An intriguing question often animates those interested in the Myers-Briggs® personality test: can our personality type evolve over time? According to the theory behind this famous tool, our type would be innate and stable. Yet, the way we express our personality inevitably changes throughout our lives. As we develop and mature, we explore various facets of our fundamental traits, revealing aspects of ourselves that we had never considered before. Let’s navigate through the nuances of this fascinating evolution.
The concept of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) often raises questions about its unchangeable nature. According to Myers-Briggs theory, personality type is innate and stable throughout life. However, the manifestations of this type can evolve over time. Why is this? Because the different facets of your personality type develop and mature based on your age and experiences.
Each personality type has a set of cognitive functions: dominant, auxiliary, tertiary, and inferior. These functions develop at different stages of life, influencing how you perceive and act. For example, you might be an introvert who feels more extroverted over time due to the development of extroverted functions such as extraverted thinking or extraverted sensing.
Thus, while your MBTI personality type remains fundamentally the same, the processes of maturation, adaptability to life experiences, and personal growth allow you to explore new avenues within your own type. By remaining in an unexpected cycle or neglecting certain functions, it is possible to feel out of sync with your original type. However, it is crucial to recognize that it is these nuances that enrich our understanding of ourselves.
Understanding the Myers-Briggs® Personality Type System
The Myers-Briggs® personality types, often referred to by the acronym MBTI, are a method of characterizing individuals into sixteen distinct types. Each of these types is formed by a combination of four dichotomies, classifying them among categories such as analysts or diplomats. Appreciated for its reliability, it is employed in both business and personal development.
The MBTI system assumes that your personality type is innate and remains constant throughout your life. However, the expression of this type can evolve with experience and personal development. It’s as if, through the trials and successes of life, new facets of your personality develop, contributing to a subtle refinement of your profile without altering the very nature of your psychological type.
The Influences of Age and Experience on Your MBTI Type
Each personality type possesses a structure called the cognitive functions stack. This structure consists of mental functions that develop sequentially throughout the stages of life. For example, an ENFJ’s dominant function, Extraverted Feeling, might manifest more strongly in their youth.
As individuals gain experience, they also develop the other functions of the cognitive stack. For instance, an ENFJ might begin to experiment more with Introverted Intuition, enriching their decisions and deepening their reflections. This evolution in the manifestation of cognitive functions is often perceived as a change of type when it is, in fact, an internal evolution of the same foundation.
Paths to Understanding Your Personality
It is common to feel a difference in your personality type as identified by an MBTI test, especially when going through a phase of deep reflection or personal development. However, these variations should not be seen as changes in type, but rather as an adjustment in the internal perception of oneself in accordance with accumulated experience and new perspectives.
Professional life, for example, strongly influences the preference for certain functions. This can create an impression of a different type when taking a test at various times in life. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of cognitive functions and honest introspection allows for a better comprehension of this dynamic evolution without changing the foundation of one’s type.
FAQ
Q: Can your Myers-Briggs® personality type really evolve over time?
A: According to the Myers-Briggs theory, your personality type is innate and does not change. However, the way you express your type evolves as you mature and develop different facets of your personality.
Q: Why do I feel like I change personality types at different times in my life?
A: As you develop the less dominant functions of your type, you may experience changes. These developments allow you to better grasp the different dimensions of your personality without altering your base type.
Q: Can life experiences influence the development of my personality?
A: Yes, life experiences can influence how certain functions of your personality develop. For example, a Thinking type who has been socially conditioned to adopt Feeling qualities may develop their Feeling side in response to these expectations.
Q: What is a dominant-tertiary loop and how does it affect my self-perception?
A: A dominant-tertiary loop occurs when we avoid our auxiliary function and remain between the dominant function and the tertiary function. This can give the illusion of a type change when we strongly identify with the tertiary function.
