Is Type Hereditary?

[PapyrusAirplanes]

My mom's entire side of the family (... almost) is Introverted (including all of us kids).
INTPs-4
INTJs-2
INFPs-1
ISTJs-3
ISFJs-1
ESFPs-1 (Her mom, who was not related to my mom, was an ESFP.)

Families: (relative + married = children)
INTJ + ESTJ = INTP, INFP
ISTJ (single)
INTP + ESFP = INTP, ESFP
ISTJ + ENFP = INTP, ISFJ, ISTJ, INTJ

So... what do you think?

1. Does either side of your family display similar characteristics?
2. What Type are your parents and your siblings (and, if possible to Type, your other relatives)?

 

[Night Runner]

MBTI is not hereditary - it's not something that can get passed through genetics, but it is something that can be influenced through nurture.
As far as I can tell, my father is an ENTJ and my mother is an ISFJ (fun combo, I know...). I'm an INTJ, and all my siblings are introverted as well, though I'm the only INTx.

 

[citrusbreath95]

Hmm, I don't think that genetics have anything to do with such. I do think it would be from how you were raised. My mom 's an ESFJ () and my dad supposedly an INTJ. I think my sister might be an ISTJ (not sure though). So, perhaps from observations of your parents/guardians you pick up on how they act, and perhaps improve off of such. (you notice their imperfections and thus avoid making such {of course, gaining your own unique set as well}. I act more like my dad (obviously being INTP) and my dad is more close-minded from being judging. Though I'm more open-minded from my perceiving characteristics. So, perhaps an improvement was made. My mom really frustrates me and I tend to see many of her flaws so perhaps that's why I don't act like her really. I'm actually nothing like my mom's side of the family, but I do relate a bit to my dad's side. (Who are more intuitive, thinking) My sister (it would appear) acts more like my mom's side of the family (who are more sensing, feeling,) (from my observations, yet I still need to analyze.) That is interesting though, I wonder how a sibling relates more to one parent than the other. I suppose it's from certain past experiences and the connections one might make to the parents from such. Or, perhaps certain siblings miss flaws of one parent the other may not and therefore are fine with being like such parent, etc. Just a thought.

 

[Adymus]

It is very likely that MBTI is hereditary, I believe there are still aspects of randomness to it, in the same way that there is chaos in all things genetic, but I believe it might just actually be possible to breed personality type if one attempted it.

My immediate family is actually 5 our of 5 intuitives:
ENTP: 2 (Dad and brother)
ENFP: 1 (sister)
INTP: 1 (Myself)
ENFJ: 1 (Mom)

And then all of my Mother's immediate family was all intuitive as well:

INFJ: 2 (Maternal Grandmother and Grandfather)
INFP: 1 (Aunt)
ENFJ: 1 (mother again)
INTJ: 1 (Uncle)
ENFP: 1 (Aunt)

 

[Sparrow]

INFJ mother
INFJ father
INFJ me
ENFP sister

INFP maternal grandmother
INTJ paternal grandmother

Grandfathers: Deceased

Mother's side
INFJ uncle + ISTP aunt = ISTP, ISTJ, ISFJ cousins

Father's side
INTJ uncle
ENFJ aunt

 

[The Lurker]

If MBTI is hereditary, then I'm the albino dwarf among "normal" people. Or maybe THEY'RE all the albino dwarves...

Mother - ISFJ
Father - ESTJ
Maternal grandmother - ESFJ
Maternal grandfather - ISTJ
Paternal grandmother - ESFJ
Paternal grandfather - ESTJ

Uncle #1 (father's side) - ESTJ
Uncle #2 (father's side) - ENTJ
Uncle #3 (mother's side) - ESFP
Uncle #4 (mother's side) - ENTP

None of my aunts are genetically related to me.

My dad's side of the family is largely characterized by extraverted and hard-working people, my mother's by lots of insane drama and hatred between rivaling "factions", if you will. And I don't really fit in anywhere, really. But it seems I'm accepted, so that's fine by me.

