I'm back for more

[mathy]

Dunno if any of you remember me, but I was here last year for a little while. My interest in type waned for awhile, but I recently became re-interested. I am now somewhat confused about my type. I joined personality cafe, and one of the posters there suggested that I consider ISTP, which I thought was CRAZY because I never, ever, not a single time tested as anything but N. (In fact, that was the only letter I was really sure of). Anyway, I thought about it, and for awhile was pretty convinced I was actually ISTP. But now I'm having doubts, so I decided to come back here and get some more info.

Well, I'll see you all around here.

 

[nexion]

I don't know about all of this type stuff. There are a few people on this forum who say that the test itself is flawed. Which, must be true, as all tests are flawed, but to how much an extent. I consistently test INTP or INTJ and have read the profiles for practically all personality types. I'd say INTP and INTJ fit me pretty perfectly. So I don't really have a problem with the test. The problem is when you think the test is 100% true, or when you see the results, think you aren't exactly like the results, and then try to alter your personality to fit the results. You are your own person, so don't worry about a test. I must say, however, that if you doubt your type and constantly test INTP, you probably are.

 

[JoeJoe]

Try reading through some of the "You know you're an INTP when..." thread and see if you recognize much.

 

[nexion]

Try reading through some of the "You know you're an INTP when..." thread and see if you recognize much.

This is absolute truth. I will compile that list.

 

[Sparrow]

If you're freakishly good at video games, you're probably an ISTP

 

[mathy]

Thanks guys.

Of course, every test is flawed. And even if it's a really good test, the results are going to depend so much on personal circumstances (mood, etc), so tests are not really going to (necessarily) yield consistent or accurate results. That's why I started learning about the cognitive functions and tried doing some self-analysis based on profiles and community with types. But even then, am I seeing (and projecting!) the real me, or an idealized, altered version of myself that happens to be what I want it to be at a given period of time? Type is a tricky business.... which is sort of why I stopped caring for awhile. But it is rather interesting, and my curiosity about myself and the people around me has led me back.

I really do relate to most of the things posted in the "You know you are INTP when..." thread. But many of those things are Ti type traits, or just general introversion traits, or general P traits. Many of which could be true for ISTP as well. Although a lot seem to be N related, too. I have never been a very "observant" person... my husband jokes with me all the time about how unobservant I am, which is supposedly an Se trait. I'm usually too busy thinking about stuff to notice my surroundings. That said, I find it extremely difficult to get lost, and if my concentration happens to be on my surroundings, I can pick up any detail (like, when I'm drawing from life).

Hah, from what I gather, ISTPs would either be very into video games, or not really care at all about them. Mostly older ISTPs have grown out of them maybe. There are only a few video games I actually like (Final Fantasy series, sometimes like D&D style games like Neverwinter Nights, that's about it, really. Oh and Spore was fun for like a week, haha.) Never cared for racing games, fighting games (except Super Smash Bros, which I used to play all the time, mainly because I had friends who were into it), or sports games.

Anyway. </ramble>.

 

[JoeJoe]

The fact, that you are so deeply interested in the subject of personality is an indicator, that you are iNtuitive. But not proof!

 

[Lostwitheal]

Dunno if any of you remember me, but I was here last year for a little while. My interest in type waned for awhile, but I recently became re-interested. I am now somewhat confused about my type. I joined personality cafe, and one of the posters there suggested that I consider ISTP, which I thought was CRAZY because I never, ever, not a single time tested as anything but N. (In fact, that was the only letter I was really sure of). Anyway, I thought about it, and for awhile was pretty convinced I was actually ISTP. But now I'm having doubts, so I decided to come back here and get some more info.

Well, I'll see you all around here.

TBH it's never an absolute - everyone has some of every trait, it's just the ratios and quantity of each that vary. For an extreme example, you might be more S than an ISTP who is the most unintuitive person on the planet, but who has some S about them.

At least I hope that makes sense?

 

[mathy]

TBH it's never an absolute - everyone has some of every trait, it's just the ratios and quantity of each that vary. For an extreme example, you might be more S than an ISTP who is the most unintuitive person on the planet, but who has some S about them.

At least I hope that makes sense?

Yep, makes perfect sense. I am starting to think I am INTP with an abnormally high dose of Se.

 

[JoeJoe]

Yep, makes perfect sense. I am starting to think I am INTP with an abnormally high dose of Se.

*is waiting for Adymus to rant about how neither INTPs nor ISTPs have Se*

 

[mathy]

What? ISTP's auxilliary function is Se!

