# Walking contradiction?



## straightedgeduck (May 24, 2013)

Hello all. I'm posting in this forum, mainly because I'm not quite sure what type I am and ISTP or ISFP have been the most common lately with Myers-Briggs test (Although the Jungian ones I take peg me as an ENTP).

I'm not trying to start yet another "career" thread, but this testing has made me come here to ask an opinion to all those more well-versed in the topic than I am. Being without direction or purpose (and unemployed) has brought me to these boards, which to be honest I wouldn't hold much value to me previously (that's not an insult at all, heck I'm looking for your opinions, just thought maybe it might give insight into my personality type too)

I know this isn't a revelation of any kind nor a novel idea, but I've come to realize recently after being out of work for months, with a big confusion of what to do with my life, that I have a distinct work personality, family personality and friend personality. 

Simply put my personality GREATLY varies between all three settings, with flashes of the other personalities passing through, but its never the same. To be honest I don't know which one is the true "me".

I'm almost certain I'm an introvert naturally. With my family (which I would guess is the natural me) I value tradition, time with family, helping people with problems, doing acts without recognition or praise just because I enjoy it, being laid back, enjoy nature and animals, watching sports, feeling "neutral", etc.

With Friends, I can become the center of attention without trying. I crack jokes, always witty on the fly and people are drawn to me. Again, I don't go out of my way to be funny or entertaining, it just seems to "happen" in this environment that my friends would think I was an extrovert in all walks of life. Being in this situation makes me happy just like the family environment, but I'm not the same person for sure. 

With Work I'm reserved, shy, anti-social, "head down, seen-but-not-heard", not active in socializing beyond what is needed, honestly awkward, nervous, always "escaping" for solitary time, but I know the right things to do and say to get by. 

*LONG STORY SHORT: I know this seems like I'm making this topic personal, I'm not, I'm just laying out my part of the discussion. 

What I'm trying to ask is whether or not this type of behavior falls under a specific personality type or whether it is common between a variety of people? If so, how can we identify our "true self"?*


Second part of the dilemma: When trying to figure out a career it seems I'm drawn to careers/fields contradictory to my personality (i.e. I'm drawn to more extroverted careers, but I'm probably an introvert despite my need to "experience" and be "out and about"). I chose a college major and career that was great doing on my own in a college setting, but not in the real world. On top of it I tried to combine it with my other interests, what I was told I was good at, but in the end seemed to be stuff I enjoyed more as a hobby, not as a means of getting a paycheck (I'm good at writing, good at sports, good at hands-on tasks, but not sure I would want to do those things everyday work a boss).

*How have you dealt with finding what is a hobby/general interest and a "calling"?*


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## Fat Bozo (May 24, 2009)

Actually, you sound so much like my ISTP younger brother that if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were really him. :wink:

He's more into video games and other computer-related stuff than sports, but nearly everything else you said describes him perfectly. And he's not had a job for a few years now.


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## itsme45 (Jun 8, 2012)

straightedgeduck said:


> (Although the Jungian ones I take peg me as an ENTP).


sorry just curious which tests are those jungian ones?


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## musician_enigma (Jun 23, 2013)

Sounds similiar to myself (especially the around friends part), I am definitely ISTP. They are all variations of the real you. I wouldn't say walking contradiction, just, you're a complex person who can control with sides of your personality you bring to the surface and to what extent.

"Introvert despite need to experience and be out and about"- Same here. Looking at cognitive functions, sounds like Se, no contradiction there, perfectly normal. Both ISFP and ISTP have it as their secondary function.

Looking at cognitive functions again... is Ti or Fi your primary? That would decide whether your ISTP or ISFP because it's tough to tell from what you posted. Then again, I'm no expert.

It took me awhile to rule out INTJ, ISTJ, and INTP before I decided ISTP with certainty.

As for your second question... I looked at my interests/passions then picked the one that would make me money. My dream is to be a musician, but I can do that while I have a career because as my main creative outlet I don't want money for doing it. Computers/technology are interesting to me, so that's the career path I chose. It took years for me to decide.

I have many hobbies/interests though: Sports, video games, songwriting, astronomy, so on.

But yeah, I vote ISTP for you. My sister is an ISFP, and you sound nothing like her.


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## Pau7 (Jun 20, 2013)

Well, ask yourself this: what do you embrace - logic or feelings? Are feelings easy or hard to deal with? Is logic what shapes your inner world?


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