 

[Methuselah]

Everything human is hereditary to some degree. We are nothing but our DNA and some carefully arranged molecules. Since the types that are most dominant are also the ones that seem most likely to get out there and fuck, it also makes sense that types like INTPs would be in the minority. We are not known for sowing our seeds far and wide.

I certainly don't think it is nurture. I have seen too many miserable N types in all S families. They stick out like black sheep and suffer greatly for it.

That said, the inheritance is probably not easily predictable like some other things. I reckon that it has to be set very early in life, probably even in the womb, and it is probably affected by many, many different genes.

 

[Saeros]

Here's a thought experiment, and perhaps a way to begin answering the question. Suppose there are two identical twins, child A and child B, who are separated at birth. Child A is adopted by a family living in country Y, while child B is adopted by a family living in country Z. Countries Y and Z are different in every way imaginable, in the ways that they treat each other, subsist, their religious practices, etc. Country Y has a strong work ethic, on average, while country Z is more concerned, on average, with aesthetic pleasures. At the age of 30, child A and child B meet each other for the first time. To what extent would their personalities be identical after the effects of living in such different cultures? Whatever is similar in terms of personality must be genetic, and whatever is different must be because of something else.

To that end, here are some links I found that you might find interesting (I haven't verified these sources, so they might not be reliable ) :

- http://lornareiko.wordpress.com/

- http://www.npr.org/

- http://www.smh.com.au/

 

[GarmGarf]

Here's a thought experiment, and perhaps a way to begin answering the question. Suppose there are two identical twins, child A and child B, who are separated at birth. Child A is adopted by a family living in country Y, while child B is adopted by a family living in country Z. Countries Y and Z are different in every way imaginable, in the ways that they treat each other, subsist, their religious practices, etc. Country Y has a strong work ethic, on average, while country Z is more concerned, on average, with aesthetic pleasures. At the age of 30, child A and child B meet each other for the first time. To what extent would their personalities be identical after the effects of living in such different cultures? Whatever is similar in terms of personality must be genetic, and whatever is different must be because of something else.

That would actually be a good experiment, and it's a good question for Adymus: "would you expect that they would have the same personality type after all those years?"

A more straight forward question for Adymus would be (presuming that people are born of their personality type): "would you expect (all) "identical" (monozygotic) twins to have the same personality type?"

 

[Philosophyking87]

This is actually very interesting.

My father's side of the family is very academic and successful, financially.
Hence, they tend to be Intuitive types.

My mother's side of the family is not so academic (with the exception of one family member who actually earned a PhD), and they tend to be Sensing types who enjoy musical creativity.

My mother was intuitive, along with my younger brother and I.
However, my older sister and brother are sensing types.
So I'm academic, while my younger brother is more musical.

So you can see a clear pattern between the two family groups.
One tends to have more Intuitive academic types.
The other tends to have more Sensing, musical types.
So half of my mother's children are Intuitive and half are Sensing.
I'm academic (and slightly musical) and my younger brother is musically brilliant.

However, I tend to be the only Introvert in my nuclear family (other than possibly my dad), and I think it would be fair to say that his family tends to be Introverted as well, while my mother's side of the family tends to be extraverted.

Interesting thread...

 

[Ska]

Mother - ESTJ
Father - ISTJ
Brother - ISTP
Twin Sister - ESFP
Me - INTP

Awesome family, huh?

Half-Sister - ISFP (dad's side with definite S ex-wife)
Half-Sister - ENFJ (dad's side with definite S ex-wife)

I guess MBTI has to be at least part genetics, although I'm not sure how I end up being intuitive while I'm in a family full of sensors. From what I've heard about my dad's mom (never met her), she could have been an N, so maybe that's where my half-sister and I get it from? Who knows.

