# Can your MBTI type change with age?



## paper lilies (Dec 6, 2011)

Do you think it's possible to be a different type as a child than a teenager or adult?
If you could look back and see yourself fitting a different type back then and personalities are supposedly "innate" are you still your child-like type? Or does maturity, growth, environment, situations and the way you were raised come into effect? I'm naturally curious as to what others opinions are on the subject.


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## Ace Face (Nov 13, 2011)

I honestly don't know. Sometimes I think a type can change with maturity and growth, and other times, I think that you'll still always be the "original" type to the core.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

Long discussion on http://personalitycafe.com/myers-briggs-forum/78672-can-you-change-your-mbti-types.html here.

Suffice to say the Myers-Briggs people do not think your type can change. 
7 Myths About Myers-Briggs | Open Source Innovationroblem Solving|Change|Creative Thinking|Myers-Briggs|Personality Tests|


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## Golden Heart x Rebel Fist (Dec 22, 2011)

I think it can be misidentified or suppressed sometimes.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

It's just not as important to the overall measure of a person's psychology. It's one part of their psychology but not necessarily the most important part in a given person. Things like complexes, or the unconscious or the shadow can often explain far more about a person than simply knowing their type code (though it is good to know the specific way you process the world through type).


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## Snow (Oct 19, 2010)

Though I am of the belief that nature does indeed change our personalities--that we develop our cognitive functions over time--even if my belief isn't accurate we can certainly act or believe we are different at times. I believed/acted/was an INTJ most of my teenage years and maybe even into my mid 20's.

Either I suppressed my Ti/Ne, or I hadn't developed it as much as I have now. Either way it's perfectly normal that we test or behave differently in different parts of our lives.


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## Up and Away (Mar 5, 2011)

myers briggs lie to sell and make money! i cant believe that would diss jung like that when jung clearly states types change

wow


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## Ruber Somnium (Dec 21, 2011)

There's no reason not to beleive that personality changes as one ages and matures. The human mind undergoes vast growth and development though the child and teen years, so it is entirely possible for one to change drastically in terms of personality, although such changes can also be subtle. Now while type might not change naturally as an adult, I do beleive that type is changable in such a way that one could theoretically change thier type if they know how to.


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## Noliah (Dec 8, 2011)

Ruber Somnium said:


> There's no reason not to beleive that personality changes as one ages and matures. The human mind undergoes vast growth and development though the child and teen years, so it is entirely possible for one to change drastically in terms of personality, although such changes can also be subtle. Now while type might not change naturally as an adult, I do beleive that type is changable in such a way that one could theoretically change thier type if they know how to.


I'm in agreement with you. I tested as an INTJ for years and years, and those years were filled with more stress and personal tragedy that one should be expected to deal with. I've entered a new phase in my life, and thanks to some changes in attitude I've tested as an INTP. A slight difference, but I think it reflects my "mellow-er" outlook and attitude.


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## SuperDevastation (Jun 7, 2010)

As a child I was more emotional and somewhat more affectionate, especially before I turned 10.


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## paper lilies (Dec 6, 2011)

If I had to type my child-like self I would without a doubt be very INFJ.

Which is why I am so curious.

Now I am INFP. The interesting part of this is that now my Fi is only slightly higher than my Fe and my Ne is only slightly higher than my Ni. When I move to my third function Ti is around 10 points (my guess) higher than Te. And my fourth function is dominantly Si as I do not use or relate to much of Se.

I wonder where this leaves me.

Was I always INFJ? Am I just non-developed in some areas? If my child-like self was indeed INFJ- will I always be even though my functions _now_ are generally INFP territory? Does it mean I could end up being either or at a certain point in my development? So many questions I can't begin to fathom.


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## Arbite (Dec 26, 2010)

Your type doesn't change, your use of the various functions does. As a person matures they (Hopefully) learn to use their tertiary and inferior functions much better. This also includes non standard, shadow functions. The use of these functions effects how these people make decisions and see the world.


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## Ruber Somnium (Dec 21, 2011)

Noliah said:


> I'm in agreement with you. I tested as an INTJ for years and years, and those years were filled with more stress and personal tragedy that one should be expected to deal with. I've entered a new phase in my life, and thanks to some changes in attitude I've tested as an INTP. A slight difference, but I think it reflects my "mellow-er" outlook and attitude.


