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Thread: Questions about personality theories

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    Default Questions about personality theories.....

    What do YOU want in a personality theory?
    What for?/Why?

    Which of these is MOST important to you?
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    After much editing, my answer came down to:

    I want a means for understanding and utilizing aspects of my self and others.

    For the purpose of deriving a methodology for self empowerment (in myself and others).


    What are Yours?
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    A personality should do 2 things:

    1) Satisfy my need to categorise everything and everyone.
    2) Explain relationships.

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    I like personality theory in a way that challenges myself to create something better than it.
    Binary or dichotomous systems, although regulated by a principle, are among the most artificial arrangements that have ever been invented. -- William Swainson, A Treatise on the Geography and Classification of Animals (1835)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cone
    I like personality theory in a way that challenges myself to create something better than it.
    Cone, so usefulness is not an issue?
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    Not for personality theory. In fact, I denounce the use of it for any purposes whatsoever. Whether the theory is wrong or right, I'm not looking forward to a mass dystopia.
    Binary or dichotomous systems, although regulated by a principle, are among the most artificial arrangements that have ever been invented. -- William Swainson, A Treatise on the Geography and Classification of Animals (1835)

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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by Cone
    I like personality theory in a way that challenges myself to create something better than it.
    Cone, so usefulness is not an issue?
    I know that's not addressed to me but I always find theory much more interesting than it's application.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cone
    Not for personality theory. In fact, I denounce the use of it for any purposes whatsoever. Whether the theory is wrong or right, I'm not looking forward to a mass dystopia.
    hmm, so the only purpose personality theory has for you is as something to destroy? but if it serves no purpose, aren't you basically...just wasting your time/energy?
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    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by Cone
    I like personality theory in a way that challenges myself to create something better than it.
    Cone, so usefulness is not an issue?
    I know that's not addressed to me but I always find theory much more interesting than it's application.
    but how do you improve something that has no application?
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    Who says you need to improve it? And who says it has no application? I just like the theory...

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    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    Who says you need to improve it? And who says it has no application? I just like the theory...
    Cone did.
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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    Who says you need to improve it? And who says it has no application? I just like the theory...
    Cone did.
    Yes but you responded to my post :wink:

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    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    Who says you need to improve it? And who says it has no application? I just like the theory...
    Cone did.
    Yes but you responded to my post :wink:
    well, actually, i was responding to your response to my response to his response.
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    I suppose that was because I was too lazy to delete Cone's post from my quote

    Anyway, if I'm interested in anything it's for the theory.

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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by Cone
    Not for personality theory. In fact, I denounce the use of it for any purposes whatsoever. Whether the theory is wrong or right, I'm not looking forward to a mass dystopia.
    hmm, so the only purpose personality theory has for you is as something to destroy? but if it serves no purpose, aren't you basically...just wasting your time/energy?
    No, it falls under my "center of identity". I think, "well, my intellectual skill0rz are better than my emotional and social skill0rz, so I guess I'll be an intellectual," and then I compete, as all social animals do, in the realm of theories and ideas. It's a form of social darwinism.
    Binary or dichotomous systems, although regulated by a principle, are among the most artificial arrangements that have ever been invented. -- William Swainson, A Treatise on the Geography and Classification of Animals (1835)

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    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    I suppose that was because I was too lazy to delete Cone's post from my quote

    Anyway, if I'm interested in anything it's for the theory.
    but in the case of personality theory, you look for a theory that

    1) Satisfies your need to categorise everything and everyone.
    2) Explain relationships.

    is this right?
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    Social Darwinism really grates on me.

