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How To Understand People

Category: Psychobabble

Recently, I came across a psychology model called the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which is useful not only for self-analysis but also for better understanding other people. At the foundation of the system is a set of 4 pairs of preferences. These 4 pairs of preferences are used to describe how individuals prefer to interact with the world around them. The 4 pairs are on continuum scales and include the following.

1.) Introvert – Extrovert (I-E)

Introverts tend to want to recharge their batteries by spending time alone while Extroverts prefer to be with others. Extroverts like to party and enjoy social occasions. 25% of the population is introverted and 75% is extroverted. In our culture extroverted behavior is rewarded.

2.) Sensing – Intuitive (S-N)

Sensors prefer to deal with their environments by being in touch with their 5 senses. Intuitives tend to be out of touch with their senses and tend to look for the meaning in everything. Sensors live in the moment and Intuitives think about tomorrow and concepts. Sensors make up 75 percent of the population and Intuitives, 25 percent. In our culture sensors tend to be rewarded.

3.) Thinking – Feeling (T-F)

Thinkers are logical. They deal with facts and like to weigh out their options. Feelers make decisions based on emotional reactions. Of the 4 preferences this one is particularly gender-biased. 65% of men are thinkers and 65% of woman are feelers.

4.) Judgers – Perceivers (J-P)

Judgers are extremely organized and love structure. They prefer to make quick decisions and move on while Perceivers prefer to take it all in and keep their options open for as long as possible. Basically there are 2 ways of judging things, by thinking and feeling, and there are 2 ways of perceiving things, by using the senses and by using intuition. The ratio of Judgers vs. Perceivers in our population is 50-50.

If you combine the above preferences you can get 16 combinations but here are some examples.

1) Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Perceiving (ESFP) women are the wild and loud party girls. They are often a total mess and frequently forget things. They laugh, then cry, and then they are then happy again.

2) The Extroverted, Sensing, Feeling, Judger (ESFJ) is the most prominent personality type. They are the hosts and hostesses of the world. They are generally well put together and often very intense. If a woman of this type gets something in her mind then, according to her, it has to be right.

3) Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging (ISTJ) males are very logical and are the accountants and bookkeepers of the world.

4. The Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiver (INTP) is very conceptual in his approach to the world. This profile probably best describes me.

You can also look at things in pairs.

1. Sensing – Judgers (S-J) love details and structure. They are traditionalists. In conversations they like to stick to one topic before moving on.

2. Sensing – Perceivers (S-P) are the adventurers.

3. Intuitive – Feelers (N-F) are the idealists. They talk about the ideal future and are into peace, love, and harmony. They like to avoid conflict.

4. Intuitive – Thinkers (N-T) like to rip stuff apart in order to see it’s design. They are logical and are great strategists.

Test yourself at http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

4 Responses to “How To Understand People”

  1. Brandy Says:

    Cool info Bug!!

    I perceived myself to be an Introverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Perceiver. However, after taking the test… I found out my personality is labeled: Introverted-Intuitive-Feeling-Judger. Since you did’t give this example… Here is what it says about people like me.

    by Joe Butt

    Beneath the quiet exterior, INFJs hold deep convictions about the weightier matters of life. Those who are activists — INFJs gravitate toward such a role — are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power.

    INFJs are champions of the oppressed and downtrodden. They often are found in the wake of an emergency, rescuing those who are in acute distress. INFJs may fantasize about getting revenge on those who victimize the defenseless. The concept of ‘poetic justice’ is appealing to the INFJ.

    “There’s something rotten in Denmark.” Accurately suspicious about others’ motives, INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.

    INFJs have a knack for fluency in language and facility in communication. In addition, nonverbal sensitivity enables the INFJ to know and be known by others intimately.

    Writing, counseling, public service and even politics are areas where INFJs frequently find their niche.

    Functional Analysis:
    Introverted iNtuition

    Introverted intuitives, INFJs enjoy a greater clarity of perception of inner, unconscious processes than all but their INTJ cousins. Just as SP types commune with the object and “live in the here and now” of the physical world, INFJs readily grasp the hidden psychological stimuli behind the more observable dynamics of behavior and affect. Their amazing ability to deduce the inner workings of the mind, will and emotions of others gives INFJs their reputation as prophets and seers. Unlike the confining, routinizing nature of introverted sensing, introverted intuition frees this type to act insightfully and spontaneously as unique solutions arise on an event by event basis.
    Extraverted Feeling

    Extraverted feeling, the auxiliary deciding function, expresses a range of emotion and opinions of, for and about people. INFJs, like many other FJ types, find themselves caught between the desire to express their wealth of feelings and moral conclusions about the actions and attitudes of others, and the awareness of the consequences of unbridled candor. Some vent the attending emotions in private, to trusted allies. Such confidants are chosen with care, for INFJs are well aware of the treachery that can reside in the hearts of mortals. This particular combination of introverted intuition and extraverted feeling provides INFJs with the raw material from which perceptive counselors are shaped.
    Introverted Thinking

    The INFJ’s thinking is introverted, turned toward the subject. Perhaps it is when the INFJ’s thinking function is operative that he is most aloof. A comrade might surmise that such detachment signals a disillusionment, that she has also been found lacking by the sardonic eye of this one who plumbs the depths of the human spirit. Experience suggests that such distancing is merely an indication that the seer is hard at work and focusing energy into this less efficient tertiary function.
    Extraverted Sensing

