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Can Your Personality Type Change?
Posted by ArsenicCookies • 3/02/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: junk
In September I was something else, now on Feb 27th I am apparently an
ENTP
Extraverted iNtuitive Thinking Perceiving
See my Personality Profile
ENTPs are frequently described as clever, cerebrally and verbally quick, enthusiastic, outgoing, innovative, and resourceful. ENTPs are motivated by a desire to understand and improve the world they live in. They are usually accurate in sizing up a situation. They may have a perverse sense of humor and sometimes play devil's advocate, which can create misunderstandings with friends, coworkers, and family. ENTPs are ingenious and adept at directing relationships between means and ends. ENTPs 'think outside the box,' devising fresh, unexpected solutions to difficult problems. However, they are less interested in generating and following through with detailed plans than in generating ideas and possibilities. ENTPs are quick to see complex interrelationships between people, things, and ideas. These interrelationships are analyzed in profound detail. The result is an in-depth understanding of the way things and relationships work, and how they can be improved.
I thought your type was absolute, I have never heard of it changing before...
So what is yours? www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp
Has yours ever changed?
Does the description match you?
User Comments
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I have multiple personalities so they change all the time.
Seriously though...I don't put much stock in those personality profiles. I am who I am and if it changes, so be it.-
well said
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thank you
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Personality profiling is meant not as a classification, but as a guidance tool. Many of my friend took the test as part of pre-marital counseling in order to understand the dynamics of communication with their partner. So whether or not you put stock in it, you can possibly learn something about yourself and the way you communicate with the world. -
@stillthinking Well said. It's not a "test" as much as it is a "tool" for understanding yourself and the world around you. You get out of it what you put into it.
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I am an INFJ. Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging. That means I am an idealist/negotiatior. I have been told your type changes as you grow older, so they recommend taking the test every five years or so. My friend changed from an INTP to an INTJ.
My description matches me exactly. I am fascinated by personality descriptors. According to Jung's model, I am the Negotiatior. Dr. Helen Fischer's model for Chemistry.com is based on Jung's model, and I came up as a Negotiator for my major descriptor and an explorer for my minor descriptor.
So, it seems that no matter what test you take, your personality will express itself as a certain type.-
I'm the same-- INFJ. I felt it was pretty close to my perceived personality.
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An ENFJ at 62-67% on everything? You gotta be kidding!
For years I was diagnosed as a hopeless melancholic of melancholies, so this is a complete surprise.
I was taken aback by several questions that asked if I prefer one or another when in fact, I have a preference for neither. I don't think this test takes that into account. -
The introvert/extrovert dyad is a dialectic which remains at the psychological level. One must go beyond the dialectic to be (doobedo) all that one can be -
I just took the version on the website and came up an INFJ again.
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personality is a collection of relatively stable traits, thoughts, and feelings that are unique to the individual. it is guided by circumstances and happenings that may occur at various stages of life.
and since, personality is relatively stable (and not stable) it is quite natural if a person's personality type changes after a period of time. having said that the basic structure will always be the same, but minor changes can definitely take place. -
I don't think mine has changed at all. But i Have a hard time remembering what I had the first time
Your Type is
INFJ
IntrovertedIntuitiveFeeling Judging
Strength of the preferences %
11 88 12 56
From: keirsey.com/handler.aspx?s=keirsey&f=fourtemps&tab=3&c=counselor Keirsey :
Idealist Portrait of the Counselor (INFJ)
Counselors have an exceptionally strong desire to contribute to the welfare of others, and find great personal fulfillment interacting with people, nurturing their personal development, guiding them to realize their human potential. Although they are happy working at jobs (such as writing) that require solitude and close attention, Counselors do quite well with individuals or groups of people, provided that the personal interactions are not superficial, and that they find some quiet, private time every now and then to recharge their batteries. Counselors are both kind and positive in their handling of others; they are great listeners and seem naturally interested in helping people with their personal problems. Not usually visible leaders, Counselors prefer to work intensely with those close to them, especially on a one-to-one basis, quietly exerting their influence behind the scenes.
