Year: 2016

Duke Leto Atreides: ENFJ

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Dune series, Frank Herbert

Duke Leto Atreides ENFJ | Dune #MBTI #ENFJ

Extroverted Feeling (Fe): Leto is blessed with charisma, and is very popular among the noble families of the empire – so much so that even the emperor himself is afraid of his influence. Even though he realizes the necessity of waging war against the Harkonnens, he hates actually doing it, because it requires the killing of people who just happen to be in the way. Leto is someone who cares very much about others: not only his family, but also lowly people he doesn’t know, and the lengths he goes to in order to help people out can win over even those who expected the worst of him. When he is assigned to govern Arrakis, he would rather work with the native Fremen than work against them. Continue reading →

Attention: Non-Native English Speaking Readers

AsideArvid Walton 9 Comments

First of all, thank you to all of you who have been kind and respectful, and ultimately, all those who have successfully torn down the language barrier between us.

I dabble in multiple languages and am more than familiar with the struggle of trying to communicate with native speakers of languages that I am not perfect at. I am also very familiar with the difficulties of trying to communicate with non-native speakers of my own native language (English). Now, being well versed in the problems of both sides of this struggle, I would like to address a few things that have caused disagreements on this blog in the past.

Bottom Line: Meaning will always be Lost in Translation Continue reading →

Digory Kirke: INTJ

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Guest Post by E. J., INTJ

Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

Digory Kirke INTJ | The Chronicles of Narnia #INTJ #MBTI

Dominant Ni: Digory’s curiosity is one of the defining traits of his life. He spends a lot of time gathering information, which he uses to systematically understand the world around him. These tendencies lead to his eventual career as a scholar. Digory’s attention to large-scale patterns enables him to quickly figure out what the Wood Between the Worlds is and how the rings work, despite the fact that Uncle Andrew’s instructions were incorrect. He also is the one who guesses, correctly, that burying his leftover toffee in Narnia will cause a toffee tree to grow. Digory cannot be easily distracted from his goals: when he wants to know something badly (or—in Charn—to see what will happen if he does something) he is relentless until he learns the answer. Sometimes Digory’s intense goal-focus can create problems, however. In his haste to explore other worlds, he forgets to mark the entrance to his own. If Polly had not intervened in time, they might have been permanently lost. And because of his intense desire to experiment with the bell, he failed to consider that he might not like the results. Continue reading →

Oliver Twist: ISFP

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Guest post by Kerissa, INFJ

Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens

Oliver Twist ISFP | Oliver Twist #MBTI #ISFP

Fi: Although Oliver was often taunted by Noah Claypole while both were in the undertaker’s service, he never retaliated until Claypole insulted his mother. When Oliver first meets Fagin, he believes he’s a good man because he seems to value hard work, which is in line with Oliver’s personal values. When he wakes at Mr. Brownlow’s and at the Maylies’, he desperately wants to show his gratitude and is in emotional agony until he becomes strong enough to do so. When with the thieves, he never tries to convince them they’re wrong. Instead, he focuses on keeping himself in line with his own morals, refusing to join them despite the fact he has nowhere else to go. He quickly comes to conclusions about people he meets, such as disliking Grimwig for his eccentric behavior despite the fact he’s Brownlow’s friend. He cares deeply for his friends and displays no interest in meeting people beyond them. His emotions (combined with mistreatment) can send him into faints and fevers with their intensity. Continue reading →

Canonical INxJ Friendships

Arvid Walton 13 Comments

Anonymouslemer asked: “Are there any canonical examples of an INTJ/INFJ friendship?”

Look no further than House M.D. House and Wilson are a perfect example of a relationship between unhealthy INxJs. Let’s just say they’re the type of friend-pair that will feel perfectly comfortable sitting and problem solving in a room with a random comatose grandpa that they’ve never met. They both toss around Ni, understanding each other’s deepest motivations and secrets without having to ask. Both of them are gifted at figuring out other people’s deepest secrets, but House does i Continue reading →

C-3PO: ESFJ

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Star Wars

C-3PO ESFJ | Star Wars #MBTI #ESFJ

Extroverted Feeling (Fe): C-3PO is a protocol droid, programmed for politeness and manners.  He is able to make a difference mainly by persuasion, convincing Owen Lars to buy him and misdirecting Imperial troops who are searching for his masters.  C-3PO is exceedingly temperamental; he bickers constantly with R2-D2, and he freely expresses his fear in dangerous situations.  C-3PO can fit into the culture of any society in which he happens to find himself, even if he has to figure out the language and customs on the fly (Ne). Continue reading →

Cornelius Fudge: ESFJ

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Harry Potter, J. K. Rowling

Cornelius Fudge ESFJ | Harry Potter #MBTI #ESFJ

Extroverted Feeling (Fe): As the Minister of Magic, Fudge is sensitive to public opinion above all else. He makes every decision with regard to how the magical community will view him for it, and is willing to throw everything else – facts, laws, rational predictions, sound objectives, etc. – out the window just for the sake of keeping everybody happy. He is even willing to send an innocent person (Hagrid) to prison just so the wizarding world can see him doing something, anything, to respond to a crisis. A telling illustration of Fudge’s reliance on public opinion is how he treats Harry as time goes on. When the wizarding world regards Harry as a hero, Fudge refrains from punishing him for any lawbreaking, and dotes on him in an avuncular way. However, when Harry falls into disrepute, Fudge is eager to see him punished, and to personally get involved in punishing him, even when he has done nothing wrong. Fudge wears his heart on his sleeve, and excuses Harry from punishment on one occasion with the excuse that Harry just let his emotions get the better of him. Continue reading →

Jill Pole: ISTP

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Guest Post by E. J., INTJ

The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

Dominant Ti: Unlike her Te-using friend Eustace, Jill operates based on an interior sense of logic that is not necessarily based on empirical evidence. As a result, she is the only Friend of Narnia who is willing to believe that other worlds exist before she enters one. Jill generally prefers taking a rational approach to life, and she can be disdainful of people who lose control of themselves. When she is faced with a difficult situation, one of her first reactions is usually to focus on remaining cool and calm. She sometimes misses the larger significance of events, which annoys Eustace (especially on the occasions when she interrupts his reasoning process to emphasize details that he considers unimportant). Jill is not a controlling person. She can, however, be very critical of other people when they are behaving irrationally or (in her mind) wasting time. As a result, she and Eustace often argue. She does not verbalize all of her thoughts and is irritated when Eustace ruins her declaration of loyalty to Tirian by pointing out that they cannot return home anyway. Continue reading →

Se-users: Do you talk with your Hands?

