MBTI and "stereotyping"

[sasapurdue]

Have you ever tried to explain MBTI, Enneagram or other things pertaining to personality theory to people who are not familiar with these concepts? If so...how do you respond to the skeptical response that often comes up -- "That is useless because it is boxing people in or stereotyping people". I know how I respond but I wanted to see if others had encountered this and what your response is to it. If you haven't encountered this feel free to throw you opinion in about the subject anyway :) .

Talk amongst yourselves!

[Sue Denim]

I just reply, "well, you would think that. You're a 'J'!"

j/k

I usually say something like, "Oh, I agree that it shouldn't be about stereotyping, but more about tools for understanding. I see it as more of a way of looking at things instead of a way of categorizing. It is useful to the degree that it aids understanding. Putting people in boxes seems to limit, not aid understanding."

They're usually more open to what I'm saying when I do this. But mostly, I don't try to encourage people to take an interest in MBTI if they're not really interested.

[Dunearhp]

"How do you think outside the box if you can't see the walls?"

I never bring it up in conversation anyway.

[Xander]

I have ahd it explained to me and have explained it to others.
I always refer to MBTI as stricly preferences on how you deal with life. For the real ardent "I don't want to be boxed groups" I point out that it may only be a 50.1% preference but it is still valid and can help you understand youself and others.
Besides you can always point out the degree to which they pidgeonhole themselves already. Fashion etc.

[sasapurdue]

People feel comfortable saying things about themselves like "I tend to misplace things frequently" or "I like things to be orderly" or "I tend to be very outgoing". MBTI just compiles a lot of our tendecies which are self-reported. I always tell people, it doesn't tell you how you act or how you think but how you tend to act or tend to think based on self-reported information.

[ptGatsby]

Have you ever tried to explain MBTI, Enneagram or other things pertaining to personality theory to people who are not familiar with these concepts? If so...how do you respond to the skeptical response that often comes up -- "That is useless because it is boxing people in or stereotyping people". I know how I respond but I wanted to see if others had encountered this and what your response is to it. If you haven't encountered this feel free to throw you opinion in about the subject anyway .

Talk amongst yourselves!


Constantly - people want to feel unique.


There are two ways I fight this - one is to explain that they are preferences and that they have every function in them, just in different mixes. This means they will normally behave this way or that way, but can't really be used to predict them. That seems to calm people down. You can almost hear their minds going "Phew, Ego is safe again!"


The other way is to explain it (generally to NTs) from the bottom up - that it came about (however misleading it is) by observing certain behaviour and making certain generalisations and correlations with that behaviour. Testing for certain reactions and grouping them together... blah blah.


Overall, I think neither are technically correct but manage to give over the two main factors - skeptisism over something that seems new-age and the ego/'I'm different' fear.


Funny enough, I explained it to my INTJ GF, and now we both going around "Dear, you are excersizing your J a little too much" or "Dear, you are being too pish!". In conveys meaning that we both can understand. Whenever we are exposed to unreasonable rants and what not, we have a little saying "Damn Fs!". Same thing, we understand why we are reacting to it the way we do...

So it is helpful, IMO, even if you do stereotype.

[sasapurdue]

Constantly - people want to feel unique.


There are two ways I fight this - one is to explain that they are preferences and that they have every function in them, just in different mixes. This means they will normally behave this way or that way, but can't really be used to predict them. That seems to calm people down. You can almost hear their minds going "Phew, Ego is safe again!"


The other way is to explain it (generally to NTs) from the bottom up - that it came about (however misleading it is) by observing certain behaviour and making certain generalisations and correlations with that behaviour. Testing for certain reactions and grouping them together... blah blah.


Overall, I think neither are technically correct but manage to give over the two main factors - skeptisism over something that seems new-age and the ego/'I'm different' fear.


Funny enough, I explained it to my INTJ GF, and now we both going around "Dear, you are excersizing your J a little too much" or "Dear, you are being too pish!". In conveys meaning that we both can understand. Whenever we are exposed to unreasonable rants and what not, we have a little saying "Damn Fs!". Same thing, we understand why we are reacting to it the way we do...

So it is helpful, IMO, even if you do stereotype.

I know exactly what you mean. My dad and I are always bitching about my mom being so J!!!
This tool has given me so much understanding and insight into why people act the way they do. It's a lot easier to be more tolerant of people when you understand the reasons why they act the way they do.

[ptGatsby]

I know exactly what you mean. My dad and I are always bitching about my mom being so J!!!


Tell me about it! When my GF and I are eating dinner with my family, its the F that is a problem.

Father is an F, Mother is an F, Brother is an F, Brother's GF is an F, Granfather is an F. None of them weak!

Is it any wonder I stay away from my family? "What did you have to dinner ptgatsby? Why, I had an anxiety attack!" Christmas is the worst - 3/4 aunts/uncles are Fs too, or close enough not to matter.

[sasapurdue]

Tell me about it! When my GF and I are eating dinner with my family, its the F that is a problem.

Father is an F, Mother is an F, Brother is an F, Brother's GF is an F, Granfather is an F. None of them weak!

Is it any wonder I stay away from my family? "What did you have to dinner ptgatsby? Why, I had an anxiety attack!" Christmas is the worst - 3/4 aunts/uncles are Fs too, or close enough not to matter.

BAH! I can't even imagine! I am sorry for you!