In regard to the mention of nurture in here, I don't see how that is plausible seeing as how I grew up in a family full of sensors and turned out intuitive. I am a believer that our brains are wired a certain way, and although nurture can impact that, it cannot change it.

 

[Saeros]

In regard to the mention of nurture in here, I don't see how that is plausible seeing as how I grew up in a family full of sensors and turned out intuitive. I am a believer that our brains are wired a certain way, and although nurture can impact that, it cannot change it.

It would equally difficult to explain how you could be born into a family that, because of their genes, are all sensors, yet you're intuitive through your genes despite that fact.

 

[Auburn]

Here's a thought experiment, and perhaps a way to begin answering the question. Suppose there are two identical twins, child A and child B, who are separated at birth. Child A is adopted by a family living in country Y, while child B is adopted by a family living in country Z. Countries Y and Z are different in every way imaginable, in the ways that they treat each other, subsist, their religious practices, etc. Country Y has a strong work ethic, on average, while country Z is more concerned, on average, with aesthetic pleasures. At the age of 30, child A and child B meet each other for the first time. To what extent would their personalities be identical after the effects of living in such different cultures? Whatever is similar in terms of personality must be genetic, and whatever is different must be because of something else.

That would actually be a good experiment, and it's a good question for Adymus: "would you expect that they would have the same personality type after all those years?"

A more straight forward question for Adymus would be (presuming that people are born of their personality type): "would you expect (all) "identical" (monozygotic) twins to have the same personality type?"

I was about to post this exact thought! o,o
I was thinking about this thread while walking around town wearing my long wizard hat and purple nail polish.... << *cough* um..

So yes! I echo the question..
Though I think a formal 30-year study is unnecessary to find the answer? It'd simply take surveying various (100?) already existing pairs of identical twins who've lived.. say with divorced parents/etc.. to see if all have the same personality type. Mm, and if they are all the same this would support that personality type is completely nature based, not nurture.

 

[Philosophyking87]

Mother - ESTJ
Father - ISTJ
Brother - ISTP
Twin Sister - ESFP
Me - INTP

Awesome family, huh?

Half-Sister - ISFP (dad's side with definite S ex-wife)
Half-Sister - ENFJ (dad's side with definite S ex-wife)

I guess MBTI has to be at least part genetics, although I'm not sure how I end up being intuitive while I'm in a family full of sensors. From what I've heard about my dad's mom (never met her), she could have been an N, so maybe that's where my half-sister and I get it from? Who knows.

In regard to the mention of nurture in here, I don't see how that is plausible seeing as how I grew up in a family full of sensors and turned out intuitive. I am a believer that our brains are wired a certain way, and although nurture can impact that, it cannot change it.

Your family sounds like a nightmare, lol.

 

[Ska]

Your family sounds like a nightmare, lol.

Oh yes.

My sister and mom bond through material items.

My brother wanted to change majors because he didn't think the one he was in could support the lifestyle he wants (must have top of the line EVERYTHING.)

My mom constantly talks at me like I'm 3 and can't figure things out on my own and then yells at me for walking away before she's done talking.

I do like my dad a good bit though and get a long with him pretty well. He has a good sense of humor for being a dominant S (somehow ISTJs have this within their family, not sure what cognitive functions would deal with that) and is pretty laid back until he loses his cool (watch out), while the rest of my family insists on being up tight about everything.

But other than that, it's hell.

 

[Ska]

It would equally difficult to explain how you could be born into a family that, because of their genes, are all sensors, yet you're intuitive through your genes despite that fact.

It's been a while since I took biology, so excuse me if I'm way off base, but recessive gene possibly?

 

[Fukyo]

I just wanted to say that genetics is a fuckton more complex than your immediate family, but there probably could be some genetic backbone to typology. The question is how to trace it effectively?