 

[JoeJoe]

What? ISTP's auxilliary function is Se!

my bad. mixed it up with the difference between INTP and ENTP.

 

[nexion]

Being observant is an odd thing. Sometimes I'm acutely aware of m y surroundings and everything happening. Of course, I do quite constantly hear noises that make me paranoid, and then I try to be perfectly quiet so I can pinpoint the noises. My friends were talking outside and beating my window at like 12:30 AM. That freaked me out.

But at other times, I am completely oblivious to everything around me. This is mostly when I'm deep in thought or when I perceive that I don't really need to be worried about my surroundings. I generally don't pay attention to anything in my room because I know where everything is. Although, is I hear a fly buzzing or see something out of the corner of my eye, I usually overreact terribly.

 

[Auburn]

Welcome back Mathy ^^
I do remember seeing you around before. Also, I totally agree with you on how that thread shows a lot of traits specific to Ti dominants and not only INTPs.

Regarding observation, I have the same experience. If I intentionally wish to focus my energies on something external (a drawing, a video game) then I can have very sharp observation, but otherwise I'm oblivious to the external world. This is also why playing video games is not a good indicator of ISTP vs INTP.

My brother gets nervous when I drive him because I only pay minimal attention to the road (just as much external focus as I've learned is necessary to get me from A to B without crashing) while daydreaming the rest of the time. ;P

@ Lostwithheal - Hi
The four letter code (FLC) is a type of "face" to the MBTI, and a rather deceitful one at that. It actually has little to nothing to do with the actual theory itself and isn't reliable grounds for assessing one's personality* There's no such thing as having "N" or having "S" (or having strong N or strong S), but there is such thing as having Ne or Ni or Se or Si. Furthermore, every personality type has an Nx funciton and an Sx function in their top four anyhow, meaning all types will display some Nx and some Sx behavior.

The key to distinguishing personality is to determine exactly what N and S function that person has. For instance, a very intuitive ISTP will have powerful Ni (their third function) and not Ne. That means they still won't display quite like an INTP. They might display more like INxJs (Ni dominants) actually..

@ Mathy - Since both INTPs and ISTPs have dominant Ti and inferior Fe, you'd need to determine whether you use Ne+Si or use Se+Ni. However, I'm not the best at determining the difference between the two. <.< From your posts, it does seem like Ne to me, but I hesitate to say. Maybe this thread could help?

Spoiler

* I believe Carl Jung used a different 'face' to the 16 personality types than what Isabel Briggs Myers used, namely:

1. Extraverted Thinking Sensation - ET(S)
2. Extraverted Thinking Intuition - ET(N)
3. Extraverted Feeling Sensation - EF(S)
4. Extraverted Feeling Intuition - EF(N)
5. Extraverted Sensation Thinking - ES(T)
6. Extraverted Sensation Feeling - ES(F)
7. Extraverted Intuition Thinking - EN(T)
8. Extraverted Intuition Feeling - EN(F)
9. Introverted Thinking Sensation - IT(S) = ISTP
10. Introverted Thinking Intuition - IT(N) = INTP
11. Introverted Feeling Sensation - IF(S)
12. Introverted Feeling Intuition - IF(N)
13. Introverted Sensation Thinking - IS(T)
14. Introverted Sensation Feeling - IS(F)
15. Introverted Intuition Thinking - IN(T)
16. Introverted Intuition Feeling - IN(F)

- source

There are numerous ways to shorthand all 16 personalities (for instance by using the top two functions: TiNe and TiSe) which is why all shorthand labels should be discarded when examining type. The most accurate way to approach typing is by using long-hand, or the "full name" of a type. An INTP's "full name" is Ti+Ne+Si+Fe, meaning to be an INTP you must fit all those functions and in that specific order.

Many types (ISTJs, INTJs, ENTPs) can fit the shorthand INTP label/name (i.e. they manifest as introverted, intuitive, thinking, and perceiving) but only INTPs will fit the full name.

 

[mathy]

Auburn,

Thanks! Yeah, that's been my recent dilemma. I suspect that I use Ne-Si, but recently thought maybe it was Se-Ni instead. There lies the difficulty... I will check the thread you posted.

I definitely feel my writing has an Ne vibe to it, with the rambling and changing directions mid-paragraph (or mid-sentence!). Or, well maybe it doesn't all come out, but I continually think of things then add them when I think of them, and it's really scattered, so I usually end up moving sentences around before I post so that it's not a bunch of completely random sentences thrown in together..... I feel way more scattered when I'm writing than when I read what I've written. Somehow the randomness gets edited out a little (or maybe I just leave a lot of the inner dialogue out?)