784s/748s! Tell me about you.

**Spades** · 04-11-2012 12:18 AM

Alright, here we go.

First off, I massively misunderstood Type 7 at first glance. It sounded awesome, but it didn't sound like me. I made several errors when I dismissed it. Firstly, I thought "spontaneous" meant totally unplanned, but the dictionary definition states, "Having a natural, and uninhibited manner". This is very true for me. Even still, it turns out that Sevens are centered around planning. Not necessarily fulfilling their plans, but thinking about the future. This greatly applies to me. I definitely don't accomplish everything I plan, because there's just so much I want to do! I also don't feel guilty about not getting to things, because there is just so much wonder in the world, and priorities win out.

Secondly, I misunderstood what Extroversion was. There are so many definitions out there, and under the MBTI one, I felt like an Introvert. I'm extremely independent and introspective, and I'm not typically concerned with others. However, I am stimulated by both the inner and outer worlds. I can't stay cooped up in my head for long before I long to explore, to discover, to interact with the world. Sevens are independent types. Even as extroverts, they are more concerned with ideas, activities, excitement, and less so with people.

Thirdly, I misunderstood the idea of escaping from boredom. I thought, "I never get bored! There's so much to do and contemplate!" I didn't realize that boredom referred to "stagnation", and stagnation is something I greatly fear. Being deprived, restricted, disabled, limited, stuck, constrained from pursuing my passions, is torture. Freedom is my desire, freedom from worry, obligation, negativity, and most of all, fear. I want to see all there is to see, try all there is to try. That's the best way to truly know something.

I have "too many" interests, but I don't think it's too many at all. I'd rather be well-versed in many things than expert in few. I'm scared to get too much into one thing, as my whole mind-frame and world-view will be affected by it. I'm decent at piano, violin, flute, percussion, bass guitar, and DJ-ing. I'm "fluent" in sports such as figure skating, skiing, and rollerblading. I'm interested in just about any abstract topic there is. My university education covers areas of chemistry, physics, computer science, and mathematics. I've been on work terms in many different locations, including the Swiss Alps. I ultimately want to live in as many places as I can, to really experience the culture and surroundings.

Ironically, I do fit the happy-go-lucky hyperactive enthusiast image. However, there is so much more to it, and I feel that this applies to all Sevens, whether or not they show any enthusiasm at all. I do not understand why people associate it with being superficial, fake, or lacking depth. It's a huge insult to see that erroneous judgment be made. It's not about how happy we actually are, or how great our lives are. We have struggles just like everybody else, but we look forward. We have faith that things will work out, and we don't dwell because dwelling is unnecessary pain. People are complex and dynamic. Sevens are one of the most versatile types of the Enneagram. Our vast experience and breadth brings about a wisdom about the world, a view of the big picture. As head types, we seek to understand, like Fives and Sixes. We seek it through involvement and variety.

I don't attribute my happiness and love of life to being a Seven. That's my own personal experience. I was depressed from the ages of 11 to 17, suffered anxiety, phobias, severe anger problems, and family problems. I was strongly attracted to dark things, to the mysterious, the melancholic, and the bizarre. Those things are a part of life, and as long as I maintain a certain distance from fear and negativity, I can enjoy them. I have grown tremendously since that time, gaining strength and the ability to maintain positivity. I don't think that's type-related, I think mental health, spiritual growth, and personal development are entirely up to the individual. An unhealthy Seven might appear as content as a healthy Seven, but they will most likely be involved in escapism.

I never thought I would say it, but 748 is an amazing fit. I've considered at least a dozen other tritypes, and nothing felt quite right. I've read every one of the archetype descriptions, and 478 describes me freakishly well. I stand out and always have. I am bold, self-confident, playful, and excited about everything. I want to remain youthful forever, while developing maturity and wisdom. I'm stubborn and I do my own thing. I can't count the number of times I've gotten in trouble, sometimes by accident because I didn't think I was doing anything wrong. I'm extremely stubborn and I don't back down. I learn things the hard way, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I'm reactive, but after a relatively short outburst, I try and make light of the situation. My 8 side shows no weakness, and my 4 side wants authenticity. More than anything, I want to be truthful and share with the world. I like the "Messenger" archetype, I like the idea of being a master of both inner and outer worlds. Despite being a "Thinker", I want to be an inspiration. I want to spread knowledge and wisdom to the world, without being judged. I want to lead by example, not by force. I want to be seen, noticed, heard, without being obnoxious. I want to catalyze change, without worrying about logistics or tedious tasks. I want everyone to experience freedom and to learn to be as open-minded as possible.

