ISTP

I participated in an MBTI workshop at work today. I became newly curious about MBTI in light of my roommate issues; I wondered about my personality type and what it meant in terms of getting along with other people. I hadn't thought about it before, since it's been a while that I haven't gotten along with anyone apart from my mother. At my previous job, there were a handful of colleagues that made my blood boil, but they tended to piss everyone off indiscriminately; You would be hard-pressed to find, among the people with whom I clashed, one that everyone else didn't also want to throttle. I've gotten along swimmingly with all my colleagues at my current job, and with all the roommates I've had for the past fourteen years, and with various travel companions (again, with the exception of my mother). I'm not telling you this to convince you that I'm blameless; I'm letting you know that I've had little reason up to now to think about my personality as a factor in my interpersonal interactions.

With the MBTI, there was what I thought, beforehand, that I was (INTJ), what I predicted I'd be as we went through the workshop (INFP), and what I turned out to be (ISTP). Clear I, clear T, and very slight S and P. I was skeptical, but as I read the overall description of that permutation, it fit me really well. Then again, they're kind of written like horoscopes: flattering and sufficiently vague that you're bound to see yourself in yours.

The N/S exercise we did was to write up a recipe for spaghetti and meatballs as a group. Afterward, one of the facilitators commented that things have really changed and these days, with longer commutes and such, people just pick up dinner, especially single people, some of whom might be in this workshop. Which was an odd set of generalizations to make as someone teaching us about individual differences. But I digress.

This made me thing I was an N: I like to cook more than I like to bake, because I prefer to go by instinct than to follow exact measurements; I try new recipes from cookbooks, but often improvise. I almost never go to the store with a list. Then again, I won't walk into a fabric store and get all these ideas... perhaps because I don't know how to sew (beyond the basics). The idea of designing a garden according to one of those plots suggested in magazines horrifies me; I'd much rather throw some seeds around and see what turns up.

So is it just situational? I like flexible cooking directions, but solid, detailed driving directions, with landmarks thrown in so that I know I'm going the right way (or not). A couple of weeks ago, when my friend stopped by, I gave her very specific directions and marveled that she managed to get lost (I'm good at getting lost, but this took skill), and was frustrated that she didn't listen.

I don't like to plan travel itineraries by the hour; I like to show up some where and see where my mood takes me. That said, when I travel for work, I want to know exactly when and where I need to be at each moment. Where does Type A fit into MBTI? Later, I learned that this was a P/J issue, not N/S.

Anyway, I'd guessed N, but turned out to be slightly S. Who knew?

It makes sense that I'd be a T. A lot of sense. I mean, I've made no secret about being incapable of human emotion. And it's not that I'm sympathetic or feelings-driven, but I am situationally-driven-- I think circumstances matter and hard-and-fast rules are of little use in the face of human factors. This is why I don't get along well with many engineers. What, then, makes me such a strong T?

The last one's tough, and my preference was slight. I do make lists, but as a general outline, not a straightjacket. I like some structure; I wouldn't enjoy self-employment.

What about you? What are your experiences with MBTI? Do they reflect who you think you are?