Anyone talk to their parents about MBTI?

[Ska]

Because this explained so many things for me, I just emailed my dad (at college) a lot of stuff about this and explaining it to him. I also told him what I think everyone in my family is and why I don't get along with the rest of my family.

Basically, my home life is hell, except for my dad (ISTJ), so I spend most of my time in my basement.

My mom is an ESTJ and is CONSTANTLY demanding that I do things at a certain time or do something before I can do something else. She is CONSTANTLY trying to push me into social situations, and she thinks I hate her if I don't want to go (which is slowly becoming more true). And she always wants to treat me like I can't think for myself...I can't stand it.

My twin sister is an ESFP. Incredibly materialistic, and my mom has bought into it as well. I do not understand this at all. Of course, ESFPs are not logical at all. She too is always trying to get me to be social, and I just can't stand to be around her for too long. And my mom always tries pushing us to be friends like we "used to be" (10+ years ago).

My brother is an ISTP. I don't get along with him well either. He tends to throw temper tamptrums (23) all the time and has been extremely babied his whole life. I also read it was a tendancy of them to assume they know things without actually knowing things, which I of course have to point out that he is very wrong. He then gets mad or starts to throw something at me. I know how to push all his buttons.

And then there's my dad. I enjoy my dad very much because he understands me more (introverted), and is a very calm (until he gets stressed - then watch out), easy going, and funny guy. We can usually see things each others way and make each other laugh. Only problems come because I'm lazy and he is not, when he doesn't like it that I can't get along well with the other family members, and when I have no problems breaking rules/the law (weed).

So, yea, I basically just made my dad take the test, then told him what everyone was and how it explains so much for me. I have been second guessing myself quite a bit, though, as I'm unsure of how he'll respond, especially since I sent it at 4 AM lol. Whatever, we'll see.

Anyone else talk to their parents about this? And how'd it turn out?

 

[ckm]

I often feel stupid while trying to explain the MBTI to people, because I don't understand it perfectly, especially individual cognitive functions and how the manifest. However I explain it to my mum one morning at about 8am, which took about an hour. I'm pretty sure she doesn't even recall having the conversation.

As for your situation, err, my sympathies.

 

[shoeless]

my dad was the guy that gave everyone in my family the test in the first place. unfortunately, he never knew what he was talking about, so now trying to explain the cognitive functions and whatnot to him is almost insulting to him because he's the guy who started it. he's also an ESTJ, and rather an asshole.

my mom gets it. she's an INFP.
everyone else in my family just... i dunno. they don't care, or they don't get it, or they don't really want to understand. so i just give up.

i prefer keeping it within my friends anyway.

 

[LifeLine]

My parents think it is ridiculous how people are even lableing their personalities using the internet.

Hint: Intj+Enfp= Divorce

 

[shoeless]

(ESTJ + INFP = worse divorce... jus' kidding! except you know.)
but yeah. i think the rest of my family (brothers) tend to think that way too. that it's just silly.
and you know, it is silly.
but what isn't silly anymore.

 

[bovinity]

I had both my parents take it, they didn't seem that interested in it though. My dad tested ENTP and asked how high of an extrovert I was since he got around 80%, and it took forever trying to explain the extrovert vs introvert thing to him. My mom tested INFJ, and when I told her it was the rarest type she just said "you probably tell that to everyone who takes this no matter what result they get" and left the room, haha.

 

[Alice?]

I've tried explaining it to my mom (ISTJ). She thinks it's ridiculous and refuses to understand it. My younger sister (an ENFJ) slightly appreciates it, though. I wouldn't even bother bringing it up to my ESFJ dad. He'd probably take it and try to manipulate it into something he could use against me in an argument.

 

[s0nystyle]

i never really gave it a thought, will give you an answer later

 

[Ska]

I think my ISTJ dad will be interested because he always liked seeing how people worked. They are known as "the examiners" after all. He still hasn't responded. I hope he doesn't take it the wrong way. I guess I should have considered that he might not care at all before I sent him a long email about it.

 

[Adymus]

Yes I have, many many many times over.

My mom is an ENFJ, and she actually discovered MBTI on her own at around the same time I did. ENFJs tend to love this stuff, even though it is very Ti material, because it helps them understand and improve their relationships. Or at least that would be the case if my mom was a perfectly healthy ENFJ... which she is not. So instead she tends to use the MBTI to say that everyone in our family is evil accept her. Unfortunately, this rape of the instrument turned my dad and brother away from it. Although I am slowly getting my dad back on track, he has some what taken an interest (he is ENTP.)

