Home Page › Forums › Fiction Writing › Characters › MBTI is Fake
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July 12, 2017 at 1:20 am #36736
Supposedly, MBTI has very little evidence backing it up. I found this article that explains the whole thing. But since MBTI is so crazy simple, I guess I’ll still use it for my stories 😛
@daeus @kate-flournoy @emma-flournoy @jess @rachelle @anne-of-lothlorien @graceofspades2017 @graciegirl @ethryndalI blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com
July 12, 2017 at 2:12 am #36737Hm, that’s rather interesting. I guess the main thing I use it for though is to get a rough overview of people on a first viewing, and for characters. As with most things that are in relation to psychology, it must be looked at open mindedly, and not used to label people, cos I’m sure everyone agrees that they don’t fit 100% to their, ‘type’. But cool to know, thanks for saying @mark-kamibaya!
@jane-maree Hey, thought you may be interested in the thread.Writer | Freelance Editor
Inspiration<July 12, 2017 at 2:42 am #36740@jess-penrose Exactly! I also use MBTI for characters, but then I trash it later on 😛 But I never got used to using it on people. I just thought the article showed me that MBTI (and the Enneagram too) is definitely not the end game when it comes to personality. So I thought of my writing buddies and the community here on KP.
I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com
July 12, 2017 at 2:49 am #36742Coolio, after all, humans are complex beings of God’s design. We hardly fit exactly into a mould.@mark-kamibaya
Writer | Freelance Editor
Inspiration<July 12, 2017 at 4:25 am #36743@jess-penrose I totally agree.
I blog on story and spiritual things at mkami.weebly.com
July 12, 2017 at 8:26 am #36744LOl, @mark-kamibaya, you’re super brave. That is an interesting article, though none of the points seem very substantial at all except the lack of publicized research in journals. That’s a big problem, though I’d be interested to hear what the MBTI community says about it.
The five-factor model also looks interesting. I’d like to know more about that.
The few things that make me still suspect there’s something to MBTI are:
1. In sharp irony to this article’s point, $20million is a pathetic sum of money compared to what the psychological community could suffer if MBTI were right. It would simplify the whole science a lot.
2. Not that I don’t think it’s possible for psychology to be done right as a science, but psychology is a really tough subject to boil down to a science and a lot of psychology is pseudoscience and a lot of psychologists are crazy. This isn’t an argument for MBTI, because it needs to stand on its own, but the point is I don’t trust psychologists to tell me whether MBTI is right or not.
3. If scientists did do solid research to discover the basic framework of personality, tested it, and then it worked just as well or better than MBTI, that would be pretty cool and I would probably switch over. At the same time though, I’m of the opinion (feel free to debate me) that if something works, it doesn’t matter what the research says. If 80% or the time, a theory is right, that isn’t random chance. If 50% or the time, a theory is right, that isn’t random chance. And there are people (@kate-flournoy) who can guess your type within two guesses. That doesn’t seem possible with an unsubstantial theory. Gravity is a similar concept. There’s plenty of knowledge about gravity and theories about what gravity is, but nobody actually knows what gravity is. It’s very mystical. Yet, at the same time, we believe in it because we can see it.🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢
July 12, 2017 at 8:32 am #36745Btw, MBTI isn’t a mold, it’s a framework. Similar to how a dwarf and a giant are both human, you could have two people who are radically different but who still process their environments in similar ways.
Also, MBTI is not a surefire way to organize a business. That’s because, again, it’s not a mold, it’s a framework. MBTI can help an organization figure out how a potential employee thinks, but that does not tell them that person’s personality, because how a person processes reality is not the same as their personality. Their personality is how they react because of their mental processes.
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July 12, 2017 at 8:48 am #36746@mark-kamibaya I understand that MBTI isn’t completely real. Like what Jess Penrose was saying, we can’t be put into a mold of one type of person or the next. Besides, I could never understand it for my characters. It really only told me whether he was an extrovert or an introvert.
Phsychology…along with time travel, is one of those things I can’t wrap my head around.☀ ☀ ☀ ENFP ☀ ☀ ☀
July 12, 2017 at 8:58 am #36747@Mark-Kamibaya this was definitely interesting. *nods* I mean, obviously it’s not perfect. a) nothing is and b) humans are /all/ unique. I personally second basically what Daeus said. I’ve seen how the MBTI is actual a literal thing that does apply to people. No one fits perfectly.
