Tis the season to be grumpy...

Why I dread the holidays:

Don't get me wrong… I am not trying to be anti-Christmas. This could be from my inability to handle too many things at once, especially when it is not by choice. This could possibly have something to do with my ENTP preference, or maybe it's just me. Is it just me?

I don't know what it is about the holidays. It always gets me in a funk. I get overwhelmed, I cannot think clearly, and I want to shut down… disappear from the scene… and come back when it's all over. Is it just me?

I generally love to be around people. I generally love shopping for gifts. I generally love writing emails, cards, and notes to people. I love being with my family. I love getting together with my friends. I love to eat. I love to sing. I generally love to help out whoever is in need.

One caveat: I like doing all those things on my own terms. Without a preplanned schedule. Without the pressure of feeling obligated. With the freedom of knowing that I don't have to do any of it if I choose not to. The pressure comes from my perception that we're expected to do all of the above all at once. And we must remember every single family member, every single friend, every single neighbor, and every single business associate. That's enough to make me want to torch my address book... Is it just me?

I've concluded that my brain has a limit as to how much scheduling and celebrating it can handle. My to-do list is on strike. The wonderful and joyous activities I usually welcome with delight turn into obligations that I dread. It all makes me want to curl up into a fetal position. Is it just me?

I just want to have the choice not to decorate, not to give to yet-another collection for the needy, not to make yet-another care package for the lonely, not to celebrate, not to shop for gifts, not to party, and...well, basically, not to be merry…

IF we had the choice NOT to do them (without feeling like a social misfit), then actually choosing to DO those things would have so much more meaning and be so much more fun…no? Is it just me?

I love the word simplicity. Was it Thoreau who wrote about it? A teen at our church pointed the following scripture verse out to us yesterday. Although that discussion was not about Christmas, I thought the verse was fitting for this post:

They partook of their food with gladness and simplicity and generous hearts... (Acts 2:46)(Amplified)

I know something's not quite right when I would rather sit in front of the computer staring at this endlessly than get back into the holiday frenzy… Is it just me?

Umm… is it over yet?

MBTI and the Sensing/Intuition Preference Pair

Some additional information on the Sensing/Intuition (S/N) preference pair, as I explained to a friend on-line:

Sensing preference focuses on individual facts and what they are. It is all about the details and the practical realities. It prefers information and tasks that are organized and presented in an orderly, sequential format. The Sensing preference relies on the five senses.

Intuitive preference, on the other hand, focuses on what the facts mean rather than whey they are. It pays more attention to connections and implications between the facts than to facts and details alone. It prefers information that is introduced with a "big picture" overview.

If we were talking photography, Sensing would see a macro shot first then may slowly zoom out to take in the bigger picture; and Intuition would see the wide-angle shot first and may slowly zoom in to see the close-up.

Another fascinating thought is that our preferences can be influenced by various factors. We have innate preferences (nature), but the way we experience, develop, use and express those preferences are influenced by our culture, family, education, etc. (nurture). It takes both to make up the complete picture of who we are, and trying to find our true type can be very confusing. The purpose of the MBTI is to find out what that "nature" part of our personality is. I think it can have a significant effect on how we deal with the world and also how we look at ourselves.

Eastern philosophies and the "N" preference

I was telling a friend today that I'm having a Wabi-sabi day. When I use the word Wabi-sabi, I have a picture in my mind of what that looks like/feels like. But to explain it? That's an entirely different story. It sort of means: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... It's kind of like that ironic "in-between" feeling of soothing melancholy...? ummm... it is the beauty of sad/content resignation...? See? I cannot explain it. You just have to understand it for yourself.

I think there may be a connection between the "N" (iNtuitive) preference (espcially as a dominent function) and the concepts of Eastern philosophies, such as Zen Buddhism and Tao Te Ching.

