#self typing

[funkymbtifiction]

Hi! im very confused about how MBTI works, do you have some sort of guide for figuring out your type?

You can always try starting out on my character typing guide. The same principles apply to yourself/other people. :)

Usually, I encourage people to read my Learn MBTI page's individual profiles, because I find newcomers get way too confused trying to learn about cognitive functions. They start over-analyzing and second-guessing rather than just reading something and going "Yeah, that overall sounds like me."

[headlesstypo]

I am sure of my tritype: 584. However, I hesitate between 5w4 and 8w7. Do you perhaps have any suggestions as I am still unsure of my type?:(

There's a couple directions you could go in trying to figure that one out, I always tend to gravitate towards looking at the triadic relationships and pushing definitions to the extreme to see where you fall out. 8w7 in combination is arguably one of the most action oriented and impulsive types in the enneagram, even with a 5 and 4 fix, 5w4 is one of the least even with a 8 fix involved. A big indicator between one or the other is definitely going to be how quickly you go into action and how much you actually care about the consequences of those actions.

As a double withdrawn type, 5w4 in core position has a strong tendency to fall into analysis paralysis in the sense that 5 feels unconfident working and moving forwards without as much information as possible and often won't without a plan behind it. This is emphasized by being a head type, since all head types are oriented on their lacking of footing in the world, with 5 particularly so in its indulgence in research. While perhaps having more energy and willingness to push because of the 8 fix, 584 is still doubly withdrawn, which means the position of the observer will still be preferenced over the catalyst. Catalytic action will almost always come with a detailed plan. In addition to this, 5 core is a competency core. While 4 might add more comfort within the emotional well and personal dealings, 5 is by nature a type that compartmentalizes it's life and distances itself from being effected or involved rather than pushes forward and does the "offence is the best defense" thing that 8 tends to do.

While a 8w7 (854) would be the most introspective of that core and would make for a more "balanced" 8, 8w7 itself is still more externally than internally oriented and action oriented unlike the 5w4 who will live in their minds. Rather than being fixated on security, 8w7 is gluttonous and fixated on getting what it wants and is almost never willing to settle for anything less, even if it is a bit strategic and planful in getting there with the 5 fix and 7 influence, and as a gut type is far more comfortable with impulse and working on their feet. 8w7 has the pitfall of denial (specifically that of weakness and restricting factors), hence would be far less willing to acknowledge and indulge in especially restricting weaknesses whereas the w4 influence would almost romanticize them (even if in the negative). 8 also has less of a fear in getting involved than 5 in the sense that if they think something is a problem, they don't mind getting their hands dirty or risking hurt because they have the mindset they won't be effected.

Another way to look at this is by trying to analyze how you relate to the core fears and mechanisms and seeing if they are filtered through the mindset of the other type you are considering. How does your fear of influence manifest? Are you more focused on removing bias, reliance, and needing to being able to make it on your own (which I'd argue would be 5 core with 8 influence) or are you focused on dismantling limitations, making sure there is always room to move forward without other's influence, and getting what you want in the end (which would be the opposite)? By deconstructing fears and mechanisms in this way, you may learn a lot about yourself and which type would fit better.

As a final note (which I'm hoping doesn't come off too rude, since I do think it'd be helpful for this combination), the core pitfall of 8 is denial and a double 4 influence will mean that the self could potentially be viewed from both an idealized and depreciated lens. To add to that, the 458 tritype tends to be incredibly self trusting and insular, which implies that self image may not be viewed 100% accurately. I don't actually know where you fall into that, but polling those who know you irl about which traits you exemplify may also be helpful in figuring out where you fall between those two categories to ensure you aren't over or underestimated which traits are present in you.

[typologyaesthetics]

overview + my types

i enjoy aesthetics and am tired of seeing people with minimal knowledge on the enneagram and typology make these blogs, so i made my own

I’m on pdb, my username is tiredwasp

requests are currently [CLOSED]

As much as I enjoy making aesthetics I just wanted to say that as someone who is deeply immersed in typology, I want to be able to help people who are questioning or struggling to find their type. My inbox is always open if there are any questions, comments, concerns or requests.

MBTI Letter Dichotomy: IsTp

Enneagram Core:

Jungian: IT(S)

Tritype:

Instinctual Variants:

Socionics:

DCNH:

Big5: RlueI?

DISC: Dc

Nentype: Manipulator

Hogwarts: 

Alignment: True Neutral

[krayfishthetypelessblob]

Hold on, why did you retype as 9? I'm not saying you're not a 9 but going from 6 > 5 > 9 doesn't make a lot of sense. Can you explain please?