 

[echoplex]

I'd say there's alot of Fe in my family. The kind of Fe that makes people really uptight for no good reason. It seems almost all of them tiptoe around every little conversation and are unwilling to discuss anything even a little controversial. I attribute this to Fe because it seems driven to pleasing others even at the expense of personal integrity, honesty, etc.

Not sure if that's correct though; it's a rough read and it's not as apparent on some family members. But I think I can see the difference between Fe & Fi use with my family. The ones who don't seem concerned with policing conversations to ensure no one is offended I usually type as either having low Fe or not having it at all (Fi/Te). But then there are those who not only refuse to 'go there' (read: anywhere, apparently) but won't let anyone else either I tend to type as high Fe.

I do this mainly because I would feel awkward staring at people's facial expressions.

 

[Thoughtful]

Mother: INTJ
Father: ENTJ
Sister: INFJ
Brother: ENTJ
Sister: ISFJ

I'm somewhat notorious for my near-successes at wrigling out of my parent's rule systems. but they always seemed to end up with me grounded and the whole family angry at me.

 

[Adymus]

That would actually be a good experiment, and it's a good question for Adymus: "would you expect that they would have the same personality type after all those years?"

Assuming both twins where born with the same personality type, yes I would expect them to still have the same personality type. That does not mean that they would act exactly the same. Their environments and upbringings would rewards/validate different uses of their cognitive function hierarchy, and they would thus develop different ways to use the same four functions, depending on what has worked best or has been validated in their lives. So perhaps they might test as different types, because of one having stronger uses of certain lower functions than another, but they would still be the same type.

A more straight forward question for Adymus would be (presuming that people are born of their personality type): "would you expect (all) "identical" (monozygotic) twins to have the same personality type?"

Yes, actually I would expect all monozygotic twins to have to same personality type, especially because having a different personality type would also effect how they physically look, so either way if they had a different personality type, they technically would not be "identical" both physically and mentally.

 

[Philosophyking87]

Oh yes.

My sister and mom bond through material items.

My brother wanted to change majors because he didn't think the one he was in could support the lifestyle he wants (must have top of the line EVERYTHING.)

My mom constantly talks at me like I'm 3 and can't figure things out on my own and then yells at me for walking away before she's done talking.

I do like my dad a good bit though and get a long with him pretty well. He has a good sense of humor for being a dominant S (somehow ISTJs have this within their family, not sure what cognitive functions would deal with that) and is pretty laid back until he loses his cool (watch out), while the rest of my family insists on being up tight about everything.

But other than that, it's hell.

Yeah, my older brother and sister treat me like that.
They are both S types.
They talk to me like I'm a retard who doesn't know what 2 x 2 is.
Sure, I don't care to learn "real world" crap, but that doesn't mean I'm a 3 year old!

I feel your pain.
That's what I usually avoid my family now. I'm a hermit!

 

[Philosophyking87]

My mom constantly talks at me like I'm 3 and can't figure things out on my own and then yells at me for walking away before she's done talking.

Here's something interesting I found which has to do with what you were saying. I often find that more "externally involved" people get this notion that I'm not so intelligent, merely because I tend to be uninterested in the common way in which people live. For instance, I'm so introverted that I never cared to observe 'how' someone was driving. I don't care to. I don't really care for many common words, and I usually find myself asking others, "What the hell is that?" I'm super detached, reserved, and private, to the point where I'm out of touch with what's going on around me. And just as autistic children are perceived, people tend to think we're morons for being so closed off and in our own world.

One of the results of living life primarily inside one's head is that INTPs may be a bit clumsy or have a rather slow response time. This may be incorrectly interpreted by others as a lack of imagination or intelligence. Many INTPs are a lot like the stereotypical absentminded professor – dawdling, distracted, and forgetful of mundane chores, late for obligations, losing homework or library books, and generally disconnected from the business of life in the external world. More engaged in their own thoughts and perceptions, INTPs are just not paying attention to what is going on around them. They rarely take things personally and, in fact, don't seem to take anything very seriously unless it does affect them personally. So easygoing and aloof, they live in a rather casual way, unaffected and uninvolved with the world and people around them.

