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Myer Briggs typology…

MaxNRHMaxNRH Shipmate Posts: 32
in Epiphanies
Anybody ever tried taking the test…on Myers Briggs personality ? I have done it. INFP Here.
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  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    edited October 2
    I did an Economist article about Myers-Briggs for an ESL free-talking class a few years back. IIRC, the article made it out to be that the mother-daughter team who invented it were of rather unimpressive credentials, and that the test was basically a glorified parlour game.

    Not sure if I've ever taken it myself, but possibly. I do remember taking something called the Watson Diagnostic Test in junior high, mid-1980s. Maybe that was more related to academic abilities than personality, but I really can't remember.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    Hmm. "Watson Diagnostic Test" as the name of a psychological test doesn't even seem to warrant a wiki page. I'm wondering if it was an inconsequential fad that's now been totally forgotten , or maybe I'm misremembering the name.
  • ArethosemyfeetArethosemyfeet Shipmate, Heaven Host
    stetson wrote: »
    I did an Economist article about Myers-Briggs for an ESL free-talking class a few years back. IIRC, the article made it out to be that the mother-daughter team who invented it were of rather unimpressive credentials, and that the test was basically a glorified parlour game.

    I was going to say "astrology for middle managers" but... yeah.
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    I remember Myers-Briggs tests from about 25 years ago. I didn’t realise it was still a thing
  • DafydDafyd Hell Host, Epiphanies Host
    I gather the astrology for middle managers use is rather opposed to it's original intention; the original intention being to say other people aren't doing things wrong, just differently. Whereas the astrology for middle managers use does assume that there is a right way to do any particular job and you need to get people who will do it right. In other words it's taken a picture that was supposed to encourage diversity and turned it into a tool to create uniformity.

    I don't think it mattered quite as much for the original intention that there wasn't much scientific basis to it (it has some overlap with the Big Five model for which there is I believe some scientific basis).
  • PomonaPomona Shipmate
    Jungian pseudoscience. Pass.
  • PuzzlerPuzzler Shipmate
    We did this in my school( workplace) over 20 years ago. I have the chance to do it again this month. I’ll be interested to see if I get the same results.
  • SpikeSpike Ecclesiantics & MW Host, Admin Emeritus
    Puzzler wrote: »
    We did this in my school( workplace) over 20 years ago. I have the chance to do it again this month. I’ll be interested to see if I get the same results.

    I’ve done it twice in the same week and got different results
  • Nick TamenNick Tamen Shipmate
    Back when we got married, it was standard to do Myers-Briggs as part of pre-marital counseling, and I think it’s fine if kept in perspective—as @Dafyd says, simply understanding that there are different ways of doing and approaching things, with no one way being the “right” way, and perhaps giving some understanding in to how a partner or the like might approach things differently. I’d say Ms. Tamen and I found it useful in that way.

    But it’s meant to be information to be used to the extent it’s useful, not a diagnosis.


  • MaxNRHMaxNRH Shipmate Posts: 32
    Some even combined it with the Enneagram ….I take it both just as a guideline, nothing Concrete.
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    edited October 2
    Does this really need to be in Epiphanies? Even for people who have endured hardship due to mental health issues, I would doubt that in most cases Myers-Briggs played any significant role one way or another in their struggles.
  • The_RivThe_Riv Shipmate
    I was part of a parish-wide Meyers-Briggs assessment 20-25 years ago. Like @Nick Tamen shared, it was an attempt to give insights into some of the whys and wherefores re: one's fellow parishioners. It was fun, I remember, but one detail at the end struck me a bit weird, which was when one of the presenters declared that analysis of Jesus in the Gospels rendered him a perfect balance between each of the four regions: I-E, N-S, T-F, P-J.

