How familiar are you with MBTI?
As familiar as a nerd on the internet can possibly be. I’ve never done any official certifications but I’ve read everything from Please Understand Me to Carl Jung’s stuff on archetypes.
Why do you, or why do you not, use MBTI?
It’s useful to describe people to my friends and helps with getting along with folks I would normally find difficult to relate to. Initially I also found it useful for better understanding myself.
Briefly describe how you use MBTI/other system.
“I met this really cool ENFP-ish person the other day who I think you would really like” is mostly how I use it nowadays. I don’t really type people on sight anymore but I do instinctively get a general feel for who they are which lines up somewhat with MBTI. I’ve spent so much time obsessing over this system that it’s mostly subconscious at this point.
If you chose not to use MBTI, why and what, if any, system do you use now?
I looked into enneagram which makes some degree of sense but I had trouble with its background. Big Five seemed promising but was ultimately useless to me because of how tautological the classifications are.
How familiar are you with Jung’s theory of cognitive functions?
I’ve read the book and spent hours arguing about it on the internet.
Do you think the cognitive functions should be used instead of traditional MBTI?
How well do feel the cognitive functions mesh with traditional MBTI?
The way Jung originally wrote about them doesn’t line up at all. The internet seems to have invented an entirely new cognitive functions theory which does mesh with the Myers-Briggs model. Note that I haven’t actually read anything by Myers and Briggs, the new model may have come from them.
What are the chief reasons that could lead to test-retest reliability issues?
The questions are garbage. The test should be a choose your own adventure style, not a points towards x quiz.
Have you mistyped yourself or others?
How many times have you taken an MBTI test?
Zero. Unless you count those online quizzes.
What were your results compared to what type you consider yourself to be now?
I test reliably as INTP with occasional forays into E territory. This lines up with what I consider myself to be.
What are the chief reasons to trust MBTI reliability?
It reliably predicts interests, communication style and behavior.
When tested correctly, the majority of people find their type description to be eerily accurate.
Folks with no knowledge of MBTI often look up to celebrities who share their types.
What are the chief reasons to doubt MBTI reliability? How does this impact your use, if any, of MBTI?
It’s all (well mostly) based on anecdotal evidence.
MBTI is a reflection of what we think it’s like to be other people and it’s an idea that has changed with every person who has written about it. Nonetheless, there are definite patterns among the types that I (and many others, apparently) believe signal underlying ways of thinking that are distinct to your type.
Given its reliability, how is MBTI best used in any given life situation?
Absolutely use it to better understand yourself and others. It’s great for that.
Is it useful in clinical, career planning, hiring or other professional situations?
Please for the love of all that is good do not use it in hiring. Clinical *maybe* and career planning probably won’t hurt but I wouldn’t make any decisions solely off of MBTI.
How do you practically use knowledge gained from MBTI in casual situations of daily life?
Mostly it’s fun to talk about.