Friday, May 22, 2020

"Know thyself"

Some may have heard of the MBTI, or "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator". The Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is an introspective self-report questionnaire indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world and make decisions. Me, I'm a MBTI INTJ+T type. 

Discovering the MBTI and determining my type has been a very insightful and introspective experience.  I've recently been exploring the "+T" (Turbulence) designator for my specific type which has been as insightful, or actually explanatory, as initially discovering my type.

For example, I recently read the following on INTJ+T:
Their turbulence may be related to their introversion as well as to the fact that many INTJs are “highly sensitive persons” (HSPs). While INTJs may not see themselves as emotionally sensitive, they are often sensitive in other ways. They may for instance, be easily overstimulated or overwhelmed by external stimuli, such as crowded or noisy environments. This may engender deep feelings of unease or anxiety, perhaps even culminating in a migraine or panic attack.
Check, check, check, and check.

But while this may seem like a weakness, the author offered the following:
Unfortunately, people too often overlook the positive side of INTJs’ sensitivity, namely, its contribution to their perspicacity and perceptiveness. If we think of a sensitive nervous system as one that is highly attuned to all sorts of stimuli, it should not surprise us that INTJs can pick up on nuances and subtleties that are lost on other types. This, of course, goes hand-in-hand with their intuition, which requires the accurate perception of raw data (and lots of it) to work its magic.
BTW, the definition of perspicacity is as follows:
Perspicacity is a penetrating discernment —a clarity of vision or intellect which provides a deep understanding and insight. It takes the concept of wisdom deeper in the sense that it denotes a keenness of sense and intelligence applied to insight.
 So since the INTJ is the overall rarest personality type, and the +T even rarer, perhaps in a sense it is an example of a higher evolution of the mind.  Or maybe not even an evolution per se, but rather a more true example of a mind attuned to survival in the natural environment we lived in for thousands of years prior to where we have landed now.

It's tough at times and sometimes the hyper vigilance is exhausting and I do get those negative manifestations mentioned, but at the same time in the right situations my INTJ+T traits really shine and I'd not trade them for anything.

I guess one could say that I have learned to see my INTJ+T traits as my super powers, but as comic book fans know; all super powers come with some sort of price.