 

[IndigoSensor]

I think it is, but at the same time it isn't. I personally beleive you are born with a set of four functions, leading you to develop into four possible types as you age. Just because you have two parents of certain types, does not mean you are going to retain that pattern. However, there are certain commonalties. It's most likely like the genetics of eye color. There is a core pattern, but anomalies can appear because eye color is controled by around 8 or 9 genes.


As for my family, I am very confidant on these types for my family:

Dad's side:
Grandfather: ISTJ
Grandmother: ISFJ
Aunt: ISTJ
Aunt: ESFJ
Aunt: ISFJ
Aunt: ESFP
Uncle: ESTJ
Dad: ESTJ

Mom's Side:
*Grandfather (biological): INTJ
**Grandfather: ISTJ
Grandmother: ISFJ
Mom: INFJ
Uncle: INTP
Uncle: ESTP

I am an only child

* My moms biological father was not involved in my moms life. My grandmother hid this from her, and he sort of ran. She didn't even know he existed until she was 19, and did not meet him until she was 40. Apparently she has 4 other half sibblings, but she has only spoken over the phone to a few of them. That part of my family is unknown to me and her largely.

** The father to my two uncles.


I came out as INFJ. If you go by genetics, I in theory could have become any type. Also note, my parents divorced when I was 3 years old.

 

[Words]

I would suggest it to be purely hereditary. Type is nature and development is nurture. Environment explains divagation from extremes. Theory can try to explain the chemistry but type itself is only a part of theory: half of understanding human differences and similarities. Such is human variety.

 

[Agent Intellect]

Hereditary isn't as 'digital' as one might think - especially when it comes to something as complex as personality. The assumption seems to be that there is a gene for perception, with an allele for Ni, another for Ne, another for Si, and another for Se; a gene for judgment with an allele for Fi, another for Fe, another for Ti, and another for Te.

That would almost certainly be a grievous oversimplification. I don't think a single protein, or a single type/frequency of receptor is going to make someones personality that much different. If anything, it would be a complex of various alleles that make a personality.

Which leads to the second point: there seems to be an assumption that "all INTP's (or any other type) have the same genes making them INTP". It's quite possible that two different INTP's have slight variations in the alleles of the 'personality genes' making them into different kinds of INTP? Perhaps moms dominant Fi could use genes W and Z while dads dominant Fi uses genes A and Z, but passing on genes A and W to you could present as dominant Ti?

The third assumption seems to be that the personality types (as portrayed by MBTI or any variation on the concept) have any genetic correlation or scientific credibility. From the studies I've read, intuitives and sensors are the only ones that have any significant difference in PET and fMRI scans (when staring at a blank wall). Introversion/extroversion is different because MBTI doesn't deal with introversion and extroversion in the common use of the words. All I'm saying is, personality type theory is all theoretical and only explains the way that our brains 'present' themselves - there isn't actually a little Ne or a little Ti in any of our heads that can be scientifically verified or measured.

 

[5k17]

The "Big Five" personality traits are shaped about half by heredity, half by the environment, and as the difference between the two systems is not really extreme, I suppose it isn't much different for the MBTI.

 

[typus]

I haven't seen anyone mentioning that a personality types change over time, although I can't see why not. It seems quite obvious that nurture has something to do with it, although nature probably affects it too.

Seriously though, while I think the idea of categorizing personalities by types is very cool (mostly because it's so insulting) it still is a very rough measurement, especially when there's only sixteen types. So don't rely on types to judge people, I guess?

 

[Saoshyant]

I hope the next Hitler isn't reading this. Just say no to Eugenics, kids. In his book "Letters", Jung wrote that temperament is more influenced by family than the direct parents.

 

[Dormouse]

Father - INTJ
Mother - ENFJ
Children - INTP, ISTJ, ISFP in that order.