My sister (ENFP) is about as obsessed with it as I am. She is no where near as knowledgeable as I, because she doesn't really have the patience to learn the technical details, but she has a natural talent for reading people. So when she comes to me telling me that she met a xxxx Type of some kind, then I usually assume she typed them correctly. But she is still not that confident in her own abilities, so she is always sending me videos of people saying "WHAT'S THIS GUY!?"

That leaves my brother (ENTP), I don't push it on him, because I know he doesn't care and is skeptical about the whole thing. But he knows I have pretty much gotten the entire family talking about it, so I am waiting for him to come to me and try and fight me on this... That is an argument he is destined to lose.

 

[Fukyo]

Not really, it's too much of a pain to translate. I've never seen a single thing about MBTI in my language yet, so...I suppose there's always Jung's Psychological Types, but I can't really go around asking people to read entire books for my benefit.

Besides I have enough trouble explaining this stuff in non-Ti language even without the language barrier. Hence, most people dismiss me for being overly complicated, verbose, "philosophizing", etc.

Plus, I really, really doubt they care.

 

[Anthile]

Not really, it's too much of a pain to translate. I've never seen a single thing about MBTI in my language yet, so...I suppose there's always Jung's Psychological Types, but I can't really go around asking people to read entire books for my benefit.

Besides I have enough trouble explaining this stuff in non-Ti language even without the language barrier. Hence, most people dismiss me for being overly complicated, verbose, "philosophizing", etc.

Plus, I really, really doubt they care.

 

[Fukyo]

No, no, that's your tophat owl.

 

[Minuend]

Yes, I told my mum the same way ckm did. I think she's ISFJ. My dad's ESTJ or something. I'm not that knowledgeable when it comes to the MBTI, so I have a hard time typing him. He is a very, very strange man. Not particularly logical, and not too supportive of people who differ from the normal (or what he thinks should be). I know he is a ES.

My sister, ENFP, found it somewhat interesting. But she wouldn't bother to learn more about it, she is probably a bit like Adymus' (never really read the nick too carefully, so I've always pronounced it like Adamodumous in my head) sister.

I have not told my brothers, ISTP and ESTP. We're really not that close, so talking to them about such things would be weird. We usually just talk about superficial stuff. Don't think they would be interested.

It's odd to be INTP in a family of (very traditional) sensors. You'd think at least one of my grandparents would be an intuitive. Or ISTP.

Edit: Come to think of it, my dad is a little similar to Walter White. The childish, stubborn behavior. And the way he approaches problems.

 

[ashitaria]

My parents didn't really care either, in fact, they opposed it. They were like, "Don't go around stereotyping people", but I think it was because they hated what results they got.

My dad is an ESTJ, and my mom is an ISFJ. Horrible. They are both very conventional, narrow-minded and judgmental people, they hate everything that differs from normal. I frequently hear, "I know that you are different from other people, but you have to be patient with their ways. Give in to them, don't be so selfish." yet they are not patient with my ways and neither do they give in to me.

They also constantly push me in to social situations and make me wear outfits for going outside. They hate it when I'm "in my own little world" when they don't even know what the plastic vortex is or what is happening in Iraq.

They think that birthdays and anniversaries and grooming is more important than politics, and they constantly threaten to kick me out if I don't stop arguing with them or agree with them and always assert that "If you know you are wrong, stop talking and admit it" even after I show logical explanations and evidence from the Internet to support my thesis.

I ask them to accept me, and they say, "How can I accept my son who is untidy, selfish (note that what they really mean is that I'm not sociable), oblivious to the outside world, and doesn't follow instructions? (note that they mean respecting authority and old ways and traditions)"

I hope I can GTFO when I turn 18. I hope I save up money till then.

 

[intuitivet]

I explained it to my mum (ISTP/J) and she found it amusing but did agree that the descriptions sounded accurate. She doesn't like psychology much though. I plan on discussing it with my dad when he's well again becaue he always liked psychology and stuff (I think he's an ENFP or INFP)

 

[ckm]

Yes I have, many many many times over.

My mom is an ENFJ, and she actually discovered MBTI on her own at around the same time I did. ENFJs tend to love this stuff, even though it is very Ti material, because it helps them understand and improve their relationships. Or at least that would be the case if my mom was a perfectly healthy ENFJ... which she is not. So instead she tends to use the MBTI to say that everyone in our family is evil accept her. Unfortunately, this rape of the instrument turned my dad and brother away from it. Although I am slowly getting my dad back on track, he has some what taken an interest (he is ENTP.)

