OT - Meyers Briggs

[Icedawg]

I just made a reference to Meyers Briggs personality profiles in another thread and got to wondering about how the members of this forum would be classified in this system.

For the folks out there who have taken this test, what type did you end up being classified as? And does it fit how you perceive yourself?

I'll start it off. I'm borderline INTJ/INTP. INTJ is referred to as "The Scientist". (And I actually am I biology teacher.) INTP is referred to as "The Thinker". (And I minored in philosophy in college.) So for me, this test was dead on. Friends who have read the descriptions of these types say they sound exactly like they are talking about me.

Most people I know who have taken the test get similar results - it's usually right on target. It kind of creeps me out a bit - sort of like watching "psychics" perform their craft. You're very skeptical of how it works, but sometimes you just scratch your head and say, "How the hell did they know THAT?".

So, is there anyone else out there who has taken the Meyers Briggs Test? If so, what were the results?

[NormS3]

Twice that I remember. It's been a couple years but I came out as a solid INFJ. When I took in college i was a borderline INFJ (the i was low though). I think for the most part the test is pretty accurate.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

I just made a reference to Meyers Briggs personality profiles in another thread and got to wondering about how the members of this forum would be classified in this system.

For the folks out there who have taken this test, what type did you end up being classified as? And does it fit how you perceive yourself?

I'll start it off. I'm borderline INTJ/INTP. INTJ is referred to as "The Scientist". (And I actually am I biology teacher.) INTP is referred to as "The Thinker". (And I minored in philosophy in college.) So for me, this test was dead on. Friends who have read the descriptions of these types say they sound exactly like they are talking about me.

Most people I know who have taken the test get similar results - it's usually right on target. It kind of creeps me out a bit - sort of like watching "psychics" perform their craft. You're very skeptical of how it works, but sometimes you just scratch your head and say, "How the hell did they know THAT?".

So, is there anyone else out there who has taken the Meyers Briggs Test? If so, what were the results?

Majored in biological sciences in undergrad, then went on to veterinary school and a couple of other masters degrees. So, yeah, the scientist stereotype fits.

INTJ. Strong bias towards the "I" and the "T" in their respective categories. It fits pretty well, IMO, but I think standardized tests are limited in their ability to plumb the depths of one's psyche. Gross generalizations though? OK.

[Icedawg]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Icedawg

I just made a reference to Meyers Briggs personality profiles in another thread and got to wondering about how the members of this forum would be classified in this system.

For the folks out there who have taken this test, what type did you end up being classified as? And does it fit how you perceive yourself?

I'll start it off. I'm borderline INTJ/INTP. INTJ is referred to as "The Scientist". (And I actually am I biology teacher.) INTP is referred to as "The Thinker". (And I minored in philosophy in college.) So for me, this test was dead on. Friends who have read the descriptions of these types say they sound exactly like they are talking about me.

Most people I know who have taken the test get similar results - it's usually right on target. It kind of creeps me out a bit - sort of like watching "psychics" perform their craft. You're very skeptical of how it works, but sometimes you just scratch your head and say, "How the hell did they know THAT?".

So, is there anyone else out there who has taken the Meyers Briggs Test? If so, what were the results?

Majored in biological sciences in undergrad, then went on to veterinary school and a couple of other masters degrees. So, yeah, the scientist stereotype fits.

INTJ. Strong bias towards the "I" and the "T" in their respective categories. It fits pretty well, IMO, but I think standardized tests are limited in their ability to plumb the depths of one's psyche. Gross generalizations though? OK.

Most definitely. But for such a simple test that only takes into account four main axes, it is pretty scary with respect to its accuracy.

[wdolson]

The MBTI went around the forum once a few years ago. If I recall correctly INTJ was the most common type, probably around 40% with the other three _NT_ types making up another 40% of the forum.

I've been qualified to give the real MBTI since 1998 and I've had an interest in the system since 1982. I've taken the MBTI as well as several of the knock offs.