One who knows others is intelligent
One who knows himself is enlightened

One who conquers others is strong
One who conquers himself is all-powerful

One who approaches life with force
surely gets something
One who remains content where he is
surely gets everything

One who gives himself to his position
surely lives long
One who gives himself to Tao
surely lives forever

~ Tao Te Ching, verse 33

I must explain that I'm not talking about religion here. I just want to illustrate how the Eastern philosophy seems to have an N perspective. Here's another verse:

One who gives freely and without attachment
gets full life in return

One who gives with the secret hope of getting
is merely engaged in business

Truly, they neither give nor receive
any of the treasure from this world below Heaven

~ Tao Te Ching, verse 48

twitter dee, twitter dumb...

All those twitter fans out there, please don't be offended.

I've decided to go in and see for myself what it's all about. It's been a whole 7 hours since I signed up for a twitter account. Hmmm... still waiting for that "aha" moment. How is this different than my son's cell phone constantly beeping at him (annoyingly) with text messages?

My initial thoughts are, "This is really dumb" (probably because I don't understand it yet).

Please, please try to make me eat my words. I dare you, twitter!

I'll keep you posted...

Questions to ask yourself when choosing a career

I have recently learned that when doing a career exploration, it is important to ask the following questions:

Who am I?
Taking a good look at yourself and reflecting on what it is that makes you who you are is an important step toward choosing a career. The MBTI instrument is a great tool to use for self-awareness.

Why do I want to work?
The quick answer would be something like "because I need a job to make money." But if that were the only motivator for us to work and we get into a career that does not fit our personality or our interests, we would become unhappy and burned out very quickly - not having an outlet to use our gifts. The following are some examples of questions people ask themselves (taken from my lesson):

• Why is my life important?
• What role does work play in my overall life plan?
• What motivates me to do my best?
• What is my mission in life?
• What does God have in mind for me?

Also, see my previous post on the MBTI Function Pairs.

Where do I want to work?
What kind of an environment would you like to work in? Indoors? Outdoors? Do you like to work with many people or alone? Do you like contributing as a part of a team? Do you like a structured and orderly environment or a fast-paced creative environment. For me, places like Google and Zappos sound very exciting (check out the links). Zappos also pays their employees to quit! And you can slap your CEO! Imagine that! But I digress... back to my points...

What do I want to do?
What is it that you want to do on a day-to-day basis? What type of work would make you get up in the morning looking forward to going to work? Or is that even something that is important to you? Perhaps routine (yes, frightening thought to an ENTP) is what excites you to do your best.......? I can't even imagine that, but anything's possible... ;-)

The Strong Interest Inventory and the MBTI instruments used together in combination is an excellent way to begin answering the above questions and exploring your career options.

Motivators for the MBTI Function Pairs

Some information I have recently learned about what motivates us to work:

• ST - Need to "get it right"

• NT - Need to "understand and master knowledge"

• SF - Need to "provide practical service to others"

• NF - Need to "empower others"

(Taken from On-line Strong/MBTI Combo workshop at G/S Consultants)

A Snapshot of an ISFJ

A good friend of mine is an ISFJ. I also work with this person on a team which I will not mention to protect the identities of the innocent. (Please don't be offended if you're reading this - You know I love you!) ;-)

Here's an illustration of a recent conversation:

ISFJ: We will no longer be doing X because it didn't work out.

ME: How do you know this?

ISFJ: It was the general consensus.

ME: I see. So the vocal minority got to you again?

ISFJ: It was not just the minority, but I don't want to say too much.

ME: Okay. No problem. Let's make the adjustments.

ISFJ: After next week. We need to finish out the month.

ME: Umm... if it's not working, then why don't we just change it now?

ISFJ: We really should finish out the month, since that was what was decided at the beginning of the month.

ME: ??? I don't get it...

A snapshot of an ISTJ

This conversation actually took place between me and my ISTJ husband:

ME: What time do you need to leave for the airport?

HUSBAND: At noon. That way, I'll be there two hours before the flight.

ME: Okay. I know how you usually get with the time, so how about planning on leaving at 11:00 am, so you don't rush me?

HUSBAND: Good idea.

AT ABOUT 10:40 A.M., WHILE HAVING A CONVERSATION OVER COFFEE, HE STARTS GETTING ANTSY, HIS EYES DARTING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE CLOCK AND ME.

ME: Hey, I agreed on a time that was one hour earlier so you wouldn't rush me!

