Comments on: Hogwarts Sorting Hat or Myers-Briggs? Which is Better?

By: the gold digger

the gold digger — Sun, 17 Dec 2017 17:17:42 +0000

In reply to Nacho. There are cases where the Socratic method just does not work! That sounds like punishment, not feedback. I had a boss who used the Socratic method when I asked him objective questions. I finally said, in exasperation, "I am not stupid. I know how to do research. I know how to find answers. If I am asking you a question, it is because I have exhausted every other means of finding the answer. All I want from you is the answer!"

By: LTMG

LTMG — Sat, 16 Dec 2017 18:56:08 +0000

Yes, grannybunny is right. MBTI has never been scientifically validated.

On a couple of Internet platforms I call out the lack of scientific validity of MBTI. Often enough, other forum participants vociferously disagree and sometimes resort to name calling. Well, I’m think skinned and don’t care. In every case, I ask them to provide citations from internationally respected journals of psychology. Never had a response.

To me, MBTI believers fall into the same categories as other pseudoscience adherents. Based on anecdotal evidence and weaknesses in their own critical thinking skills, they ardently believe. Difficult to impossible to persuade these people to consider an opposing view.

By: charles

charles — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 22:45:36 +0000

Myers-Brigs is overblown in value. Why oh Why do so many companies and academics still use this outdated, never was any real value, snake oil?

And every time – every time! – I say something about Myers-Brigs those who believe in this tripe will try to label me as “whatever the stupid Myers-Brigs label is for doubters” as if that somehow or others proves their ridiculous beliefs.

So, yea, comparing it to Harry Potter make believe is about right.

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 22:03:02 +0000

I’ve taken the MB a couple of times either through school or work and I’ve consistently been an INFP. Personally, I do think that it fits me (it’s what I would pick if I had to choose between the options in each category), however, I know enough about life and people to take it with a grain of straw. Most of the time, people fall somewhere in the middle of the two options depending on a variety of factors.

The only good I do see from test like these is that it can make you think more about who you are interacting with and how they may need a different style or way (ie. an extrovert may need to tone it down for an introvert).

By: Nacho

Nacho — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 20:36:42 +0000

My work uses some kind of “red, green, blue, yellow” personality quiz (no clue if it has a proper name), and it always makes me die a little inside when it’s brought up. Supposedly I’m a “driver”, and my boss is “expressive”, which is supposed to explain why she refuses to give me proper criticism and keeps trying to ask me “what do you think you did wrong here?”

By: Arrow

Arrow — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 20:15:17 +0000

I’ve always found it depressing when people talk about others MB results. One could learn about others, understand their drive and observe their strengths and weaknesses. They could ask people for feedback and how they interacted with the people being considered. But that would take some thought, time, and respect. Instead you can be given 4 letters.
I find people’s astrological sign more interesting than their 4 letters.

By: Interested Bystander

Interested Bystander — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 19:37:57 +0000

I see value in the 16 possible personality types, and general instruction on how to communicate with each of them. I don’t agree with the test itself though – it places too much emphasis on immediate emotions.

By: FormerHoosier

FormerHoosier — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:52:47 +0000

In reply to BethRa. But when the test isn't valid even generalized conversations are false because it is based on incorrect information.

By: grannybunny

grannybunny — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:30:34 +0000

In reply to BethRa. And training, exercises and discussions at the retreat about differences in how people communicate and process information wouldn't have done the same thing?

By: BethRa

BethRa — Fri, 15 Dec 2017 16:04:02 +0000

Any tool can be misused. I’ve certainly seen examples of people doing stupid things with any of these tests – usually some variation of using the “results” to reinforce their own ideas/biases – but I will say having my department do the MBTI years ago really helped us sort out some bad dynamics on our team. The consultant who administered the test and ran the retreat where we discussed the results emphasized that they weren’t about good/bad or right/wrong or even what role we were supposed to play, but about how we communicate and how we process information. That in turn allowed people to reframe our interactions as simple differences rather than indecisiveness or impulsiveness, for example.