A method to my madness

A few years ago I was on a bit of a psychology kick and I started researching the typology theories of Carl Jung and the resulting Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test. The test measures psychological preferences in how people think and act, broken down into four scales of opposing preferences: Introversion/Extroversion (I/E), Sensing/Intuition (S/N), Thinking/Feeling (T/F), and Judging/Perceiving (J/P). The result is a combination of 4 letters, which means that there are 16 possible personality types. Find your personality type here: http://www.kisa.ca/personality/

Recently it has sparked my interest again. The type explanations seem to be pretty accurate, and while they are the result of clinical observations as opposed to controlled scientific studies, I think they are just a good place to seek self-awareness and a better understanding of other people. I am fascinated by the motivations and perceptions of others, and gaining those insights helps me more readily appreciate and relate to other people on a deeper level. For example, I thoroughly enjoy listening to anyone's life story and I actually love trying to guess the personality types of people that I know (or you could just tell me, if you took the test). I'm a closet sociologist, I suppose, constantly gathering and analyzing human "data."

Most people are said to have at least three consistently strong preferences (of the 4), but I only have two: Introvert (I) and Intuition (N). Apparently the IN group of personalities (INFP, INTP, INFJ, INTP) is rare among the general population (surprise!)--each type represents only about 1% (minus INFP, which is more like 3%). As you might imagine, I almost never find anyone in this grouping. When I do recognize someone that can inherently understand me, though, it's pretty exciting...and oddly frustrating, because even I still find that other person to be complex.

The Thinking/Feeling and Judging/Perceiving parts of my personality are basically split 50/50 (maybe 55/45 T/F). That would help explain my paradoxal nature--my head and heart are in an epic battle to the death, and there is never a clear winner. I guess you could say I really do have "multiple personalities" (4 actually, haha); however, I usually end up with one of these two results:

INFJ (Counselor)
INFJs are distinguished by both their complexity of character and the unusual range and depth of their talents. (Only one percent of the population has an INFJ Personality Type, making it the most rare of all the types.) Strongly humanitarian in outlook, INFJs tend to be idealists, and because of their J preference for closure and completion, they are generally "doers" as well as dreamers. This rare combination of vision and practicality often results in INFJs taking a disproportionate amount of responsibility in the various causes to which so many of them seem to be drawn. Those who are activists -- INFJs gravitate toward such a role -- are there for the cause, not for personal glory or political power.

INFJs are deeply concerned about their relations with individuals as well as the state of humanity at large. INFJs are true introverts, who can only be emotionally intimate and fulfilled with a chosen few from among their long-term friends, family, or obvious "soul mates." While instinctively courting the personal and organizational demands continually made upon them by others, at intervals INFJs will suddenly withdraw into themselves, sometimes shutting out even their intimates. This apparent paradox is a necessary escape valve for them, providing both time to rebuild their depleted resources and a filter to prevent the emotional overload to which they are so susceptible as inherent "givers." As a pattern of behavior, it is perhaps the most confusing aspect of the enigmatic INFJ character to outsiders, and hence the most often misunderstood -- particularly by those who have little experience with this rare type.

Due in part to the unique perspective produced by this alternation between detachment and involvement in the lives of the people around them, INFJs may well have the clearest insights of all the types into the motivations of others, for good and for evil. The most important contributing factor to this uncanny gift, however, are the empathic abilities often found in Fs, which seem to be especially heightened in the INFJ type.

Explicit inner conflicts are not uncommon in INFJs; it is possible to speculate that the causes for some of these may lie in the specific combinations of preferences which define this complex type. For instance, the I and J combination, while perhaps enhancing self-awareness, may make it difficult for INFJs to articulate their deepest and most convoluted feelings.

Usually self-expression comes more easily to INFJs on paper, as they tend to have strong writing skills. INFJs are highly intuitive and can recognize another's emotions or intentions - good or evil - even before that person is aware of them. They themselves can seldom tell how they came to read others' feelings so keenly. This extreme sensitivity to others could very well be the basis of the INFJ's remarkable ability to experience a whole array of psychic phenomena.

INTP (Architect)

Most primary interests of an INTP are things which he cannot fully understand, usually because they are highly complex or have some exotic, mystical element that does not yield to analysis. This is the real reason why INTPs are drawn to complexity: anything simple is too quickly understood and cannot hold the fascination for long. The interests of an INTP would be enough to occupy him for several lifetimes if that were possible. Photography and music are classic interests of the INTP. The INTP takes his interests and beliefs very seriously.

He detests facades and particulary dislikes people who exhibit them. Equally, those kind of people also dislike INTPs and avoid them at all cost, for they know that the INTP will see right through them. One-to-one conversation is preferred in almost every situation. In a group situation, INTPs are sensitive to whether they believe they will be listened to or not. An INTP's ideal is to provide all the ideas for a project and have a charismatic leader, who agrees with him, carry them out.

INTPs put great weight on being individuals and essentially different from other people, who they often view as being too alike and too interdependent. General role models for INTPs are individualistic, creative and perhaps enigmatic people. Innovative free-thinkers who follow their own new paths are usually greatly respected. Above all, individualism is the key factor, while vision is the most highly prized asset.

The dominant Ti core tends to assume the role of a controller and organiser of his life, while the Ne behaves like a free spirit, almost childlike in its enthusiasm. The INTP tends to experience these two forces as an almost continuous tug-of-war, with neither ever quite gaining the upper hand. He is not disturbed by this duality and can view it with wistful humour. Generally, INTPs have a very strong requirement to keep their external, social world as simple and as uncluttered as they can so that they can focus as much energy as possible on their internal world of system analysis and theoretizing. Hence, they tend to be amongst the least demanding and least complicated of all types when interacting with others. They prefer to let the world flow by: to observe the waves being made by others, but to make none themselves. The INTP always tries to get a feel for the big picture, using his Ne, and habitually ignores all detail.

He is compelled to subject his emotions to continual analysis. He believes emotions to be of a lesser substance than logic and his natural goal would be to conquer his emotions with pure rationality. The root of the fear of emotions is the fear that they cannot be controlled. INTPs detest irrational emotion above all things. INTPs must take a very wide berth around people who appear to be irrationally, outwardly emotional. INTPs are very sensitive to such a trait and fear the potential excesses of the emotional attacks which do not yield to a defence based on logic.