INTP - Self Fulfilling Prophecy?

[Stark2k]

Hello chaps.

I'm a newly diagnosed INTP, most of my life I suspected there was something wrong with me as I never seemed to fit in or feel comfortable around my peers. It has caused me a great deal of stress over the years and some serious depression this last year, which lead me to analyse what is going on in my brain.

I'm now 30 and have spent some time researching what makes us tick, I started reading the 'Please understand Me II' book, and now all has fallen into place and my depression has lifted as I spot close similiarities in my experiences and those of a stereotypical INTP.

However, this brings me to a question that I thought I would put to you lot. By learning about our characteristics and natural preferences, would this knowledge in effect become a self-fulfilling prophecy with our future decisions or behaviours influenced by this knowledge, thus increasing our INTP tendencies?

 

[archimonde]

I think the first time I read an INTP description online, there was a sense of relief. I always saw myself as the odd ball out, wondering why I preferred to be anti-social. Then reading the reasonings behind the way I perceived things, why I sometimes behaved or reacted certain ways, was almost like seeing myself in the mirror the first time.

As for the idea of self-fulfilling prophecy, I did pop into my head as I was reading all those INTP articles. And at certain times, I found comfort in the fact that I am 'supposed' to procrastinate, or leave things to the last minute because INTP's often work better under pressure. In fact, I felt I was almost embracing the negative aspects of INTP's as an inherent fault or defect that cannot be fixed, just because some online articles said so.

But at the same time, I feel that the reason I perceive things differently than most people, how I can digress from the mainstream to find unique paths, are all result from being an INTP. Procrastination and anti-social aspect of me may not be 'productive', but I feel like by forcing myself to be different, by trying to be more social by going to large parties or clubs which I hate, I would be changing the way I perceive and think.

I am an architecture student, and some of my best and favourite ideas pop up while I procrastinate.

 

[typus]

[JUSTIF]

I found comfort in the fact that I am 'supposed' to procrastinate, or leave things to the last minute because INTP's often work better under pressure. In fact, I felt I was almost embracing the negative aspects of INTP's as an inherent fault or defect that cannot be fixed, just because some online articles said so.

I rate this: super identifiable. When I convince myself to start a Great Quest for Self-Improvement it doesn't take long until I convince myself that this would be playing a trick on myself and conforming to society and stuff like that, even though I think the talk about conforming sounds super pretentious! Also some members of this forum have told me that I should not try to change what I consider to be flaws since they apparently are part of me, I'm just not made to be good at them.[/JUSTIF]

 

[dreamoftheunknown]

I have posed this question many times before. I don't really have an answer, but I think that one does run this risk. For instance, I've noticed that the more I take the test, the more polarized I seem to be on the various axes (that is, even if I search for and take tests that I hadn't previously taken). It seemed to me that the test had become more transparent, and since I tested as INTP the first time, I could have answered the questions in such a way as to get INTP. I suppose, if you could do it on a test, you could also do it in the context of your cognitive functions. You know that you use certain cognitive functions, so you're inclined to reinforce the cognitive functions that you know you use, perhaps because you try to catch your thought processes in actions or because you become increasingly more comfortable with the thought processes you use. I imagine that this is especially true if your profession is one that requires usage of your cognitive functions. So, I can imagine that you might end up becoming more INTP possibly as a result of your knowing how your thought processes work or possibly simply because you stick with what you're comfortable with. On the other hand, I can see that some people might use the knowledge to try to develop other cognitive functions, thereby becoming less INTP.

 

[Melllvar]

Well, I think that it could easily be used as an excuse to indulge in a given behavior pattern, but even that is a matter of perspective. Since I found out what INTP was (and that I presumably am one) I've felt somewhat more comfortable with my "eccentricities," so I don't question myself as much about whether I am some freakish weirdo when people may treat me that way, or if I'm just different and misunderstood by some people. In that sense it sort of reinforces the behavior. On the extreme end though, I don't want to find myself justifying social difficulties I may have by saying, "Screw it, I'm an INTP, this is my destiny," when I do something to rub people the wrong way. This applies not just INTPs though, any MBTI type could do this. I guess the best would be a healthy balance, and realizing we are the way we are, but we aren't completely powerless to change ourselves and choose our behavior either.

Personally though, I don't take the precise INTP definition that seriously, so I don't think it affects me much. Like some others have said on this forum, it's just a guideline. What was really important was just realizing I wasn't the only one on Earth who had gone through some of this stuff.

 

[Farion]

I think it really depends on the situation. On one hand, you could really like the idea of being INTP and subconsciously fudge the truth a bit in order to more fit that stereotype when taking the test.

