{Insert fanfare here!} You asked and we’re delivering! The new and improved, customized *just for you*, aLBoP Personalized Typing System!!! Now *you* can get personally typed according to the typing principles found throughout A Little Bit of Personality, and get personalized advice on how to apply things like Paradoxitype, Cognition Steps, Type Specializations, and how to be a Hero in your own unique way to *you* in your own life, with your own unique talents and struggles. Pretty cool, no?
{Update: Due to lots of wonderful demand, the aLBoP Personalized Typing system has been updated! Find all the details here! Now, instead of Personalized Personality PDFs, we have made the universally applicable Cognitive Orientation Guidebooks (COGs), and then if you want to chat about how your cognition applies to you personally, you can chat on the forums So feel free to read ahead and especially to read our personalized help for Mr. Darcy, but just be aware of the new system. :)}
Category: ALL Types (Page 3 of 4)
There’s an age-old outlook, put blatantly by Syndrome of The Incredibles in his Moriarty Fear, that if everyone is special, then *no one* will be. To this longstanding catch-22, I offer the following rebuttal: What if everyone is special in a way that is both utterly unique and utterly essential?
What if, like colors, genders or flavors, Personality Types create a beautiful cornucopia of complexity and balance, where each member contributes to the whole, an equal and necessary component, without which there would be a gaping hole? And what if becoming special is simply a matter of owning who you are and choosing to pursue the very thing *you* love most?
These are Type Specializations.
This topic is one of my very favorite things about personality typing because it’s so wrapped up in what every type *is* and not only what every type specializes in, but what *drives* every type. It’s easy to focus on cursory traits that may or may not come with a certain type – yes, ISTJs are usually fond of rules and yes, ENTPs often like taking risks; yes, INFPs spend a lot of time exploring inside their own heads and yes, ESFJs can often be found being great hosts and hostesses – but why? What is that common thread that laces itself through a personality type? What means the world to *your* personality?
Type Specializations are made up of two components, Scope and Objective. Continue reading
So, once upon a time, you stumbled upon a really cool website. It had interesting pictures combining all your favorite characters in ways you weren’t sure made sense, but it was also pretty cool to read, even if the girl who wrote it liked to use lame phrases like “Rock-awesome,” used too many ellipses and was a little too fascinated by crossdressing. Despite her obvious strangeness though, the things she had to say made pretty good sense and you found yourself pulled in by her unique approach to humanity, obvious geekishness and adorable stick figures 😉
But, whether you were completely new to this personality stuff and wondering what the heck she was talking about, throwing letters around willy-nilly, or if you’re an absolute pro who has been studying this stuff since you and Jung were eating bratwurst together, you need to know what I mean when I throw out a four variable combination, whether it’s ENTP or Unicorn-Daisy-Tomato-Orange. Personality Typing means squat if you have an incomplete or inaccurate understanding of what the variables mean in the first place.
And so here, boys and girls, is where I define my terms… in no uncertain terms 😉
Continue reading
Hi everyone! Blog interest, emails, etc. has *jumped* up lately, and I wanted to thank you all for coming to read these things I’ve poured so much of my love into 🙂 And thanks to everyone who has sent me emails 😀 it’s been great to hear from you!!! Apologies if I haven’t gotten back to you yet! I swear I will reply to everyone… but I’m a little backed up and I want to give everyone the attention they deserve… plus, you know, I still have a blog to write 😉 And laundry to catch up on…
But I really do enjoy hearing from you and replying to you, so don’t let any of that scare you away 🙂 Being correctly typed can make a world of difference in your life and I’d be happy to help… if you’re patient 😉
Emails have also shown me areas of information I could stand to cover better. For example, I had an awesome girl whom I typed as a Sensor ask me why I typed her that way, and how to tell the difference between Sensors and iNtuitives, especially because she didn’t feel good at the types of things Sensors are “supposed” to be good at. Here is some of my response (made generally applicable through the use of handy-dandy brackets), because I think these are common concerns. I said:
“Well, to start with, Sensors don’t have to be athletic and iNtuitives can be (though I’m not lol) and Sensors can really enjoy school and learning etc. and some iNtuitives don’t. I really believe that any type can get good at any skill, they don’t have to be limited to a certain branch of interests…
“Like I said last email, Sensors think in puzzle pieces, where everything has a spot and snaps into place. iNtuitives think more in a web or word-cloud [I meant word-net], where one thought connects to lots of others through little strands of patterns. They’re both equal, but they look different when you know what to look for. So when Sensors talk, they focus on a single puzzle piece, be it a situation or information of whatever kind, that’s whatever they’re dealing with at that moment, and figure out where that piece fits. They don’t have to look at all the pieces at once because they can look at pieces in isolation, without them being attached to all the other pieces. An S will pick up one ‘piece’ of information, and just evaluate that piece by itself to figure out where it goes. An N can’t pick up one part of their information ‘web’ without everything attached to it coming too; they have to orient all the strands at the same time because otherwise they have no reference point and their web totally falls apart.
