mbti fun :O

So you probably know by now: I really like making lists. I like listing things from memory, ranking things, sorting things out, noting trends, drawing graphs, compiling incidental statistics (not the scientific kinds urrrhh xP), arranging, etc.. It seems inconsistent with the rest of my personality, really...but it's one really big part of me. I like putting things in nice lists, and I love the feeling of making a good, complete, comprehensive list.

And I also like things that categorise people. Such as......MBTI profiles. Like, seriously. I'm mad about them. I've done many, many versions of the MBTI quiz, and they yield me different things at different times. But it's quite clear I hover around ENFP, with the occasional appearance of ESFP and INFP.

While there's bound to be some unjust stratification of what should be a continuum of personalities, the profiles have actually helped me recognise my actions as symptoms of certain over-expressed flaws of my brain functions.

I'm not proud that I'm "emotional". In fact I dislike that, because I believe the F people are the more easily-exploitable half of the population. And while I'm E according to quizzes, I feel I show some very markedly I traits.

Ah well, so I wondered, if I didn't go through those veiling, subjective questions and got straight to the essence of each quality, what would my MBTI profile be? So, being the bored person I am and having finished all my tutorials, I looked at lists of "criteria" for each of the four dichotomies of the MBTI. And here I bold the ones that apply to me:

Extraverts often:
• Have high energy
• Talk more than listen (I hate butting in on others; it's rude ><)
• Think out loud
• Act, then think
• Like to be around people a lot
• Prefer a public role
• Can sometimes be easily distracted
• Prefer to do lots of things at once
• Are outgoing; enthusiastic (depends on the situation!)

Introverts often:

• Have quiet energy
• Listen more than talk
• Think quietly inside their heads
• Think, then act
• Feel comfortable being alone
• Prefer to work "behind-the-scenes"
• Have good powers of concentration
• Prefer to focus on one thing at a time
• Are self-contained and reserved 

Hm. E.

Sensors often:
• Focus on details & specifics
• Admire practical solutions
• Notice details & remember facts
• Are pragmatic - see what is
• Live in the here-and-now
• Trust actual experience
• Like to use established skills
• Like step-by-step instructions
• Work at a steady pace

Intuitives often:
• Focus on the big picture & possibilities
• Admire creative ideas
• Notice anything new or different
• Are inventive - see what could be (oh, I almost live by this...)
• Think about future implications
• Trust their gut instincts (always heheh)
• Prefer to learn new skills
• Like to figure things out for themselves
• Work in bursts of energy

N, though it's not that distinct...I suppose this is what they call "an N with a well developed S side".

Thinkers often:
• Make decisions objectively
• Appear cool and reserved
• Are most convinced by rational arguments
• Are honest and direct
• Value honesty and fairness
• Take few things personally
• Are good at seeing flaws (well, I see them often; not sure if that means I do it well...)
• Are motivated by achievement (not in the pure sense. Achievement is nothing without the benefits it confers)
  
• Argue or debate issues for fun

Feelers often:
• Decide based on their values & feelings
• Appear warm and friendly (...do I?)
• Are most convinced by how they feel
• Are diplomatic and tactful
• Value harmony and compassion (compassion, yes. Harmony...not really.)
• Take many things personally
• Are quick to compliment others (I just don't...compliment people. Not sincerely. I give token compliments, though.)
• Are motivated by appreciation
• Avoid arguments and conflicts

F. Ha...I found myself going "NOOO TOTALLY NOT" to most of those in the T list.

Aaand...

Judgers often:
• Like to have things settled
• Take responsibilities seriously (NO.)
• Pay attention to time & are usually prompt (HEH NO.)
• Prefer to finish projects
• Work first, play later
• Seek closure
• See the need for most rules (NOO.)
• Like to make & stick with plans
• Find comfort in schedules

Perceivers often:
• Like to keep their options open
• Are playful and casual
• Are less aware of time and may run late
• Prefer to start projects (...hmm? I think I like to both start AND finish projects!)
• Play first, work later
• May have difficulty making some decisions (OH TOTALLY.)
• Question the need for many rules (YESH.)
• Like to keep plans flexible (OMG P totally describes me.)
• Want the freedom to be spontaneous

 Expectedly, I'm a P. Hah.

Oh. And it seems I went through the entire exercise to discover that I am, indeed, an ENFP. =.=

Aaaand then I thought it might be interesting to see which I was by specific prose descriptions rather than descriptors, so I dug up something:

Q1. Which is your most natural energy orientation? 

