[Jonny0207]

I always focus on improving myself, and that's why I'm acually here (well that is actually more of curiosity about myself). If I had to summerize my thinking as an ENTP, it wouldn't be improvization, but aiming. I always aim to what I believe is my full potential, and self-improvement is vital part of it.

By the way, John, I find that video really fascinating. Can you direct me to where to expand upon it? (I want an honest answer from a HUMAN, not search it on Google and find that what I learned was bullshit.)

[Jonny0207]

Imagine my thought please (person's name): that guy in the video looks a little bit like a snake to me now, because, I don't know why. But hey, it's you call after all. -Thanks in advance, (person name)


Aha! Did I miss anything?

[Quin Sabe]

I am a living, adapting experiment for perfection

[archangelic peon]

My life is and has been for the last 1 3/4 years been in a holding pattern. I placed much value and personal interest in my job (unknowingly at first but conscientiously in retrospect) and since the economy crash have not found a destination point to aim for. What I am just realizing is that what you focus on (what drives, motivates, stimulates, moves, inspires, & pushes you) affects every aspect of your being and, as such, I have not 'improved' upon myself except coming to these realizations because of not having any such force putting wind in my sails. This, depending on day, mood, food eaten, sleep had, people dealt with affects my entire outlook and performance during the day. Without a direction in life, every day has no meaning beyond the current events needed to be performed for that day. My entire life is lived day to day without goals or end-by-defined-means other than necessities.

As far as happiness goes, I find the most reward in helping others, and consistently find myself doing this much more than helping myself.


While I am relegated to the doldrums of deficient motivation, might as well go spelunking into the caves of self discovery.

[SlowPoke68]

Yes, I'm right there with you.

This year I decided to really learn how to ski. I found a way to work half-days on Tuesdays and was on the slopes at least once a week for the whole season. Before this year I would snowplow down a green run once or twice a year and called myself a "skiier". By March of this year I was doing nothing but blue runs and had started on moguls. The sense of satisfaction was great.

The problem (if there is one) with self-improvement is that it in some ways looks selfish to outsiders. But I think a happy me with skills to pass on is far more useful to my loved ones than a sad and sedentary me who sits there like a bag of crap.

[dagnytaggart]

Self-selection bias.

Anyone who knows they're an ENTP obviously took the test (or studied MBTI in depth), and as it's a personality test that gives insight on individual/collective relations with others, said person will be more likely to be interested in self and self-improvement than the average fish. I mean, go into the ESTJ forum and see all their questions about how to improve communication/relationships/etc etc.

If judging by how *many* questions about self-improvement the various types ask, which would have to have appropriate ratios applied to account for type rarity in the general population, then I think INFPs take the cake for being interested in self-improvement. (If INTJs are 1/2 as common as ENTJs, then they should have 1/2 the threads to warrant the same proportion of the type group's participation. But the "rare type" forums generally have faaaar more activity than the "common type" forums (like ISTJs, ESFJs, ESTPs, etc.) That is, INFJs who should be around 1/10 as common as the ESFJ, have about 10x as many threads! Anyway, I haven't actually calculated it, but from quick/fuzzy recall, it looks like INFPs would win out over ENTPs.

But this isn't even going into whether people are being typed accurately. It's easily possible that people are mistyped, clinging on to their false types just because it's rare, and/or justifies them "feeling misunderstood". It may not be conscious or intentional, but people tend to see themselves as unique. Everybody IS unique. Just like everyone else.

But from my biased perspective, why wouldn't anyone be interested in self-improvement? FREE (or cheap) information just swimming around that you can get your muddy paws on to get you whatever you want? (Within reason, but as I always say, you don't know where the ceiling is until you're high enough to hit your head...)

[ENTPreneur]

I try to improve those parts of me that I feel disturbs me, the flaws that I cannot easily accept.

Regarding the other flaws I improve myself through accepting that I am not perfect, but that the facets AND the roughs make up my "brilliant" personality .

