I tried convincing myself I was an INTJ

[NormannTheDoorman]

Is it possible to mold yourself into a certain MBTI type?

You contain the traits of that type but it's not natural, more of a habit.

 

[snafupants]

Interesting question. Hm, I could act like an ESFJ all day today, but that wouldn't make ESFJ my type, yeah? I'm just not programmed to effectively use those functions...I guess you could pull it off but the charade would be highly disingenuous and energy intensive. Also, answering the test as an ESFJ doesn't make ESFJ one's natural state...I don't believe perpetually acting a certain way would ever feel "right" if it didn't accord with your genes and upbringing.

 

[viche]

Is it possible to mold yourself into a certain MBTI type?

You contain the traits of that type but it's not natural, more of a habit.

There was a particular INTP who at one point has managed to convince himself of being an ENFP. His previously cold, gloomy looks were replaced by photos of artificially stretched smiling faces which he posted all over his facebook.

 

[Cybeny]

For me, I grew up in a family full of F's, whereas I was the only T. Because of this, I kinda grew up on the (bad) idea that people only respond to Feelings, and that I was the only sane one.

So, when interacting with people, I think I tend to over rely on my Fe and a lot of people would probably see me as an INFJ. However, because Fe is in fact my inferior function I generally have little control over it, and this usually leads to.... interesting.... results.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is just because you try and act a certain way, it doesn't mean that it will relate well to what is really going on inside your mind.

 

[17pounder]

Funny, I didnt want to admit to myself that someone might think this way. In the INTJ forums, there are a lot of people who are obviously not INTJs, and I have been trying to figure out the reason why. Personally I believe most of them are psychopaths, who would almost certainly test INTJ. Then there are others who are just so full of themselves, they must be the almighty INTJ.
Fail on both accounts, because being an INTJ is much like being forced to watch someone drink themselves to death, and not being able to do anything about it.

 

[Infinite]

I think that although it is possible to keep up a certain state where you could act and even think (for a time) like a different type, you would eventually fade back into your most comfortable state, and thus back into your original type. It's most likely that the only way someone can truly alter their type for good would be to suffer major trauma.

Funny, I didnt want to admit to myself that someone might think this way. In the INTJ forums, there are a lot of people who are obviously not INTJs, and I have been trying to figure out the reason why. Personally I believe most of them are psychopaths, who would almost certainly test INTJ. Then there are others who are just so full of themselves, they must be the almighty INTJ.
Fail on both accounts, because being an INTJ is much like being forced to watch someone drink themselves to death, and not being able to do anything about it.

That's what I thought too when I joined that site. What is it with them? They seem so preoccupied with being perceived highly intelligent, it just becomes a chore to be on the site. I thought that a fair few could be ISTJs too.

 

[Architect]

That's common. Personality Junkie had an article to this effect, the reason being (I believe) because INTP's have a judging function as their first - Ti - which can fool us into thinking we're judgers. Well, we are, we are inner judgers. People with a "J" in their type code (INTJ) are outer judgers.

If you like ordering the inner world of your mind then you're probably INTP. If you like ordering the outer world (corporate, big science, etc) then you're probably an INTJ.

 

[NTJ]

That's common. Personality Junkie had an article to this effect, the reason being (I believe) because INTP's have a judging function as their first - Ti - which can fool us into thinking we're judgers. Well, we are, we are inner judgers. People with a "J" in their type code (INTJ) are outer judgers.

If you like ordering the inner world of your mind then you're probably INTP. If you like ordering the outer world (corporate, big science, etc) then you're probably an INTJ.

What do you mean by ordering the world of my mind?

 

[Architect]

What do you mean by ordering the world of my mind?

If you don't know then you're probably not an INTP (yeah I see your name ...)