HUSBAND: I know, but I can't help it. The new time is now the time that I'm working with, and I still want to leave 15 minutes early.

ME: *sigh*

Outdoor neighborhood family room, anyone?

I've been reading about ideas regarding the future of children's education over at Peter Gray's blog "Freedom to Learn." One of the commenters there has a blog of his own called Playborhood. On one of his posts, he talks about his plans to design an "outdoor family room" in his front yard where the neighborhood parents and kids can stop by anytime to just hang out.

This sounds like a very interesting and a wonderful concept in theory. But will it work? What do you do with that one annoying neighbor who's loud, boisterous, opinionated, eats all the food, drinks all the beers, and does not have a clue? What do you do with the cliques that will inevitably form? What do you do with that one kid who none of the kids want to hang out with? What do you do with the few women whose main goal in life is to gossip and spread rumors?

Not to put a damper on the plans before they even get off the ground, but I foresee so many of the same problems that seem to surface in any organization, such as church.

There will be the ones who are "in" and who are "out."

Is it just me? Am I just being negative?

By the way, Playborhood is a wonderful blog. He has some great thoughts...

What do you do all day?

Breanne Potter is running a contest on her blog, and the prize she is offering is the most awesome of all time, although I already have all that she is offering. I’m entering anyway, because I like to win.

She asks the question, “What do you do all day?” to which the first thought that pops into my head is, “I have no earthly idea where the time goes, but it goes.” As an ISTJ, Breanne gives a play-by-play report of her morning activities. Taking her cue, let me give you an account of what my day as an ENTP was like today. See if you can pick out the behaviors that fit my preferences:

• 8:00ish - The alarm clock goes off only after four hours of sleep. I was up late trying to finish up 80% of what was on my to-do list after 10:00 pm last night but passed out from exhaustion with just a couple more things left to do.
• 8:30ish - Still in bed trying to wake up… I have to finish up my presentation before the 10am meeting with my pastor.
• Sometime before 8:45 - Out of bed and at my desk, frantically making last minute revisions and printing.
• Sometime after that – phone rings. Neighbor has a question. Get involved in conversation and forget what time it is.
• 9:20ish – OMG!! I have to get ready! Off the phone.
• 15 minutes (give or take) to shower, dress, put on minimal make-up, and quickly dry hair – record time!
• 9:40ish – Back at the computer. More changes need to be made. Quick! Print again. Take a moment to admire my own work.
• 9:50ish – Grab coffee, folders, laptop, and purse and into the garage… run back for cell phone and a pack of gum.
• I suddenly remember that I agreed to attend a luncheon today without realizing that I have another afternoon meeting. I call the hostess and tell her that it probably will be a very short lunch for me.
• 10:10 am – Run into the meeting at full speed, profusely apologizing, etc.
• 12:00ish – meeting runs over; I’m late for the luncheon and have only a little over an hour before the next meeting. Calculate in my head (15 minutes there; 20 minutes to eat; 15 minutes to get back – just enough time!)
• It takes 25 minutes there; 30 minutes to visit; and 25 minutes to get back – complete miscalculation!!
• 1:35 pm – Terribly, terribly late for 1:15 meeting. Walk into the meeting hanging my head in shame.
• 3:45ish – As I’m pulling into the driveway, I realize I have nothing planned for dinner. Back out of the driveway and to the grocery store.
• 4:30ish - Back home, put groceries away, and to my desk to check emails. Start researching something that was brought up at the meeting.
• 5:30ish – Husband comes home and snaps me out of my web trance. Dinner? He asks. I bolt into the kitchen and whip up something for dinner, again in record time. (Most things I do is in record time.)
• 6:30ish – Clean up. Chat with daughter for about 20 min.
• 7:00ish – Back to work until maybe 11:00ish, which will probably end up being after midnight because I just realized that I failed to make a to-do list today, which is why it’s now after 9:00 but I haven’t done any work other than blogging.