My sister (ENFP) is about as obsessed with it as I am. She is no where near as knowledgeable as I, because she doesn't really have the patience to learn the technical details, but she has a natural talent for reading people. So when she comes to me telling me that she met a xxxx Type of some kind, then I usually assume she typed them correctly. But she is still not that confident in her own abilities, so she is always sending me videos of people saying "WHAT'S THIS GUY!?"

That leaves my brother (ENTP), I don't push it on him, because I know he doesn't care and is skeptical about the whole thing. But he knows I have pretty much gotten the entire family talking about it, so I am waiting for him to come to me and try and fight me on this... That is an argument he is destined to lose.

5/5 Ns in a single family? I can't even begin to imagine what dinner-table conversations are/were like in your house.



Honestly I would love to know someone who was into MBTI.

 

[Words]

I believe the only person in my direct family who would have listened to this language is dead. And it was not a long a time ago: two years or so. My father(INTJ), He was the only one I could talk to for hours and hours almost non-stop. Had a very keen sense of people's personalities and had his own theories and categories of people, a detecting politician. Ah, and not a few years ago had he discovered how we, together, could actually communicate well. No, he's always made the assumption that usual people conversation would not interest him. We rarely talked, though it was not always the impressions that hindered our initiations, it was also the troubling times that impeded him from sharing moments with his family. I remember events of himself prideful of my own detection in some idea. He was eager for that. There are so many things, facets, situations...I can't say..

Now, I'll have to look for someone else... around 95% of people I know either don't care about my speeches or really have nothing to say...My mother(ISFP) gets tired of it, my sister(ISFJ) works hard to listen and I appreciate that. However sadly this "language" I refer to is not just Personality types itself. No, the "wall" is taller.

5/5 Ns in a single family? I can't even begin to imagine what dinner-table conversations are/were like in your house.

Lucky. A -1 to boredom.

My parents didn't really care either, in fact, they opposed it. They were like, "Don't go around stereotyping people", but I think it was because they hated what results they got.

My dad is an ESTJ.....

Do you really hate your family?

 

[Ska]

I can relate to knowing an INTJ, as my friend I've known since 2nd grade is an INTJ. Definitely a good match, and I feel like we understand each other on a certain level.

My dad was actually pretty interested in it, although he's too computer retarded (types 1 key at a time) to really put any of his thoughts in writing so I guess he just wants to talk to me about it when I'm home.

Of course then my mom wanted to take the test. I told her she was an ESTJ and to just go read it and she would know it was her. But she wanted to take the test, so I gave her the link. Then she wanted to know if I had set up an account for her like I had my dad (because he would have no idea how). Of course I didn't, she knows full well how to create an account. She told me she was really interested and would have a lot of time to think about it thay day or something. Never heard back from her...

 

[shadowdrums4]

I sorta talked to my Dad about it once. I thought he was an ESFJ for a while but now I think he is an ESTJ. All I really did was ramble though about how much sense my type was making to me.

Since our types seem pretty different (and at the time I thought he was the opposite) he kinda rejected it at first, at least his type I had guessed. "I see a lot of me in you" and I fought that idea for a while. It wasn't until we sat down and talked about religion a little that I started thinking "Well maybe he is actually a T" I'll have to have him take the test because now that I think about it, E_T_ is all I'm really sure about. I may bring it up again.

I got my mom to take the test, she's an INFJ. I was surprised at the J to begin with and so was she "I'm not Judgemental" and after I explained that it wasn't what it meant. (I explained that it was more like scheduling) she said "Oh well I put schedules on top of schedules" and read the type and agreed. I think she read ENTJ and said it sounded like dad.

My brother is most definitely an ENFP (his girlfriend is an INFP and I must say it's a good match) I've shown it to her but not to him yet. I kinda brought it up but he didn't seem that interested.

My sister is an INTJ. She isn't really interested at all. She looked into her own type and agreed but didn't really look into other types much.

 

[snafupants]

My sister, an ISTP, also throws little temper tantrums and is the most angry and bull headed person I have ever been around. And heres the kicker: she has ADHD and takes amphetamines to putatively counterbalance the "condition". Is ADHD a thread? It should be...Anyway, she thought the test was cool for about 44 seconds and then ran back to the TV to watch ANTM or some damn thing.

