Changing type

[MichiganJFrog]

Just wondering if I could get a thread going on people who've seen their type change over the years, what exactly it means, etc., etc., as I've seen discussions of it hither and thither.

Finally got back the results of an “official” (read: not online, not free) MBTI assessment I took about a year ago. Tested out as an INFP. The scale on this assessment went from 0 to 30. I maxed out on introversion and intuition, rated a 7 on perception, and feeling was only a 4. So, yeah, I have feelings, but I’m not, like, a girl or anything.

Not surprised by the overall results, but somewhat surprised by the fact that the P rating was so weak, when I thought that was rock solid. Maybe I’m getting more set in my ways as I enter into my dotage, and looking more like a J. Not surprised that the I was off the charts, but so was the N. Strange, because I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. I would have thought there would at least be some vacillation between N and S, but no, I totally broke the N-meter. I still feel like I don’t even know what N means. Yay, another research project!

 

[own8ge]

Overall, it is being agreed upon that your personality type can't change over time.
MBTI tests are unreliable as they are not accurate. Typing oneself, has also been shown to be inaccurate. You would need an external objective in order to be typed/read.

For instance: Upload a video of yourself talking in the camera, and let us, the forum, type you. Eventually we will have typed you on which we all agree upon (now, but also in 30 years).

 

[Chad]

Overall, it is being agreed upon that your personality type can't change over time.
MBTI tests are unreliable as they are not accurate. Typing oneself, has also been shown to be inaccurate. You would need an external objective in order to be typed/read.

For instance: Upload a video of yourself talking in the camera, and let us, the forum, type you. Eventually we will have typed you on which we all agree upon (now, but also in 30 years).

This is because some people believe that personality is inherent or genetic. However, this is far form proven it is a accepted belief at least as for as this forum goes. I have personally read many respected articles stating that personality is not genetic or inherent in anyway. This make since in some ways because Children are often not exact replicas or even a cross of there biological parent. Actually, children normal take some aspects for both parents as well as polar aspects form both and this can be seen in both children raised by there biological parents and or others.

This makes be believe that someone environment especially early childhood has just as much to do if not more to do with someones personality type than genetics.

I was adopted by my parents at 8 however my personality both reflex and counters there major personality aspects. Very close to what you would expect form a biological child. Also form what little I know about my biological parents I am sure I would have came out completely different if I would have stayed with them.

That being said if personality is only partly genetic than theoretically life events could alter someones personality/perspective.

 

[crippli]

I like MBTI tests, for the simple reason that those who score a certain type have answered those questions rather similarly. So at least one have that in common.

As to if my answers will change? Sure. In general I find I like most things I always liked, some things gets replaced. And many things I have yet to discover that I like, and that I like what I thought I didn't like.

 

[MichiganJFrog]

As to if my answers will change? Sure. In general I find I like most things I always liked, some things gets replaced. And many things I have yet to discover that I like, and that I like what I thought I didn't like.

I do find that emotions have become more important for me. I hear more of the emotional context these days in conversations as well as movies, plays, and TV shows.

On a separate assessment of communication styles, I went from being a Thinker the first time I took it to being a Relater the second time.

For instance: Upload a video of yourself talking in the camera, and let us, the forum, type you. Eventually we will have typed you on which we all agree upon (now, but also in 30 years).

Scary, but probably not a bad idea. Where's the thread for that?

++++++++++

P.S. - I have no idea what this emoticon would be good for, but I wanted to use it anyway.

 

[BigApplePi]

I lost you MichiganJFrog. You say this test scales from 0 to 30.

Finally got back the results of an “official” (read: not online, not free) MBTI assessment I took about a year ago. Tested out as an INFP. The scale on this assessment went from 0 to 30. I maxed out on introversion and intuition, rated a 7 on perception, and feeling was only a 4. So, yeah, I have feelings, but I’m not, like, a girl or anything.

Not surprised by the overall results, but somewhat surprised by the fact that the P rating was so weak, when I thought that was rock solid. Maybe I’m getting more set in my ways as I enter into my dotage, and looking more like a J. Not surprised that the I was off the charts, but so was the N. Strange, because I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty nuts-and-bolts kind of guy. I would have thought there would at least be some vacillation between N and S, but no, I totally broke the N-meter. I still feel like I don’t even know what N means. Yay, another research project!

Is 7 why your P rating is weak? If so, a 4 would make your F rating weak. How then could you get IN"F"P?

 

[BigApplePi]

Chg'g type: inherency & chg

Chad. Personality or temperament? I didn't look them up, but I believe those are different. Temperament is deeper; personality goes to the surface.

Anyway how one behaves is influenced a lot by what goes on ages 0 to 5. That is when what one is born with merges with how one takes the environment. After age 5 or so, you have a framework but you can modify what's in the frame.

 

[Architect]

In my investigations I found that type doesn't change and that there are two components to a person's psyche, type and personality. What does change for type over time is how well you utilize your type and how well you develop it. Your personality develops naturally on its own and most people don't change it, at least not actively and consciously.

§ Type

I believe type has a genetic component, if not entirely genetically determined. There's actually some evidence the conjecture that this might be derived from relative balance of hormones. Certainly introversion/extroversion intuition/sensation appeared to act this way. Regardless our use of our type develops over time according to the "functional stack". Cf. personality junkie for details.

§ Personality

Personality is the characteristics that we develop as we age. Traumatic life events affect the personality, not the type for example. This development cycle indicates that the personality's place is in the neocortex of the brain. There also are indications that the type is placed in other parts of the brain (cf. The Power of Introverts).