It's storing/remembering information and ordering your thoughts. For example, I realized later in life that I didn't believe in the supernatural, despite having it inculcated in me as a young person. So I systematically rooted out all of my beliefs and ideas about the world, reworking them without the backdrop of the spiritual. I do this constantly, as new information comes in and I make decisions about my view of the world it ripples throughout my existing ideas and 'beliefs'. I have to laugh when I read psychologists say that people fundamentally can't move beyond their childhood training. They obviously haven't met an INTP.

That's ordering the world of my mind.

 

[17pounder]

That's what I thought too when I joined that site. What is it with them? They seem so preoccupied with being perceived highly intelligent, it just becomes a chore to be on the site. I thought that a fair few could be ISTJs too.

As an INTJ (and holding a few records and awards that help back it up) I can say its actually fairly difficult to tell who is a real INTJ, because it requires a level of competency so high that only an INTJ can spot it. Yes, that sounds exactly how you describe, but its true.

What makes an INTJ is being absolutely obsessed so much with efficiency or performance, that everything gets lost along the way. People arent perfect, and they often punish others for their mistakes, so we almost always have total disdain for other people. Thing is, a true INTJ does not believe people deserve to suffer for it, and in fact, INTJs get along very well with animals.
I am not what people would call a friendly person, people are often insulted by my body language somehow, but I have had a good deal of success with abused and abandoned dogs. This is almost a universal trait of INTJs.
We actually believe in the sanctity of life so much, that one of us once told Hitler to "Kiss my ass", and Hitler begged him to come back. This was Albert Speer, the only Nazi leader who wasnt executed or kill themselves. He actually convinced Hitler to divert 12 million people from death camps, of which 91% survived, giving them a higher survival rate than free Germans. Allied forces actually captured documents where he went far out of his way to try and find food for some slaves who were bombed out of their homes during the US firebombing of civilian Dresden, while leaving the nearby factory alone.
In fact, his memoirs were smuggled out of prison by a former Dutch slave who believed his life was saved by being diverted away from the concentration camps.

This was all while he was increasing fighter and tank production by 5 times, sub production by 15 times, and the same for almost every other war industry, in the face of the heaviest bombardment in history.

All that said, to be an INTJ, someone has to have a natural ability to organize and cross analyze information, and more importantly, be able to learn something in detail before ever actually doing it. If someone cant do that, they just arent an INTJ. We constantly ask ourselves "Can we do it better?"

And yes, it is true, we adore ENFPs. Something about how genuine they are.

 

[scorpiomover]

It's possible to convince yourself of almost anything. INTPs are social chameleons. We often naturally mirror others perceptions of us. So if we believe we are a certain type, we have the ability to subconsciously act like that, not quite enough to convince someone who knows the type in really accurate detail, but enough to convince the masses.

 

[NTJ]

If you don't know then you're probably not an INTP (yeah I see your name ...)

It's storing/remembering information and ordering your thoughts. For example, I realized later in life that I didn't believe in the supernatural, despite having it inculcated in me as a young person. So I systematically rooted out all of my beliefs and ideas about the world, reworking them without the backdrop of the spiritual. I do this constantly, as new information comes in and I make decisions about my view of the world it ripples throughout my existing ideas and 'beliefs'. I have to laugh when I read psychologists say that people fundamentally can't move beyond their childhood training. They obviously haven't met an INTP.

That's ordering the world of my mind.

I am familiar with what you described, however I believe in self-improvement. You could compare me to an ISTP, except change the physical wish to be a superman to a mental wish.

I do reforge my thoughts, values and beliefs to reflect my newly discovered facts or logical reasoning that came in a form of an epiphany.

 

[NormannTheDoorman]

I am familiar with what you described, however I believe in self-improvement. You could compare me to an ISTP, except change the physical wish to be a superman to a mental wish.

I do reforge my thoughts, values and beliefs to reflect my newly discovered facts or logical reasoning that came in a form of an epiphany.

The problem with that is not telling anyone that you did change your thoughts. I do something completely different from what I would usually say or do 1 month ago and bam, I am now a hypocrite.

 

[NTJ]

The problem with that is not telling anyone that you did change your thoughts. I do something completely different from what I would usually say or do 1 month ago and bam, I am now a hypocrite.