    INFJs are twice blessed with clarity of vision, both internal and external. Just as they possess inner vision which is drawn to the forms of the unconscious, they also have external sensing perception which readily takes hold of worldly objects. Sensing, however, is the weakest of the INFJ’s arsenal and the most vulnerable. INFJs, like their fellow intuitives, may be so absorbed in intuitive perceiving that they become oblivious to physical reality. The INFJ under stress may fall prey to various forms of immediate gratification. Awareness of extraverted sensing is probably the source of the “SP wannabe” side of INFJs. Many yearn to live spontaneously; it’s not uncommon for INFJ actors to take on an SP (often ESTP) role.
    Famous INFJs:

    Nathan, prophet of Israel
    Aristophanes
    Chaucer
    Goethe
    Robert Burns, Scottish poet

    U.S. Presidents:
    Martin Van Buren
    James Earl “Jimmy” Carter

    Nathaniel Hawthorne
    Fanny Crosby, (blind) hymnist
    Mother Teresa of Calcutta
    Fred McMurray (My Three Sons)
    Shirley Temple Black, child actor, ambassador
    Martin Luther King, Jr., civil rights leader, martyr
    James Reston, newspaper reporter
    Shirley McClain (Sweet Charity, …)
    Piers Anthony, author (”Xanth” series)
    Michael Landon (Little House on the Prairie)
    Tom Selleck
    John Katz, critic, author
    Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul and Mary)
    U. S. Senator Carol Moseley-Braun (D-IL)
    Billy Crystal
    Garry Trudeau (Doonesbury)
    Nelson Mandela
    Mel Gibson
    Carrie Fisher
    Nicole Kidman
    Jerry Seinfeld
    Jamie Foxx
    Sela Ward
    Mark Harmon
    Gary Dourdan
    Marg Helgaberger
    Evangeline Lilly
    Tori May

    Introverted iNtuiting Feeling Judging
    by Marina Margaret Heiss

    INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally “doers” as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn.

    INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. They are, in fact, sometimes mistaken for extroverts because they appear so outgoing and are so genuinely interested in people — a product of the Feeling function they most readily show to the world. On the contrary, INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious “soul mates.” While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent “givers.” As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood — particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type.

    Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil. The most important contributing factor to this uncanny gift, however, are the empathic abilities often found in Fs, which seem to be especially heightened in the INFJ type (possibly by the dominance of the introverted N function).

    This empathy can serve as a classic example of the two-edged nature of certain INFJ talents, as it can be strong enough to cause discomfort or pain in negative or stressful situations. More explicit inner conflicts are also not uncommon in INFJs; it is possible to speculate that the causes for some of these may lie in the specific combinations of preferences which define this complex type. For instance, there can sometimes be a “tug-of-war” between NF vision and idealism and the J practicality that urges compromise for the sake of achieving the highest priority goals. And the I and J combination, while perhaps enhancing self-awareness, may make it difficult for INFJs to articulate their deepest and most convoluted feelings.

    Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. Since in addition they often possess a strong personal charisma, INFJs are generally well-suited to the “inspirational” professions such as teaching (especially in higher education) and religious leadership. Psychology and counseling are other obvious choices, but overall, INFJs can be exceptionally difficult to pigeonhole by their career paths. Perhaps the best example of this occurs in the technical fields. Many INFJs perceive themselves at a disadvantage when dealing with the mystique and formality of “hard logic”, and in academic terms this may cause a tendency to gravitate towards the liberal arts rather than the sciences. However, the significant minority of INFJs who do pursue studies and careers in the latter areas tend to be as successful as their T counterparts, as it is *iNtuition* — the dominant function for the INFJ type — which governs the ability to understand abstract theory and implement it creatively.

    In their own way, INFJs are just as much “systems builders” as are INTJs; the difference lies in that most INFJ “systems” are founded on human beings and human values, rather than information and technology. Their systems may for these reasons be conceptually “blurrier” than analogous NT ones, harder to measure in strict numerical terms, and easier to take for granted — yet it is these same underlying reasons which make the resulting contributions to society so vital and profound.

  2. Jenn Says:

    So my first thought was I would fall under a Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, Perceiver. I’ve got a wild side in me but I also like my quiet, alone, down time to myself. After taking the test on the website I scored INTJ
    Introverted Intuitive Thinking Judging
    Strength of the preferences %
    67 12 38 56

    Qualitative analysis of your type formula
    You are:
    -distinctively expressed introvert
    -slightly expressed intuitive personality
    -moderately expressed thinking personality
    -moderately expressed judging personality

    Very interesting!

  3. Colin on the Groove Says:

    Haha! Fun stuff! It’s great to take a long look at oneself once in awhile. Based on how the above options are worded, my self-perception was: Extrovert-Intuitive-Thinker-Judger (EITJ)

    The extrovert-introvert argument was a tough one to decide. I enjoy my alone time at various points throughout the day, but I also really enjoy interacting with others on a daily basis. I find I go batty if I have to spend more than one day alone with myself. This could explain why I have only lived alone once, for 4 months, about 11 years ago. I hated it and quickly took steps to alleviate that situation.

    According to the test, my self-perception was almost completely wrong… ISFJ Introverted-33%, Sensing-1%, Feeling-12%, Judging-56% Guardian-Portrait of the Protector (ISFJ)

    This link really nailed it on the head, except for the money part: http://keirsey.com/handler. aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=2&c=protector

    This link is also somewhat accurate, in my opinion: http://typelogic.com/isfj.html

    Qualitative analysis of your type formula You are: * moderately expressed introvert * slightly expressed sensing personality * slightly expressed feeling personality * moderately expressed judging personality

  4. Breanna Bedwell Says:

    A 78 in judging. Looks like I am just a big judgemental freak.

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