“Was that a really weird analogy? So, when [a Sensor talks, they] hold up individual ‘puzzle pieces’ of topics or information, and discuss basically, ‘I have this piece. It has this picture and is this shape. Hmm… I think it goes here; do you agree?’ and [the Sensor puts] it in [their] mind where [they] think it fits in the puzzle 😀 Then [they] move on to the next piece. As long as a piece is working where [they] put it, and the picture looks like the puzzle box, [they] don’t have to worry about what all the other pieces are doing; [they] can take the puzzle one piece at a time. [They] can focus on the puzzle piece right in front of [them] (i.e. the piece of information or whatever [they’re] doing at the moment) and as long as that piece was put in the right place, it’ll line up with later pieces.”
I focused in this email on the Sensor side of it, because that was who I was talking to so the other side wasn’t especially relevant, but I’d like to elaborate on the iNtuitive version now. When an iNtuitive talks, they don’t stay in one place or on one thought. Everything is connected and one string leads to a million others. Now, this could easily be confused with the randomness of Perceivers, trying to explore a million different options. SPs can certainly be random. 😉 No, I’m talking about forays into the conceptual where every thought connects to every other, looking over the whole at once. iNtuitives will constantly be looking for how one thought applies to another and how everything fits into place based on how it connects to everything else.
Now, iNtuitives’ method widely gets viewed as more superior, which ends up causing arrogant iNtuitives and recursively arrogant Sensors, and makes everyone feel defensive of the way they operate. Like I just said, the two methods are equal, but different. Healthy, developed Sensors bring such meaning to looking at the puzzle-piece right in front of them, and I’m always in awe at the enlightenment that Sensors can pull from the world at their fingertips. Likewise, as iNtuitives appreciate and admire Sensors for their abilities and thought processes, they can better value their own abilities.
So when trying to type someone as N or S, or when trying to understand how an N or S thinks, remember:
Sensors will talk in ‘puzzle pieces’—one piece at a time, everything has a place where it snaps in, so there is no need to look at every piece at once. Emphasis is centered on correct placement of each piece, rather than on how it connects to other pieces.
iNtuitives will talk in ‘webs’ or ‘word-nets’—each piece of information connects to all the others and *has* to be viewed in context or things are missed.
Both are necessary and neither N nor S can afford to roll their eyes at the other, pretending that either context or in-the-moment-ness are invalid or irrelevant.
*We need both.*
Though I write often about cognition patterns and how thought processes differ between each of the sixteen types, I feel like I haven’t really gotten across in full what I mean. And is there any way better to get across concepts simply and efficiently than pictures? I think there is not.
Now, I can’t make stick people like the greats, and I don’t want anyone to think I’m trying. This is just literally the best I can draw 😛 Well, pretty much… {On an interesting side-note about XKCD, I’ve noticed webcomic writers are often IP’s, especially INP’s (the author of XKCD being very classically INP). It makes sense to me that they would enjoy that format since IP’s focus on and love details; webcomics give them an opportunity to savor each moment and detail, rather than needing to get to the end of a plot arch, the way a J especially might. I could also go off about IP’s liking “Magnetic Poetry” titles such as “XKCD” or “Death Cab for Cutie” but maybe some other time…}
Everyone thinks :O It’s kind of a necessary part of being conscious. But we don’t all do it in the same way or in the same order. These differences in thought processes are what eventually translate into personality types. So here, step-by-step in pictures, is the cognition process and how it works for each type. 🙂
This personality tip is a bit of a soapbox for me. One of the most common and damaging things I come across in personality typing, as well as just interacting with human beings on a normal basis, is people saying that who they are excuses being a jerk or hating everyone. I’m always incredulous about how many people imply that it’s okay for them to be mean, bossy, self-righteous or like their opinions, thoughts or feelings matter more than others’ just because they’re them. This problem is especially prevalent in T’s but I’ve met my fair share of F’s with superiority complexes as well.
Now, self-confidence is fine. My ultimate objective is for each person to feel happy, empowered and confident being themselves and not someone else. But there is a big difference between feeling content being yourself and implying that everyone that doesn’t think or act like you is weird, stupid or intrinsically flawed. There are some select ways that tending toward being grumpy or arbitrarily obstinate can be endearing (albeit undeveloped) attributes of a person’s character; being mean, dominating or manipulative however isn’t “just something [insert personality type here] does.” That’s a character flaw, not a personality type.
For more information on what all the letters mean, click here, and stay tuned for more aLBoP (a Little Bit of Personality) Personality Tips 😀
Extraverts, whether Extraverted Perceivers or Extraverted Judgers, naturally excel at the parts of the cognitive process that require them to be outside themselves and gathering information from the world around them. Whether this is EP’s Observation of people as whole entities, understanding whether or not they can be trusted as sources, using either their intuition or senses outside themselves (Ne or Se), or EJ’s understanding of the individual Actions of others and the Consequences of their own actions based on applying either their thoughts or feelings outside themselves (Te or Fe), Extraverts are quite comfortable gathering information from people and the world outside themselves.
