personality fluctuating

At what age can you tell someone's personality? At how young? From the start? People say my personality fluctuates so much that's it's impossible to tell who I am because I'm still growing. Is this true? Or is it usually more of a factor of stress? Or is there a certain type where this becomes more true. I mean I believe it could be anything including the fact that maybe my environment doesn't suit my personality? Because I haven't been able to figure my type out for a while, after studying the cognitive functions.

Does everybody know themselves well enough to determine their own type as well?

Originally Posted by LilyAskar

People say my personality fluctuates so much that's it's impossible to tell who I am because I'm still growing.

From what I've observed and experienced, I'd say personality type is just as determinable to younger people as it isn't. Er, what I mean is some seem to be comfortable in their functions whereas others are still developing. If you find yourself impossible to type, rest assured you're not alone. I'm a teenager, so I often question the authenticity of my NeTi when just a few months ago I thought for sure that I was a solid TeNi.

You just have to accept that it takes time to fully realize these things. :P

Originally Posted by LilyAskar

I mean I believe it could be anything including the fact that maybe my environment doesn't suit my personality?

While I'm certain some will argue otherwise, I think this is a viable possibility. The times my father grew up in necessitated the exercising of more sensor-y thinking, when at heart he was an intuitive.

I think starting towards the end of adolescence, it's pretty obvious what kind of personality style you have. Sure, it might still fluctuate with the experiences that you go through, but the essence is still the same. I remember my creative writing teacher telling us that by the time we reach age sixteen, we've probably experienced almost all the emotions we need to experience (to produce something worth reading, granted) and that sort of stuck with me.

Personality disorders aren't diagnosed until you reach age eighteen, because before that time, even though it might be ingrained within you, it can still be subject to change. I'm sure your personality doesn't become set in stone the moment you reach eighteen, but around that time is when you start constructing a stable sense of self, if you're healthy that is.

Originally Posted by kaleidoscope

I think starting towards the end of adolescence, it's pretty obvious what kind of personality style you have. Sure, it might still fluctuate with the experiences that you go through, but the essence is still the same. I remember my creative writing teacher telling us that by the time we reach age sixteen, we've probably experienced almost all the emotions we need to experience (to produce something worth reading, granted) and that sort of stuck with me.

Personality disorders aren't diagnosed until you reach age eighteen, because before that time, even though it might be ingrained within you, it can still be subject to change. I'm sure your personality doesn't become set in stone the moment you reach eighteen, but around that time is when you start constructing a stable sense of self, if you're healthy that is.

OK. But are you sure? I keep changing because I'm always not sure on whether I'm correct or not on ANYTHING. I don't change things to fit me, I try to change myself instead.....

Originally Posted by LilyAskar

OK. But are you sure? I keep changing because I'm always not sure on whether I'm correct or not on ANYTHING. I don't change things to fit me, I try to change myself instead.....

And perhaps that is part of your personality.

Please explain. :)

Originally Posted by LilyAskar

Please explain. :)

If you think of personality as characterized (at least in part) by predictable reactions to what you perceive, what you said fell into that idea perfectly. As I see it, said reactions don't have to be defined by their minute details, but instead reflect a general principle of how you tend to operate (which is what you gave).

Originally Posted by Flatlander

If you think of personality as characterized (at least in part) by predictable reactions to what you perceive, what you said fell into that idea perfectly. As I see it, said reactions don't have to be defined by their minute details, but instead reflect a general principle of how you tend to operate (which is what you gave).

Frankly that's not what I think because not all people express every bit of what's really going on in their mind but people seem to judge partially based on immediate reaction here. But I think that may be because that's all they can judge. Since they don't know the person. Is their a specific type that is known to fluctuate more in general?

Originally Posted by LilyAskar

Frankly that's not what I think because not all people express every bit of what's really going on in their mind but people seem to judge partially based on immediate reaction here. But I think that may be because that's all they can judge. Since they don't know the person. Is their a specific type that is known to fluctuate more in general?

The disconnect here is that there are different personality theories. MBTI is one, JCF somewhat related, Enneagram yet another, and others that aren't really discussed on this forum. At the heart of each you will encounter is a new variation on what "personality" actually means.

As far as things go, I don't think there is a "type" that embodies this specific trait, at least not within MBTI. Different JCF combinations could go about doing this through different means. Enneagram might be able to narrow things down a little more, because it deals more with the motivational end..

Why do you go about things in that particular way?

Originally Posted by Flatlander

The disconnect here is that there are different personality theories. MBTI is one, JCF somewhat related, Enneagram yet another, and others that aren't really discussed on this forum. At the heart of each you will encounter is a new variation on what "personality" actually means.

As far as things go, I don't think there is a "type" that embodies this specific trait, at least not within MBTI. Different JCF combinations could go about doing this through different means. Enneagram might be able to narrow things down a little more, because it deals more with the motivational end..

Why do you go about things in that particular way?

Oh, I'm so busy thinking about MBTI I doubt I will move on for a while. So much to learn here, why move on to another huge thing? Why do I go about what in what way? Asking questions like that? Because I need to know myself and what type I am. It'll make me feel better because I want to discover myself...