Arvid Walton 29 Comments

ComradeJocasta asked: Is it possible that upper-Se users might be more likely to gesture a lot when they speak?

I haven’t actually found much research on this topic. However, I’ve given it a bit of thought, and I’d like to hear everyone else’s thoughts as well.

My ESFP sibling definitely is NOT a hand talker. However, he does have a strong need for touch and physical contact with people he’s comfortable around. Same goes for my ISFP roommate.

Out of anyone in my family or friend group, I’m actually the one who talks most via my hands. However, I don’t necessarily attribute this to my Se function so much as to the fact that I’m relatively fluent in Sign Language. Before I learned Sign Language, I didn’t gesture at all when I spoke, but now talking and gesturing practically go hand in hand for me (wow, that was a terrible pun).

It’s the same with any language. As soon as you’re fluent in more than one language, and especially if you know more than two, it’s hard to force yourself not to blend the elements of each. At the same time, you also keep many elements very separate as well (for instance, I swear a lot more in German than I do in English).

Upper Se-users. Now is your time to talk! I’m interested to hear whether you talk with your hands.

INTJs: Uncomfortable with your Inferior Function?

Arvid Walton 24 Comments

Pasa Fino asked: I have a question which regards Se in a social setting. (I am an INTJ btw). This and the other Se post were helpful in a general sense, but here is a problem I personally encounter.

Whenever I am around people I don’t know well or consider as a friend, I behave in the way I am most comfortable with: distant, observant, serious, quiet, etc.. but when I am with the few people I consider my friends my Se seems to take over my brain in a most distressing manner. I begin to goof off, talk loudly, I become quirky and playful, and overall, much unlike myself. I go home feeling like a total fool. The worst thing about it is that I have little to no control over this while it is happening.

Otherwise, I integrate my Se via art, music, karate, and watching comedies on YouTube, and can control it decently well when I am in my normal environment or interacting with friends over the internet.

I am in my late teens, so I am hoping that in my twenties my Se will be somewhat tamer. Has anyone else encountered this problem? If so, is there a solution for an immediate solution for it?

#1 Yes, many INTJs experiences this:

In order to illustrate to you and others, that discomfort with the Se function is not something that any of us are alone on, I’m going to share an experience that is deeply personal to me. This is not just for you, Pasa Fino (though it is for you), but for all the people out there who may be struggling to connect with the more frightening, more human parts of themselves. Continue reading →

Bod Owens – The Graveyard Book: INFP

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Guest post by Emily, INFP

Neil Gaiman, The Graveyard Book

Bod INFP | The Graveyard Book #MBTI #INFP

Dominant Fi: Bod dislikes Miss Lupescu almost immediately and says so. He is disturbed by Jack’s business card in the shop. When he takes Scarlett to see the barrow, he doesn’t try to make her feel better by telling her they wouldn’t get hurt. He goes to school, despite it being against the rules to leave the graveyard. At school, Bod generally keeps to himself, and only gets involved when he notices that the other kids aren’t standing up to Nick and Mo. He decides to escape from the ghouls because he wants to keep his identity, and knows his original name doesn’t matter. (“I’m Nobody Owens. That’s who I am.”) He reacts strongly to the snow, especially since he had only seen it three times at that point. Continue reading →

Drew – Pokémon: INTJ

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Guest Post by Andrew, ENTJ

Pokémon Anime Franchise

Drew INTJ| Pokemon #MBTI #INTJ

Introverted Intuition (Ni): Drew has an obsession with Pokemon contests that consumes his whole life.  Even after a humiliating loss in his first ever contest battle, he persevered, becoming a skilled, respected, and popular Pokemon coordinator.  He focuses so much on plowing ahead that he all but forgets this humble beginning to his career.  Drew chooses each Pokemon on his team with great care, going out of his way to capture the ones that he especially likes.  When his plans are interrupted by a shipwreck that strands him on an uninhabited island, he is slow to adjust to his new reality, instead bemoaning all the training time he has lost. Continue reading →

N-types are not better than S-types.

Arvid Walton 42 Comments

Shubham (ENTP) asked: I have observed that some of my friends who are S types retake the MBTI test again and again to get a N type.eg- one of my ISTJ friend took the test almost 5 times and got INTJ once. Now whenever he meets someone he claims to be an INTJ, although he is completely an ISTJ.

I have observed this behaviour with many of my S type friends (specially ISTPs and ISFPs who sometimes claim to be ENFPs.). I personally think that there is no reason one should change their personality type or start behaving like some other type. I think that this is a result of stereotyping of Ns being better than Ss.

Have you observed a similar behaviour anytime? What is your hypothesis on why some Ss want to be typed as Ns.

Yes. Yes, I have.

The internet, and many fandoms seem to have convinced themselves that INTJs are…for some reason…the best MBTI type ever. There is no logical reason to believe that INTJs are somehow better than other types, and there are even fewer logical reasons to try to become an INTJ if you are not one. Continue reading →