Because Extraverts prioritize those outside-themselves steps, they feel less confident making decisions if they haven’t gotten any feedback. Even a self-confident Extravert will want feedback from the outside world in order to understand the full effect of their decisions, though “feedback” doesn’t have to mean positive feedback. But Extraverts do need to beware of equating popularity of opinion with accuracy of opinion, whether for or against their own decisions.
Because Extraverts specialize at interpreting either people’s Motivations or their Actions, they are usually acutely aware of how others will react and interact with their plans and decisions. This means that they’re more likely to be aware of people as variables, but it can also make it harder for Extraverts to make decisions that will be at odds with the people they care about.
For more information on what all the letters mean, click here, and stay tuned for more aLBoP (a Little Bit of Personality) Personality Tips 😀
Introverts, whether Introverted Perceivers or Introverted Judgers, naturally excel at the parts of the cognitive process that require inside-their-heads, solitary thought. Whether this is IP’s understanding and coming to Conclusions about Data and situational details based on either thoughts or feelings inside their heads (Ti or Fi), or IJ’s understanding of how Principles apply to the world at large based on either applying their intuition or their senses inside their heads (Ni or Si), introverts are quite comfortable working things out within their own minds.
Because Introverts prioritize those inside-their-head steps, they naturally feel confident making decisions without external input. Even an Introvert struggling with self-confidence issues is unlikely to feel like they need others to help make their decisions. Even when an Introvert regrets or feels inadequate in their decisions, they’ll still feel like they alone have to make the decision.
Because Introverts specialize at being inside their own heads, sometimes they can get a little *too* inside their own heads and fail to take outside forces, especially the actions of others, into account in their planning. This in no way has to be a self-centered gesture and it doesn’t mean Introverts don’t consider the *effect* their plans will have on others. IF’s especially think in terms of what effect their actions will have on others. But a well-intentioned Introvert may fail to fully understand the ramifications of others’ actions in affecting their plans.
For more information on what all the letters mean, click here, and stay tuned for more aLBoP (a Little Bit of Personality) Personality Tips 😀
One of the most common misconceptions I’ve come across in personality typing is the idea that Jungian/MBTI introverts and extraverts are the same thing as social introverts and extraverts. MBTI is about the way your brain works, not about your social habits, which are likely to change throughout your life depending on a number of factors.
If you come across a personality test that bases its conclusion of you on questions like “Do you like to be at the center of a room at a party or do you prefer the sidelines?”, “Would you prefer activities like shopping and partying, or do you prefer a quiet book?”, or “Do you learn better in a group or on your own?”, chances are the test is unreliable. Those answers would not only be affected by cultural and environmental factors, but also overlap N/S, T/F and J/P in a variety of ways. If anything, my INFJ can study better in a crowded room than I (as an extravert) can because I feel the need to take in everything around me, and he also tends to be less nervous in a group than I am because he’s more confident making decisions without the feedback of other people.
For more information on what all the letters mean, click here, and stay tuned for more aLBoP (a Little Bit of Personality) Personality Tips 😀
I gag a little every time I search for MBTI on Google, Pinterest or Twitter and see the “Fact” declarations about different personality types. They’re always based on vastly oversimplified versions of each type and always end up super arrogant about the whole thing. Arrogance is annoying, but it’s the stereotyping of each type that really gets to me. The “Fact” statements always seem to include statements that put particular types down as overemotional little girls and say that it’s okay for the other types to be complete jerks. As I said here, that’s not psychology or sociology; that’s just crap. So I thought I’d take a crack at the format and see if I can bring a bit of fresh air to the topic.
Remember, in the words of the sage Levar Burton, you don’t have to take my word for it. Go with what makes sense. Learn these things yourself and bring your own insights to the table. No one can say they have the last word on personality typing because you can’t patent the human brain and there is always more to discover.
Stay tuned for more aLBoP (a Little Bit of Personality) Personality Tips 😀
New to aLBoP? Start with this post:
Let’s Be Friends! <3
Most Popular
Recent Posts
10 YearsHi, I'm Calise, and after 10 years, I still love people....
Sorry, Not Sorry (Where We’ve Been and Novel!)Hi there aLBoP peoples. A lot of you have probably wondered "are they still doing that personality thing anymore?"...
aLBoCal, and a Post about Depression, Hope, and Foo FightersHello my neglected, yet not-forgotten loves ❤️. ...
aLBoP is not MBTIHey, it’s Justin! So…this post has words ...
October Updates, including Glossary!Happy Halloween everyone! ? Better late in the month ...
Recent Comments