Indeed, great event in life will change who we are at times. Looking back at my past, I realize that in some aspects, I was a very different person than who I am today. And I know in the future that I'll be even more different; the self is always in a constant state of flux, shifiting and altering in accordance to how the external world shapes us.



Arbite said:


> Your type doesn't change, your use of the various functions does. As a person matures they (Hopefully) learn to use their tertiary and inferior functions much better. This also includes non standard, shadow functions. The use of these functions effects how these people make decisions and see the world.


The problem there is that type is entirely determined by functions, and if functions are used differently during life then so to would type be different at certain times. But really, the cognitive functions display nothing more than a mind-set; in essence they describe the methods in which we aquire data and make choices, there is no actual evidence to say that such functions are the direct result of any sort of conrete brain process, nor is there evidence to proof that type is set in stone from any age.


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## LiquidLight (Oct 14, 2011)

> there is no actual evidence to say that such functions are the direct result of any sort of concrete brain process, nor is there evidence to proof that type is set in stone from any age.


There's no concrete evidence that any of this stuff exists at all. It's not empirical its philosophical. So if the Myers-Briggs people say type is innate, then type is innate (that's not what they're really saying by the way, they're speaking from the standpoint of type as learned preference in which case you would not need to change it). It's their theory doesn't have to make empirical sense because you could never prove it anyway.


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## Staffan (Nov 15, 2011)

LiquidLight said:


> There's no concrete evidence that any of this stuff exists at all. It's not empirical its philosophical. So if the Myers-Briggs people say type is innate, then type is innate (that's not what they're really saying by the way, they're speaking from the standpoint of type as learned preference in which case you would not need to change it). It's their theory doesn't have to make empirical sense because you could never prove it anyway.


Actually attitude is a part of most personality theories and has been researched a lot by Eysenck and others. And, like Steven Pinker pointed out, there is no investigated behavioral trait that hasn't been found to have a high heritability. There doesn't seem to be that much research of this kind using the MBTI but there is on attitude and Openness (strongly related to N).

That said, there is a lot of philosophy and speculation regarding type, especially the cognitive functions. 

As for age changes, the studies on the Big Five suggests that there are very moderate changes over time, but they seem to be the same for all, maybe the result of some sort of maturation of the nervous system.


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## Audrey (Dec 26, 2011)

I strongly believe a person's type can change as they grow and develop. It seems as though a lot of people are one type as a child, then develop after adolescence into another type.

Growing up, I was an INFP, very very sensitive and perceptive of emotions. Functioned on empathy and understanding. Now, after seeing dishonesty, cruelty, and hate, the emotional side of me has been muted and I am an ISTP. I function on logic and reason.


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## Staffan (Nov 15, 2011)

Audrey said:


> I strongly believe a person's type can change as they grow and develop. It seems as though a lot of people are one type as a child, then develop after adolescence into another type.
> 
> Growing up, I was an INFP, very very sensitive and perceptive of emotions. Functioned on empathy and understanding. Now, after seeing dishonesty, cruelty, and hate, the emotional side of me has been muted and I am an ISTP. I function on logic and reason.


That's not really preference you are a talking about. Everyone uses logic when solving an equation, because that is in the thought domain. If you concluded that the world is much harder than you thought as a child, you have merely accepted that the domains of thought and sensation (logic and hard facts) are a larger than you previously thought. That doesn't change your preference, although maybe you are not being your true self if you end up never using your prefered functions. Just go to the INFP forum and we'll take that logic and reason out of you in no time : )


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## Worriedfunction (Jun 2, 2011)

It is one of my greatest fears that at the core, I can never truely change who I am.


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## Das Brechen (Nov 26, 2011)

An individual can transcend type all together if he/she wills it. Effort counts as well.


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## strangestdude (Dec 8, 2011)

Das Brechen said:


> An individual can transcend type all together if he/she wills it. Effort counts as well.


I no longer belief that, I personally think it's a myth of the 'empowerment' self-help community. We aren't 'masters' of our personality - though self-esteem, social skills, and general emotional health is flexible. 

Neuroscience and philosophical determinism shows it's probable that our conscious mind is solely self-aware and isn't directive - basically free will is a myth. 

I think that health risks, mental health risks and core personality traits (I'm not referring to MBTI) have evidence supporting the hypothesis that they are hereditary.


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