Workaholics

[jessica129]

Is it type related? Why or why not?

[Gilly]

Rationality is my only guess.

[olduser]

i think it depends on the motivation. All types can become very involved in the work. I would say that sensing types will become workaholics if they want money, but i know sensors that live below their means. A lot of professors in research positions work many many long hours and their types vary. I've read that LSI's are very good at doing menial tasks even if they don't find them interesting. I don't mind doing uninteresting things like math equations for practice or cleaning the house.

[BLauritson]

I know an SLE and an SEE who are both workaholics.

[FDG]

Given the enormous amount of beautiful things life offers, it's a mistery to me why would one become a workaholic. Work, for sure, it's useful and necessary, but given that workahloism is defined as being for its sake, it's completely incomprehensible to me.

[jessica129]

Given the enormous amount of beautiful things life offers, it's a mistery to me why would one become a workaholic. Work, for sure, it's useful and necessary, but given that workahloism is defined as being for its sake, it's completely incomprehensible to me.

Same. I don't know if this is because the only jobs I've had thus far mean nothing to me in the grand scheme of things and because I've hated every one of them, but I could never understand people who let their work consume every aspect of their lives. I know many. Maybe if enjoyed my job, it'd be different. But even then, its just a job.

I ask this because I know plenty of "P" workaholics and plenty of "J" workaholics.

[Wittmont]

Hmm it probably is field rather than type related. Eg for Big time bankers (Wall Street, London) you needn't apply unless you are an extreme workaholic. And not all types would enjoy working in that kind of environment either, that is pretty much (ST,NT) LSE, SLE, LIE, LSI territory, with ILI and LII for the behind the scenes number crunching and theoretical stuff. But I doubt many NF types would go that route. I wouldn't be surprised to see an SF,NF workaholic in sports, culture, media, medicine or science however.

[cracka]

Being a workaholic makes it easier to be an alcoholic.
Both of which I've done a lot less of lately.

There was a time when I would work one or two 12 hour days of overtime just because I liked making the money and being able have fun with it and buy cool shit. I have loads of time off anyway due to my schedule so I find myself sitting around bored at home sometimes and think, hmm, I wish I could have worked today...lol

[XoX]

I can't think of much else to do than work. I guess that makes me a workaholic even if I'm technically not because I dislike working.

[FDG]

Same. I don't know if this is because the only jobs I've had thus far mean nothing to me in the grand scheme of things and because I've hated every one of them, but I could never understand people who let their work consume every aspect of their lives. I know many. Maybe if enjoyed my job, it'd be different. But even then, its just a job.

I ask this because I know plenty of "P" workaholics and plenty of "J" workaholics.

I've gone through bursts of workaholism. They were due to the fact that I needed the money for something; most of the time, for a later period in which I knew I would have worked less in order to do enjoyable activities like biking, travelling, lying on the beach doing nothing, surfing. Other times I've been a little "studyaholic" because I liked very much what I was stuying. Those are the only motivations that come up on the top of my head. I also have a job that is very enjoyable in comparison to most of others, probably a dream job for a student to have.

I've always been a sports workaholic, but that's not work. It's fun and makes you feel good.

[Joy]

I used to be a workaholic. When I didn't hate my job, and often even when I did, I was always a workaholic until recent years (even when I was 14). I imagine it's part of my personality... I mean, why sit around when I could be making money?

I think it's part of the EJ temperament. More so with ESxjs. They seem to have more stamina somehow. Don't get sick as much, don't go through those "down" periods mentioned in Stratiyevskaya's description of Si in LIE's.

IJ's can be workaholics as well, they just do it more quietly, and they're probably not as inclined to be workaholics as EJ's. Of course, irrational types can be workaholics as well, I just think it's a lot less likely.

I have been thinking of starting a thread about which types are generally inclined to think in terms of what they're accomplishing. I think it's probably EJ types. They're not happy unless they feel like they're accomplishing something. They can't be content working in a position in which they don't get a sense of accomplishment from what they do. It's part of being "proactive, restless".

[FDG]

I used to be a workaholic. When I didn't hate my job, and often even when I did, I was always a workaholic until recent years (even when I was 14). I imagine it's part of my personality... I mean, why sit around when I could be making money?

I used to adhere to this philosophy but you have to watch out for your nerves and the possibility of burning out. Sports, contact with nature, good food and relaxation are necessary in order to start back at full stamina.