    [/hijack]

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    Well, you can't just close your eyes and make it disappear.
    Binary or dichotomous systems, although regulated by a principle, are among the most artificial arrangements that have ever been invented. -- William Swainson, A Treatise on the Geography and Classification of Animals (1835)

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    Just because it exists doesn't mean I have to like it. Mostly, I wish people wouldn't insist on associating it with Darwin. It's not his theory

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    Quote Originally Posted by Cone
    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by Cone
    Not for personality theory. In fact, I denounce the use of it for any purposes whatsoever. Whether the theory is wrong or right, I'm not looking forward to a mass dystopia.
    hmm, so the only purpose personality theory has for you is as something to destroy? but if it serves no purpose, aren't you basically...just wasting your time/energy?
    No, it falls under my "center of identity". I think, "well, my intellectual skill0rz are better than my emotional and social skill0rz, so I guess I'll be an intellectual," and then I compete, as all social animals do, in the realm of theories and ideas. It's a form of social darwinism.
    So what criteria would determine that what you are creating is better? I mean if there is no purpose for it, what other criteria could there be?
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    I don't know, elitism? Seriously, it just feels good.

    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    Just because it exists doesn't mean I have to like it. Mostly, I wish people wouldn't insist on associating it with Darwin. It's not his theory
    Ok, then we'll call it Social Spencerism.
    Binary or dichotomous systems, although regulated by a principle, are among the most artificial arrangements that have ever been invented. -- William Swainson, A Treatise on the Geography and Classification of Animals (1835)

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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    but in the case of personality theory, you look for a theory that

    1) Satisfies your need to categorise everything and everyone.
    2) Explain relationships.

    is this right?
    That's right

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    Me too, I like the theory for what it is, for the beauty of it

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    Quote Originally Posted by gugu_ baba
    Me too, I like the theory for what it is, for the beauty of it
    You say you like the theory for what it is, but you don't say what it is to you. What are personality theories to gugu_baba?
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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by gugu_ baba
    Me too, I like the theory for what it is, for the beauty of it
    You say you like the theory for what it is, but you don't say what it is to you. What are personality theories to gugu_baba?
    well, just like ishy and Cone said, for intellectual enriching, mainly is a way to broaden my views on the world, on life, to see things that other people don't. Where I come from is not such a big fuss on personality theories, like I've noticed in US is, not many people even know about it, I guess, maybe only the professionals that work in this field (psychology-sociology).

    I've got a question, is it true that in US they even do typology tests on employees and is a criteria for hiring or rejecting them? Or how present is the typology theories in everyday life and how does they affect you (for better or for worse)?

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    Quote Originally Posted by gugu_ baba
    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Quote Originally Posted by gugu_ baba
    Me too, I like the theory for what it is, for the beauty of it
    You say you like the theory for what it is, but you don't say what it is to you. What are personality theories to gugu_baba?
    well, just like ishy and Cone said, for intellectual enriching, mainly is a way to broaden my views on the world, on life, to see things that other people don't. Where I come from is not such a big fuss on personality theories, like I've noticed in US is, not many people even know about it, I guess, maybe only the professionals that work in this field (psychology-sociology).
    Ishy and Cone have said two different things.

    Ishy likes the theory cuz it helps her to categorize things and people as well as explain relationships.

    Cone implies that it's not useful even for that and that he's here only in attempts to intellectually compete over something meaningless.

    ---
    Regarding
    I've got a question, is it true that in US they even do typology tests on employees and is a criteria for hiring or rejecting them? Or how present is the typology theories in everyday life and how does they affect you (for better or for worse)?
    That is not what this thread is about. Perhaps you could post a new thread on that question.
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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Ishy and Cone have said two different things.

    Ishy likes the theory cuz it helps her to categorize things and people as well as explain relationships.

    Cone implies that it's not useful even for that and that he's here only in attempts to intellectually compete over something meaningless.
    Yes, they did said basically the same thing. That they value it (or not) from an intellectual standpoint. Nothing more, nothing less.

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    Edited for gayness.
    ENTp

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    Quote Originally Posted by Transigent
    I want things to make sense, and to know where I should fit in.
    In an asshole sure.


    Anyway, let's be serious.


    A personality theory must give me motivations for the actions of a given person.
    Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit

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    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    A personality should do 2 things:

    1) Satisfy my need to categorise everything and everyone.
    2) Explain relationships.
    #1 is impossible at our level of understand and needless to be quite honest. #2 can only be partially explained (I'd say 25% rough guestimate) by theories like Socionics and the like.

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    Default Re: Questions about personality theories.....

    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    What do YOU want in a personality theory?
    What for?/Why?

