How Knowing My MBTI Changed My Life

It had been a challenge growing up as an INTJ, especially without knowing you have this awesome 😉 personality type. If you’re like me, feeling misunderstood is as common as breathing (well not technically, but I can’t count how often it happens). Other people just don’t think the same way as we are. It is quite frustrating. How can they not think about the future repercussions of their decisions? How can they not be interested in the root cause of their problems? How can they not understand that the reason why they failed in class is because they haven’t made their bed? How can they not understand that the reason why they didn’t get the job is because they haven’t bought groceries? 😩

I was frustrated with how other people don’t think about these things but now I have improved and developed about 88.67% of understanding. It turns out, it’s fine. They’re concerned with other stuff which can be pretty valuable. I would not find myself wanting to learn hair-cutting skills, but I need someone to cut my hair, precisely, methodically, and I would say, bombastically 😎. When working on a project, I wouldn’t be bothered by other people’s feelings if I tell them their ideas are flawed. My only concern is truth, facts, and reality. Truth and facts and reality. If it was the case that my ideas are flawed, then tell me. If you point out exactly why it is flawed, based on reason and facts, then thank – you! I appreciate you, courageous human. You have made me better. I would compliment you with this.

MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) has given me this understanding. This theory may not be accepted in the scientific community, but it is useful (just ask this CIA agent). It is NOT like Astrology, where human affairs are determined by the position of the stars. MBTI actually incorporates numerous self-reported information and uses that as a basis for its results. How come many people say they get inconsistent results? Well, since the information is self-reported, people without an honest and conscious self-knowledge would not have consistent answers and therefore would not have consistent results. So, you have to have an honest view of yourself when answering the test. Basically, in terms of usefulness, it indicates your preferences in how you think, spend your time, do things, and take in information.

MBTI has allowed me to accept myself: that others are not better than me 😊, and I am not better than others 😢. Each has our own set of natural strengths and corresponding natural weaknesses. For example, if my strength is being tall and big, my natural weakness would be getting through Manila using public transportation at 6PM. It’s packed like a corned tuna in here. If my strength is high sensory perception, my weakness would be a disrupted sleep from the loud music coming from my neighbor’s karaoke at 1AM. If I were big and heavy and can lift Thor’s hammer, I would not last long in a marathon. No one is intrinsically superior because different people bring different things to the table. The significant question is how to use our strengths to its fullest and how to compensate for our weaknesses. It is significant, since it focuses on something we can control.

I hope I learned about this sooner. I would have become CEO by now. I would have become like Elon Musk. I would have become the president of… no. Of course, I’m kidding. Learning about this sooner wouldn’t make me any of that. But it would most definitely allow me to work in the right direction earlier and find more fulfillment in the things I chose to do.