Today just happened to be a little crazier than usual; but generally, it is typical of my style. Okay…don’t judge me too quickly. I’m not proud of it! If you will notice, I know the precise times when I walked in late to the meetings, which means that I feel awful about it and want to correct it. My goal is to have a completely flawless “ish” day, which will indicate that everything was accomplished somewhat within the proposed time frame. ;-)


Now your turn... What's your type preference, and what do YOU do all day?

A typical dialogue between "S" and "N" preferences

I have a tendency to get deeply philosophical regardless of what subject I am talking about. This drives my husband and my son crazy, both of whom have an “S” (Sensing) preference. My daughter, a fellow “N” (iNtuitive), is usually a trooper about thinking along with me.

Here’s a typical S/N dialogue between my son and I:

Son: Do you prefer X or Z?

Me: It depends… are you asking because you have a preference and want it validated?

Son: No, I just wanna know what you like.

Me: Will my answer influence the way you see X or Z?

Son: No, just tell me if you like X or Z!

Me: I will have to first ask what makes X behave like an X. Is it affected by the Z? Do you think Z would also look like an X if it were not assumed that it is a Z? I also wonder if X may not at all be an X but just perceived to be one compared to Z. In that case, they may both be Zs and one is just a little less Z than the other.

Son: Are you gonna give me an answer?

Me: There are no answers. Because if they are both Xs or both Zs, then the choice no longer exists. Will you please explain to me why you think X is X?

Son: I don’t know why I bother asking you these questions…

Me: No, wait!! Now you’ve got me thinking. Let’s think together about this… hmmm…

Son: (gone)

MBTI Type and Teams

When I first became a qualified (now certified) MBTI practitioner in May of this year, I was excited, wide-eyed, and overwhelmed. I had no idea where to begin, but as an ENTP, I accepted the challenge and decided to dive into the task of designing my first workshop. At the same time, I mentioned this in a post on one of my (other) blogs. Breanne Potter of CPP found the post and left a comment. The rest of the ongoing story of my MBTI journey can be seen on this very blog, which was created as a result of being inspired by Breanne's The MBTI Blog.

True to my N and P preferences, this blog has turned into a smörgåsbord of sorts, but I generally try to stay to the topics involving the MBTI and psychology (and philosophy, which in essence is very closely related to psychology, n'est pas?). That's the best I can do for now as far as having a focus... :-(

Taking Breanne's advice, I joined the CPP IconSuccess site (she wrote about it again in a recent post), wherein I found the information (which she posted in the forum) about the awesome MBTI® Practitioner Success Pack, which includes over $1,000 worth of materials for half the price. It has been a life-saver for me and played a crucial role in my growth as a practitioner. The kit includes everything a beginning practitioner could ask for/about and much, much more. I'm forever finding new and very helpful information in this treasure box full of goodies, which brings me to the subject at hand.

I have been recently involved in re-organizing the counseling ministry at my church. As a participating member in the restructuring of the ministry, I am actively involved in the organizational development process. I have also become the designated in-house MBTI trainer.

While looking through the pile of booklets to find information on communication, decision-making, and team-building, I came upon "Introduction to Type and Teams," written by Elizabeth Hirsh, Katherine W. Hirsh, and Sandra Krebs Hirsh. It is exactly what I needed in order for us to start off on the right foot.

Our organization currently has four initial members: INTP, ESTJ, ENTP, and INFJ

These are the summaries of what each can bring to the team, as set forth in the book:

INTP: Hallmark - Logic

Analytical, intellectual, and ingenious, INTPs work well when they can operate independently, search for truth, and use rational approaches to solve complex problems. Their curiosity leads them to research theories, contemplate what makes things work, and discover the long-term consequences of any given strategy or plan.

ESTJ: Hallmark - Decisiveness

Logical, directive, and organized, ESTJs work well when they can marshal and manipulate resources, implement plans, and accomplish tasks. They find and correct flaws, monitor events, and hold everyone accountable. Hard-working and responsible, they seek practical, realistic solutions to difficulties.

ENTP: Hallmark - Initiative

Perceptive, adaptable, and clever, ENTPs work well when they can take on challenges, improvise conceptual frameworks, and rally others to conquer issues strategically. They bring an inventive spirit to entrepreneurial endeavors, embrace change and innovation, and see ways of doing things that are not immediately obvious.

