What do YOU want in a personality theory?
What for?/Why?
Which of these is MOST important to you?
What do YOU want in a personality theory?
What for?/Why?
Which of these is MOST important to you?
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
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?
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
A personality should do 2 things:
1) Satisfy my need to categorise everything and everyone.
2) Explain relationships.
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)
Cone, so usefulness is not an issue?Originally Posted by Cone
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
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)
I know that's not addressed to me but I always find theory much more interesting than it's application.Originally Posted by anndelise
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?Originally Posted by Cone
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
but how do you improve something that has no application?Originally Posted by ishysquishy
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
Who says you need to improve it? And who says it has no application? I just like the theory...
Cone did.Originally Posted by ishysquishy
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
Yes but you responded to my post :wink:Originally Posted by anndelise
well, actually, i was responding to your response to my response to his response.Originally Posted by ishysquishy
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
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.
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.Originally Posted by anndelise
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)
but in the case of personality theory, you look for a theory thatOriginally Posted by ishysquishy
1) Satisfies your need to categorise everything and everyone.
2) Explain relationships.
is this right?
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
Social Darwinism really grates on me.
[/hijack]
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)
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
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?Originally Posted by Cone
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
I don't know, elitism? Seriously, it just feels good.
Ok, then we'll call it Social Spencerism.Originally Posted by ishysquishy
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)
That's rightOriginally Posted by anndelise
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?Originally Posted by gugu_ baba
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
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).Originally Posted by anndelise
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)?
Ishy and Cone have said two different things.Originally Posted by gugu_ baba
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.
---
RegardingThat is not what this thread is about. Perhaps you could post a new thread on that question.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)?
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
Yes, they did said basically the same thing. That they value it (or not) from an intellectual standpoint. Nothing more, nothing less.Originally Posted by anndelise
Edited for gayness.
ENTp
In an asshole sure.Originally Posted by Transigent
Anyway, let's be serious.
A personality theory must give me motivations for the actions of a given person.
Obsequium amicos, veritas odium parit
#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.Originally Posted by ishysquishy
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.Originally Posted by anndelise
#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?Originally Posted by Jadae
#2 So? I still like the theory...
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.Originally Posted by anndelise
I could never fathom how Person A can tell Person B what Person B does or does not need/want/feel/etc.Originally Posted by Jadae
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.
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
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.Originally Posted by sarah
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
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.
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.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?Originally Posted by ishysquishy
*mumbles something about infp's and their issues with the term "usefulness" *
IEE 649 sx/sp cp
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:Originally Posted by anndelise
*giggle* You know you love us :wink:*mumbles something about infp's and their issues with the term "usefulness" *
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.Originally Posted by anndelise
“Whether we fall by ambition, blood, or lust, like diamonds we are cut with our own dust.”
Originally Posted by Gilly