Carl Jung for fun, or when bored

Not really sure what that means above, but I'm sure a good psychiatrist could help me. Do you know any? In the meantime (by which I mean, during the rest of my life until someone figures out what's wrong with me) I very much like Jung's personality typology, especially the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. (I also really like the word especially.)

Though someone with more specific vocabulary can correct me, the purpose MBTI is to indicate which Jungian personality (or psychological) preferences are dominant, auxiliary, etc, in how you perceive and interact with the world. Though the words and definitions can be a little confusing, the test describes your personality as one of 16 distinct types based on how you interact among the psychological functions. Cherish was much relieved to find out that being ESFJ (extoverted-sensing-feeling-judging) meant less that she judged others by what she sensed and felt and more that her personality was very similar to Monica's.

Of course, this is all important to me because I'm an INTJ, which means that I'm less interested in you than both Cherish and my INFP wife because really I'm interested in patterns. And I probably could have told you that, but well... many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense.

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area [by which the writer means, the only] are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications.

So does that mean that if I don't really care much for you, at least I try hard? I don't know. One thing I was interested to learn was that Jen's personality (INFP) plays the advisor role to my personality, and vice versa (each having an area of insight that the other lacks). Probably we already knew that, but it was interesting to read (for me at least. Jen, who is concerned with the real world and the people therein might care less.)

Certainly there are flaws and shortcomings to such a psychological approach. One is that there are more than 16 personalities in the world, though the combinations of personal preference you exhibit will likely fit you pretty well. Another is that you express different parts of your personality at different times and in different circumstances. I think that you might contain all parts of personality but the others are underdeveloped or latent (but those may be Freud's words and not Jungs, and Freud and Jung were not friends--something to do with Freud's mother, I think?)

I don't know. Anyway, take this quick test and see how you fit (or tell me what is your type if you already know). Then see what your personality type means, and see what that means to you. Then tell me, so I can put you on my friend grid. (I don't really have a friend grid, at least not physically. Mentally and emotionally, maybe.)