I know an ISTP who does such radical changes. I usually get away with small changes which are the product of self-improvement. As in improving what I already know/do instead of changing it to something completely different. That held true when I was very young, however, including the religious change - growing up with only religious people, some of which are VERY religious around you is something you can't get away as a kid, you just don't think about it, unless you're very religious.

As I understand, Architect changed his view in his older age though, so there goes the clear line between those 2 descriptions of self-improvement.

Si people who knew me as very young annoy the hell out of me, unfortunately - "you thought that and did that," they are reluctant to my "I haven't done that in the past 12 years!" answer, even if it's the 152nd time I'm saying that.

 

[Invisible Jellyfish]

I apologize, my vocabulary is too poor to write down what's in my mind, so don't be too... thought if I'm going in circles and not saying anything. >.<
I, too, think that convincing someone else that you are another type is far more easier than convincing yourself, for example, if you asked about my type to my relatives, majority would answer that I'm more like ESTP.
Forgot what I wanted to say. >.<
...
Oh yes, I think it's impossible to convince yourself being another type, no matter what you would still feel empty after being in parties and stuff, humans would still bother you even if you appear to them as extrovert.

There's a 90% chance that I didn't say anything new. >.< Curse it.

 

[ESFP]

I've trained myself in other preferences. You end up mastering the other preferences rather than molding to it. I think this is what everyone does as they get older. Their type becomes less defined.

I'm naturally a strong Judger and was adopted by my strong Perceiver grandparents. I used to hate spontaneity, even if we were going out for ice cream. I used to not be able to work without a well defined goal and deadline. Now I'm good with deadlines and without. I can plan or do things on a whim.

I was a natural Thinker, but grew up with Feelers and artsy types who praised me when I expressed my feelings and claimed I had a disorder when I didn't. So now I can be typed as a Feeler. I generally don't tell people my type on this forum because if you say you're a Thinker and start talking about you're feelings, the "I bet you're not really a Thinker" comes up. Maybe that's true for now. All I know was that as a kid, it didn't come naturally.

I never got the Sensing or Extroversion down well. I can only 'do' them for short bouts of time before my brain curls up and dies.

You can train yourself to be an INTJ, but whatever you do, don't try to change what you already arebecause that will just screw you up. You can definitely expand your 'personality,' though.

 

[BigApplePi]

INTP --> INTJ?

INTP --> INTJ? Under most natural conditions an INTP will remain an INTP. I propose an INTP can temporarily act as an INTJ. This does not make them an INTJ. Just the behavior.

Here is how it might be done: An INTP has the cognitive functions Ti Ne Si Fe most prominently. The rest are unconscious or at least rejected from action. The INTP might internally come up with some theory or goal for whatever reason. Finding themself in an environment where this theory is either unknown or not used, they wish to use Fe to "push" this theory out into the open.

Now INTJ uses Ni Te Fi Se. If the INTP is going to push something, it being internal, it will look like Ni to the outside. He will explain it (Te), as I'm doing now. He may feel strongly about it (Fi felt) and give evidence (Se). This behavior will cause the INTP to look like or behave like an INTJ. In fact the INTP may even believe themself to be an INTJ. The difference is for an INTJ this is long lasting and comfortable. The INTP will not be content with their theory or consistent in the goal and back off as contrary evidence comes to light.

This is my first example of "Hierarchical Behavior Theory" which I've been slow to push openly.

 

[BigApplePi]

@ESFP

I've trained myself in other preferences.

How do you characterize yourself? Your handle says, "ESFP."

 

[ESFP]

@ESFPHow do you characterize yourself? Your handle says, "ESFP."

INxx.

 

[17pounder]

To more specifically answer the question, its not only possible to mold yourself into an MBTI type, but to mold yourself outside of typing. The test is black and white, buts its possible to posses traits outside the MBTI. The test is about ratios of personality preferences, not about ability.