Here's a quote from an ISTJ typologist on typology experts:
"In the early 1980s, I attended an International Biennial Conference of the Association for Psychological Type. There I heard from the most eminent, erudite typology spokespersons, adorned with their post-graduate psychology degrees. Their presentations were polished as well as occasionally pedantic. I was impressed; these folk knew their subject. (Virtually every speaker was an iNtuitive)
I was also struck by their ostensible inability to perceive the Types of well-known people of whom they spoke. It didn't make sense to me; how could these punditic "psychoanalyzers" be so ineffectual in typing others? But who was I to question their relevations? After all, I was a layman and had been a student of Type for less than five years. A panel of experts said that Adolf ****** was an ENFJ (his values ran amok), John Kennedy an ESTP (a deep-down party-er), and Abraham Lincoln, an ISFJ ('ol honest Abe). Other notables and notorious were typed in this interesting forum; some I knew were incorrect while for others I didn't have a clue. "Oh well," I thought. "Leave that stuff to the experts. I had better learn to drive before I learn to take the engine apart." And so I did. (I later discovered ****** was not an ENFJ, and Lincoln, clearly an INTJ.)
In 1984, I published my first book, on typology's relationship to salespersons. By this time, I had begun to feel comfortable in typing others. It seemed that there was something about my Type that had a gift for this. Therefore, I included some well-known persons as illustrations in my book. As I highlighted the temperaments, I even mentioned as an anecdote that Adolf ****** was a maladjusted NF. I had never come to this conclusion myself; my reliance was upon those I thought knew more. It was only after a few times of trying to explain to those who asked why I thought ****** was an NF that I opted to research him for myself, and changed my opinion. He was a definite Thinking type who had gone severely awry.
This instance taught me to be extremely careful in typing others. I must rely upon my own research as well as that of others. I have come to realize Type "experts" are often wrong with their appraisals of others, especially when they do not use a type indicator (such as MBTI), such as in the speculations of John Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln. I say this not to demean typological experts, but to point out their greatest service lies in understanding and articulating the dynamics of typology. Here they are unparalleled. (Some typologists do not attempt to evaluate anyone to whom they cannot administer a questionnaire.)
Unfortunately, when typing others, these mostly iNtuitive experts see too many possibilities and not enough Sensing idiosyncrasies and nuances. We must remember, our brains excel in only one Perceiving function and one Judging function each. Thus, no type can master both Sensing and iNtuition, or Thinking and Feeling. I have even come to realize that some of the most well known, highly educative leaders in typology circles have typed themselves incorrectly. For whatever reasons, this exists and in the long-run will be unproductive for promoting the accuracy of typology."
In summary:
-Experts aren't always right because most of them are Intuitives. Intuitives seem to be superior in understanding and articulating typology, but fail to see Sensing idiosyncracies and nuances to type correctly.
So just because somebody sounds smart doesn't mean they're always right...
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There are a lot of shitty typings in this forum. For example, I was accused of being ESFJ. And to make it more frustrating to me, they say it so confidently that they seem like they know what they are talking about. I'm thinking, what the hell is wrong with some of these people.
Anyway, what are your thoughts?
Do you trust experts 100%, or is there some truth to this quote?