day thirty eight - infp
Many years ago, I was introduced to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). It is “an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions”, published in 1944 by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, and based on the conceptual theory proposed by Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung.
It posits that there are 16 personality types based on which of four dichotomies or preferences you are, as revealed through a series of questions. They are;
extraversion (E) or introversion (I)
sensing (S) or intuition (N)
thinking (T) or feeling (F)
judgment (J) or perception (P)
Over a span of probably 25 years and a dozen or more tests, I’ve always come out with the same result (which is a statistical anomaly given the reputedly low “test-retest” reliability). Apparently, I’m an INFP.
The INFP personality type is often described as an "idealist" or "mediator" personality. People with this kind of personality tend to be introverted, idealistic, creative and driven by high values. INFPs also have strong interests in making the world a better place. In addition to wanting to gain a greater understanding of themselves and how they fit into the world, they are also interested in how they can best help others. People with this personality type spend a lot of time exploring their own purpose in life and thinking about how they can use their skills and talents to best serve humanity.
Whilst it has had some very valid criticism over the years, even being called a pseudoscience, I’ve found it, at the very least, an interesting exercise in thinking more deeply about how my mind functions, and how I interact within the world. Perhaps it has acted as a placebo to give me the courage to be myself.
Kilt of the Day - Black Watch Tartan
Soundtrack of the day - “Not My Type” Katie Noonan and Paul Grabowsky
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skYlX84b83k
Link of the Day - Myers-Briggs Type Indicator - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myers%E2%80%93Briggs_Type_Indicator