    Okay, I guess.
  • Graven ImageGraven Image Shipmate
    INFJ the two times I took it, 20 years apart. I felt it was close to who I am, but I knew that without the test.
  • CathscatsCathscats Shipmate
    When I was in a US seminary 30+ years ago we all had to take it. It’s cultural biases were shown up by all of us overseas students, from various parts of the globe, getting the same profile. But I had to do it more than once when in the States - at that time it seemed to be used for all kinds of things.
  • LouiseLouise Epiphanies Host
    We've already asked for it to be moved but we're waiting for an admin decision as to what board it should go on and then for an admin to move it - thanks.
    L
    Epiphanies Host
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    edited October 3
    The_Riv wrote: »
    ...one detail at the end struck me a bit weird, which was when one of the presenters declared that analysis of Jesus in the Gospels rendered him a perfect balance between each of the four regions: I-E, N-S, T-F, P-J.

    Okay, I guess.

    It is an article of folk and quasi-civic nationalism in the Republic of Korea(not sure about the DPRK, but I'd wager so) that in supposed contrast to other places, Korea "has four seasons". I've never been clear about how seasons are precisely defined for chestnutting purposes there, but my assumption is that the overall claim is a mysticization of Korea's actual climate indeed being a little more balanced than, say, Siberia on one side and Okinawa on the other.
  • MaxNRHMaxNRH Shipmate Posts: 32
    Graven Image wrote: »
    INFJ the two times I took it, 20 years apart. I felt it was close to who I am, but I knew that without the test.

    Generally, infj are generally known to be counselors type, “ old soul”, able to soak in other feelings..
  • stetsonstetson Shipmate
    ...one detail at the end struck me a bit weird, which was when one of the presenters declared that analysis of Jesus in the Gospels rendered him a perfect balance between each of the four regions: I-E, N-S, T-F, P-J.

    It is an article of folk and quasi-civic nationalism in the Republic of Korea(not sure about the DPRK, but I'd wager so) that in supposed contrast to other places, Korea "has four seasons". I've never been clear about how seasons are precisely defined for chestnutting purposes there, but my assumption is that the overall claim is a mysticization of Korea's actual climate indeed being a little more balanced than, say, Siberia on one side and Okinawa on the other.

    Not sure if I was thinking about precisely this at the time I made that post, but it now occurs to me that a jungian would see significance in the specific number four as the overarching division/unity thingambob in both Jesus and Korea.

    Though I was taught in high-school that Jung saw 3 as the especially important number, which would line up better with Jesus in relation to the Trinity.
  • KarlLBKarlLB Shipmate
    I would channel Ken of blessed memory but he was a good Evangelical so wouldn't approve of my doing so.

    MBTI always reminds me of those teenage magazine quizzes - "Do you enjoy parties and dancing to loud music? If Yes, then you're the sort of person who likes parties and dancing to loud music!"
  • peasepease Tech Admin
    One aspect of MBTI that is relevant to Epiphanies is that it was developed by two women to help women entering the workplace during the Second World War (wikipedia):
    Briggs and Myers began creating their indicator during World War II (1939–1945) in the belief that a knowledge of personality preferences would help women entering the industrial workforce for the first time to identify the sorts of war-time jobs that would be the "most comfortable and effective" for them. The Briggs Myers Type Indicator Handbook, published in 1944, was re-published as "Myers–Briggs Type Indicator" in 1956.
  • Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
    A much better test which is more scientifically reliable is the Big Five Inventory. The BFI measures openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. A short form of this test can be found at https://socialwork.buffalo.edu/content/dam/socialwork/home/self-care-kit/brief-big-five-personality-inventory.pdf

    Just putting this out there as a sample of the larger test.
  • Graven ImageGraven Image Shipmate
    @MaxNRH Generally, infj are generally known to be counselors type, Yep
  • Gamma GamalielGamma Gamaliel Shipmate
    I did it about 18 years ago as part of middle-management gobbledegookery.

    I felt it was reasonably accurate but wasn't convinced it had any practical value in the workplace.

    I can see that it may have done so originally.

    My boss at the time spouted management-speak bollocks all the time.

    Things didn't work out for me there.
  • Barnabas62Barnabas62 Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    It’s not an identity test, it’s a preferences test. It’s always given my preferences as ENFJ, translated as extraversion, abstract conception, values-driven and orderly.

    The preference point is important. Sometimes I prefer ISTP but most of the time it’s the other 4.

    It’s not scientific but I think it has some value in pointing out that diversities of preference are just part of human variation.