This is a reasonable response anon, as 6 > 5 > 9 doesn’t make sense without the context that:

a) for the past 7 years, I have gone between typing as 5w6, (p)6w5, and 9w1 primarily (of course with minor deviations, most notably 3w4 and 1w9 I guess) if you look at the types I have typed as the longest.  Superficially, these types mechanics can look very similar.  I typed as 9w1 for probably a year or so when I first got into typology after noting I was probably way too adaptive to be a 5 and couldn’t relate in the slightest to the motivations of 6.

and

b) I have a notable issue with identity.  For many reasons, I have little to no connection with myself.  I’m very confident in my knowledge of typology, but while I’ve been trying to build upon it, my self perception is testy at best.

And of course, being that I am a pretty clear attachment type and potential triple attachment type (though... I actually feel pretty comfortable with 953.  I’ve been waffling the double competency types for at least 5 years as well.  You know how I am though haha), I’m fairly inconsistent as a person, which is not helpful :) .  The attachment types mistype as.... Quite literally everything all the time?  Si and Ti working together also tends to analyze into oblivion till the end of time anyways. 

Uh, so why 9?  If you look at my essay about why I retyped as 5, you’d probably note that my description of why I suspect I could integrate to 8 is pretty consistent with any form of id integration and has that flair of “I need to connect with my desires and myself and move forward,” which is 3-catered.  My version of disintegration to 7 can probably be better explained by the fact that I was virtually an ascetic for like... Most of my life because of circumstances and also, regardless of type, hedonism is a really popular unhealthy coping mechanism. Disintegration to 6 makes more sense and sort of explains the dilemma I was having with looking kind of 6-ish almost exclusively in bad health while clearly not being a reactive type and mechanically working like a withdrawn type.  I reread the essay, the whole thing sounds 9 > 5 pathetically enough.

Corona virus has brought me a new level of health ironically and a great chance to see how I actually respond to extreme stress situations.  With health, for the first time in years I’m seeing myself semi-clearly and have been forced to dismantle delusions that would lead me to see 6 and 5 as reasonable options for typing as well as in a positive light.  Retyping and actually landing on the correct mbti type as well has been helpful in seeing things clearly

I have more an issue with self aversion and emotional aversion than actual emotional detachment (though I think I overall have issues with both). I've mentioned it before, but most of my life has been characterized by the feeling that yielding to my desires and being connected to emotions was often something that was burdensome or took away from the health of those dear to me. Pretending I didn't have desires and ignoring my own emotional reactions was far easier than re-orienting myself around the fact that this mindset was drastically stupid and problematic in the long run (and has left me a very angry, bitter, and repressed person).  I've always expected things to go in my favor without putting in direct effort, have always been noted by myself and through feedback that I am a "positive and optimistic influence," one who can see the good and possibilities of most things  (while ignoring the bad since things will probably work out) and will willingly point those out to others in efforts to assist and of course, avoid dealing with my own problems. I'm excessively adaptable and, unfortunately, as much as I've tried to not be, evasive of conflict in the sense that I will always take the longest route to the end if it seems most free of obstacles I "can't" deal with and of course, to maintain my sense of comfort and a general "half connect, half disconnect" to the people in my life. This is inherently positive outlook and also probably 10x more honest than any of the other “conclusions” I’ve mentioned on here and elsewhere.

[allaboutmbti-blog]

MBTI ~ How to self-type

The first step to typing yourself is figuring out your cognitive functions.  If you've never heard of these before, they are what make up your main thought process.  They make up the main way you deal with things, both internally and externally.

There are 8 different cognitive functions, and they are as follows ~ Fe (extraverted feeling), Fi (introverted feeling), Te (extroverted thinking), Ti (introverted thinking), Ne (extroverted intuition), Ni (introverted intuition), Se (extroverted sensing), and Si (introverted sensing).  That's a bit overwhelming, isn't it?  Let me break it down.

Ne, Ni, Se, and Si are perceiving functions.  People use Ni and Si to observe information in their internal world and Ne and Se to take in information from the outside world.  Here is a super simple, incredibly brief explanation of each.  The gist of what you need to know to type yourself.

Ne ~ Perceiving possibilities in the external world, liking new things

Ni ~ Using your intuition to understand meaning and notice patterns in the internal world, having a vision for the future

Se ~ Perceiving the external world with your five senses, liking experiences

Si ~ Using your memory to compare something in the present to the past, seeing value in things that have happened before

Okay, that was easy to understand, right?  Which ones do you relate to the most?  Pick two (one extraverted, one introverted), and let's keep going!  Fe, fi, te, and ti are judging functions.  These are used to make decisions.

