Effects of personality traits

This is a really good way to put it and I find that so completely relatable lol. Story of my life right there. I have been called a "navel gazer" among other things. I like to think that a person's greatest weakness is also the key to their greatest strength, and this is no different.

It's good to see you also, Willow. Hugs

Me too! Whilst a lot of my experiences have been very negative, they've also given me a greater level of compassion and understanding for others. For example, I think that I was much better at helping to care for my grandfather when he had dementia because I could relate to his fear and confusion about not being sure if he could trust his own mind. And I'm really grateful to have had that opportunity to be there for him, which I wouldn't have been able to do had I been the successful Dr working all of those hours that I would've/could've/should've been had everything not changed 11 years ago.

*Willow*

Its been theorized that inferior functions tend to come out in times of stress. Akak, enXps, whose inferior function is Si- start over-eating/start feeling trapped/start having phantom pains/ect. Same with any other type

A really good book for reading about that is “Was that really me” by Naomi Quenk.

The difference between Mbti and enneagram that I really appreicate is that... there are just a lot of really poor type descriptions out there and there is a real problem with people over typing as ‘intuitive’ because most mbti type descriptions make intuitives out to be the ‘superior’ creative types and make sensors out to be the boring ordinary type- when really, everyone uses all functions- it is just a matter of preference.

Plus, there are all sorts of things that can happen to people to affect how their type presents of course- mbti does allow for that- there are ‘loops’ and like I said- inferior function reactions- that can explain variations in how someone comes off... but enneagram just offers another reason why.

I do appreciate mbti, I just think its something that- is made a ton fuller when attached to enneagram-allows you to really understand those “whys” in a more complete way.

Its like... mbti is the structure/bones of someones type- something that describes how they see the world at core- through their dominant function parented by their aux function- and enneagram just explains- who they decide to be and why with what their mbti already is. Its why you dont see a lot of odd mbti and enneagram combinations- because- if you are already cognitively extroverted... well its less likely that you would naturally fall victim to some of the more introverted fears represented by intoverted enneagram types. Generally its believed that MBTI is innate- but enneagram results from you- you and your mbti types reaction to your early environment.

I just enjoy studying enneagram more personally because I enjoy the ‘whys’ imo- its just a more flexible system than mbti- and therefore theres more of a human element- which my Fi/Ne appreciates.

But yeah no. You couldnt change your enneagram type BUT- there is a theory of integration levels/disintigration levels- where if you get healthy enough you could take on traits of other enneagram types. Like 9s disintigrate to 6- so when Im stressed out I tend to take on 6 ‘anxious/neurotic traits’ and they intigrate to 3- so when Im healthier I tend to take on more of 3s ‘ambitious and self championing’ traits. It doesnt mean you become those types- just that you are healthy/or unhealthy enough that you are dealing with your core fear ‘aka- I am nothing/nobody. I have no voice’ in a way that LOOKs like the way another type might look like going to three ‘I feel like I have no voice but now I feel healthy enough to start giving myself a voice’. (3 being known as the ‘ambitious type’- when 9 is healthy enough to feel like they can have a say- well- they work on it in a very 3 way. It doesnt make them 3s but... just very healthy 9s)

Intigration/disintigration is tough though really. I honestly dont fully understand it myself- always more to learn- (especially since there are things like tri-types and wings). I dont want to be super confusing ot anything but- I do love talking about this stuff.

I find it interesting- a hobby I guess you would call it hah.

I had not taken an Enneagram test! I did the quick, online version and got type 5 w/6 secondary.
I hate that the description sounds flighty to me, even though it claims to be observant. :P
It was fun to read about the types.

Hah 5s really arent flighty- its the most intellectual type. Most often attached to INTJ and INTP (hah like... Id say AT LEAST 80% of both of those types end up typing as 5s) and then ISTP/ISTJ/ENTP.

These types tend to escape outer world concerns (thog this is more 5w4 than 5w6- 5w6 tends to be more responsible/practical than 5w4) through study/intellectualism. These are the types of people who know the most obscure facts/tend to be the ‘experts’ on a variety of topics. They tend to ‘become experts’ because they are afraid of being anything less- are afraid of being called out as incompetnent/slow/stupid so they literally surround themselves with knowledge.

Type is very much attached to introverted thinking types.

