# Misunderstood Types



## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

^Fortunately. I had a bump on my head from the time that my brother hurled me into a metal part of his drumset. It went away after about six months at least. It actually hurt so much that I cried, and I've endured full on extreme constipation without shedding a tear.


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## Minty (Dec 5, 2009)

I don't understand myself. How can I expect others to?


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## Highlander (Dec 20, 2009)

Isitso said:


> I don't believe that there is any particular type that is more misunderstood. I think a lot of the hype about being misunderstood is about feeling special- they are both similar terms, assuming that people around you are not like you based on what you perceive of them and yourself. Why would we expect another person to completely understand the motives behind our actions and how we feel about something every time? Nobody is telepathic. If you are having difficulty communicating then observe how the person you are interacting with seems to think and perceive things and try to put it in their terms, or don't even bother with them. This is similar to showing your work on a math problem- the teacher cannot see what you did to get the answer, only you do; therefore it is your responsibility to show your work rather than theirs to make a blind guess at how you reached your answer. Just accept misunderstandings as an inevitability and try to explain yourself better next time.


Interesting and thought provoking comments. You provide some very good advice. I agree with it all except that I do think this is more of a problem for some people than others. A female ESTJ probably has a harder time of it than an ESFJ or ENFP for example. A male INFP or INTJ probably has a harder time in high school than an ESTP or ESTJ. I think a lot of it has to do with societies pre-conceived notions of what is "normal" and the less you are like others in your immediate surroundings, the more you'll be viewed as different and thus misunderstood. An INTP may fell like she/he is surrounded by aliens in grammar school and be right at home with colleagues in that engineering or consulting job. I think if everyone would take the advice you suggest, the world would be a better place.


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## djf863000 (Nov 7, 2009)

People have a hard time telling when I am serious or just joking around. I think that must happen to a lot of people too. Tell me I am not the only one.

My wife have a hard time understand why I like art so much, especially the colours and beauty of it all.

Sometime I don't understand my self either. I feel tired most of the time, but when I am around young kids (especially girls), I usually get a boost of energy, out of no where.


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

Bump, becaue this thread has some very valid points.


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## sleeping while awake (Dec 30, 2009)

In my family Im just not like my family Im constantly out of tune with them. It could be because I was younger when I came to the US or its our personalities my brother is a ESTP and my mom is an ISFJ. They have real interest in business and the solid and Im just not really there even if Im physically sitting right next to them.:sad:


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

That's always a shitty spot to be in. Excuse my swearing (I happen to be blunt.)


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## VenusMisty (Dec 29, 2009)

Another good question would be how well any one of us can understand ourselves. No matter what we view ourselves from the inside, subjectively, so only an outsider can begin to be truly objective. I say "begin to be" because that person's point of view is also flawed because only the insider has all of the information. So the person himself is knowledgeable but skewed, and the viewer, who is generally ignorant about what it's like to be that person, could possibly view their actions in an unbiased manner, but would still lack true understanding.


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## firedell (Aug 5, 2009)

I don't really understand the concept of being misunderstood. Maybe because I never have been?


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

inebriato said:


> I don't really understand the concept of being misunderstood. Maybe because I never have been?


 I find this concept rediculous.


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## Kaipa (Dec 22, 2009)

*I find this concept rediculous.
*
Do you mean that you find the concept of being misunderstood ridiculous?

I don't. I have plenty of experience about being misunderstood. And unlike Isitso suggested, I don't think it's always the responsibility of the misunderstood to express themselves in a way that others can better understand. Sure, some people abuse the concept of "being misunderstood" as an excuse all the time, but for example, a teacher has the responsibility to understand different kinds of kids, and the kids don't have the same responsibility to make themselves understood by the teacher. Think of a child with concentration problems or dyslexia. It is the teacher's responsibility to recognise that the child is different and that this particular child needs to be taught in a special way compared to the majority of kids.

Also, people have a responsibility to try and understand other people before, say, concluding that thet're assholes and spreading nasty rumours like that about them just because their, say, introverts.:angry:


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## firedell (Aug 5, 2009)

Mutatio NOmenis said:


> I find this concept rediculous.


My concept? Or being misunderstood?
The way I see it is, if you believe in yourself, why care what other people think about you?


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## VenusMisty (Dec 29, 2009)

A non misunderstood artist? Quelle surprise! Just Kidding! I think the whole "misunderstood artist" thing is really just an NF act anyway. Van Gogh was a misunderstood SP, but he was an epileptic bipolar dude living in the Victorian age who'd tried to be a holy man. Also he lived on nothing but coffee and paint chips.


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## Mutatio NOmenis (Jun 22, 2009)

I meant that saying you have never been misunderstood is completely rediculous.


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## OrangeAppled (Jun 26, 2009)

Yeah, I often feel misunderstood - scratch that, I often AM misunderstood. It's not because I feel oh so special, or I want people to pity me, or I am sooo complicated. Some here seem to imply that this is just some INFP whiny-ness.... it's not - it just plain happens & is a fact. I get inaccurate feelings & motives ascribed to me because my natural behavior is often not in-line with social protocol. 

I realize that I have control over how people see me _to a point_, but I am also unwilling to adopt a totally fake personalty just to fit in better. I have learned to smile more, to muster energy to talk when I am feeling drained and would prefer not to, to mimic the Fe and Si people to seem more friendly/polite, etc. However, I am still going to be me, and I _accept_ that means I will be misunderstood at times. I can only offset it so much without changing who I am at the core (and that's probably impossible anyway; I don't think you can change dominant functions). I sometimes let people know ASAP that I am SHY, and that has cleared up a lot of possible misunderstanding.

Being an introvert, I find you don't have to say or do anything at all for people to misunderstand you. You can just sit somewhere quietly, and people will project a variety of emotion onto you - you must be bored, rude, snobby, unfriendly, timid, shy, boring, strange, etc. It's almost funny! :crazy:

I try and give people the benefit of the doubt, and I wish they would do the same with me. Not that I am immune to snap judgments at times, but I've been the victim of it enough to not get stuck on first impressions. Nearly every close friend I have tells me they assumed I was stuck-up at first simply because I am quiet and timid. Then they got to know me and realized how far from that I am, & they say they are glad they didn't let first impressions keep them from becoming friends with me. :happy:


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## Jazzy Starlight (Dec 28, 2014)

Hi there! I'm just new here and I am a 15 year old INFP. Maybe the reason why I felt misunderstood is because i expect people to be as understandable as me. Perhaps, I could easily see others emotions without having to talk to them. So, I suppose people would know me too without having to exert great effort. But thanks to MBTI I have already known my mistake now I know that I should express myself more especially to the sensors )


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## Recluse BrainStormer333 (Dec 25, 2014)

It is normal for all types to be misunderstood and judged by people, because it's human nature to judge you before they know you. I would be worried if the people weren't be like that, because They would either be robots or miss the self-preservation instinct. Someaone who doesn't misunderstand or judge others is at least naive. Don't *misinterpret* that for paranoia cases.


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## O_o (Oct 22, 2011)

(oh, would you look at this, someone resurrected a relic. Man, 2009. Good year)


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