Everyone is unique, but this doesn't mean we cannot recognise patterns in approaches to thinking and behaviour. The danger of pigeonholing is imagining everyone within a category is identical, which is simply not true. I put a small degree of trust in these tests, because while anything generalised enough can be made to seem truthful, I always manage to produce the same result, and the description matches me well. The test returned a result of INTJ.
To me, tbese classificationa are pointless. Everyone can be placed in a single category (human, until we have to find a way to not exclude extraterrestrials), and it's far more useful to look at what makes each indiuvidual unique. Don't we already have enough arbitrary categories? Black, white, brown; conservative, liberal; Christian, Muslim, atheist. These are divisive categories, and classifying personalities is no different when we predict behavior based on a 16-way code. Labels dehumanize.
A lot of the categories you mentioned aren't arbitrary. Race, religion, etc. are important identifiers. They are important to who you are. They're only divisive to the intolerant person. I think you're taking it too seriously anyways.
Yet one "science" (psychology...snicker, snicker) is entirely dedicated to quantifying human behavior and personality types.
Not quite in the strictest terms. Psychology isn't/can't be mathematical, so doesn't deal with absolutes. It recognises that human patterns of behaviour can at best be probable. As far as this test is concerned, the only purpose it served me was taking a few moments (wasted, depending on your position) to see what certain limited choice answers reflect, and give me a further moment of introspection while I considered the result. On that level, it has some value. I'm pretty sure no one is set to rally the INFP's and demand segregation against the INTP's... or are they?
Pfft, that's cause everyone knows that INTP's are the elite of society, and as such should be their rulers.
Yes. This test didn't tell me anything that I wasnt already aware of, but I was entertained to see that by answering only a few questions, a computer could figure out some of my dominant personality traits, and then analyze my further from those, most of which were exacting. I think I mentioned before that there were a few inaccuracies, and of course it didn't address even a fraction of what and who I am, but my reaction was still the same: Whoa! The computer figured me out! I understand what you're saying, though, Cogito; I agree with you when you say that labels dehumanize. I dislike limits because I dont tend to work well within them. All the same, it was still interesting, the test. I like learning about people, and if everyone elses's answers yielded results as accurate as mine were, then I can grasp at least a little bit of the person I'm speaking with. I like that.
How many people are there in the world? I imagine that's how many personality types there really are. But part of being human is to want to understand and classify, and 16 general personality types is a little more manageable than 16 billion. I've taken this type of test lots and it changes from time to time (once, I was an extrovert!), but it always reflects me at the time of the test. And right now I'm feeling a little INFJ. Introverted (I) 86.67% Extroverted (E) 13.33% Intuitive (N) 53.19% Sensing (S) 46.81% Feeling (F) 60% Thinking (T) 40% Judging (J) 70.27% Perceiving (P) 29.73% "Author/Protector/Counselor" Strong drive and enjoyment to help others. Complex personality. 1.5% of total population. I either found the description to be pretty close or total opposite. Apparently, I'd be a fabulous opera singer, and yet would not want to be a race car driver, when I'm thinking that the opposite is more accurate.
Introverted (I) 77.42% Extroverted (E) 22.58% Intuitive (N) 53.66% Sensing (S) 46.34% Thinking (T) 53.33% Feeling (F) 46.67% Perceiving (P) 58.33% Judging (J) 41.67% Your type is: INTP "Architect". Greatest precision in thought and language. Can readily discern contradictions and inconsistencies. The world exists primarily to be understood. 3.3% of total population.
Introverted (I) 65.63% Extroverted (E) 34.38% Intuitive (N) 52.63% Sensing (S) 47.37% Feeling (F) 52.94% Thinking (T) 47.06% Judging (J) 54.84% Perceiving (P) 45.16% INFJ - "Author". Strong drive and enjoyment to help others. Complex personality. 1.5% of total population.
Extroverted (E) 61.54% Introverted (I) 38.46% Intuitive (N) 61.9% Sensing (S) 38.1% Feeling (F) 55.88% Thinking (T) 44.12% Perceiving (P) 64.1% Judging (J) 35.9% Your type is: ENFP ENFP - "Journalist". Uncanny sense of the motivations of others. Life is an exciting drama. 8.1% of total population. Sounds a bit freaky, I could be a phony live psychic ... I think my hubby is the exact opposite ISTJ. BTW, I've taken a lot of these exact same tests and that one was the clearest to understand of all of them.
So, who's totalled up the various traits posted in his thread to show general characteristics of aspiring writers?
Something is wrong with those statistics. Each category should total the same since every person had two results in each comparison. Yet they total: 33 33 27 32 Might want to redo those results.
Introverted (I) 70% Extroverted (E) 30% Intuitive (N) 55.56% Sensing (S) 44.44% Feeling (F) 53.33% Thinking (T) 46.67% Perceiving (P) 63.41% Judging (J) 36.59% INFP - "Questor". High capacity for caring. Emotional face to the world. High sense of honor derived from internal values. 4.4% of total population.
here's mine... not totally accurate, but fairly on target generally, but for one major aspect [noted in red] which is far from true in re the current 'me' but could have been semi-true in my old life...
Introverted (I) 60% Extroverted (E) 40% Intuitive (N) 51.06% Sensing (S) 48.94% Thinking (T) 61.54% Feeling (F) 38.46% Perceiving (P) 57.58% Judging (J) 42.42% Seems ok to me.
Introverted (I) 72.41% Extroverted (E) 27.59% Intuitive (N) 67.57% Sensing (S) 32.43% Feeling (F) 65.71% Thinking (T) 34.29% Perceiving (P) 63.89% Judging (J) 36.11% INFP INFP - "Questor". High capacity for caring. Emotional face to the world. High sense of honor derived from internal values. 4.4% of total population. Yay? ...
I am ISTJ Introverted (I) 57.14% Extroverted (E) 42.86% Sensing (S) 59.52% Intuitive (N) 40.48% Thinking (T) 73.33% Feeling (F) 26.67% Judging (J) 52.63% Perceiving (P) 47.37% ISTJ - "Trustee". Decisiveness in practical affairs. Guardian of time- honored institutions. Dependable. 11.6% of total population. ...hmmm, somewhat accurate. Not sure what the 'guard of time' is supposed to mean...
