Does one's personality even matter?

[brajenful]

Now, this is a question that can be interpreted quite broadly. Of course, I don't mean to take this question literally, because I'm aware of the limits of my ideas and my concepts.

So I was thinking about this whole MBTI personality system - although this idea can apply to anyone's definition of "personality" -, and how it separates the individual personality types by their main features. I started to study these different personality types, and found out that there are a lot of similar ones, even the ones that seem completely different, share some similar traits. I know this is pretty normal, because there aren't a lot of personality types overall. But then I asked myself the question which I've written above. It seemed like a pretty interesting question, because since there are similarities between different personality types, a person can apply all of them to him/herself to some extent, but obviously the one that fully (or the best) applies to that certain person is their personality type. Although, among these types, there are only a few traits that a person can't change (this is an interesting topic as well, whether a person can change his/her personality completely), so I came to the conclusion that to some extent, one's personality doesn't matter, because it can be changed any time (mostly).

I realize that this is not definitive at all, this is just a train of though I had. Also, my knowledge of the English language set the limits for me, so that's the other reason. Also, I would like to hear your opinions on this matter as well, because it's something that truly interests me.

 

[Vrecknidj]

We are all more-or-less introverted, more-or-less thinking oriented, more-or-less sensate, etc., etc. And, all of us can develop the functions that, according to our types, are inherently underdeveloped.

It's not that types don't matter, but it is true that they don't necessarily constrain us. We can, if we choose, be broader and more than the limits that could otherwise feel imposed by our types.

 

[Anktark]

There were documented occurrences of type change ( Pygmalion projects ), so it is possible. However, I haven't seen any information about how happy or damaged those people were afterwards. And the personalities weren't changed in a day or a week even.

And one's personality type is not a verdict or a constraint. It's just a definition of what comes to us most naturally. I am happy to be by myself whether solitary or alone in a crowd. And I used critical thinking and analysis before I knew those words or their definitions. I enjoyed utility, self sufficiency, ingenuity, versatility and that reflects from my earliest toys to movie/book heroes to programs/gadgets to my goals/dreams. And I am 98% sure I am INTP, because I am not sure and don't have to decide for sure (so I don't).

Could I be more outgoing, loud, talkative, start enjoying whatever rad thing (reality shows still, I think?) people are crazy about? Sure, I guess, nothing is impossible. Why would I inflict that upon myself though?
The only things I wanna change/develop are will, confidence and inner peace. Well, and more knowledge, but that's a given.

Does one's personality matter? It defines how you perceive and react to the world. So I would say yes.

 

[pernoctator]

Most things that matter can be changed.

 

[TBerg]

According to Jungian typology, we all have all the functions. That means we all share everything to some degree or another. MBTI is merely an attempt at telling us how our strengths compensate for our weaknesses (Ti compensates for Fe), and how general dichotomies in perceptual standpoint negate one another (Ne negating Se). It is also a way of measuring these generalized categories for their relative and absolute strength, but it will never give you a definitively static profile of your "personality." Personality production varies depending upon context and will never show you the functions occurring at the focal point of your conscious self, that is, your ego. MBTI will point out some of the highlights of your ego, but will not tell you exactly how they are manifested in your PERSONA-lity, and will not tell you of the detailed contents of your unconscious that drive your self. You will need to look into your past etiology and your present symbology in order to dig deeper and find your vital heart.

 

[Brontosaurie]

can you give examples of the unexpected similarities mentioned?

 

[Cherry Cola]

Comparing apples and oranges by saying they are both fruit is what you are doing and its tarded imo.

And why do you think you can change your personality to an almost complete extent? Can you back that up somehow or did you just make it up? Because it's not true.