This is all hypothetical, of course. I find people I am close to extremely difficult to type.

Uh, there isn't much to say here that hasn't already been said. I personaly adopt other people's habits through mimicry with ease and often without realizing it, so I can see nurture playing a huge role in that respect. Whether these behaviours affect my personality (or MBTI) is another question.

 

[XXXX]

Father - INFJ
Mother (deceased) - ISFP?
Children - ISFP, ISFJ, XXXX ()

Father's Family - not sure - they live overseas, didn't see much of them growing up and haven't seen them for over a decade.

Mum's Family - they also live overseas, but I spent more time with them growing up and have seen some of them recently

Grandfather - ISTJ
Grandmother (deceased) - ISFP?
Grandfather - ISFP, ISTJ? (deceased), ISFP?

 

[TruthSeeker]

For me it was! I've got all my Dad's functions, and share my Mom's dominant and inferior.

Dad = SiTeFiNe (ISTJ)

Mom = FiSeNiTe (ISFP)

Me = FiNeSiTe (INFP)

You would be quite convinced type was at least somewhat predictable, until my brothers were born...


Brother#1 = TiNeSiFe (INTP)

Brother#2 = SeTiFeNi (ESTP)


Ti-Fe popped out of nowhere, and none of their functions are in the same places as any of my parents'!

So yeah, type could well genetic, but I don't think you can predict it just by looking at your parents' functions. Still, it's interesting that only one of us is an extravert...

NB. Yeah...an ISTJ living with 4 other P's was not always pleasant!

 

[Words]

^ Consider the functions in my own family:

Father: Ni Te Fi Se
Mother: Fi Se Ni Te

Daughter: Si Fe Ti Ne
Son: Ti Ne Si Fe

Ni(Si) Te(Fe) Fi(Ti) Se(Ne) =FatherDaughter

Fi(Ti) Se(Ne) Ni(Si) Te(Fe) =MotherSon

Dominant & Auxiliary
FxSx ~= SxFx --> MotherDaughter
NxTx ~= TxNx --> FatherSon

----

Your Family's Functions can be organized the same way:

Dad: Si Te Fi Ne
Mom: Fi Se Ni Te
Brother#1: Ti Ne Si Fe
Brother#2: Se Ti Fe Ni

Brother#1 has unconscious functions* of Mom.
Brother#2 has shadow functions* of Dad.

..which makes you the abnormal one.

*not sure of my definitions*

----
On the whole, a few families is too short of a sample. And then there's also the mistype possibility.

 

[TruthSeeker]

I'm...abnormal?

Ah well, always knew it. But of course, I could just be mistyped and turn out to be an INTP after all. (If I am, do I get my normal card back?)

But seriously, I think what you've noticed has a lot to it. I know an INFP and ESTJ who had an ISTP son...his functions and their unconscious and shadow functions were both the same.

Still, my cousins are ISTP and ESTP, and their parents ISTP and INFJ. So, of course, sometimes it doesn't work that way.

 

[lucyintheskies]

me: INTP (Ti-Ne-Si-Fe)
husband: ISFJ (Si-Fe-Ti-Ne)
daughter: ESTJ (Te-Si-Ne-Fi)
son: INFP (Fi-Ne-Si-Te)

Husband comes from a clan of sensors - mom, dad, 3 brothers. My side of the family has the intuitive types.

My children had a very different "attitude" from birth. Even as a newborn, my daughter preferred the presence of her father. My son always kept close to me - not always to my liking. His imagination was so overwhelming that he seemed to have difficulty defining the boundaries of reality.

Physically, father and daughter are more similar. She looks (and acts) very much like my mother-in-law (ISTJ).

 

[Farion]

I just started reading Please Understand Me by Keirsey, and he seems to have the opposite opinion of everyone here. He states that everyone is born as a certain type, not that nurture is the only way to develop personality.