This really is the best website imo for enneagram descriptions. I should have linked it from the start. Because Im not super fond of the descriptions that that test gives. Reason I linked it was because it was short and I didnt want anyone to be there for like an hour taking this test... but those descriptions... not a fan.

These are better

https://www.enneagraminstitute.com/type-5/

Thanks Under*Over. I get what you're saying about it providing another aspect to MBTI, but the short tests never give me a meaningful result that I can relate to. Would a longer test be more accurate? Such as the one on that Enneagram Institute website you linked to? If so, I will try to do it at some point in the next few days.

*Willow*

You are right. A person's weakness is often their greatest strength. I always feared ignorance, so i began to read, and read more and more, and then went to college to get a college degree with the intention to get a Phd and teach philosophy.

My friend's greatest fear is to be alone (he was an only child), so he studied psychology to understand people, and when he found no future in that he then became a stand up comedian, and he revels being on stage, you can see how much he enjoys it in his hungering eyes.

I have countless other examples but the basic ruling principle is that when a person realizes their weakest flaw that brings them sadness, they often make it their life's mission to becoming almost a jungian archtype that conquers that flaw.

A simpler example that can be more recoqnizable is seen within the dating game. Often, one is attracted to a quality that another hasn't acheived yet, but yearns for. So they attach themselves to them hoping to gain that lost part of themself.

Definitely. In Jungian terms, it’s all about the unconscious influence of the inferior cognitive style/function. We are so weak to that influence and seek to master it in order to conquer our weakness. It’s like an Achilles heel.

I think of this a lot around this forum as relating to the whole “transference” concept. We have a natural compulsion towards seeking feedback along the lines of our weakest cognitive style. When we don’t get that, it can breed obsession as we are unaware of what exactly we are even seeking and it is subconscious, so instead we try to solve it with our more natural, conscious style of thought.

As an ENTP I have definitely always been vulnerable to strong Si types, especially XSXJs and also INXPs. Both romantically and just in general, they impact me a lot with little effort.

I have a lot of trouble connecting to my internal experience and try too hard to stay in control of my body with my conscious thoughts. When I see people who are really good at that I’m always astounded by how they can be so calm and balanced and self-present all the time. Always wished I could learn to be like that in order to ground my endless thought trains.

I'm definitely still thinking about this in the background of my day to day life (which is another thing that's 'weird' in that no one I know IRL does this - and it's categorically NOT 'worrying', which is what I often get accused of. Don't get me wrong, I definitely DO worry at times, but I often mull over things, even things like TV programme storylines (!), from multiple angles for days/weeks if it piques my interest too and that's not the same as 'worrying' IMO.)

There ARE a lot of poor type descriptions out there, so I found reading about the actual cognitive functions for my MBTI type helpful in confirming to myself that it is a meaningful description. <- That's the important bit to me - is it meaningful/useful to me?! I don't like boxes, I really rail against them. I think that human beings are too complex to be put in boxes. Maybe that's because I didn't fit neatly into psych boxes and so I was treated really badly because of that, and if they had used a person-centred approach and treated ME rather than trying to squash me into some stupid box, that wouldn't have happened. And there's also a lot of black/white thinking that the type is gospel rather than a personal preference and you can use any type if you really want/need to, so people need to bear that in mind too.

But I guess that I like MBTI because, well, 1) I like 'navel-gazing' about these sorts of things! And, 2) I relate to the INFJ type and that makes me think that, even if I don't know anyone IRL that's similar to me, there must be other people out there that see things the way that I do. Honestly, I feel like such an outsider at times because I have no one who wants to have deeper conversations about things - I'm happy to chat about most anything, but others only seem to want to discuss things superficially for a minute or so and then change the topic, and I'm just left wanting...more. Or I get told off for 'worrying' about something that I'm not worrying about, because they don't think deeply about things like I do.

And I'm tired of being stigmatised by others for my experiences because they don't understand that I cope with them in a different way, so either I'm lying about what I experience, or I'm hugely exaggerating because the way I respond doesn't fit their stereotype of how I'm 'supposed' to behave. And then that makes me feel like I'm so alone because nobody truly understands me or sees the world in a similar way to me. Don't get me wrong, I really like who I am and the way that I see the world...but it does get lonely a lot of the time

I did an Enneagram tri-type test last weekend. It was somewhat more relatable than the single number BUT I'm wondering if that's because you are given 3 numbers which then integrate/disintegrate to 6 other numbers, and there's only 9 numbers! And if you factor in wings too, then you basically have a flavour of almost/every number, which could explain anyone! I'm intending to do some more reading when I have some spare time because I find all of this stuff interesting, but I'm not yet convinced it is meaningful to me right now. That's JMO right now though.