So for you certainly your type hasn't changed over time, but your understanding of it and use of it probably has. This is a common misunderstanding. It usually arises from from people considering individual letters (E/I, S/N, T/F and J/P) rather than the functions (e.g. Ti) and super types (Sj, SP, NT & NF). The letters are an accessible way to get into typology but also prone to misunderstandings, because we all display all of the letters via our functional stack.

 

[Montresor]

I just had a visual of a Ti - Fe flat tire that inflates with air as you age.

 

[Architect]

I just had a visual of a Ti - Fe flat tire that inflates with air as you age.

Nice analogy.

 

[Montresor]

Thanks I'm having a smart day I better not squander it. Tomorrow I could be stupid again. It's only 0930h.

 

[MichiganJFrog]

Is 7 why your P rating is weak? If so, a 4 would make your F rating weak.

That's what I'm saying -- I'm an F, but a weak F. The chart with my results goes 30-----0-----30 for each of the four pairings. So it's like this:

E 30-----------0-----------30 I
S 30-----------0-----------30 N
T 30-----------0-4----------30 F
J 30-----------0-----7------30 P

[I tried to put up a screen shot, but the faces I made while being thwarted ranged along a completely different continuum: ]

 

[MichiganJFrog]

I believe type has a genetic component, if not entirely genetically determined. There's actually some evidence the conjecture that this might be derived from relative balance of hormones. Certainly introversion/extroversion intuition/sensation appeared to act this way.

One of the Wikipedia pages on the MBTI cites a report from the National Academy of Sciences that said only the I/E pairing has any scientific merit. The NAS is a highly politicized organization, though, so there's no telling why they threw out the other three.

Personality is the characteristics that we develop as we age. Traumatic life events affect the personality, not the type for example.

@Architect Almost seems as if traumatic life events can cause you to mask your true personality. Would that have any effect on type, like maybe giving you a "false positive" for INTP?

So for you certainly your type hasn't changed over time, but your understanding of it and use of it probably has. This is a common misunderstanding. It usually arises from from people considering individual letters (E/I, S/N, T/F and J/P) rather than the functions

The functions do seem to get to the heart of the matter.

 

[Architect]

One of the Wikipedia pages on the MBTI cites a report from the National Academy of Sciences that said only the I/E pairing has any scientific merit. The NAS is a highly politicized organization, though, so there's no telling why they threw out the other three.

I've heard that academic psychology has no place for MBTI. In my view that just demonstrates how useless academic psychology departments are.

Almost seems as if traumatic life events can cause you to mask your true personality. Would that have any effect on type, like maybe giving you a "false positive" for INTP?

I believe so. Not only traumatic events but basic living can and does do that. People are unfortunately forced to act outside of their type all the time.

Take an INTP who finds a job as a sales person for example. He's forced to be outgoing and extroverted. He and his family depend on his income so he can't just quit, but grits his teeth and soldiers on. After years - a decade - he's so used to it that he isn't even aware of the problem, except for the fact that he is continually mentally exhausted. Acting outside of your type results in psychic drain. I suspect this is because type fundamentally is a mechanism for channeling mental energy.

I'm familiar with this because I used to have a job as a engineering architect technically leading a very large group of engineers worldwide, and so have gone through this process. I'm now in the late stage of recovery and 'reprogramming' to get back to my natural inclinations.

 

[MichiganJFrog]

Acting outside of your type results in psychic drain. I suspect this is because type fundamentally is a mechanism for channeling mental energy.

I'm familiar with this because I used to have a job as a engineering architect technically leading a very large group of engineers worldwide, and so have gone through this process. I'm now in the late stage of recovery and 'reprogramming' to get back to my natural inclinations.

Same here, except I was in publishing. There was always someone on the phone, standing at my desk or outside my office, or waiting for me to reply to an email or respond to an RSVP for a meeting that would cover the same damn topic as the last three meetings. It was complete sensory overload. If I had known then what I know now, yada yada yada... They said I was more of a "caretaker" than a manager/leader, something I no longer see as a pejorative, even if that's how they meant it.

 

[Chad]

I find the one problem with MBTI and typology in general is that no one agrees what it means. I find it useful for identifying preferences. However, I don't have any reason to believe that preferences changes are not natural. I find MBTI to be useful but only in the moment or time surrounding the test. Its likely to change over time and this isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I understand as a quasi Introvert that social interact will never thrill me. However, I can still grow to appreciate some social interactions. I can even appreciate these interactions with out straining my natural tendency. Now will I ever be a fully (extremely unhealthy extrovert). Probably not but I can become a health Introvert. According to Jung the types are extremes meaning they are not healthy (My interpretation).

I guess I can admit that I have natural tendencies and I am more comfortable with in a set of parameters.

However, this is far form saying that Typology is in any way related to genetics.

Genetics traits are characterized by you genetic line. While it is true that some children share some of there personality needs as there parents. There is not scientific genetic correlation. I seen studies were they tried to prove that personality is heretical but every test I have seen has been completely inconclusive about the results. Where nearly all genetic features can be correlated there linage personality/typology is not one of these elements.

This leads me to conclude that it is almost completely related to the way someone responds (the different responses could possibility have an genetic link that is untestable do to the vastness of environmental factors.) to there environment.

The one acceptation to this general rule is that Identical twins separated at birth tend to share many of the same personality traits. However, Identical twins can also have two completely different personalities in be the same in every other physical way. I really can't explain the exception but making a rule based off this one exception is really very light reasoning at best. It's completely possible that other factor are in play when it comes to identical twins that me may not even be able to understand yet.