Myers-Briggs Personality Type

[Porpoise]

I like the way you put that, Laudisco.

Sometimes I think the idea of a 'TMS personality' can obscure the variations in the ways our personalities can contribute towards mindbody issues.

INTP here, I think!

Its interesting that some perceive themselves as thinking(inTp) over feeling(inFp) when in actuality they may just be so good at repression they don't realise or identify feelings. Jonathan Ames alluded to this somewhat in the Clip of him meeting Dr Sarno as he said he bypassed anger and went straight to depression. So in effect, some of the INTPs maybe be INFPs without consciously being aware of it as they may be Alexithymic* to a certain degree.

*not sure if that is correct usage but Alexithymia is a condition where people have extreme difficult identifying emotions due to them being neglected or imposing self neglect.

Hi Irish Sceptic,

The F, or feeling function, in the MBTI doesn't really refer to the experience of emotions but is a preference of subjective valuing over objective thought (T). That's my take on it anyway! Thanks for your comment.

 

[Kiara]

Thanks for sharing Nimitz! It does seem like there is a sort of "selection bias" here, because INxx types seem to be more common on internet forums and more likely to explore psychological causes for health issues. I suspect many Sensing types would find this harder to accept, at least initially. I have an ISTP manager at work, and I can't imagine him wanting to do a journal either - unless he absolutely had to!

Current list:

ENFP: 1

INFP: 8

INTP: 4

INFJ: 3

INTJ: 2

ENFJ: 1

ISFJ: 2

Wendyd, I have added you as an INFP because according to professional MBTI practitioners, if someone is on the border between P and J they are more likely to be a Perceiver (as Western cultures train people to be more like a Judging type). Also, INFPs are statistically more common than INFJs. Apparently INFPs often mistake themselves for INFJs, while INFJs often think they are INTJs.

 

[Kiara]

I found this thread really interesting today: Introversion - A Health Risk?

"Unfortunately, research shows that the characteristic introversion also carries a few down sides with it. As compared to the extroverts, introverts are subject to increased psychological and physiological health risks. For instance, a study by the University of North Carolina demonstrated that they run a significant higher risk of depressions than extroverts do. By the way, here the male Sensitive Doers ranged on top of the scale. It appears that the preference combination introverted/feeling/perceiving represents a risk factor for depression. Apart from the Sensitive Doer this also applies to the Dreamy Idealist. But then all other introverts also proved to be more at risk. Another study by the same university also established that introverted persons are subject to a higher suicide risk factor than their extroverted counterparts. This apparently especially affects introverted-perceiving personality types (namely the Sensitive and Individualistic Doers, the Analytical Thinkers and Dreamy Idealists).

Studies also reveal significantly more frequent affective disorders (such as mania, unipolar and bipolar depression) in connection with alcohol- and drug abuse. Here the combination introverted/feeling/perceiving proved to represent an elevated risk factor. On the other hand, the extroverted/thinking personalities among the alcohol- and drug patients were primarily those without affective disorders."

 

[kchung]

I am an ENFP. I consider myself a complete opposite of a perfectionist, and I am relatively non-competitive. I am very easy going, lay back, retired and always thought that I was stress-free. That was why it was so hard for me to understand Dr. Sarno's theory. I am ten months into my TMS journey, and finally seeing some light, reading Sarno's Healing Back Pain the second time. I am reading it very carefully, picking out bits and pieces that are relevant. I can never do jounalling, nor planning. I hate structures and rules. It just seems that everything Dr Sarno desciesribed in the book is opposite to what I am, but yet I developed TMS. So I think it is dangerous trying to stereotype people. Walt said it right: unless you live in a Tibetan monastery, you bound to experience anxieties, stress, anger etc. no matter what your personality type. Now I am just carefully analyzing my own anxieties. e.g, I know I hate doing tax returns every year, and I get depressed and angry going it every year. Watching dandelions growing out of control in the yard also get me really worried and angry. So I am not worry free after all.

I found this on the net and I can really relate to it:
"Because ENFPs live in the world of exciting possibilities, the details of everyday life are seen as trivial drudgery. They place no importance on detailed, maintenance-type tasks, and will frequently remain oblivous to these types of concerns. When they do have to perform these tasks, they do not enjoy themselves. This is a challenging area of life for most ENFPs, and can be frustrating for ENFP's family members."