Being an NTJ 7 is a little different. The 8 certainly enforces the Te, and the 4 enforces Ni and Fi. Together, the tritype feels complete. There are definite "conflicting" dynamics among the three types, and I think that just makes for an interesting and complex individual. My interests include anything from meditation and yoga, to exploring, to raving. Everything I do has purpose and meaning. I don't think it's fair for people to assume that "having fun" means you are meaninglessly wasting time. Every experience I have, I learn something valuable. Everything "fun" is meaningful and has it's useful place in the experiment of life.

Damn, see what I did there? Everything I've said so far is positive and self-absorbed. I just have a natural tendency to gloss over the negatives =P It's funny how I realized this in my Type Me thread.

There is just so much more I could say. Though I feel like this is more than enough for one post. Heheh ^__^ I leave with a Type 7 description that I actually found decent:
Sevens - the enneagram ...info from the underground

Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Edison manifest the inventive side of the type Seven personality and many inventors have, in fact, been Sevens.

Famous artists include Paul Gauguin, Salvador Dali and Francis Bacon. The art of Sevens tends to be vibrant and expansive - glittering surfaces with intimated depths.

**Spades** · 04-11-2012 12:59 AM

*Reserved for a tl;dr of the above monstrosity*

tl;dr: Fuck bitches, get money.

Edit: I am running out of time to tl;dr this. Been studying all day. Probably won't get to it, oooopie =P I'll just say: Wow, I didn't mean to write that much and miss the point about talking about the tritype. Though I've been meaning to make a post like that for a while, so I'm glad I did for my own reference.

**holyrockthrower** · 04-11-2012 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by Spades

Damn, see what I did there? Everything I've said so far is positive and self-absorbed. I just have a natural tendency to gloss over the negatives =P It's funny how I realized this in my Type Me thread.

I always feel that way about my posts, too.

Know what? I'm glad your post is self-absorbed! I always feel like I gain something from hearing others' personal stories, which may be why I always tell mine.

A million thanks.

**Mizmar** · 04-12-2012 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by Spades

I have "too many" interests, but I don't think it's too many at all. I'd rather be well-versed in many things than expert in few. I'm scared to get too much into one thing, as my whole mind-frame and world-view will be affected by it. I'm decent at piano, violin, flute, percussion, bass guitar, and DJ-ing. I'm "fluent" in sports such as figure skating, skiing, and rollerblading. I'm interested in just about any abstract topic there is. My university education covers areas of chemistry, physics, computer science, and mathematics. I've been on work terms in many different locations, including the Swiss Alps.

Wow. You're even more of a "jack-of-all-trades" than a certain friend of mine who I type as a Seven. His hobbies include swing dancing, playing flute, banjo, and percussion, and playing Ultimate Frisbee. He types himself as an ENFJ in the Myers-Briggs system. I don't think he knows much about cognitive functions--instead, he goes by the four dichotomies.

**holyrockthrower** · 04-12-2012 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Spades

Secondly, I misunderstood what Extroversion was. There are so many definitions out there, and under the MBTI one, I felt like an Introvert. I'm extremely independent and introspective, and I'm not typically concerned with others. However, I am stimulated by both the inner and outer worlds. I can't stay cooped up in my head for long before I long to explore, to discover, to interact with the world. Sevens are independent types. Even as extroverts, they are more concerned with ideas, activities, excitement, and less so with people.

