How does one learn how to type people?

[KazeCraven]

I find that my guesses are way off from what other people think of themselves, and even then perhaps they don't know themselves too well either. Oftentimes I find myself typing moods rather than the actual person, with someone being shy or bored one week but expressive and active another.

For example, I have a friend who is interested in becoming a psychologist, primarily to work with children. At first I thought she was INFJ because she seemed nurturing and interested in theory-stuff. However, after getting to know her she claimed that she is ISTJ. I could make it fit in retrospect, but it seems a bit arbitrary.

Furthermore, is there a way to tell whether someone is an extravert or introvert in general? I mean, if someone is excitedly discussing a topic there could be a wide range of explanations as to why that person is so talkative. I only type as "I" when I take the test because I find most conversations (and hence having company) boring. How do I know I'm not actually ENTP (or something else entirely)?

Finally, are there any shortcuts or general rules of thumb? When I first came to personality theories, I thought finding "N" people would lead to interesting conversations, but that does not necessarily seem the case. I see myself in several of the type descriptions, so I'm sure others are the same. Plus, I heard from Adymus that the descriptions are of underdeveloped individuals anyway.

 

[KazeCraven]

How about this tactic:

Find evidence of all the functions and which ever is used the most is the primary.
This hinges only on knowing how the 8 processes operate and manifest.

Good or Bad?

 

[Words]

Try Adymus' http://www.intpforum.com/showthread.php?t=4944

 

[asmit127]

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's impossible to type other people. Yes, you can get lucky, but I struggle to know why I do something even with all the information of my past and views on whatever action is being analysed, someone else is just another level.

As you say, an introvert will appear extraverted if you catch the one occasion in the month a discussion interests him, even INTP's can be seen to be in touch with their emotions (either through learning what "should" be done or from watching someone else in the same situation) and just because someone is a sensor will not prevent them having an opinion on an interesting topic that may have been bought up by a perceiver. If a quiet person suddenly takes offense was it their belief (INTP) or values (INFP) that were violated? Unless you're inside their head you cannot know why they did, only what they did. And that's only half the story.

 

[KazeCraven]

Thanks.

 

[KazeCraven]

Try Adymus' http://www.intpforum.com/showthread.php?t=4944

Thanks.

 

[ijustprotectedmyidentity]

i have typed some of my teachers and i believe them to be 100 percent exact. ive also typed some people and i can swear i know that im right

ive typed an estj, entp , estp and enfp teacher

i typed an istj friend, an entj, an enfj and i think an isfj...

but i know this to be completely true!! 100 percent true!!!