Counselors are scarce, little more than one percent of the population, and can be hard to get to know, since they tend not to share their innermost thoughts or their powerful emotional reactions except with their loved ones. They are highly private people, with an unusually rich, complicated inner life. Friends or colleagues who have known them for years may find sides emerging which come as a surprise. Not that Counselors are flighty or scattered; they value their integrity a great deal, but they have mysterious, intricately woven personalities which sometimes puzzle even them. [continues] -
we have a wide variety of personality types here. I think a majority of the descriptions seems to be dead on
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We have 3 INFJ on a single thread, which is interesting, because INFJ is supposedly a pretty rare personality type.
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Maybe that's why we get along so well for the most part - and only have fiery fall outs once in a while
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That being said, if we all worked in the same office, we would never get anything done. We would all be too busy trying to see each other's viewpoints and grasp the big picture.
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You can certainly change, especially if you're not a strong "type". Personality is fluid. Over the years I've become less of an Extravert, and less of a Perceiver at least functionally. At my core I'll always be a pretty strong "P", but I compensate for it so I test less strongly. My NF will never change, ever. I'll always be an ENFP, but some people walk the line and can go back and forth. I enjoy Myers Briggs; it's a neat tool.
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Your Type is
ENFP
Extraverted Intuitive Feeling Perceiving
Strength of the preferences %
11 25 75 33
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Your Type is
INFJ
Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judging
Strength of the preferences %
44 38 25 1
I think I'm always like this -
4 INFJ's!
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I am an ENFJ and have always been this (at least since I first took the test about 15 years ago).
There are some aspects of personality that do not change--I believe we are born with innate qualities (such as temperament) than last a lifetime.
However, if we undergo major changes--such as life events that impact us (loss of a loved one, change in career, etc) then I do believe we can change some aspects of our personality.-
I've read that so many times, mtyler, and I've never been able to get away from that premise before.
I even remember a preacher even saying, "YOU MISERABLE MELANCHOLY! YOU ARE GOING TO BE STUCK IN DARKNESS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!" And all past tests have placed me in that category.
How do I suddenly end up being an "extrovert"on this test? More like what might be called, a "Mildly Choleric Sanguine?"
Or perhaps, more often than not, the core of personality is more balanced than we think, and what surfaces is perhaps more incidental? Do you think that what we often read is more a matter of what needs to be adjusted when the inner child is actually quite different, surfacing under different conditions? -
I believe that certain aspects of our personality *are* innate--such as some people are born with a tendency to be more shy than others are--and others (like me) are truly extraverted. Most parents, I think, will tell you that they could see distinct traits in each of their children from almost the moment of birth. Some children are naturally born more happy and content and some kids worry more. These are all aspects of our personality that are relatively VERY stable.
Now, things can happen to change those basic, innate tendencies. Our environment shapes what we are born with. For example, a super shy child who is constantly encouraged to be more active socially will likely come out of her/his shell somewhat. For a few people, this can mean a real personality change. But I believe that COMPLETE changes in personality are very rare.
The real Myers-Briggs test is over 200 questions long--and if it is administered by a trained psychologist is very hard to "cheat" on -- because each scale has deliberate questions that are written specifically to score deception--so a psychologist could tell if a person was being truthful.
The test that the OP posted here is a fun test to take--but it is not scientific nor is it valid. I believe many people answer the way they WISH they could be rather than asnwering completely honestly on every question. While I believe that environmental events can and do shape our personality--I really do believe that our most basic characteristics are stable over time.
A trained psychologist--with the real Myers-Briggs Personality typology would likely show stable traits for each person which lasts over time.
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Of course they can change, as you act differently in given situations.
And in the case of these person types - you can basically fool the test and shape whatever result you want to give.
I usually score INTP when I answer as I would "most honestly" - but I can shape the answers to form any personality I want. It's easy.
And my personality have changed over the years, but mostly the E/I and the J/P scales. I was J when younger and inexperienced, but now I'm much higher P. -
Yes your personality type can change but as mtyler77 points out above there are some aspects of personality that do not change. When professionally tested I swing between INTJ and INFJ.