A word on test results, because of the nature of the test, the results are a probability that the test got the letter right. If the score for a letter pair is strong one way or the other, it is an indication that the test is pretty confident it got it right. If the score is close to 50/50 that is not a measure of relative strength, but a low probability the test got it right. If there is muddiness in any scores, the best way to tell for sure what you're preference is to do a bit of reading as you did and determine which resonates the best.

You indicate the your scores were muddy for J/P. That's very common for Introverts because of the way J/P was defined when the MBTI was created. The first three letter categories came from the work of Carl Jung. Introvert/Extrovert is called the Orientation. It's about how you are oriented to the outside world. Extroverts tend to engage the world to think and Introverts need to step back and create some space from the world to think.

Sensing/iNtuition is called the Perceiving Function. It is what we engage to gather information (perceptions) about the world. Feeling/Thinking is the Judging Function and it is what we engage to make decisions (judgements) on the information we have. Of the middle two letters, one is always extroverted and the other is always introverted. One is also always the dominant function (the favorite, most used) and the other is the auxiliary (2nd best).

Judging/Perceiving was invented by Myers and Briggs when they came up with the test to point to which of the middle two letters was extroverted. For an Extrovert, this points to the dominant function (the extroverted middle letter is always dominant for Es), but for Introverts J/P points to the Auxiliary because the dominant is always the introverted one of the middle letters.

Because for Introverts J/P points to the 2nd best letter, tests can sometimes come out hazy on J/P for Introverts because when answering the questions for J/P you may answer some thinking about how you interact with the world (when using your Auxiliary) and other times think about how you operate when using your dominant Introverted function which is Dominant.

All this is assuming someone who is generally mentally healthy (no serious mental illnesses or serious cognitive deficits). The system is not valid for people who have abnormal personality development due to some serious mental condition. (I'm talking about mental problems that get people institutionalized or fairly severe retardation.)

There are many books out there on this stuff. The system isn't so magical seeming when you understand how it works.

I'm an INFJ BTW. Though I fake INTJ fairly well from living in a society that encourages males to be T, coming from an all T family, then 8 years of technical education followed by a career in engineering.

Bill

[danlongman]

Answer the questions the way you wish you were and see the person you wish to be.
Answer the questions with the unvarnished truth and find out something you might not have known. Real honesty is hard. We all live within an illusion of ourselves, carefully crafted and maintained.
I do not discount these things out of hand. The test did precisely identify what was my career choice for 30 years, but we also grow into our professions, adopting their values.
It did also say I was inclined in some directions in which i have never had the slightest interest or ability in spite of my repeated attempts to master them. My artistic ability is nil.
The test did point out my first job choice too. It is unfortunate that I was not particularly good at it and generally hated most of the time I was doing it.
Thank the power that be, whoever she is, for second choices. I ended up helping people not shooting them.
cheers

[wdolson]

ORIGINAL: Norm3

Twice that I remember. It's been a couple years but I came out as a solid INFJ. When I took in college i was a borderline INFJ (the i was low though). I think for the most part the test is pretty accurate.

As I said in my essay the test results are actually a probability the test got it right. Any category you scored near 50/50, there is a chance the test was wrong. On the other hand there are various external influences that can skew he score.

One of my instructors for MBTI training was doing consulting with the Army and gave the MBTI to units he worked with. When he tested them at work, he found most tested ESTJ. When he told people to take it home and take the test after dinner and relaxing with a beer, he got results that were much closer to studies of the general population. The Army encouraged ESTJ thinking, so at work, many people tested that way.

Bill

[Cuttlefish]

Thanks for the comments about the test, wdolson. Very interesting. I've taken the test a couple of times, at different points in my life. The results both times were the same - INFP.

[gottagofish]

I took the test and it came out fairly accurately (or wishfully). Mine is an ISTP, so why do I love this game??

[Cribtop]

100% ENTJ - Napoleon. By 100%, I mean I was all E all N all T all J. Scary.

No surprise I'm a JFB, I suppose. [:D]

[wdolson]

Because the type doesn't predict everything about a person. In any group of people, you might see a skewing from the general population, but you will find every type represented.