    Which of these is MOST important to you?
    Something that helps me understand people and their motivations, through which I can improve my relationships with others and become more compassionate. I think the understanding part is more important to me than the improving relationships part, but it's close.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jadae
    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    A personality should do 2 things:

    1) Satisfy my need to categorise everything and everyone.
    2) Explain relationships.
    #1 is impossible at our level of understand and needless to be quite honest. #2 can only be partially explained (I'd say 25% rough guestimate) by theories like Socionics and the like.
    #1 Need? Whatever happened to OCD? No, that's not what I want to say... I know it's "needless" but I still feel the need to do it. It's satisfying somehow to classify things. <3 Taxonomy. No-one gets hurt, so why not?

    #2 So? I still like the theory...

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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    Ishy and Cone have said two different things.

    Ishy likes the theory cuz it helps her to categorize things and people as well as explain relationships.

    Cone implies that it's not useful even for that and that he's here only in attempts to intellectually compete over something meaningless.
    I didn't say I liked it because it was useful for those reasons. They're just extensions of theory which - if present - tend to cause me to spend more time on them than other theory. Kind of like how I prefer clades (which has the 2 aspects I mentioned) to phenotypic taxonomy.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jadae
    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    A personality should do 2 things:

    1) Satisfy my need to categorise everything and everyone.
    2) Explain relationships.
    #1 is impossible at our level of understand and needless to be quite honest. #2 can only be partially explained (I'd say 25% rough guestimate) by theories like Socionics and the like.
    I could never fathom how Person A can tell Person B what Person B does or does not need/want/feel/etc.

    Also, the question wasn't about what we have now nor what is possible, but about what people want from a personality theory. There is no right/wrong answer to this question.
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    Default Re: Questions about personality theories.....

    Quote Originally Posted by sarah
    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    What do YOU want in a personality theory?
    What for?/Why?

    Which of these is MOST important to you?
    Something that helps me understand people and their motivations, through which I can improve my relationships with others and become more compassionate. I think the understanding part is more important to me than the improving relationships part, but it's close.
    I think the understanding part would have to be the first step before the improving relationships part. Same with my own answer, understanding would have to come before attempting any help.
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    I might clarify my position on the whole thing...

    I don't mind if things are useful, but the usefulness has nothing to do with my interest in them or what I want from them.

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    Default Re: Questions about personality theories.....

    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise

    I think the understanding part would have to be the first step before the improving relationships part. Same with my own answer, understanding would have to come before attempting any help.
    That's very true. If I had to choose an end result---a personality theory that helped me understand people but somehow didn't improve my relationships with them, vs a theory that somehow improved my relationships without improving individual understanding (which doesn't seem likely; maybe something that said if this person does X then you should do Y)---I would choose the first. But I agree it doesn't make a lot of sense to distinguish between them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ishysquishy
    I might clarify my position on the whole thing...

    I don't mind if things are useful, but the usefulness has nothing to do with my interest in them or what I want from them.
    *giggle* and to clarify for me....what YOU want out of a personality theory is what you listed, right? or has that changed?


    *mumbles something about infp's and their issues with the term "usefulness" *
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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    *giggle* and to clarify for me....what YOU want out of a personality theory is what you listed, right? or has that changed?
    Lol, it's still the same. It's also what I want out of several other types of theories too. I'm very consistent that way :wink:

    *mumbles something about infp's and their issues with the term "usefulness" *
    *giggle* You know you love us :wink:

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    Quote Originally Posted by anndelise
    What do YOU want in a personality theory?
    What for?/Why?

    Which of these is MOST important to you?
    I don't want anything in particular. I want to study the theory because I find it amusing. I want it to help me understand (a part of) myself and others and use it as a reference to explain and comprehend people's behavior and motives which I have a very hard time understanding. The most important thing for me I guess would be the fact that I have something to believe in, something that makes sense, something to indulge in and something to think about.
    “Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.”

    Quote Originally Posted by Gilly
    You've done yourself a huge favor developmentally by mustering the balls to do something really fucking scary... in about the most vulnerable situation possible.

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