My father, an INTJ, and previous computer programmer/consultant turned real estate guru was amazed that the MBTI explained so many disparate personalities. He didnt really take to the MBTI as I did because he is way more practical, work oriented, and focused on the real world than I am. He is very intelligent, but sees fiction and things like the MBTI as somehow indulgent. Oh, INTJs.

My youngest sis, an ESFP, is also really concerned with possessions and fitting in. Definitely stuck in the conventionality loop. Shell probably die that way with a big, fat smile on her face. God bless her soul - I really do love her though, just being snarky.

 

[KazeCraven]

I didn't do it justice the first time around, and I don't really feel that attached to any one description, so I dropped it.

 

[Adymus]

My sister, an ISTP, also throws little temper tantrums and is the most angry and bull headed person I have ever been around. And heres the kicker: she has ADHD and takes amphetamines to putatively counterbalance the "condition". Is ADHD a thread? It should be...Anyway, she thought the test was cool for about 44 seconds and then ran back to the TV to watch ANTM or some damn thing.

Just a thought, but you might want to reconsider her type, this does not sound like an ISTP to me.

Angry and bullheaded is not something that would accurately describe any Ti dom of any kind, she would have to be one hell of an exception and I kind of doubt that is the case. You sure she is not an INFJ?

 

[Ermine]

I introduced my parents to it a couple years ago. And while we haven't discussed the MBTI much, I can tell that our relationships have improved significantly. I think my dad's ISTP and my mom's ENTJ, if I had to guess. A lot of her traits are ambiguous beyond the Judging. Anyway, they read what I gave them (the Paul James essay on the INTP). And if I remember correctly, my mom was the one who introduced me to Keirsey's "Please Understand Me II". They seem to find it useful, and have since been a lot more evidently aware of my strengths and weaknesses. We have all been more understanding with each other. Though I'm halfway led to believe it's because I'm their technically adult daughter, not their "child". So communication is more open and frank than it ever was.

 

[snafupants]

Just a thought, but you might want to reconsider her type, this does not sound like an ISTP to me.

Angry and bullheaded is not something that would accurately describe any Ti dom of any kind, she would have to be one hell of an exception and I kind of doubt that is the case. You sure she is not an INFJ?

Warning: wordy response ahead!!!

Astute call. Certainly not an INFJ though. She is not an INFJ because she lacks follow through completely and actively prefers disarray to order - this speaking to the J. Without a doubt she is T - bringing new meaning to the term hardass. She uses cold logic to deflect attention from emotional underpinnings to her actions. So, T for sure. She abandons herself to the present moment, and ultimately sensory existence, disdains the abstraction of reading, and prefers not to look back or forward. For these reasons, I would conclude S.

The complexity works itself in with the I/E dimension. Not more than five years ago, she was on the cusp. However, I believe she has slipped over to E without my noticing much. Most likely, her joining a sorority and lacrosse team and attaining a roommate at college factored into this. Nonetheless, you have confirmed my suspicion that she is ESTP.

It is really tough to parse the primary and secondary functions between ISTP and ESTP though. For her, it seems her pigheadedness stems from a perception that her surmises must be correct because "you said this" and "I saw you do that" and so forth. Her first recourse is her senses and she backs that up with logic. For example, she will arbitrarily (seemingly) pull something out of the argument as "proof" that you are wrong and she is right - a big win/lose girl, this one. Its weird though because if you appeal to logic, and youre right, she will gradually concede the battle but not the war. Very determined and passionate.

Long story short, she must be ESTP and not ISTP. I think.

n.b., i made her sound more intricate than she really is. people are incomprehensible though, one situation they act one way, introduce another person, they act another way. aaaaaahhhhhhh

 

[Excellent]

I guessed what my parents were, and then I asked them to take the test and I was correct about both of them. My step dad is ISFJ, and my mom is ENFP. My mom was interested in it, my step dad thought it was stupid. Not sure what my biological dad is, hadn't thought about it. INTJ maybe.

 

[5k17]

Both my parents have taken the test; my father is an INFJ, my mother got IXXX as her result (for Keirsey, which does quite suck, especially when translated to German), but I think she is an INFP. However, I live with my grandparents and my aunt (all from my mother's side); my grandmother is definitely an ESFJ (she has taken the test, too, but does not care to try to understand it), my grandfather most likely ISFJ, and I'm not sure about my aunt, but she's certainly FJ.

