Originally Posted by
Jimmers
Typology is actually an excellent way to exercise shifting perspectives. I often try and perceive the world as other people see it and what better way than changing the degree in which you use information elements. The trouble is you can actually fool yourself. For instance, using anything but your base function for an extended period of time may cause a change in how you view the world, which actually inhibits other elements. But such changes can only be temporal. The process will eventually become tiresome and the person will need to return to their base function.
If no one can relate to this, I think nearly all introverts may at least relate to feeling like they are more social than they actually are as some point in their life. One day, you decide, I can be social too dammit! I can be fun! So you go out, drink, socialize, and have a great time. You may even stagger home thinking how outgoing you really are but the next morning, the thought of being around people at all that day makes you ill. You've essentially returned to your base function, or comfort zone. So there was essentially a change in perspective, if only for an evening.
Beyond the world of cognitive functions though, being aware of an idea that challenges my perspective is enticing to me, as long as it better explains the world around me. While I am open to new possibilities, it has been a very gradual process that has allowed me to become more "open". But, that is because I've accepted the finitude of other people's perspectives, leaving me to conclude that relations are largely a result of what perspectives each person brings to the table. There are many ways to influence a person to get them to see your side, but for the most part, people are usually quite fixed in how they see things. For myself, I want to influence others by getting them to look at empirical data, otherwise I don't try to influence anyone.