For me, my father is either an INTJ or an INTP and my mother is an ISFJ. My sister is the odd duck as an extravert, though I can't remember exactly what kind. I believe an S and a J were involved.

My dad's side of the family does tend to be introverted, I think. My mom's side is harder to type (honestly, I would have put her as an extravert, but she took the test and it said introvert). I suspect they are mostly introverts. My grandmother almost certainly is something like either an ENTJ or an INTJ, (she took the test and it said ENTJ, but I refuse to believe she's not INTJ).

I think that genetics probably do have something to do with it, even if it's not everything.

 

[Words]

he seems to have the opposite opinion of everyone here. He states that everyone is born as a certain type.

Not everyone. Also, are you sure? From what I've heard, he changed his position regarding this argument. not that his position is relevant.

I think that genetics probably do have something to do with it, even if it's not everything.

It still doesn't make sense to me that genetics isn't everything in type. There is supposedly something called "Development", which I think qualifies as another word for 'nurture'. Do babies have no personality?

 

[Cavallier]

It still doesn't make sense to me that genetics isn't everything in type. There is supposedly something called "Development", which I think qualifies as another word for 'nurture'. Do babies have no personality?

A. I often find your avatars to be jarringly different from your INTPf personality.

B. No, you are right. Babies very much do have a personality and after the first couple of months that personality becomes increasingly evident. I think that the nurture aspect has more to do with the development of ideas and worldview. I don't just mean complicated ideas though such as politics and social rules. I also mean subconscious assumptions. This makes it neigh impossible to differentiate between what we are born with and what we are taught. I think that the basic building blocks of our personality we are born with such as how our brains process information and how we develop ideas is still a black box. I don't think these kinds of thing can be taught directly necessarily but I do think that expressions of personality can be reinforced or be dissuaded. When it comes to personality it is less a matter of nature vs. nurture more a question of by much does either affect the ultimate outcome of a kid's personality.

As ever I take the middle road and say, "a little of this and a little of that".

 

[DesertSmeagle]

Personality is all nuture. Maybe some biological factors could effect it, like depression or physical disorders, but it's all based on how your brought up.

If you need proof that it is all nuture, my mom is an identical twin, and has a completely different personality than my aunt, though they have the same DNA. Boom, case closed.

And yes they were raised in the same house, but they grew up in different classes in school, and were separated in social situations most of their lives.

Hmm this gives me an idea, I'm Gina give them both the test, if they are different, which they probably will be, that's huge points for the nuture side.

 

[jachian]

MBTI is not hereditary - it's not something that can get passed through genetics, but it is something that can be influenced through nurture.
As far as I can tell, my father is an ENTJ and my mother is an ISFJ (fun combo, I know...). I'm an INTJ, and all my siblings are introverted as well, though I'm the only INTx.

By nurture you say?....... is there any evidence for this?....... what do you mean by nurture?..............
looking at my environment when I was growing up....... \i should then be less introverted and more J. But am not...........

 

[Gather_Wanderer]

Father: ENTP
Mother: ISFJ
Sister #1: ESTP
Sister #2: ENXJ (I think ENTJ)
Brother #1: XXXJ
Brother #2: ENTJ
Brother #3: INFP
Brother #4: ENTP

There are at least 4 NTs in my immediate family. Knowing the differences between my father and self further enlightens me to the idea that ENTPs and INTPs are not alternate versions like some seem to think.


...Also, I've come to the conclusion that INTJs are pure evil.
We in general seem to be considered dark in comparison to ENTPs, and INTJs seem to be considered dark in comparison to us, so.....
My cousin (one of my best friends) is an INTJ and sometimes I'm just in awe of some of the plotting capabilities he displays with regularity.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Personality is all nuture. Maybe some biological factors could effect it, like depression or physical disorders, but it's all based on how your brought up.