 

[Sparrow]

INFJ father
INFJ mother
INFJ ME
ENFP sister

Fuckin' power struggle.

 

[Fukyo]

INFJ mother
INFJ ME

aww, don't you feel bad after all that ESFJ bashing now?

 

[Sparrow]

aww, don't you feel bad after all that ESFJ bashing now?

I thought she was an ESFJ

I will never make fun of the ESFJ again. ESFJs >>>>>>>>>>>> Unhealthy INFJs

 

[Anthile]

If you are an INFJ, then I am Jesus Christ. Blessed are the cheesemakers.

 

[Sparrow]

If you are an INFJ, then I am Jesus Christ. Blessed are the cheesemakers.

Hello Jesus.

It's unfortunate...but I am

 

[Lobstrich]

Yeah, I've explained MBTI to several people. Including my parents.
They listen, don't really ask questions. So I just assume they just listen out of respect.
And don't care.

One of my friends were very interested in it though. She took the test herself.

 

[Ska]

Just a thought, but you might want to reconsider her type, this does not sound like an ISTP to me.

Angry and bullheaded is not something that would accurately describe any Ti dom of any kind, she would have to be one hell of an exception and I kind of doubt that is the case. You sure she is not an INFJ?

My brother is an ISTP and fits all the traditional traits such as monotone voice, mechanic (loves his car and car shows), loves fixing things, loves tools, etc., but he definitely throws temper tantrums. I saw this described as "SP Rage" on TypeLogic. He sees these small little problems and throws fits over them instead of just thinking about things clearly and how he can adjust to the situation. Some of it I'm sure has to do with how selfish and self-centered he is and how everything has always been handed to him, but I was raised by the same people as him and I don't do this.

I was actually thinking the same thing the other day: how can someone with the rational Ti act like this? I wasn't able to come up with an explanation....

Back on the topic of this thread, I am now being asked by various family members if I'm going to be a criminal profiler

 

[Adymus]

My brother is an ISTP and fits all the traditional traits such as monotone voice, mechanic (loves his car and car shows), loves fixing things, loves tools, etc., but he definitely throws temper tantrums. I saw this described as "SP Rage" on TypeLogic. He sees these small little problems and throws fits over them instead of just thinking about things clearly and how he can adjust to the situation. Some of it I'm sure has to do with how selfish and self-centered he is and how everything has always been handed to him, but I was raised by the same people as him and I don't do this.

I was actually thinking the same thing the other day: how can someone with the rational Ti act like this? I wasn't able to come up with an explanation....

Back on the topic of this thread, I am now being asked by various family members if I'm going to be a criminal profiler

I wasn't say they are incapable of throwing temper tantrums for the reasons that we are not incapable of throwing temper tantrums. What I'm saying is, if a person's temper is a prominent thing that you are constantly noting (which is was I assumed based on the "Most angry and bullheaded person I know" description), then it is pretty likely that they are not a Ti dom.

 

[Words]

I wasn't say they are incapable of throwing temper tantrums for the reasons that we are not incapable of throwing temper tantrums. What I'm saying is, if a person's temper is a prominent thing that you are constantly noting (which is was I assumed based on the "Most angry and bullheaded person I know" description), then it is pretty likely that they are not a Ti dom.

You are working by probability?[then again, who doesn't include it in typing?]

Does this mean that such probability is so highly probably? By what measurement? That Ti dom massively dictates low expressiveness? Could there be such a significant relation between type of expression, Judgment Functions and Realistic type? If Ti dom is not "bullheaded and angry", are you suggesting that a certain dom J is?

 

[Adymus]

You are working by probability?[then again, who doesn't include it in typing?]

Does this mean that such probability is so highly probably? By what measurement? That Ti dom massively dictates low expressiveness? Could there be such a significant relation between type of expression, Judgment Functions and Realistic type? If Ti dom is not "bullheaded and angry", are you suggesting that a certain dom J is?

1.) yes.

2.) Highly unlikely.

3.) Yes, actually it does. Being a Ti dom massively dictates having neutral moods, being centered, and relatively low levels of expressiveness.

4.) pretty significant, yeah.

5.) That is really not something that would accurately describe the Ti at all.The point is, if a Ti dom is having said behavior, something is out of place, and it could be because a number of things, but with MBTI's reputation, a mistype is the most likely. I am not saying "bullheaded and angry" would "fit" other types per se, but it certainly would not be unexpected or out of place with other types.