# What attracted you to MBTI?



## sallyJones (Mar 6, 2014)

Hello all,

I was just curious, what motivated you to try MBTI or attracted you to the personality descriptions? 

Did you actually take the test (which I heard is really expensive, hence I found a less expensive but reasonable quality one called Turbo MBTI description here: Turbo Myers-Briggs Personality Test (MBTI) Software personality, career and compatibility advice.?

Or did you take the free one online such as those at humanmetrics.com?

I really didn't like the humanmetrics.com version since the questions were frequently repetitive. I think the shorter Turbo MBTI did a better version of asking questions only once by explicitly comparing introversion and extroversion in the user's mind in the form of a table, rather than asking him or her: Do you prefer to go to a party or read a book? Which is really depends on the frequently changing mood of the test-taker rather than the personality of the test-taker.

What were your experiences with the specific version of MBTI you took? Were some versions better than others and why?

Sincerely,
Sally Jones


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## TPlume (Aug 27, 2011)

Hi sallyJones, I think I initially got drawn into it as a shortcut that I could have used to profile people (instead of using my experience), then I got burnt out by the theory, they seemed confusing. Eventually I realized that it's really good for understanding myself, it has helped me a lot in that regard .. hmm... and curiosity too, that motivates me. As for the questions, I don't really like em cause half the time I'm not sure exactly what they're asking (I wanted examples as reference), other times it seemed like the answer is very situational. It took a lot of time and effort to arrive at my type but it started with a Type me thread that I had written over here a while ago. Getting people to analyize you seem to be a much better approach. One other thing I want to mention since you seem a bit new to it is that don't read too much into the sterotypes or what a certain type is supposed to like/hate etc. People are a lot more than what 16 types can describe.


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## TPlume (Aug 27, 2011)

Hi sallyJones, I think I initially got drawn into it as a shortcut that I could have used to profile people (instead of using my experience), then I got burnt out by the theory, they seemed confusing. Eventually I realized that it's really good for understanding myself, it has helped me a lot in that regard .. hmm... and curiosity too, that motivates me. As for the questions, I don't really like em cause half the time I'm not sure exactly what they're asking (I wanted examples as reference), other times it seemed like the answer is very situational. It took a lot of time and effort to arrive at my type but it started with a Type me thread that I had written over here a while ago. Getting people to analyize you seem to be a much better approach. One other thing I want to mention since you seem a bit new to it is that don't read too much into the sterotypes or what a certain type is supposed to like/hate etc. People are a lot more than what 16 types can describe.


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## saturnne (Sep 8, 2009)

I got into MBTI because I wondered whether people really are what they manifest or if their behaviors are actually bad indicators of who they are really. I took many free online tests, and I have come to the conclusion that either (1) my personality has kept changing over the last five years or (2) I keep getting different results because these online tests are not accurate.


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## Zeta Neprok (Jul 27, 2010)

I suppose I got into MBTI because I'm kind of obsessed with understanding myself and others. I'm a big time people watcher, and I feel like MBTI gives me a nice big picture of why people are they way they are. That said, I'm actually really bad at typing people so... :frustrating:


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## smitty1977 (Jun 14, 2014)

Marriage counselor


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## lyaree (Aug 4, 2013)

I got into it around college because I wanted to find out more about myself and trying to figure out what I should do in life.

MBTI is great but I got a little too obsessed with it because I think in was trying to overcompensate and find answers outside of myself. Sometimes the labels bother me but i learned to just use it in general.

It's fun though to chat in the community : )


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## Bassmasterzac (Jun 6, 2014)

Maybe my passion for psychology or maybe my journey to finding myself. I came across the MBTI while doing random research, took the test and was surprised. I understood myself better, and you can't improve yourself if you don't understand yourself. It also made reading people a little simpler. Especially the people that frustrate you, knowing their type, you might be able to have some clarity with why they do what they do. I think this can be a way to help establish or stabilize relationships with people.


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## Acadia (Mar 20, 2014)

I wanted to figure out what the letters actually meant. I took the actual test, received ISTP as a result, and then proceeded to analyze why I got my result, considering I don't really fit all of the stereotype. That's how I got into Enneagram, which pegged me as a 7w8--which made a lot of sense. And that's pretty much how I got here.


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## mikan (May 25, 2014)

Test aren’t usually accurate, could be either a problem with the test itself or your way of interpreting the question. I got ISTJ each time and saw that the description did not fit me at all.
Anyways I wanted to know more about myself, looked into the types and functions and learned I was an ISFP. It’s interesting because it was accurate, I felt like I was reading about myself.
I have a friend who’s an INFJ that also helped me get into personality types more. It’s nice to see the difference between people and get to know them. I wanted to understand the difference between people and of course understand how I'm different as well.


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## Kafeidian (Jul 22, 2014)

My ESFP friend made me take the test in the _Please Understand Me II_ book. (She was introduced to it by her ESTP friend) I read the description and could not believe it. I thought I behaved/thought/felt certain ways because of my upbringing- couldn't believe other people felt/thought/behaved the same. I had never met anyone like me. I thought I was strange/abnormal until I read Keirsey.


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## C. C. Scott (Jun 9, 2014)

I got into personality typing following a period of traumatic stress. It gave me a tool to begin self-actualization. At first I was overcome with joy that other people had experiences simular to mine, I actually began to cry reading some first hand accounts of my MBTI type. Instead of feeling weird and outcasted I felt a sense of belonging. And uniqueness. 

Then I began to have an existental crisis that left me feeling very un-unique, because we're not really that rare relative to how bad it could be. Was I must living my life in effect of my personality? Or am I controlling my personality? Maybe it's both. 

The theory is complicated, cognitive functions requires much more research (although I think the core idea is solid) but it does allow you to compare patterns between your typed friends and online people's stories.


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