Being social

[tulip]

Yes...

Sometimes I'm INFJ, sometimes INTJ.

And the sports I've enjoyed are of the more solitary nature. Not team sports.

Me, too! although I thoroughly enjoyed playing competitive soccer when I was younger.

[Crankin]

Ha, I am an ENTJ, the most un-counselor like of all of the combinations. Apparently because I am so direct, I should be a business person.

[roadie gal]

Yes...

Sometimes I'm INFJ, sometimes INTJ.

And the sports I've enjoyed are of the more solitary nature. Not team sports.

Yes, exactly. Over the years I've taken the test a number of times and it always comes up one of these 2

[Owlie]

I test either as ISTP or ISTJ (apparently the last one isn't a terribly strong preference). The I is certainly a strong preference!

Sorry, Asammy.

[ClockworkOrange]

Love the thread roady gal.

Over the years I have been lucky enough to have had a lot of friends and when I divorced it was great, always somebody who was happy to go out somewhere with me or just pop over for a chat.

Same at Christmas time, so many cards to write out blah blah blah!

Now I am older, I think why on earth am I writing Christmas cards to people I will never ever see again and frankly don’t know or really care about anymore. This sounds pretty harsh but I am sure my ‘then’ friends feel the same. So much so I have minimised my Christmas list big time and the same with pressies, it was becoming a chore and that is the the time to stop. I have a handful of very close friends and if we do not speak for a couple of months it never matters, we are always there for each other.

My PET HATE!

You go for a walk in the country or a bike ride and all of a sudden everybody wants to say ‘hello’..................well I DON’T! I avoid eye contact, just can’t be bothered but my partner is the opposite, he is nice to everybody. If I was to see these same people along the High Street or shopping mall they wouldn’t give me the time of day.

I do enjoy company I choose to be with but equally I need solitude too.

Yes, the original Mrs Grumpy!

[Deborajen]

Roadie gal, you've gotta love "studies." Yeah, the rooster crows every morning, then the sun comes up - doesn't that show that the rooster crowing might cause the sun to come up? Studies can be interesting, but they always need to be taken with a grain of salt. A lot of people who commit suicide are withdrawn or have become withdrawn, and a lot of people with larger social circles have connections in healthcare who might help point out causes for concern or help point the person in the direction of the right medical care resulting in the person living longer, etc. On the other hand, less social people can be perfectly healthy whereas a social butterfly can die of cancer at a young age.

I've never appreciated personality "labels," mainly because I grew up being teased - usually in front of a group, not one-to-one - that I was "so quiet." It seldom happens anymore but I still get irritated when I see people do that to others. It's not socially acceptable to say "you're so fat" or "you're so dumb" in front of a group, but teasing a shy person who isn't good at defending him/herself - because he/she is shy & awkward - seems to be perfectly o.k. Well, that's one of my big pet peeves.

I have friends but especially I have a few really close friends that I've known "forever." I guess I could get lazy again and gain lots of weight and work on making lots of "friends," but somehow I just don't think that's the way to live longer.

[Jolt]

I test either as ISTP or ISTJ (apparently the last one isn't a terribly strong preference). The I is certainly a strong preference!

Sorry, Asammy.

Interesting how so many of us test two different ways...I just took the test in the link earlier in the thread and came out INTJ, where in college I took one where I tested as ISTJ. In any case I can relate to not wanting to interact with people constantly...it wears me out after a certain point and then I just need to get away from everyone, preferably out in nature somewhere.

[ASammy1]

I test either as ISTP or ISTJ (apparently the last one isn't a terribly strong preference). The I is certainly a strong preference!

Sorry, Asammy.

No worries!

[Geonz]

I remember reading that hey, these things can shift based on our situations.

F'rinstance that "J" category that's called "Judgement." If I remember right, it doesn't mean you Cast Judgemetn Upon YOur Fellow People. It means you like conclusions. You want things to get done. YOu're not all wrapped up in the essence of the moment like the P People, who are Perceiving.
Welp, I could certainly see a job change causing a shift in that perspective!

I remember finding the test a little frustrating because there were so many answers where I would think "well, it depends!" (Um, yes, I'm a P. I'm that rare combination INTP. When the head of the school asked at teh faculty meeting for us to raise our hands, after noting that according to the literature, we were likely to be stepping back and observing groups, there was a falling-out-laughing as ... the three of us in the back of the room put our paws in the air.) I can switch to F, tho' it's really for "thinking" reasons -- sometimes, factually speaking, addressing feelings is what will make things work better.

[jessmarimba]

Last one of these I took, I was INFJ. I remember reading the results and thinking it was like finding a true horoscope. Interesting.

[emily_in_nc]

F'rinstance that "J" category that's called "Judgement." If I remember right, it doesn't mean you Cast Judgemetn Upon YOur Fellow People. It means you like conclusions. You want things to get done. YOu're not all wrapped up in the essence of the moment like the P People, who are Perceiving.

Yes, I always think of Judging vs Perceiving this way:

J - feels more comfortable once a decision is made, likes having plans, not as comfortable when plans change unexpectedly, can be a bit rigid

P - enjoys the possibilities before a decision is made, spontaneous, less rigid, flexible about changes in plans

So, think about how you are about vacations, for instance. Do you prefer to plan out where you'll go, what you'll do, and when; or just let things hang loose and see what develops or what mood you're in once you get there?

According to Jung, neither of these are bad or good; they are just preferences. Both have their good and bad aspects.

On the positive side, J's tend to be organized, follow through on things, get things done. They're the good students of the world. P's are the artsy, creative folks who sometimes lack focus but can be a lot of fun to be with as they go with the flow.

I am a J through and through who would love to be a lot more of a P!

[indysteel]

J is my strongest preference, and it is me to a fault. I am a planner, and I work as a staff attorney for a judge, so I get paid to basically come to a conclusion about things. I do like the process of making a decision, as I love to research, but I do not like just playing things by ear. I get really upset when plans change at the last minute.