INFJ: Hallmark - Integrity

Insightful, inspiring, and creative. INFJs work well when they can concentrate on what matters to people, quietly exert influence, and model integrity. They envision ways to reach long-range goals, want to develop an atmosphere of mutual trust, and organize people and processes so that all benefit.

Now tell me.... how can we NOT succeed? :-)

"Multiple Intelligences" by Howard Gardner

From the book Multiple Intelligences: New Horizons by Howard Gardner:

I believe that in our society we suffer from three biases, which I have nicknamed "Westist," "Testist," and "Bestist." "Westist" involves putting certain Western cultural values, which date back to Socrates, on a pedestal. Logical thinking, for example, is important; rationality is important; but they are not the only virtues.

"Testist" suggests a bias towards focusing on those human abilities or approaches that are readily testable. If it can't be tested, it sometimes seems, it is not worth paying attention to. My feeling is that assessment can be much broader, much more humane than it is now and that psychologists should spend less time ranking people and more time trying to help them.

"Bestist" is a thinly veiled reference to David Halberstam's 1972 book The Best and the Brightest. Halberstam's title referred ironically to the figures, among them Harvard faculty members, who were brought to Washington to help President John F. Kennedy and in the process launched the Vietnam War. I think any belief that all the answers to a given problem like in one certain approach, such as logical-mathematical thinking, can be very dangerous. current views of intellect need to be leavened with other, more comprehensive points of view.

When he refers to assessments in the second paragraph above, he's referring to tests such as IQ and the SAT.

He proposes an individual-centered learning environment that takes the multifaceted view of intelligence, based on findings from the cognitive science and neuroscience.

I see Jung written all over the cognitive portion of it, don't you?

Gardner's theory began with seven very different but equally important intelligences:

• Musical Intelligence
• Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence
• Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
• Linguistic Intelligence
• Spatial Intelligence
• Interpersonal Intelligence
• Intrapersonal Intelligence

He later added an eighth:

• Naturalist Intelligence

He also looked at a ninth intelligence, calling it Existential Intelligence (has to do with the spiritual and the big questions of life), but did not have conclusive findings. (yet!) ;-)

Board Meeting: Time to refocus and reorganize

• Subject: Redefine the purpose of Mindblink Blog
• Board members: Me, myself, and I
• Concerns: Mindblink is losing direction and focus (where were we going with this?)

I have created this blog after being inspired by The MBTI Blog of Breanne Potter as a means to stay connected to the MBTI community and also to share my new passion with others who may not be familiar with the type theory. As I have a tendency to make everything broader than they need to be, my focus can easily get scattered. Judith Grutter, who was my teacher for my on-line Strong Interest Inventory qualification, pointed to the fact that:

if I try to do everything, I will most likely end up doing nothing.

...Simple statement with so much truth in it... I've been chewing on that thought for a couple of weeks now, trying to digest it and find a focus.

I have been readjusting my goals and my vision as far as my career path is concerned, and it's slowing becoming more clear as I think through it. I've come too far to just let it fizzle out into nothing.

I am here to address the issues concerning this blog. I am reaching deep to get in touch with my out-of-preference and underdeveloped "S" and "J" functions. It requires frequent deep breaths and great concentration, but it's time to make some clarifications and find a focus here:

1. Psychology will be the main focus of this blog. While it is true that I believe psychology applies to everything in life, it is also true that "everything" is simply too broad of a topic.


2. I will resurrect my other blogs to write about my thoughts that don't quite seem to fit into the category of psychology and MBTI.


3. Other writers here whom I have invited to co-author this blog will be requested to post at least once every 4-6 weeks. I will do my best to suggest appropriate topics.


4. As for myself, I will be writing about my new discoveries and lessons that I learn as I continue in my growing process as it applies to psychology in general, and to MBTI in particular.


5. Staying within the context of #4 stated above, I will continue to think, ask questions, learn as much as I can, and share what I've learned in a way that is palatable and easy-to-comprehend.
   


6. Nothing is ever written in stone with me, but I will try this "focus" thing for a while and see how it goes...

I've been tagged... to reveal six random things about me

I’ve been tagged.