    It’s of no real value in determining suitability for various types of work. Indeed the course I was on made that abundantly clear. At its best it provides some useful language for thinking about human diversity and relationships (both personal and work related). At its worst it creates false categorisations rather than considering preferences.

    I miss ken! He’d have been pretty robust in his criticism of anyone thinking there was any real value in it. I’m not as dismissive as he was but I get pretty cross about its misuse.
  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    I was sent one when I applied for a job. I was tempted to send it back with the typology as I had access to scoring it, but I got the job - which I actually didn't accept because another job came up in the meantime.

    Ah. for the heady days of almost full employment.
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    If I take it when I'm angry I get INTJ and if I take it when I'm calm I get INTP.
  • HeavenlyannieHeavenlyannie Shipmate
    It’s particularly confusing if you are manic depressive.
  • Jengie JonJengie Jon Shipmate
    Yes Ken was both right and wrong. It tells you what you tell it. Nothing more, nothing less. As all questions are about self perception this gives our self perception. There is no external validation of someone's score. Some of the dimensions do map fairly accurately to major character traits. Myers-Briggs is different from Kiersay with Kiersay having a simple four dimensional model. Myers-Briggs really is 3 dimensions with the 4th telling which of the middle two is dominant and so goes the way of your first dimension. So an infj is introverted with introverted feelings and extraverted intuition. Due to this though they often appear inter- changeable people can get very different scores in the final dimension depending on test.

    On the other hand we are often blind to what we believe about ourselves and if we get to understand other people may hold different things about themselves to us this can be helpful.

    The stability observed in individuals is simply a function of the stability of our self perception. Not evidence of some great underlying trait.
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    edited October 16
    I don't put much stock in this test, but it did make me laugh many years ago when I worked in our church body's headquarters and they tested us all--then made us all go stand with the group to which we belonged. The INTJ group (mine) was roughly eight times as big as any of the others!
    (I take this to be "nerds" in pseudo-scientific speak.)
  • mousethiefmousethief Shipmate
    Lamb Chopped wrote: »
    I don't put much stock in this test, but it did make me laugh many years ago when I worked in our church body's headquarters and they tested us all--then made us all go stand with the group to which we belonged. The INTJ group (mine) was roughly eight times as big as any of the others!
    (I take this to be "nerds" in pseudo-scientific speak.)

    paisano!
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    edited October 17
    Heh. Yes, I'd remembered you were one of our august grouping. ?
  • Stercus TauriStercus Tauri Shipmate
    Not sure if it was Myers Briggs, but I did one long ago at a job interview and had to tell them, 'Sorry - the questions don't make sense to me - they're either obscure or ambiguous'. A bit like most of my Ship posts, now I think of it. It was a short interview.
  • Barnabas62Barnabas62 Shipmate, Host Emeritus
    I’m not sure of the soundness of the sampling and data bases. But here’s a link.

    https://personalitymax.com/personality-types/population-gender/

    Those whose preferences are ISFJ represent about 13% of those tested whereas those who test as INTJ represent only about 2%.

  • BoogieBoogie Heaven Host
    I'm an extrovert and introvert in equal measure.

    I'm a keen party animal who loves quiet time alone in the garden.

    I make friends very easily and keep in touch over the years.

    I'm a natural leader who always ends up in leadership positions (I now work hard not to) and I to trot behind my husband while he leads the way. Four years ago he suggested we move four hours drive South. I said yes instantly - and he chose the house!

  • HuiaHuia Shipmate
    If he chose it you automatically get complaining rights if something goes wrong. :wink:
  • Lamb ChoppedLamb Chopped Shipmate
    Oh, don't say that! That would give Mr Lamb all the complaining rights ever...
  • PuzzlerPuzzler Shipmate
    Belatedly reporting back on the Myers Briggs workshop I attended about ten days ago. It was not particularly well run, certainly not as well as the one I did at work about 20 years ago. The leader was ex-HR and very focussed on an office environment with her examples, which was not very helpful since this was a u3a context, so we were all retired from a variety of professions.
    I achieved the same results, though I think I have moved towards a more central position in some areas.
    I do think the words used for the categories are misleading. The fact that they need so much unpacking is very telling.
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