Fe ~ Judging with morals from the external world, being good at sensing other's feelings

Fi ~ Judging with morals from the internal world, understanding your own feelings and wanting to be true to yourself

Te ~ Making decisions by following a logical train of thought based on facts in the external world, seeks predominantly to accomplish things

Ti ~ Making decisions by following a logical train of thought based on reasoning in the internal world, seeks predominantly to understand

Again, pick two (one extraverted, one introverted).  Now that you know your cognitive functions, it's time to put them in order.  The easiest way to do this is to first figure out if you are extraverted or introverted.  Throw out everything you know about introversion and extraversion, and ask yourself this question ~ Do I focus more on the external world or my own internal world?

That's all there is to it.  You can get drained by being around people and be an extrovert.  You can get energy from being around people and be an introvert.  You can like to stay at home and drink tea and be an extrovert.  You can like to go out and experience things and be an introvert.  MBTI is about your thought process!  There are extroverted introverts and introverted extroverts.

Now, the last thing you need to do is figure out what your inferior function is.  One way you can do this is by looking at what each function is like as an inferior.  When a function is your inferior, it comes out when you're stressed.  Since it is less developed than your other functions, when it does assert itself it can be turbulent and unpredictable.

You'll probably relate to more than one of these, but pick the one you relate to the most.

Inferior Ne ~ Worried about all the things that could go wrong.

Inferior Ni ~ Focused on finding the deeper meaning behind things and may be paranoid.

Inferior Se ~ Reckless behavior or overindulgence in physical activities or sensory experiences.

Inferior Si ~ Upset by negative past experiences and seeks to reconcile them.

Inferior Fe ~ Outwardly expresses bursts of strong emotion and seeks external approval.

Inferior Fi ~ Preoccupied with overwhelming internal feelings and an inability to understand them.

Inferior Te ~ Blunt, impatient, and self-critical.  Seeks to fix problems and reach excellence.

Inferior Ti ~ Trouble thinking logically and preoccupation with uncovering the truth.

Once you know whether you're an introvert or an extrovert and what your inferior function is, you can look at the picture below to find your type.  It's the one where the last function is your inferior and the first function is an extraverted one (if you're an extravert) or an introverted one (if you're an introvert).  The middle functions will be the other two functions you chose.

I hope this helped you figure out your MBTI personality type. :)  Thanks for reading!

[istj-hedonist]

Which is the one you should trust more in typing yourself, descriptions or tests? All tests I've taken always said I'm 1 or 5 but when reading descriptions, 3's basic fear always hit the hardest.

Generally: take 2-3 tests first and then confirm/disconfirm your results through further reading.Even the official Enneagram institutes who earn money by letting people take their tests recommend this approach since they are well aware of the limits that those tests have.

So if you feel that 3 represents you much better, that you identify more with the 3′s fear than with the 1′s or 5′s fear, then you are a 3.(Also be aware of how your MBTI-type might influence the result. Like I always get average high results for 6 although I don’t identify with 6′s fear in the slightest: but my Si-dom’s attitude of “preparing for things instead of jumping right into them is objectively a good idea” is a big bias here)

-However- all of this requires that you are completely honest about yourself. Both reading and tests don’t do shit if you are convinced that, for example, you are a perfectionistic person, but it only holds true compared to your even more messy friends and irl you don’t give a shit about perfectionism. Or when you think that you are a super fun-searching “no risk no fun” guy when an honest look at your life could tell you that you are actually the opposite of that.If for whatever reason I would desperately want to be an 3w2 ENFJ I knew exactly which questions I should answer with yes to get the desired result. The more you have studied the types the more you will (sub)consciously influence test-results so the tests are usually only helpful at the start, when you don’t know anything about the types yet.

[funkymbtifiction]

What are some questions someone should ask themselves before typing themselves as accurately as possible? ...

I would ask myself what my natural tendencies are, how I act in a crisis, where my focus lies, and what the over-reaching pattern of my life is, in terms of the mistakes I make, how I handle them, and what causes me consistent, repeated ‘problems.’ Each type has particular weaknesses and your dominant function is always going to drown out those underneath it. N’s are going to suffer from unrealistic expectations. S’s have problems not reading ENOUGH into situations and getting blindsided. ENPs are too willing to give people the benefit of the doubt or to instantly argue an opposing point of view. ESPs live too much in the moment and don’t think about the consequences. IFJs spend too much time trying to moderate themselves to keep other people happy. EFJs can interfere too much in other people’s lives. ETJs can be so focused on the facts of the situation and being sensible that they forget to consider others’ feelings. ITJs can get caught up in doing everything ‘right’ and forget to delegate.