Thank you, Breanne, for keeping me in the loop. This sounds like fun. Let’s see… six random things about me:

1. I have three birthdays: January 15, my real birthday; February 15, my official birthday (paperwork mishap when we moved to the U.S. in 1976); and April 23, my Christian birthday [what I call my “mind blink” moment – you can listen to my testimony here (5/25/2008 recording)].


2. I speak two languages, English and Korean. I’m also bi-cultural. I have two sets of friends. It requires two different mindsets. I can be fully immersed in either group, but not at the same time.


3. I worked as an Investigative Specialist on the Special Surveillance Group (SSG) Squad in the New York Office of the FBI in the late 1980s and early 1990s.


4. I sing every Sunday as part of the Praise and Worship Team at my church.


5. I have two other blogs here and here.


6. Sixth random fact about me: "Random" is a funny word to me. I can take any random thing and find a way to connect it to the bigger picture. Ha!

Now, I must pass this chain on to six new friends...

1) Hugo - http://ttm.appspot.com/blog/
2) Ruthie - http://ruthie-zaftig.blogspot.com/
3) Allison - http://musings.meanderwithme.com/
4) Matt - http://www.aninsomniac.co.uk/
5) Miller - http://skepticsplay.blogspot.com/
6) Matt Stone - http://mattstone.blogs.com/glocalchristianity/ - (relieved from this task due to lack of interest) ;-)

New 6) Richard Wade - http://www.mindblink.org/search/label/Richard%20Wade

Here are the rules:

1) Link to the person who tagged you. Please see above.
2) Post the rules on the blog.
3) Write six random things about yourself.
4) Tag six people at the end of your post.
5) Let each person know they have been tagged.
6) Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Tag! YOU'RE IT!!

UPDATE: Miller, Matt, and Ruthie - you guys are awesome and a good sport! Matt Stone was not interested in humoring me at all. At least Allison and Hugo are fixing to get ready to think about perhaps considering the possibility of taking a few minutes to ponder a few interesting facts about themselves. C'mon people! Where is your sense of child-like play? :-( I took back the tag from Matt Stone and decided to tag someone else who I know is all about not taking life too seriously and who knows how to take a few minutes have fun once in a while. That person is none other than our very own Richard Wade! Tag, Richard! Please don't make me a liar. ;-)

Thoughts from a Frenchman... Oui! :-)

Here's a wonderful quote by Marcel Proust from the book, How Proust Can Change Your Life, by Alaine de Botton:

Our vanity, our passions, our spirit of imitation, our abstract intelligence, our habits have long been at work, and it is the task of art to undo this work of theirs, making us travel back in the direction from which we have come to the depths where what has really existed lies unknown within us.
~ Marcel Proust

In other words... Reach deep; be brave; be creative; BEEEEEEE YOURSELF!

Learning to Shift Our Preconceived Mental Models

Here's another video that you may find interesting:

Jonathan Drori: Why we don’t understand as much as we think we do


It seems that I've been stuck on this theme for some time now. The more I dig, the more fascinated I become. Although this video mainly deals with our misconceptions about science, I think the same concept applies to all other aspects of life.

The following points especially stood out to me:

• We learn through experience more than from the teachers in a classroom.


• Once we have stored information in our minds, we look for evidence to reinforce our misconceptions.


• There are people all too able to provide that evidence and/or to create other barriers to new and accurate information.


• Neither we nor our children are empty vessels, as we are constantly gathering and accumulating data.


• Our early mental models are extremely persistent and difficult to shift.

I think we can apply this to just about every bias or pre-existing idea we have regarding race, culture, religion, gender roles, politics, tradition, and even our idea of God.

It's true that it is extremely difficult to look at any new information with a completely clean slate without any preconceived notions we have learned through someone else teaching us. hmmm...

I think the key is to always try to think and experience things for ourselves.

Our Internet Dependency

While I was trying to get inspired to write a worthy post, I stumbled upon the following Nokia ad with the tag line: "Welcome to the fourth screen."

Watch it if you haven't seen it already; it's only 2:22 long. It's simply brilliant. Can I hire these people to do my marketing?