Life's ordeal also improves me in ways I cannot fathom, but hey: Am I a P or what. Adapt.....

[Somethings]

I've always had people tell me I'm too hard on myself. I'm always looking for something to rebuild and I think I lose track of myself at times.

Yeh, I resonate with that!

Now, instead of trying to turn myself inside-out as I experiment with myself, I'm trying to plug up the gaps. As I result, iget to stay with myself, hopefully become more myself, but still learning and imporving as I plug gaps.

[Ray Mabry]

I remember reading somewhere that ENTP's are always trying to improve themselves. This is very true for me, as in the last 9 months I have purchased and read books on acquiring wealth, starting a business, improving social skills (and getting what you want out of people), negotiating, and boosting productivity (which I just got today). Furthermore, I also like reading self-improvement things online, as I want a healthy psyche and like living happily. Whenever I find that there is something about me that needs to be improved, I find a way to do it. I don't sit around and feel sorry for myself for not achieving something. I see what the problem is and fix it.

I'm wondering if it's the same for you guys.

Wow you actually care enough to read books! I'm in awe lol. I have quite a few books on songwriting and business and website development and whatever else. I usually get what I want out of them (So basically I read chapters that stand out to me) and then throw them away.
I'm not typically into self improvement things just because I don't really trust other peoples opinions on those things for the most part but I am always self improving.
A good portion of it seems to do with Fe things. When I see someone that is polite I like that and as a result over the years I have developed manners that are second to few.
I usually try to improve how I should approach people and situations mostly. I try to improve creatively by figuring out what makes the things I like so great and then I try to emulate them and then add my own personality into the mix.
I am constantly thinking about how I can be a better person. But I guess that my approach to it is a bit more active or in the moment.
And when I realize that something about me might bother someone (like me cutting someone off in converstation) I try to fix that and try to consider them moreso.

I do want a healthy physique and i'm very much into vitamins and supplements and stuff. Cellular Nutrition / Intracellular Chemistry & Acu-Cell Analysis is my bible for how to deal with vitamins lol.

Whatever I see fit. I work towards fixing it because there's simply no reason why it can't be and I understand that i'll be alot more effective in this world if I do it.

[YourMom]

Wow you actually care enough to read books! I'm in awe lol.

Lol I never said I finish all of them. Only the ones to do with business I actually finish. But it happens over a long period of time. If I were to just sit down and start reading for hours and hours then I won't soak it in. I need time to process what I read, so maybe like 15 pages a sitting, and then spend a few days hyper-analyzing it to see how I can benefit the most from what I read. Reading a non-fiction book takes very long for me.

Just curious, what kinds of things does everyone here constantly aim to improve about themselves?

I am always trying to improve how I project myself towards others. So things such as body language, voice tone, clarity of speech, using the correct words, posture and pace. These are all things I'm aware of a good portion of the time and I see how altering one of those changes people's responses towards me.

I have become an absolute monster over the phone, partially due to the above paragraph, and partially to do with the insane amounts of cold-calling I've done over the years. Honestly, if anyone wants to improve their social skills drastically in a short amount of time, do sales (over the phone and face-to-face).

When I was in my teens I got kind of nervous in social situations, mostly due to a fear of rejection if I said something stupid. But I still liked being around people and was an extrovert. So about the time I was 18, I made this a goal of mine to get rid of all of those silly little social fears I had, and I made I told myself that if I wanna say something I'm just going to say it. If people reject me, then whatever. Rejection hasn't happened yet. Laughter at me has, but I've learned to embrace that and laugh with them. I take social risks that other people would never have the balls to do.

So, these are the types of things I try to improve in myself. Right now it's developing my business skills. I'm absolutely obsessed with being the best businessman, and am doing everything I can to get there. This means being dominant and taking over, having people listen to me and carry out what I say, not caving in negotiations, and doing all of that in a likable manner.