Myers Briggs Personality Type is based on 4 preferences
1. Where, primarily, do you prefer to direct your energy?
2. How do you prefer to process information?
3. How do you prefer to make decisions?
4. How do you prefer to organize your life?
To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know.
INFJs are not easily led. These are the people that you can rarely fool any of the time. Though affable and sympathetic to most, INFJs are selective about their friends. Such a friendship is a symbiotic bond that transcends mere words.-
Ah, see this helps me understand you, TT!
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I am INTJ. I have taken personality test four times over the years and always come out INTJ which frankly suprises me (the consistency).
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I am an ISTP
Not extreme in any of them though.
I have been working on the "I".
So far so good. -
The first time I took the test - in high school - I was an INTP ("The Architect")
Since then, I've always scored as an INFP, though the F is my least strong preference. I often joke that I'm not sure how to think or feel about that.
INFP: Healers present a calm and serene face to the world, and can seem shy, even distant around others. But inside they're anything but serene, having a capacity for personal caring rarely found in the other types. Healers care deeply about the inner life of a few special persons, or about a favorite cause in the world at large. And their great passion is to heal the conflicts that trouble individuals, or that divide groups, and thus to bring wholeness, or health, to themselves, their loved ones, and their community. -
Sure it can change, depending on the test you take.-
Not if the tests are vigorous and reliable, marktmarket. If they're all supposed to be testing the same thing, and they all test it accurately, you should get roughly the same results.
But on the internet you're getting a fraction of these actual personality tests. An actual type inventory takes a good hour or so to complete, and is professionally graded. -
Exactly. I got pretty much the same results on three different tests.
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@dinsquared
I have been professionally tested very recently and you're right. The testing took just a few minutes over an hour. The interview took just a few minutes less than an hour. -
I think the professional administered one would be. Taking a test on your own, whether online or otherwise--it's hard to be totally objective about your answer.
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@marktmarket It doesn't matter if you're "totally" objective. The test is designed to compensate. In the real test it's not entirely clear what questions are measuring what. There is no "good" or "bad" or "right" or "wrong" on a type inventory test unless you perceive it to be. You're asked to go very quickly through the questions and give your gut reaction. You can certainly sit and over analyze and that could skew the results, but you're not cheating anyone but yourself. Type inventory tests are fairly meaningless except to understand yourself and to help others understand you.
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I found what changed was the P, it used to be something else. Everything else remained the same. I guess it makes sense that I had a bit of a change, lol, I experienced a self inflicted attitude adjustment in December so maybe that has something to do with it. I filtered out a lot of things, and consciously strayed from other preferences. Interesting to see how personality types can help promote understanding
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How did you get this personality type confirmed and again the change in personality??-
I took several over the past few years and it was all the same. Some were online assessments, one was forced by PR, and there were 2 in college (mandatory). The change was based on 2 I took in February that came up the same. It may not have actually changed but those 2 tests were the same that I had previously taken.
Lol no clue why I keep taking them, guess its just habit now -
Interesting - I would not pay too much attention to this if I were you. If you are happy with the way you are what does it matter what a test says, cheers, R
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Question: Can your personality type change?
Answer: As discussed above the basic traits don't change. However, there are those who are adept at projecting personality types that are not truly their own.
While I was sitting in the waiting room prior to my appointment, I read an article in a journal on this topic, albiet at the extreme edges of it. The one aspect of changing personality types that has not been discussed in this thread, not surprisingly, is that sociopaths.
Sociopaths are often highly skilled at lying, can be charming and are adept at faking the emotions they lack during personality testing interviews. They are also adept when it comes to deception when being given written personality tests as well.
The point is, these sick people find young victims easily because they were glib, charming and manipulative, while their victims are generally naive. The more mature their intended victims are the savvier they are at discerning the phoniness projected and seeing the true personality type underneath the mask.-
Interesting points: For me, I just stopped being as judgemental. It was an intentional choice because I don't feel as though it was a healthy trait to have. It seemed to limit who I'd associate with because I had written them off as X, Y or Z. I have had some wonderful experiences with being less judgemental and seem to be calmer because everything is not as black and white, cut and dry as it once was.
