Identical twins, identical personalities?

**elissabowden** · 12-02-2009 05:05 PM

So, i'm on the internet and come across this: nazi mystery: twins from brazil on national geographic explorer channel

So what do you think? do twins have identical personalities?

**Grey** · 12-02-2009 05:15 PM

They could, but their experiences and lives would be very different; no one can be exactly alike, even identical twins. One example of this might be identical twins and homosexuality - some believed they were gay, and some did not. Whether it was influenced by choice or birth, they were obviously different in that regard.

**Seymour** · 12-02-2009 05:15 PM

As an identical twin... no. My twin isn't INFP and there are definite differences, although there are some similarities, too, of course. For one thing, I'm gay but my identical twin is straight (around a 50% chance for one identical twin to be gay if his twin brother is). My twin was also definitely more Thinking than I was growing up and was more often unaware of the feelings of others.

**DevilDoll** · 12-02-2009 05:20 PM

I know a set of identical twins and their personalities are in no way identical. One is an ESFP and the other is an ISTJ I am sure there is the potential for them to come out with the same personality, but it doesn't seem very likely.

**MyLittleBlackHeart** · 12-02-2009 05:32 PM

My dad is an identical twin. They are similar but not the same. I need to get them to take the test....my uncle is way more outgoing and giving and my dad is far more selfish.
Though...the scary part is they both share:
they are both former Air Force
career: law enforcement
married 3xs each
3rd wives BOTH got breast cancer at the exact same time (that was WEIRD)
I could go on and on...but still, I adore my uncle and can barely tolerate my dad.

I know identical twin males (I dated their older brother) and one is married w/4 kids and the other is gay.

Yeah, you cant box them in. No way.

**elissabowden** · 12-02-2009 06:09 PM

i've actually never heard of identical twins, one saying they're gay and the other saying they're not. this is interesting. considering identical twins are identical genetically, and since many have said that it was a gay gene that did this, i would think that if they were both genetically identical, both would be gay...hmm. interesting.

i have no idea if i believe personality types are based off of the genes or by experiences. though, i just found out my little brother is an INFP also and we definantly did not have similar lives growing up. i was the weirdo, and my brother is quite popular and a star football player...yeah...

**Seymour** · 12-02-2009 06:23 PM

Originally Posted by elissabowden

i've actually never heard of identical twins, one saying they're gay and the other saying they're not. this is interesting. considering identical twins are identical genetically, and since many have said that it was a gay gene that did this, i would think that if they were both genetically identical, both would be gay...hmm. interesting.

i have no idea if i believe personality types are based off of the genes or by experiences. though, i just found out my little brother is an INFP also and we definantly did not have similar lives growing up. i was the weirdo, and my brother is quite popular and a star football player...yeah...

Like I said, generally if one identical twin is gay there's about a 50% chance his identical twin brother is gay. That's a really significant statistical correlation, but not entirely deterministic. It's also been found that the more sons a mother gives birth to, the higher the chance the later sons will be gay. There are lots of things that have both a genetic and an environmental component, so the idea that homosexuality might fall into that category isn't so strange. Some theorize that perhaps it's testosterone levels before birth, but who can say for sure at this point? All I know is that I don't recall being offered a form with a checkbox to decide.

I think that shyness has been found to have a fairly significant genetic component, but don't know for the other dichotomies (or even proper MBTI-style introversion/extraversion). I would suspect some complex interplay between genetics and environment there, too. I felt like I turned out more feeling based in order to better deal with my odd family dynamics, but have no idea if that's why I turned out to be an Fi-dom.

**elissabowden** · 12-02-2009 07:17 PM

Originally Posted by Seymour

Like I said, generally if one identical twin is gay there's about a 50% chance his identical twin brother is gay. That's a really significant statistical correlation, but not entirely deterministic. It's also been found that the more sons a mother gives birth to, the higher the chance the later sons will be gay. There are lots of things that have both a genetic and an environmental component, so the idea that homosexuality might fall into that category isn't so strange. Some theorize that perhaps it's testosterone levels before birth, but who can say for sure at this point? All I know is that I don't recall being offered a form with a checkbox to decide.

I think that shyness has been found to have a fairly significant genetic component, but don't know for the other dichotomies (or even proper MBTI-style introversion/extraversion). I would suspect some complex interplay between genetics and environment there, too. I felt like I turned out more feeling based in order to better deal with my odd family dynamics, but have no idea if that's why I turned out to be an Fi-dom.

you know, i feel like, if meyers-briggs were more...common in society, a lot of things would be better because they would be able to understand each other. it'd be like "oh, i know they're crying, but it's okay. she's an infj, and you know, they're super sensitive." you know? i think it would do people good to know how someone is naturally.

i am interested in this identical twin, one gay one not thing. but i'm sure people have studied it, and considering i am definitly not one to judge, i suppose it's not that big of a deal. but i'll leave that to another post.

i do think, though, that they should do a study of personality types to offspring. both my parents are thinkers, but both my siblings and i are feelers. we all have T tendencies because we were raised this way (my dad was an MIT grad), and all three of us are Ns (mother=ISTJ, father=INTJ), and my sister is the only one who is a J of us three. My brother and i, the only Ps. i'd like to see the correlation of these, and the relations of it to identical twins. i do not assume all identical twins have the same experiences, so if experiences do sculpt the personality of one individual, both couldn't be the same personalities unless they were ALWAYS with each other, right?

or in the case of some, growing up, and having friends who are the same type as you. in this case, i would assume that they would be more like you personality wise.

i may go a little too deep into this, but then one would have to define the difference between personality and identity...

ok. i'm done. thoughts?

**MyLittleBlackHeart** · 12-05-2009 05:36 PM

The twins I know where one is gay and the other straight also have another major difference.
The gay twin smokes like a train and is an alcoholic. He is 27 and a mess.
The other, well...he seems to be far more motivated too.

**Arion** · 12-18-2009 05:33 PM

I'm an identical twin, and though genetically we are exact copies of each other, we are not so in a psychological sense.
Of course, we have many similarities. But in contrast, my twin seems to be more open to conversation and holds authority in higher regard - for example, she still uses the "I'm telling mom" thinking this will phase me, while I just shrug. She is interested in things but will not go the extra step to research these interests or curiosities, while I find the need to because I sense the 'gaps' in my mind - the information I lack. This information is used many times to improve my all-around judgment on something, while my sister does not feel that need and usually uses the information already brought upon her by school, news, etc.

We have the same musical tastes, though. We both aren't very oriented towards emotions. (I have come to the conclusion my sister is an ISTJ.)

See, though identical twins may look alike (aesthetically) and share similar interests, there are always contrasting aspects of their personalities which distinguish them.

There is no such thing as completely and utterly alike (beyond DNA) - it seems almost against the laws of nature.