Your natural tendencies are who you are, when you have no real responsibilities -- how you choose to spend your time and engage yourself often indicate type (the difference between a Sensor taking up a sensory hobby, and an intuitive reading things at random or writing rambling stories or imagining things). How you act in a crisis often indicates your lower functions and/or your strengths -- if you become a decisive person who practically handles things like a Te, or if you focus on the emotional dynamics of a situation and inclusiveness like a Fe. Where your focus lies indicates your perceptions -- on the sensory world, or on the POTENTIAL (N) of an object. Your mistakes can indicate an inferior function imbalance -- being unrealistic or bad in your environment (S) or failing to be detached in situations (T) or becoming over-emotional and whiny (F) or envisioning worst-case scenarios and impending doom (N).

Look at yourself ‘overall’ and think about what your strengths and weaknesses are. Keep a journal or a diary for awhile and see what you most often talk about, take note of, write about, and focus on -- if it’s abstract or concrete, emotional or factual, what happened in the argument you just had? Etc. It takes time and self-awareness, which is what you are striving toward with this process.

[funkymbtifiction]

What age do you recommend that an individual should self-type themselves? Because I was fairly extroverted until the age of 14/15 and now in my mid 20s i identify as an introverted type. Does this mean that I have an aux/tert introverted function developing or that I am an introverted type with a well developed auxiliary extroverted function? Also I’ve heard that inferior functions are easier to look at than dominant functions. What are easy ways to spot them in yourself and a person?

Do you know what introversion vs. extroversion actually is? It’s how your brain chemistry functions with or without outside stimulation. It’s related to the pleasure center in your brain and how soon this ‘juice’ runs out either in a highly stimulating environment or a quiet one. Extroverts need to be doing things constantly -- either working on a project, or thinking about something, or being with someone else and talking to them, otherwise they run out of dopamine and start to feel tired, grouchy, or depressed. Almost all of them will then just go to bed in order to get this day of misery and loneliness over with. Just as an example, this quarantine has been very hard on the ones who live alone (the few that do) because... they are not getting their usual ‘hit’ off social interaction.

I consider myself to be rather quiet and most people assume I am introverted, because I tend to watch rather than participate and like to think before I put my oar into the water. But after I have spent six hours editing a book, if there is no one to talk to and fill back up my energy tank, I get crabby. I miss not having my friends to talk to. I miss not being able to go places. And if I don’t go see my parents in order to get some socialization, I wind up in the depths of despair and go to bed at 8pm and wind up waking at 4am with an over-charged, frantic brain. I don’t understand how my introverted friends, happily, can go days without talking to people. Weeks without e-mailing people. Ignore text messages. Shut everyone and the entire world off and not go stark raving mad.

Introverts often scowl at me and ask how I get so much done in a day, how I write multiple books a year, how I run three or four blogs at a time. But if I did not have stuff to focus my extroverted energy on all the time, I would be bored out of my mind and quite possibly suicidal. I MUST be doing things, all the time, or I go to a very dark place. It’s different for me than my ENFJ friend. She needs people all the time or she goes crazy being home. I need stimulation for Ne. Ideas. To be working on improving things. To be learning new things. Etc.

Introvert and Extrovert are misunderstood online. It’s not about how outgoing you are, or how many parties you attend, or how much you chat up random strangers in the supermarket, but how continually active you need to stay, or how much down time you need, to replenish the dopamine in your head. More extroverts think they are introverts than the reverse, because they get tired or they want to go home or they need a few hours to recharge; they do not realize they wake up with more focus than introverts, that they can go longer at something than introverts, and that they need more outside stimulation to avoid sheer boredom or navel-gazing-inspired depression than introverts. Neither one is more special, unique, or desirable, it is just what it is.

Regarding you, you need to look at the entire picture of yourself and not just choose one or two abstract things like “I seem to be more introverted now than I was as a teenager” to base your self understanding upon. Look at the entire functional stacks. Look at the focus of each one. Study the guides I provided. Look at your life and start making facts-based analysis. See where it matches up. Pay attention to yourself throughout the day. Notice what tires you, what energizes you, what pleases you, what you hate, what feels boring, what feels natural, what you are good at, what you struggle to do. Those are the important things. Put the puzzle together or take it apart piece by piece. Don’t just stare at a random piece laying out on the desk. Take your time. Allow yourself, for the first time in your life, to really consider what you are doing, when you are doing it. That is how you know your type for sure. When it ‘matches’ a stacking, and every piece fits neatly into place.

- ENFP Mod