I wonder where the line is drawn between a fake person and someone who is trying to make themselves better? Thoughts? -
A fake person wouldn't want to better themselves. They are either deluded or are trying to couch their inadequacies.
How people handle criticism is one indicator. Those who are trying to better themselves learn to handle and dish criticism well. Those who are in denial can't stand it. -
As people get older, they learn to accept criticism. I was terrible at accepting criticism as a child, but now, I am the champ of constructive criticism.
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@Stillthinking- that is very, very true. I accept it better as I get older, but am still leary depending on who it's from and what their reputation is (dang there goes that judging side again). I think in a few years, I will be a champ as well. Just have to skip past all of the pride I guess
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I've floated between INTP and INTJ, which means I'm probably close to the border between the two.
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Me too.
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OOPS! Cancel that "me too". I must have been having a bad vision moment. I swing between INFJ and INTJ
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Your Type is
ISTJ
Introverted - Sensing - Thinking - Judging
Strength of the preferences %
78 - 12 - 25 - 67 -
Your Type is:
I N F P
Strength of the preferences %
44 50 12 67-
I'm an INFP too. Cool. We gravitate toward projects that have a sense of helping society. The mighty dollar usually isn't a motivator for INFP's. It said I could be happy as a priest, musician, or teacher. Well, I'm two of those so I guess I'm traveling the right road. Out of curiosity gtally, what's your occupation? -
Hah! I'm a dirty, rotten, money grubbing capitalist. I help run a hotel. But I really do enjoy work more for the creative outlet than for the material gain. (especially in this economy. ) And I love the English language and love to write, which are both INFP characteristics. Plus I'm a dreamy, Walter Mitty type, and tend to see the good in other people. (Even though I'm a political cynic). So figure that one out.
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Another INFP here!
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I have often heard the saying that a person's temperament can change, while their personality (capable of only minute shifts) is much more static.
My score: I N T J
Percentage: 100 62 62 67
For almost all of my psych. courses, I've had to take this test. My score has always remained the same -
cool cool, now we are getting some variety. Only an handful of E's though... hmmm
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Yeah, and I'm a weak E.
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You know after looking at this I decided to look around and see if most bloggers were introverted and came across a pretty accurate (In my opinion anyways) comparison of the two. Lol it was dead on, anywho, just thought it'd be something interesting to share with the group www.pureblogging.com/2008/03/27/introverted-vs-extroverted-blogging-maximiz...
The only thing I disagree with is that extroverts may be too flighty to gain loyal readership because I have some pretty loyal folks.
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I think so/hope so. If you don't like something about yourself I would assume you can go about changing it, form new habits and new perspectives on things. Is it a good change, or a bad change? Do you like your type?
OTOH, I was INTJ as a child and when I got tested again for a job I was still INTJ with the same leanings only more so. I've tried to work on that "I" for years and it's exhausting with inverse progress.
Introverted 100
Intuitive 62
Thinking 12
Judging 44-
I think it's a good change. I think I am pretty happy with what shows up, it was only a J changing to a P so that's nothing major but I was surprised to see it. Very cool that you believe in working on ones self. I think that is a way to happiness, self improvement.
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Wow, Sam. I've never seen anyone 100% anything and I've seen many a type inventory.
I think we basically are who we are. We can train ourselves to work a certain way, but only extent - I have to be more "J" to succeed at work, but at my core I'll always be a "P". Sometimes my "E" side will come out more, sometimes my "I" side, but I am what I am, which is a slight E.
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I am a pretty easy going person but when I get into a stressful situation I become a driver almost instantly.
For example, several years ago my wife and my daughter and I were in Miami Beach. We went to a conference and the speaker talked about personality types. We all agreed I was kind of like a C, calm and collective. When we arrived at the airport the next morning my daughter turned to my wife and said, "did you see that?", "Dad went from a C to an A just like that" and she snapped her fingers.
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