cult personality type?

Mysterious

Another thing that has been intriguing me lately is the idea that cults can help sway people towards a certain personality type more towards a judging personality for example, or becoming more feeling rather than thinking. I know my meyers-briggs type changed from ISTJ when I was a JW to INTJ after I left. I was curious if anyone else was aware of a similar shift in their actual measurable personality traits..maybe putting on the new personality is literal?

megsmomma

I have noticed this on a bit of a different side. It seems to me a-lot of our families in it have a similar bitter, hatefull attitude. It seems that the cult attracts people who are very controling by nature

becca1

Interesting. I've been studying personality typing for several years now. While people grow, mature, learn new things.. thier core personality remains pretty much the same. You may shift a bit say from P to J if you work really hard to be organized, prompt, etc. But you would never go from an SJ to an NT. The four categories are SJ, SP, NF and NT. They are four different animals. A leopard can improve his hunting skills but he "can't change his spots".

I think you must have answered the questions incorrectly, perhaps the first time, when you were younger. It's common for younger ones. Or maybe you took the test in a hurry or on the other hand, over-analized the questions. Regardless, I assure you, you are the same person you were before, just more mature.

As for changes we undergo upon leaving the WT. I believe we do go through a period of great change and growth, but we will remain the same person at the very core.

becca1

Hi again: Just looked over some of your older posts. You are so not an SJ!!!! I don't know you personally, but your thoughts are very "quirky" a very "N" thing. I'd say the second test is the accurate one.

Confession

I too have studied Myers-Briggs for years. What Kiersey teaches is that, basically...

Your Temperament is what you're born with.

Your Character is what life brings your way.

And your Personality is the combination of these two things.

Supposedly the Temperament Sorter is measuring your Temperament--but I believe life can change things just a smidgen. I agree that it would be pretty hard to go from Abstract to Concrete--or vice versa, but I do believe I have slid down the T/F scale a bit. I always came in as an ENFP (Idealist,) but I'm finding myself more an ENTP (Rational) of late when I answer the questions.

That said, I'd suggest that any of the temperaments can succumb to a cult, but perhaps none like the SJs (Guardians.) A pretty fundamental part of their temperament is to uphold their group's traditions and laws and to support a well-defined system of beliefs. They have great respect for authority and little patience for those who don't.

Tyrone van leyen

I don't know if I agree. I'm not sure who I ever was. as I was born into this, and what I would have been in the abscence of the brainwashing and abuse. Becca can you tell me by reading some of my posts which one you think I am. I didn't even know of these types. Another question... If you are evil at your core are you saying that this will never change no matter what you do?

Confession

Tyrone, temperament does not measure many things about a person. Doesn't measure things like honesty or integrity. It basically attempts to identify two broad areas: 1) Whether we are "abstract" or "concrete," and 2) whether we are "cooperative" or "utilitarian" in our accomplishing tasks. Once these basic things are identified, we find surprisingly similar behaviors among those in the same temperament groups.

But those behaviors are not at all about "good" and "evil."

J-ex-W

Mysterious------------ It's not uncommon for people to experience personality fluctuations throughout a lifetime, cult influence or no. [Life experiences DO have influence.] Also, those four MBTI letter designations are not absolutes. Every letter is only to some degree, more or less, dominant compared to its alternative.

For instance, a person may be strongly extroverted (I) so that letter never seems to fluctuate from test to test, time period to time period. But that same person may be fairly equally divided in preference between intuitive (N) and sensing (S) as a mode of evaluating the world around them. When that's the case, one test may show up as (S) and a different test/ time period may see a result of (T).

For me, I'm consistently NF, but sometimes can flip-flop behaviorally on the E vs. I or J vs. P characteristics--usually because circumstances have warranted adjusting my perspective on things. Having disabilities that gradually changed my life--turned it upside--has caused me to act fairly regularly as an INFP more and more than ever before. However, anytime I've taken a more thorough comprehensive test, it has come out as an ENFJ. That's kind of my 'default' setting, though I am adaptable to other modes of operating as well.

I'd be curious to know how comprehensive those tests you took were and if your 'default' would actually be with the N or the T. It's a good question you raise.

Tyrone van leyen

I get it. I think I need to see a shrink or read more on this. There's the effects of the cult brainwashing, the effects of shunning and abandonment and I have just been given an interesting article from my brother on narcisstic personality disorder. It sure looks like my dad suffers from that and my brothers and I have been effected by both. It was first documented in 1980 and describes my father almost perfectly. For years we were getting the ego part of things confused thinking he was a sociopath but this new def. is far more comprehensive. I don't know much yet, so I just keep reading these threads. Thanks!

J-ex-W

I don't know if I agree. I'm not sure who I ever was. as I was born into this, and what I would have been in the abscence of the brainwashing and abuse. Becca can you tell me by reading some of my posts which one you think I am. I didn't even know of these types. Another question... If you are evil at your core are you saying that this will never change no matter what you do?

Tyrone it's important to point out that, according to the MBTI, there are sixteen recognized grids of personality, some combination or other using the letters E or I, N or S, F or P, and F or J.

There is a separate consideration to all this, which might be what you are alluding to: Each individual, besides having their own MBTI designation, will also fall somewhere along a broad continuum: That which goes between HEALTHY vs. UNHEALTHY. Each personality will manifest their signs of health (or UNhealth) in a fairly predictable manner, according to their type, but the DEGREE to which they do so will depend on where they fall on this second scale.

This is where personality disorders come in. I actually plan to get a psych degree studying this very thing. I find it very fascinating to look at human nature in all its wondrous and even convoluted forms.

cult personality type?

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