If you are into MBPT, then chances are you will come across a lot of inaccurate information about it. That is particularly true in the case of all those memes. So, I decided to point out some of these misconceptions:
The functions are about preferences and not about abilities. That can't be said enough. Just because you belong to a particular type doesn't mean you will excel in all the qualities they prefer. While people do like putting in hard work in matters they prefer, the results tend to differ from person to person. Thus, not all INTJs are sensitive, and not all INFPs have a rich imagination. What those preferences do mean is that these types are more likely to base their decisions on information provided by their preferred functions.
Extroversion and Introversion in MBPT are not about energies but about preferences. We expand energies both in extroverted and introverted environments - and when we feel exhausted by one of those two environments, we seek the other. However, in MBPT, these two terms are used for preference of source of information. People with the highest preference for a source of information that is inside them are more likely to prefer spending some time alone.
**There might be no concurrence in preferences and abilities. **Lots of sensing types can become poets or writers for example and lots of intuitive may do well in sports. While you may prefer certain functions, you can still have abilities appreciated and preferred by other functions.
You always have access to all your functions - It would be foolish to think that an intuitive doesn't have access to the information given to him by his sensory organs - he may not prefer it decision making but he definitely can access it. Similarly, each personality type has access to all functions and, in rare cases, may even use the information from a generally unpreferred function.
**Ni or Introverted Intuition is probably not some mythical thing. **It is just the brain connecting dots from different points of time and giving you the end results which may appear to be in the form of a gut feeling or hunch or a word from God because you yourself can't tell its source.
The reason why there is so much mystification around Ni is that it bases the decisions on information internalized over a long period of time and thus you don't 'see' its source. That is exactly what makes people with a strong preference for Ni judging types - since they can't see the source of information, they can't be critical of the same.
In this respect, Ni is also like Si - People preferring Si too don't fully understand the sources of their information and trust it all the more for that very reason.
All function types can misguide you and lead you into follies.
Your MBPT is not your excuse for being a jerk. It is great that it makes you feel understood but it should not come in your way of doing the right things and efforts at self-improvement.
That is all for today folks. I hope you like this post.