On the other hand, maybe because you like the idea of being an INTP, you might be less inclined to fudge the truth away from INTP as you might have before when you thought that the traits associated with INTPness were weird.

As far as cognitive functions though, I doubt it's possible to alter them too much since, from what I understand, they occur at a subconscious level before conscious thought (kind of like a knee-jerk reaction). Hmmm.... That sort of contradicts what I've heard about being able to develop inferior functions...

 

[snafupants]

your last question can be elucidated by looking at a definition of temperament. obviously, if you keep using preferred modes of negotiating reality, then not only will those strengthen but they will be the cornerstone of your future self. humans are lazy, they do what comes naturally, and temperament definitely has a genetic component.

 

[SpaceYeti]

Hello chaps.

I'm a newly diagnosed INTP, most of my life I suspected there was something wrong with me as I never seemed to fit in or feel comfortable around my peers. It has caused me a great deal of stress over the years and some serious depression this last year, which lead me to analyse what is going on in my brain.

I'm now 30 and have spent some time researching what makes us tick, I started reading the 'Please understand Me II' book, and now all has fallen into place and my depression has lifted as I spot close similiarities in my experiences and those of a stereotypical INTP.

However, this brings me to a question that I thought I would put to you lot. By learning about our characteristics and natural preferences, would this knowledge in effect become a self-fulfilling prophecy with our future decisions or behaviours influenced by this knowledge, thus increasing our INTP tendencies?

Perhaps, but does it matter so long as you're happy? Is there a different way that you should act?

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I've also thought the same way, but no matter how we change our behavior we are still fundamentally the same. We could go out and socialize and fight back our procrastination, but somewhere along the line we'll become exhausted and do it all over again subconsciously.

 

[nexion]

Hello chaps.

I'm a newly diagnosed INTP, most of my life I suspected there was something wrong with me as I never seemed to fit in or feel comfortable around my peers. It has caused me a great deal of stress over the years and some serious depression this last year, which lead me to analyse what is going on in my brain.

I'm now 30 and have spent some time researching what makes us tick, I started reading the 'Please understand Me II' book, and now all has fallen into place and my depression has lifted as I spot close similiarities in my experiences and those of a stereotypical INTP.

However, this brings me to a question that I thought I would put to you lot. By learning about our characteristics and natural preferences, would this knowledge in effect become a self-fulfilling prophecy with our future decisions or behaviours influenced by this knowledge, thus increasing our INTP tendencies?

Maybe, maybe not. It is impossible to really tell. I have found myself being "more" INTP recently than I remember myself being before, but my brain could just be thinking it is self-fulfilling and actually skew things. The scary thing about the brain is that it normally doesn't apply to your own will.

 

[TruthSeeker]

Perhaps, but does it matter so long as you're happy? Is there a different way that you should act?

Well said. But I can't help but think this is totally against what MBTI was supposed to be for. I don't like it when people use it, say, as an excuse to act like an asshole; it was made to improve relationships, not destroy them. I mean, I think I've become disturbingly unfazed by my schizoid tendencies since finding out I was INTP. ("I can't help it! It's one of my personality traits!") I'm not so sure that's a good thing. Plus, my Si and even Fe are (I think) unusually well developed for an INTP, and considering how long and painful the process was I am afraid of losing those parts of me and have all that hard work be for nothing. (Do you know how draining it is sitting with an ENFJ, day after day, spending hours talking about feelings? If I had known why it was so exhausting for me then, I don't know if I would have suffered through it. But I'm so glad I did, because I understand people so much better now, even if I still prefer to keep my emotions private).

Bottom line, the point of embracing your type is to be YOU, not one of sixteen stereotyped boxes. The types aren't people, they're ways of classifying people. If you're a stereotypical INTP through and through, great! Be who you are. And if not, be who you are as well! A "pure" INTP would be, well, kind of scary...

 

[SpaceYeti]

... Wait, I think you're confusing cause and effect. You don't keep your emotions bottled up and find it draining to listen to someone blabber on and on about their feelings because you're an INTP, you're an INTP because you keep your emotions bottled up and find it draining to listen to someone blabber on and on about their feelings. Your type is a description of you, not an innate, immutable psychological role-caster. It may grant some insights into yourself that you never considered before, but it's still just a description of who you are. After you've been that person such that you could tell.

By the way, my ex was (and still is) an ENFP. She wouldn't shut up about emotions and how she felt and how I never talked and yadda yadda yadda. And she knew about the MBTI and knew my type. She just wouldn't get over how much stuff bothered her or someone else, when the stuff was downright silly to me. So, yeah, I have experience with a type similar to ENFJs.

 

[bumsyspin]

I did the opposite and used it to grow and improve on perceived weaknesses.