I disagree for two reasons. One, personality falls into the category of human characteristics in which nature and nurture are fundamentally inseperable. Second, the simple fact that there is such a thing as a recurring temperament in humans means that we are all born with genetic molds and it is up to the experience of life to chip at us until we develop our unique dents and protrusions.

 

[hazelbite]

i'd say there is a hereditary component, maybe in some cases. my parents are ESFJ and INFP, so i don't know where i came from, but my sister is an INFP and my other sister is ESTP.

 

[Words]

A. I often find your avatars to be jarringly different from your INTPf personality.

Oh? Then, they served their purpose. Personality illuminates when in contrast.

I joke. I just like the pictures.

B. No, you are right. Babies very much do have a personality and after the first couple of months that personality becomes increasingly evident. I think that the nurture aspect has more to do with the development of ideas and worldview. I don't just mean complicated ideas though such as politics and social rules. I also mean subconscious assumptions. This makes it neigh impossible to differentiate between what we are born with and what we are taught. I think that the basic building blocks of our personality we are born with such as how our brains process information and how we develop ideas is still a black box. I don't think these kinds of thing can be taught directly necessarily but I do think that expressions of personality can be reinforced or be dissuaded. When it comes to personality it is less a matter of nature vs. nurture more a question of by much does either affect the ultimate outcome of a kid's personality. As ever I take the middle road and say, "a little of this and a little of that".

I disagree for two reasons. One, personality falls into the category of human characteristics in which nature and nurture are fundamentally inseperable. Second, the simple fact that there is such a thing as a recurring temperament in humans means that we are all born with genetic molds and it is up to the experience of life to chip at us until we develop our unique dents and protrusions.

Sure, but I am thinking personality =/= type. Type is temperament. Temperament is the natural side of personality.

I'm positive 'nurture' affects personality but I'm saying 'no' if it affects type. Personality is affected by type, by heredity.

If you need proof that it is all nuture, my mom is an identical twin, and has a completely different personality than my aunt, though they have the same DNA. Boom, case closed.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=identical-twins-genes-are-not-identical

 

[wdavis36]

Personality is all nuture. Maybe some biological factors could effect it, like depression or physical disorders, but it's all based on how your brought up.

If you need proof that it is all nuture, my mom is an identical twin, and has a completely different personality than my aunt, though they have the same DNA. Boom, case closed.

And yes they were raised in the same house, but they grew up in different classes in school, and were separated in social situations most of their lives.

Hmm this gives me an idea, I'm Gina give them both the test, if they are different, which they probably will be, that's huge points for the nuture side.

Dude! Please read up on meiosis, that will explain how an identical twin can have a completely different personality than their twin purely because of genetics. Also, read about separated-twin studies. You will find that you are wrong. Whoever didn't say that it is both attributed to heredity and influenced by their environment is stupid and wrong. I wouldn't know though since I didn't have the discipline to read all the posts.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Sure, but I am thinking personality =/= type. Type is temperament. Temperament is the natural side of personality.

I'm positive 'nurture' affects personality but I'm saying 'no' if it affects type. Personality is affected by type, by heredity.

That's what I was implying. Temperament as in Sanguine, Choleric, Phlegmatic and Melancholic(labels are irrelevant, I'm focusing on the actual moods/attitudes). Our personalities are crafted through life experience, but initially we have the basic temperaments(or dispositions, whatever you want to call it).

Disposition + life experience = personality

 

[Alexk]

I am a psychology major, so the following is directly from material I've learned in class, including a course focused on personality.

On the topic of identical twins separated at birth, there have been case studies that have concluded that the twins personality is more similar to each other than it is to their respective guardians, as well as adopted siblings should they exist. This may suggest that personality is more hereditary than a result of surroundings. This can also rule out the possibility that adoptive parents tend to be similar kinds of people, resulting in similar personalities amongst children because the of the difference in personality of the adopted siblings of the twins.

But ultimately case studies make for weak arguments, so it is not a definitive answer.