Even when I train for cycling or dancing, I've got to watch out for overtraining that just diminishes performance. For example, take a look at the way the guy Nureyev danced when he was 18, and when he was 26. In the second he's already ruined.

Taking a long-term stance, so, sitting around is necessary because I wanna live till I'm old and not be troubled by problems.

I have been thinking of starting a thread about which types are generally inclined to think in terms of what they're accomplishing. I think it's probably EJ types. They're not happy unless they feel like they're accomplishing something. They can't be content working in a position in which they don't get a sense of accomplishment from what they do. It's part of being "proactive, restless".

Everything can be an accomplishment, depending on what your values are.

[cracka]

I've always been a sports workaholic, but that's not work. It's fun and makes you feel good.

I was this way in high school. Every day I wasn't at school or work I was kicking a soccerball, playing basketball, or baseball. Like, I'd literally always be doing some type of sports related activity. During the soccer season I'd be first at practice and last to leave and usually put much more effort into it than most. When I left soccer practice and didn't have to work I'd go home and shoot basketball til it got dark. Every single year I played hs soccer I had shin splints from running on our hard track since we didn't run on the soccer field until the beginning of March and our season started in January when we went back for the second half of the school year. I never really thought of shin splints as that bad until one of our other players had them and decided to sit out the season because they hurt so much and felt they weren't able to move. Sure they hurt and all but I never felt they were something that could keep me off the field.
That type of work ethic and determination to keep doing what needs to get done goes right into my career life to this day.

As joy said in a post about EJ's... something about not getting sick as much as others... I find this somewhat true... but I think it's more like...even if we get sick, we're probably more likely to show up at work. Sure, this may piss some people off, but oh well... I don't think I've ever used more than 5 sick days for actually being sick since I started working... 12 yrs ago.
These days they seem to be used if I partied to much the night before...lmao.

I have learned to stay away from work and not work overtime as much as I have in the past. This is one reason I do a good amount of photography now since I find it as something cool to do where I can relax and take my time doing. Even when I'm relaxing I find that I have to be busy... this may sound strange but I've found it's my way around being a workaholic.

[Joy]

I think ESxj's don't get sick as much (or as badly) as others, or that they can handle their symptoms, because they eat when they're hungry, stop when they're full, sleep when they're tired, avoid food that makes them feel like shit (fast food, etc.), know when it's something that should be seen by a doctor, do their stretches every day if that's what it takes to feel good, maintain a reasonable balance between being active and resting, etc.

[FDG]

I was this way in high school. Every day I wasn't at school or work I was kicking a soccerball, playing basketball, or baseball. Like, I'd literally always be doing some type of sports related activity. During the soccer season I'd be first at practice and last to leave and usually put much more effort into it than most. When I left soccer practice and didn't have to work I'd go home and shoot basketball til it got dark. Every single year I played hs soccer I had shin splints from running on our hard track since we didn't run on the soccer field until the beginning of March and our season started in January when we went back for the second half of the school year. I never really thought of shin splints as that bad until one of our other players had them and decided to sit out the season because they hurt so much and felt they weren't able to move. Sure they hurt and all but I never felt they were something that could keep me off the field.
That type of work ethic and determination to keep doing what needs to get done goes right into my career life to this day.
[/FONT]

Yeah I remember one year I was trying to get better at biking, was winter 2005. I had this routine: biking 150 kms 4 times a week, working out 3 times a week for 1 hour and half. I never felt like it was "working"...I just enjoyed what I was doing, even if it was cold I liked the open spaces and exploration, and liked to feel good and fatigued after working out and seeing how I progressed.

Although work is a bit different for me. The physical component is lacking and most of the time you're confined in closed spaces, so I can't be as fulfullied as when I'm playing sports.

[Creepy-pokeball]

I'm a workaholic. I see a goal and I achieve it. It's a fixation really. I often only sleep 4 hours a day =/

[XoX]

I think ESxj's don't get sick as much (or as badly) as others, or that they can handle their symptoms, because they eat when they're hungry, stop when they're full, sleep when they're tired, avoid food that makes them feel like shit (fast food, etc.), know when it's something that should be seen by a doctor, do their stretches every day if that's what it takes to feel good, maintain a reasonable balance between being active and resting, etc.

Well my wife, ESFj they say, is not too much like that. She can get sick, she often forgets to eat when she is too busy with other stuff, she sleeps too little, overall is being "too" active and rests too little, never stretches. Actually I push her to eat better, sleep better, do more physical training and stretch more. It is just almost impossible to make her do that without consistent pushing. Which I generally do but it gets tiresome after years...

