long live the pioneers, rebels and mutineers

[erika]

I wrote this whole thing up about what being an INFJ means to me and lost it, of course.

Data loss is the norm around here; my computer reboots spontaneously with sporadic bursts in frequency. I've had this tower for 8 years. While it was top of the line for 2008 and I've upgraded the amount of RAM, it's always had this weird BIOS/ Wake On LAN conflict error that I never cared enough to track down. It crashes about twice a week on a good week. Usually I don't even notice, because of the nature of the error means it usually happens while I'm not using the computer.

However, this week that was not the case. Maybe Andromeda is just greeting the New Year, but she's crashed 10 times in the last week. So that, combined with an error in the Semagic instance which normally holds my draft between computer crashes* means byebye automagical load of my last draft, which was 9000 words of INFJ splooge.

(it wants UAC to give it permissions, I think, but then runs into the fact that I have UAC turned the fuck off so UAC ignores the permission request and Semagic bitches. Again, I don't care enough to fix it.)

I'm a bit pissed, but not strongly so, because realistically, the Meyers Briggs is a scientific crock of shit. I've been in therapy for ten years, and I can tell you that whatever article you can google up, the vast majority of the psychology community doesn't mention the MBTI, comment on it, or place any validity on its merits.

Psychologists love personality tests, but they're scientists, too. The MBTI lacks specificity and reproducibility, the quality and capacity of measuring reliably and getting the same results time after time——those two things don't happen for this "test", like Rorscarch blots and the dubiously brilliant, seemingly-semi-logical intuition-based bullshit of Freud.

That having been said, the MBTI is a great measure of something, alright, the same thing that horoscopes measure, and that is how much we believe in a specific concept about ourselves.

QED, that's why me and half of tumblr are INFJs. (Also, I'm a Scorpio with Scorpio Rising and half my houses in Scorpio, so fuck me, it pisses me off this stuff can seem accurate to the point where I'm even "the type that doesn't like types".)

---

You can probably replace INFJ with "person who thinks INFJ describes them" in all of the below, which is mainly just advice giving regardless. Even though my scientific doubts remain after spending two weeks reading about the MBTI, reading these descriptions and information likewise remain an interesting way of looking at myself from one outside perspective.

With all of the above in mind, here are my links.

'INFJ Personality Type: Lover of Wisdom & Beauty' from Personality Junkie

The INFJ and Perfectionism

INFJ: The Rarest and Honestly, Fucking Coolest Type

Stress Relief for the INFJ / Personality Growth for the INFJ

Personality Growth for the INFJ:

A major component of personal growth is being able to identify and embrace your weaknesses. Everyone has weaknesses because this is a normal part of life. Your weaknesses can actually serve a positive purpose when they motivate you to correct them so that you can become a better person. While the INFJ personality type tends to have a variety of special gifts and positive personality traits, you must also make yourself aware of the weaknesses.
The degree of the weakness will ultimately depend on the person. In some cases, the weakness does not apply to all people who possess the INFJ personality type. Look at the following list of weaknesses and consider those that apply to you so that you can start to think about making the right changes:


• a) Quickly dismissive of the ideas of others


• b) Judging others


• c) Finding faults in others


• d) Not tolerating other people's weaknesses


• e) Holding grudges


• f) Thinking they are always right


• g) Difficulty communicating feelings and thoughts


• h) Difficulty make decisions under pressure

INFJ Development: The Unique Growth Path of the INFJ from Personality Central

Embracing all of Yourself, Even Your Flaws

Comments

[enemyofperfect]

Oh no, the lost 9000 words! D:

I know the MBTI isn't super scientific, but I don't care, because I love it. It's like an online personality test that tells you what Tarot card you are or something, except with the bonus that if you think the answer you get is bullshit, you can totally read through all the other results until you find one that fits better. Plus you can get lost in random theory about the interaction of the different functions or whatever, which I often find really thought-provoking! Relying on type theory to decipher all humanity's mysteries would be a huge mistake, but sometimes it's such a useful lens.

Anyway, introverted NF solidarity from the P side of the judging/perceiving divide!

[erika]

Yeah, my data tracking program shows the day I wrote the entry as my highest number of words typed ever. Seriously.

IT IS TOTALLY SOMETHING I LOVE but I think it could be dangerous for me to get too obsessed with, right? IDK, I'm now inherently cautious about new things that make me *this* interested this quickly without some sort of feedback that it's semi-rational.

Also, and you may find this interesting: I tested as an INFP as a child and still test that way if I'm not careful to respond how I *actually* act or feel in response to the questions, as opposed to how I *think* I should feel. In other words, apparently INFP is my ideal!

[enemyofperfect]

Haha, that's so interesting about your testing as INFP if you aren't careful! I guess I do keep reading about INFJs being chameleons and/or the most misunderstood type (even by themselves), so maybe it makes sense.

I hear you about wanting to proceed with caution, though -- I'm pretty ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ about the rigorous intellectual validity of tools I find personally useful, but I've also gone through enough cycles of hope/obsession/crash with different things that I wouldn't wish that shit on anyone. There's a certain flavor of rapture that just starts to taste like despair after a while, idk.

[chomiji]

If INFJs are so rare, why are so many of my friends INFJs?

;-)

I am an INFP, myself.

I actually get annoyed with my horoscope because I am a Leo and I make a crummy Leo. But if my birth chart is actually considered, I have Libra rising, and that works a little better.

I like the MBTI because it gives me vocabulary and a system of references for some of the things I like to explain and discuss about how people act.

[erika]

I'm not sure why all of your friends would be INFJ, except like in the entry, anyone who "fits" can be whatever they call themselves. (not scientific in the least.)

Re: Horoscopes: Everything I've ever heard from multiple people who take astrology seriously enough to describe themselves as astrologers, but who I otherwise considered perfectly rational, is that the stars don't work in timespans like "one single day".

(I vaguely recall something about the smallest conjunction that could affect us on a day to day basis still requiring more than a week to really work but that is POSSIBLY TOTALLY MADE UP as I do not trust my memory as far as I can throw it.)

That having been said, my Saturn return did exactly what I asked of it, and I'm SUCH a Scorpio it's classic, and almost everything in INFJ land fits me to a T so... there's more in heaven and earth, eh?

you may find this interesting: I tested as an INFP as a child and still test that way if I'm not careful to respond how I *actually* act or feel in response to the questions, as opposed to how I *think* I should feel. In other words, apparently INFP is my ideal!