Every person has two faces. One is directed towards the OUTER world of activities, excitements, people, and things. The other is directed inward to the INNER world of thoughts, interests, ideas, and imagination.
While these are two different but complementary sides of our nature, most people have an innate preference towards energy from the either the OUTER or INNER worlds. Thus one of their faces, either the Extraverted (E) or Introverted (I), takes the lead in their personality development and plays a more dominant role in their behavior.

By this description, I can't be completely sure I'm an E anymore...I seem to take part in both almost equally in this case. Hm.

Q2. Which way of Perceiving or understanding is most "automatic" or natural?

The Sensing (S) side of our brain notices the sights, sounds, smells and all the sensory details of the PRESENT. It categorizes, organizes, records and stores the specifics from the here and now. It is REALITY based.

The Intuitive (N) side of our brain seeks to understand, interpret and form OVERALL patterns of all the information that is collected and records these patterns and relationships. It speculates on POSSIBILITIES, including looking into and forecasting the FUTURE. It is imaginative and conceptual.

While both kinds of perceiving are necessary and used by all people, each of us instinctively tends to favor one over the other.

I feel, once again, like I could be both...? :O Like I said, I really love making lists. I love also working with the concrete and experiencing sensory stimulation...but I also like imagining and conceptualising and creating...? How odd.

Q3. Which way of forming Judgments and making choices is most natural?

The Thinking (T) side of our brain analyzes information in a DETACHED, objective fashion. It operates from factual principles, deduces and forms conclusions systematically. It is our logical nature.

The Feeling (F) side of our brain forms conclusions in an ATTACHED and somewhat global manner, based on likes/dislikes, impact on others, and human and aesthetic values. It is our subjective nature.

While everyone uses both means of forming conclusions, each person has a natural bias towards one over the other so that when they give us conflicting directions - one side is the natural trump card or tiebreaker.

I guess I'm a Feeling person still. I don't like logic, but if you look at the way I do my math and chem and stuff, it isn't exactly a mess either...

Q4. What is your action orientation towards the outside world?

All people use both judging (thinking and feeling) and perceiving (sensing and intuition) processes to store information, organize our thoughts, make decisions, take actions and manage our lives. Yet one of these processes (Judging or Perceiving) tends to take the lead in our relationship with the outside world while the other governs our inner world.

A Judging (J) style approaches the outside world WITH A PLAN and is oriented towards organizing one's surroundings, being prepared, making decisions and reaching closure and completion.
A Perceiving (P) style takes the outside world AS IT COMES and is adopting and adapting, flexible, open-ended and receptive to new opportunities and changing game plans.

Nope, no plan. I'm an improviser.

And thus by this new criteria passage thing, I seem to be E/I N/S F P? Well, ah well.

---

Not to bore you, but I found some random pieces of information about ENFP...

"With Extraverted Intuitive personality types, words, ideas and possibilities spew effortlessly from them. Words are their best friends. They dance around ideas, the more, the merrier. Imaginative, spontaneous, original and enthusiastic, they have a knack for seeing other possibilities, other dreams and options. The world is never as it is but as it could be, as if it were but an artists sketch begging for colour. They initiate change and often are prone to trespassing a few known boundaries to take themselves and others where no one has been before. The status quo tends to lack inspiration."

I have to agree. This does sound like me, and I do say the things mentioned quite often, without even realising it.

And whoaa I just found a bunch of words that apparently describe us! *sifts through*

"outgoing, social, disorganized, easily talked into doing silly things, spontaneous, wild and crazy, acts without thinking, good at getting people to have fun, pleasure seeking, irresponsible, physically affectionate, risk taker, thrill seeker, likely to have or want a tattoo (lol?!), adventurous, unprepared, attention seeking, hyperactive, irrational, loves crowds, rule breaker, prone to losing things, seductive, easily distracted, open, revealing, comfortable in unfamiliar situations, attracted to strange things, non punctual, likes to stand out, likes to try new things, fun seeker, unconventional, energetic, impulsive, empathetic, dangerous, loving, attachment prone, prone to fantasy"

(Y)

And apologies for boring you. Once in a while it's nice to read on others' takes on you. I was intending to go around collecting people's MBTI profiles and comparing with my impressions of them...not sure I'll ever get round to that but that sure would be funnnnn.