The parts that fit is that she always stops eating before she is "full" i.e. has a very good sense of when she has eaten enough (unlike me, who has to calculate what is enough in order to avoid overeating). Also she never eats things which she doesn't really like. She is kind of picky about the quality of food. Unlike me who can eat whatever in order to get the needed nutritions.

About the doctor...hard to say. I go to doctor way more often than she does but perhaps it is because I cannot evaluate properly when I should go and when not. It is kind of hard to get her to go to doctor because she believes she knows very well when she needs to (which is like...never)

So either my wife is not ESFj / ESxj or that stereotype doesn't hold too well.

[cracka]

Well my wife, ESFj they say, is not too much like that. She can get sick, she often forgets to eat when she is too busy with other stuff, she sleeps too little, overall is being "too" active and rests too little, never stretches. Actually I push her to eat better, sleep better, do more physical training and stretch more. It is just almost impossible to make her do that without consistent pushing. Which I generally do but it gets tiresome after years...

The parts that fit is that she always stops eating before she is "full" i.e. has a very good sense of when she has eaten enough (unlike me, who has to calculate what is enough in order to avoid overeating). Also she never eats things which she doesn't really like. She is kind of picky about the quality of food. Unlike me who can eat whatever in order to get the needed nutritions.

About the doctor...hard to say. I go to doctor way more often than she does but perhaps it is because I cannot evaluate properly when I should go and when not. It is kind of hard to get her to go to doctor because she believes she knows very well when she needs to (which is like...never)

So either my wife is not ESFj / ESxj or that stereotype doesn't hold too well.

Um, I don't really fit the "stereotype" Joy wrote at all compared to what you just posted. I'm very much like your wife in almost everything you just said...

[XoX]

Um, I don't really fit the "stereotype" Joy wrote at all compared to what you just posted. I'm very much like your wife in almost everything you just said...

Perhaps Joy describes Si dominants better. ISTp and ISFp. ESTj and ESFj use their Si a bit differently. They don't "live through it" in the same way. Dunno.

[xyz]

Ill only become a "workaholic" if I truly enjoy my work that much, but eventually ill feel out of balance and kinda slow down. But I wouldnt even call it "work" if i like it so much. playaholic.

[Creepy-male]

If we're talking about the emotionally crippling actual disorder kind where like you lose sleep and can't form healthy relationships then the most glaring examples I've seen are Rational STs. Fear of intimacy has tended to be the calling card of many LSIs that I've known and perfectionism which is based in such a fear seems on point with that type as well. Enneagram 1s in particular. It's a bit sad to see how blind they are to this yet they're so steeped in their own rationalizations that it makes them seem emotionally stupid. Instead of actually addressing past emotional turmoil they just ignore it somehow some way. So much denial. I worked with a LSI woman who was a trucker who suffered from it and was pretty sad to see how deeply whatever traumas were in her. Her eyes revealed all though.

[The Exception]

I'd say workaholism tends towards EJ temperament and/or decisive quadras.

The most workaholic seem to be: LIE, EIE, LSE, SLE, SEE, LSI.

[Velvet]

Theoretically it would be an LSE e1

[Suz]

Hmm it probably is field rather than type related. Eg for Big time bankers (Wall Street, London) you needn't apply unless you are an extreme workaholic. And not all types would enjoy working in that kind of environment either, that is pretty much (ST,NT) LSE, SLE, LIE, LSI territory, with ILI and LII for the behind the scenes number crunching and theoretical stuff. But I doubt many NF types would go that route. I wouldn't be surprised to see an SF,NF workaholic in sports, culture, media, medicine or science however.

I agree with this post, and I think this is probably the more accurate way to look at workaholism.

"Workaholism" can take many forms, be a result of different situations or expectations, and occur for a variety of different motivations. Each different facet of it would perhaps be more associated with certain types than others, but seeming to be a "workaholic" shouldn't automatically conjure LSE or other EJ images.

[strangeling]

Worst workaholic I've known was an LSE with heavy elements of enneagram 1, 3, 6, and 8. He was also one of the worst leaders I've had the displeasure of being under. But in general, most often it's LSE/ESE and SEE/SLE that end up being workaholics. I don't really understand it, but it seems they all have in common a sense of meaning or fulfillment in working, much moreso than other types.