(also, just in case I have phrased this badly -as it is quite late at night for me 😛 – I’m just rambling on my thoughts, not accusing anyone or anything…I think I should go to bed now. XD)Although I’m curious now, @Kate-Flournoy. Can you guess my type??
Writing Heroes ♦ Writing Hope // janemareeauthor.com.au
July 12, 2017 at 9:13 am #36749Are you an ENFP @jane-maree???
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July 12, 2017 at 9:24 am #36750@mark-kamibaya You know, I’ve read lots about the shortfalls of MBTI. But one of the strangest things about it is its association with the occult. Apparently the person who first starting doing personality and mental processing analysis was in to really crazy things. https://www.thebereancall.org/content/alchemy-and-astrology-occult-roots-myers-briggs-test Sooo. I’m not trying to be that creepy conspiracy nut, but it is good to be aware of the shortcomings of the system. I do agree with @daeus that since it has enough accuracy to be helpful, that doesn’t mean we should throw the entire thing out as a helpful tool. However, I have read MBTI blogs which treat the analysis like another “gospel.” (If you strengthen your weaker functions, you’ll be perfect or saved from your faults or sins.) That can be an issue. But again, that does not mean it can’t ever give us some insight into how a character might react.
I’m also curious, Kate-Flournoy what would you guess me to be?July 12, 2017 at 9:42 am #36751@Mark-Kamibaya Excuse me? Did you just…Are you seriously saying…? I can’t believe this. The world is cracking to pieces around me. 😜
I’m kidding, I’m kidding! This is actually fascinating, but an overly-dramatic reaction seemed obligatory. 😛I’m far from convinced. Mostly because of the same reasons Daeus mentioned. 80% of the article was spent talking about how big MBTI has gotten or how difficult it would be to deal with it IF it where shown as incomplete. They didn’t show much actual support for the idea that MBTI isn’t viable.
I would like to look into the five-factors model, but MBTI is still my go-to system at this point. And I personally trust it more because Isabel invented it in her living room. She observed those around her for years and found a recurring pattern.. She formed a hypothesis and put it to the test through observations in many different settings: the colleges, her own social circle, and apparently her son’s school. Her hypothesis was refined until it accommodated the data her observations brought in. Sounds like a solid application of the scientific method to me.I use MBTI to help understand others. My characters using it is kinda by chance. I started learning about it because I’ve always been cut up inside when I see people failing to communicate. I was tired of having the exact same arguments with my sister again and again all because I just couldn’t see how she wasn’t seeing what I was seeing. If that makes any sense. In my writing, I’m very good at putting myself in my characters’ shoes. I thrive on being able to relate to them. This bleeds into real life for me as well. MBTI helps me relate to practically everyone so I can at least get a rough sketch of what they’re seeing, how they’re interpreting it, and possibly how they will respond to it. I want to understand others SOOO badly and that’s why I love MBTI because I think it really helps me to do that.
And since we’re on the topic…What’s your type, pretty please? XD Is it by any chance ENTP or INTP?
*is probably geeking out about something*
July 12, 2017 at 10:16 am #36753Oh, and I found something cool about MBTI that I wanted to show you guys. Some of you have probably already noticed this but…*shrugs* I think it’s pretty cool.
I was playing with the cog functions the other day and I saw that if you switch the first and last letters of your type you get your extroverted/introverted twin.
Por exemplo:
INFP
Fi
Ne
Si
TeENFJ
Fe
Ni
Se
TiNeat, huh?
*is probably geeking out about something*
July 12, 2017 at 10:30 am #36755@graciegirl I have noticed that. Just goes to show you how much improvement two letters can make. Don’t tell me spelling isn’t important.
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That aside, I think there’s a whole set of patterns like that with the cognitive functions. Not that I know them… Deauses don’t know these things. Daeuses let the INFPs figure these things out and then he STEALS their knowledge from them!!! Smart Daeus. 😀
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July 12, 2017 at 10:55 am #36760@Daeus Spelling is a nuisance. But, yes. Regrettably, it’s important.
You’re right. There is a whole bunch of patterns. I think there’s your conflictor type, your intrigue type and umm, lots more besides. But the Gracies doesn’t know these things either. Yet at least. But the Gracies shall soon have the knowledge for the Daeuses to steal. Never fear. 😜
*is probably geeking out about something*
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