I know an ex-cop INFJ. He loved being a cop (had to retire early due to a neck injury), but he was renown for being the weird guy (most cops are Sensors and did not grok him at all).

If we sat down and talked in depth about what we love about the game, you would probably come up with a different set of things that draws you back than I, but we both still enjoy the game. I know another INFJ who loved WW II games. I introduced him to WitP and he hated it.

The MBTI says a lot about a person, but it doesn't say everything. There are a lot of type "gurus" out there who try to predict relationship compatibility based on type. In my experience, they are all full of it in that area. Any given type can have a successful relationship with any other type. The factors that draw two people together go beyond the scope of type. Though type can be a good tool for explaining the speed bumps within a relationship.

Bill

[JeffroK]

ORIGINAL: danlongman

Answer the questions the way you wish you were and see the person you wish to be.
Answer the questions with the unvarnished truth and find out something you might not have known. Real honesty is hard. We all live within an illusion of ourselves, carefully crafted and maintained.
I do not discount these things out of hand. The test did precisely identify what was my career choice for 30 years, but we also grow into our professions, adopting their values.
It did also say I was inclined in some directions in which i have never had the slightest interest or ability in spite of my repeated attempts to master them. My artistic ability is nil.
The test did point out my first job choice too. It is unfortunate that I was not particularly good at it and generally hated most of the time I was doing it.
Thank the power that be, whoever she is, for second choices. I ended up helping people not shooting them.
cheers

Another way is to do tests where your peers answer questions about you.

I had one done on me and the accuracy was spooky, I certainly wouldnt have answered some of the questions in the same way!

[Canoerebel]

As one not familiar with this test, I must say that you guys are speaking Greek. I have no idea what you're talking about.

I do know my blood line runs heavy to introverts. As I understand it, that doesn't mean we're anti-social or shy. It means we draw our "energy" from introspection (reading, arts, thinking, etc.) whereas extroverts draw their "energy" from social interaction. My family likes people and being with people, but after a certain amount of social interaction, our systems "shut down" and we need quiet time.

[wdolson]

What you wrote about introverts is practically straight out of a Myers Briggs book.

I'm not anti-social, nor am I shy. I am very introverted though.

Bill

[Icedawg]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel

As one not familiar with this test, I must say that you guys are speaking Greek. I have no idea what you're talking about.

I do know my blood line runs heavy to introverts. As I understand it, that doesn't mean we're anti-social or shy. It means we draw our "energy" from introspection (reading, arts, thinking, etc.) whereas extroverts draw their "energy" from social interaction. My family likes people and being with people, but after a certain amount of social interaction, our systems "shut down" and we need quiet time.

Yes, the "I" is about where you draw your energy from.

When I take the test, I'm 100% "I". Social interaction feels like work and just being around people sucks the energy/life right out of me. That's probably why by the end of a day teaching, I am completely beat.

Give me an hour by myself in a quiet room and I'm recharged. That's probably why at the end of an eight hour shift at my second job (milking cows), I actually feel mentally energized. Just me, 600 cows and one other employee (who I only see for about 2 of the 8 hours) = nearly zero stress.

[ilovestrategy]

I can see my results right now: "wanna be gamer".

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

100% ENTJ - Napoleon. By 100%, I mean I was all E all N all T all J. Scary.

No surprise I'm a JFB, I suppose. [:D]

Well, Napoleon lost too. [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Bullwinkle58

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

100% ENTJ - Napoleon. By 100%, I mean I was all E all N all T all J. Scary.

No surprise I'm a JFB, I suppose. [:D]

Well, Napoleon lost too. [:)]

I don't know about that. He got a whole island all to himself-'given' to him by the government. Think how many people would pay a fortune for that opportunity these days. [;)]

[Canoerebel]

The characters in a John Grisham novel would love that.  All of them end up on some Carribean Island immediately after solving the unsolveable, overcoming unbeatable evil, and winning the winsome lass.

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: Cribtop

100% ENTJ - Napoleon. By 100%, I mean I was all E all N all T all J. Scary.

No surprise I'm a JFB, I suppose. [:D]

Not a big surprise at all Sir!