Thanks for saying this. I just spent the last decade thinking I was an ISTP, when I am clearly and truly an ENTP. I didn't think ISTP fit me "all that well", but knew I was "introverted" and therefore didn't bother checking the EXXX descriptions. I just sort of dismissed the Meyer-Briggs as crap.

I see you are sp/sx. That's the same as me, and I believe that orientation skews my scores on standard MBTI tests. Sp/sx would appear to match the description of "introvert"--sp can be quite inward looking and inclined to build a nest to retreat to, and sx is focused on one-on-one interactions. Hence, the standard MBTI description of "introvert" applies to me; it is for this reason that I now favor an analysis of cognitive functions, with an emphasis on how they support one another in our daily functioning.

I would still consider myself "introverted" socially, although I do draw my ideas and inspiration from the rest of the world and ultimately need to outwardly process the conclusions I come to. I believe this is exactly why I figured myself out within 4 months of joining PerC despite the fact that I'd drawn no conclusions after studying alone for 12 years.

Thirdly, I misunderstood the idea of escaping from boredom. I thought, "I never get bored! There's so much to do and contemplate!" I didn't realize that boredom referred to "stagnation", and stagnation is something I greatly fear. Being deprived, restricted, disabled, limited, stuck, constrained from pursuing my passions, is torture. Freedom is my desire, freedom from worry, obligation, negativity, and most of all, fear. I want to see all there is to see, try all there is to try. That's the best way to truly know something.

I am nearly impossible to bore myself--escaping boredom was something about the 7 descriptions I could never understand. Nothing is boring! But "stagnation" is my worst nightmare, and not exactly something I directly associate with "boredom" per se.

**Holunder** · 04-13-2012 02:07 AM

I'm not quite sure about my tritype, but I am a 7w8 and I definitely have some four tendencies.

I have always been fascinated by the dark, the ugly, and the melancholy. It feels like it makes me a more complete person. For example, I love autumn, when the leaves are down and it's cool and wet and dark outside. I like to wander around outside then, and merge with the atmosphere. It feels like incorporating something adverse to me into my self, and that is an awesome feeling.

Sevens are often described as wanting to be happy, which is both to broad and to specific a description. After all, everybody wants to be happy - it just means something different for everyone. On the other hand, happiness is generally associated with an upbeat attitude and not with somberness. I think that the more serious sevens are often not recognized as sevens, which results in flawed descriptions, which in turn results in serious sevens not to be recognized as sevens.

Anyway, I've also always been very protective and I take other people very seriously. I can be upbeat and silly, but usually I'm rather sedate, and I always have myself under control. I crave intensity; dullness for me is less lack of something to do and more lack of an intense feeling toward something.

Though I mistyped myself at first, it was mostly because I had been living as a co-narcissist for much of my life - that is, I suppressed my personality and desires in order to be able to live with my narcissistic parents. In the beginning, I got high scores on five (because I'm an INTJ) and on nine. I thought I was a nine, because I was used to complying with my parents instead of acting out my own wishes, and it massively frustrated me to think that this was just how I naturally was. I reexamined the Enneagram later, and finally admitted to myself that I was a seven. That gave me a massive emotional high for several days. It still is a great feeling to read how other sevens see themselves, because I can identify so much.

Originally Posted by holyrockthrower

I just sort of dismissed the Meyer-Briggs as crap.

When I first thought that I was a nine, I also just dismissed the whole Enneagram system. What a seven reaction!

**Mizmar** · 04-13-2012 09:09 AM

Originally Posted by Holunder

I have always been fascinated by the dark, the ugly, and the melancholy. It feels like it makes me a more complete person. For example, I love autumn, when the leaves are down and it's cool and wet and dark outside. I like to wander around outside then, and merge with the atmosphere. It feels like incorporating something adverse to me into my self, and that is an awesome feeling.

I love autumn too! I love the fall colors and aromas; the cool dryness of the wind as it sweeps up the dead leaves into the air. I like to carry autumn -- the spirit of autumn -- around with me, inside of me wherever I go, no matter what time of year it is. It doesn't feel "adverse" to me, but the rest of what you wrote I can relate to.