, but I value it. Also, your avatar is pretty, so on that strictly logical evidence, the newb that I am is going to declare you still okay. :P To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. |
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#18 | |||
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Veteran Member [57%]
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#19 | |||
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Member [05%]
MBTI: INTJ
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 206
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I dunno after reading more of your posts you seem like an INTJ to me. : ) |
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#20 | |||
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Member [09%]
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What you describe above sounds like a life skill to me. I identify with what you say but cultivating this skill is not something that came naturally to me. I struggle with it to this day. |
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#21 |
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Member [20%]
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As long as it's only a small S..... kidding. The more diversity the better as far as I'm concerned. Textbook MBTI types are boring.
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#22 |
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Member [20%]
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What is your style of cooking ? intj vs. istj has been discussed before, this may help clarify:
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. |
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