Also I have some questions about the MBTI cognitive functions, if you are happy to try to explain it a bit more to me? Some of the cognitive functions explanations get a bit complicated for me, so I was hoping for concrete examples, if you're able?

- INFJ has Se has it's inferior function. In terms of how that differs to Si, does the introverted function mean that it comes from within you, vs outside of you with extraverted functions?? So a mindfulness example of Si could be meditating on your breath, whilst an example of Se could be when I take photos of things that interest me, right? (Incidentally, I absolutely HATE meditating like that, whereas I find mindfulness in terms of being in the moment experiencing the world around me very calming, so I've been wondering if that's Si vs Se?)

- Is Fe the feelings of others vs Fi your own feelings? Because that would make sense as I'm much better at knowing what others are feeling than being able to label my own feelings, which never made sense before I read about MBTI functions because I thought that if I can understand emotions well enough, it shouldn't matter whether they are mine or other peoples...

- I also really don't understand how intuitions are experienced differently in terms of Ne vs Ni, and I'd also appreciate a concrete example of Ti vs Te (is Te a preference for 'thinking out loud'?)

Anyway, sorry for the massive post! I'm basically thinking out loud again.

*Willow*

I did the personality test and got INFP again.

All that is gold does not glitter; not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither; deep roots are not reached by the frost.

- J. R. R. Tolkien

I've always liked that quote, Desoxyn!

*Willow*

Edited possible psychosis.

Need to keep myself grounded.

It's absolutely crazy. Everything. Nothing is real. Everything is real.

I remember someone from a while ago posted saying "Hey friend from another dimension, I like the way you write" etc when I was doing good. Or was I? was I not? I don't know anymore. I'm cursed with this illness but I don't think everyone else isn't cursed in some way.

Why is some psychosis so nice to me

Why do I get manic yet I'm an introvert so people only notice huge changes but in a different way. Why is it that when I'm depressed, I hate myself and when I'm manic that it's so terrifying then I go psychotic.

I just can't stand it.

Sorry I mean to ruin the topic weepingwillow but I wrote a lot about stuff that was relating to INTP and it went nuts but I was feeling more elated every day for like a month now.

Make this stop but the AP injection is brainwashing but i have to be brainwashed to society to live normal because I don't know what is real and what is not only with good insight like I have right now by deleting that post.

My heart will stop, my moms heart will stop. My dad will die of cancer. Everything in life is good. My cat tries to communicate with me and I had bad trips make schiz worse and better and worse and forever it goes

I have to pretend that I'm not in psychosis through more medication to make me chemically balanced in brainwashing that's the reality

HAhaha reality is what it is. We are all inside out and when we are born, our hearts stop beating in the opposite universe but everyone thinks a parallel universe is normal in some ways, but in reality, our reality is disturbing as hell.

Damn I need to stop I'll stop writing..

I hope a god that I don't believe in doesn't tell me to do things again like when it gets bad.

I want to sleep so I'm going to leave it here as it is (My outlet to this forum) and hope that environmental change that I have made gives hope to making me wel.

Because that's what I believe. Opinions and no opinions no beliefes many beliefs. It's all and endless hell.

^ Ignore that post above idk what that was..

Anyways, I started looking into the personality things for fun and interest. I did the Enneagram scale one and it said I'm a 9 (Or 7w6).

9: "Enneagram 9 appears to be be correlated with a preference for feeling and introversion. Between 79% and 83% of 9s have a preference for feeling over thinking. 68% - 70% of Enneagram 9s are Introverts. There also appears to be a slight correlation with sensing over intuition."

7w6: "Enthusiasts demand that life be engrossing and entertaining. To ensure a positive environment, they strive to make life fun for others as well".

Those are some of the things I found about it.

"Level 9: They finally become severely disoriented and catatonic, abandoning themselves, turning into shattered shells. Multiple personalities possible. Generally corresponds to the Schizoid and Dependent personality disorders."

Damn..