Let's step back and take a look at this. They are selling the idea of dragging people out of their basements and into the streets so we can have interaction with real people. It is interesting that a way to accomplish this is to make a mini-screen that is portable, instead of actually encouraging interaction with real people as real people.

Let's take yet another step back and take a look at ourselves. There is so much truth in this picture. It makes me think. Are we slowly becoming (or have already become) people who are afraid of people? Are we becoming more and more isolated with the help of new technology? Are we becoming people who are so anti-conflict, anti-social, anti-failure and have such a fear of rejection that we would rather express ourselves and share ideas through the security blanket of a computer screen?

Or is the new technology actually helping us to reach out to people that we would not have dreamed of meeting otherwise? This Internet world, the world-wide web that I have become so attached to in such a short time... Is it really helping us? or is it actually hurting us?

I'd like to believe it is the former; because for now, it helps me stay connected to other thinkers and also my sanity.

My concluding thought is this: Just like anything else, new technology is only a tool.

No idea, concept, technology, or theory is good or bad in itself. It's what we make of it. Some will use it for good; some will use it for evil. Some will benefit positively; some will benefit negatively.

Ultimately, each of us has to think for ourselves and take responsibility for our own actions.

Perceptions - New information colored by the old?

It's interesting how people perceive things so differently. We all have stored information in our brains, a database if you will, that influences how we see things. I really don't know if there is any way around it. As we go through life, we are constantly compiling information into our brains. Any new information that we approach is affected, however slight, by what is already stored in our memory.

This post is in response to Richard’s post from yesterday, which referred to a simple list that I posted for fun without considering any possible misunderstandings it may cause. My immediate reaction was to be defensive about the type theory and CPP’s publications, which I hold in high regard. I also have great respect for my friend’s (also co-author for this blog) thoughts and opinions. I even felt somewhat responsible for whatever negative feelings it may have caused, and I searched to find some validity in his concerns. I tried (with great difficulty) to make a conscious effort to remove my bias on the subject to see the different perspectives. Remember Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Blink, and the idea of “thin-slicing?”

Let’s look at the facts:

Fact #1: There are many misconceptions about the MBTI instrument and the type theory in general.

Fact #2: Type alone cannot fully describe or explain the complexities of the human psyche.

Fact #3: Intention is the reality to the person giving the information; perception is the reality to the person receiving the information.

Fact #4: There’s no such thing as “one size fits all” personality type. But in order to make sense of the theory, some categorizing is necessary.

Fact #5: We must not dismiss the honest criticisms that are voiced if our desire is to educate, inform, and reach more people for a better understanding of ourselves and each other.

I am thinking about starting “Jung’s Type for Dummies” series once a week in hopes of helping people to understand the theory and (possibly) get past some of the misconceptions. Don’t hold me to it; it’s just an idea at this point (ENTP, etc.). I'm not an expert, so I'll need your help to discuss my limited knowledge.

I would conduct another poll to see what you guys think about this idea, but we know how that goes… the same two people will vote, and it will be a tie. :-(

Anyway, thank you, Richard…for being brave and bold enough to share your perspective in an honest yet tactful manner. Please feel free to show me (and others) more.

Two Types of People

I've been dragging my feet and coming up with excuse after excuse for over 20 years why I'm not doing anything with my life. First, it was my marriage, then it was the house, then it was the kids, then it was the money... etc. etc. etc.

One of my favorite things to say is: "You need no stinking credentials to do what you want to do." Uhhh... but the reality is, yes you do. We live in a world today where education and credentials mean everything (well, enough to be dismissed if you don't have them). Isn't that what we tell our kids?

I've concluded that there are two types of people who say, "You need no stinking credentials...":

1. Those who have the credentials


2. Those who are too lazy, too stupid, or unable in some way, shape or form to get the credentials.

If you are not in either category, then you have no right to say it. I hereby revoke my right that I always thought I had. I will get those stinking credentials, if it's the last thing I do.

And several years from now, after I've worked my a(**) off earning that right, I will stand proudly before you and say,

"You need no stinking credentials..."