INFJ Things...

It's been a while since I've posted psychology stuff...here are a few INFJ things from my Pinterest boards!

I felt like all of these were pretty accurate...which probably isn't all too helpful for anyone who isn't an INFJ or someone that knows an INFJ...ummm, they'll be helpful for anyone who is having a hard time relating to an introvert. ^_^

INFJ + Stress = Yikes...

I know it's been awhile, but I've found some more MBTI [Myers-Briggs Type Indicator] information that I thought was post-worthy.

[I first mentioned MBTI on this post]

I found this site's interpretation of INFJ behavior when exposed to stressful situations to be spot on...it's always a bit refreshing to read an article on your MBTI type and be able to say, "Yep! That's definitely me!"

[/chuckle which is an INFJ thing for me to say...seems like we INFJs enjoy affirmation of our MBTI traits more than most other MBTI types...]

According to Personality Playbook, stress can really do a number on an INFJ:

Normally, INFJs are most thrown off and stressed out by environments that oppose their own personal set of values.  INFJs often become stressed when they are forced to extravert too much without a break to recharge their batteries, working in a place filled with lots of noise, and in places where they must work with those they see as lazy or ignorant individuals. They may become bored and/or frustrated with activities that require attention to lots of details, dictate specific processes that must be handled in a certain way, or environments where they feel unappreciated or misunderstood.

When faced with stress overload, which may come from dealing with unfamiliar environments with overwhelming amounts of details, having to extravert too much or in uncomfortable ways, or having their well settled plans disrupted, INFJs may find themselves “in the grip” of their inferior function, Extraverted Sensing.  During this experience, the individual is likely to do things that are typically completely out of character.  This may include binging on the pleasures of the senses by binge-eating, over-exercising, buying lots of useless items, etc.. INFJs may assume the worst of and become angry with the world, even blaming inanimate objects for purposely causing problems (ex. an ottoman tripping the individual on purpose), and they may obsess over details in the world around them that usually seem unimportant.

Fortunately, going through and coming out of a grip experience can lead to growth and balance of the personality and the person.

Personality Playbook - INFJ

Here's the link to their INFJ page. From there, you can click on links to take you to the pages of the other MBTI types.

Curious to know what your MBTI type is? You can click on the link at the top of this post to visit one of my previous posts...there, I'd posted a link to a site where you can learn which MBTI type you are.

Thoughts? Comments? If yes, please don't hesitate to either leave a comment or send me an email...I love MBTI and talking to others about similarities and differences between the types!

[P.S. - I'm still freaking out about my hair appointment!]

Online Retail Therapy Fail...

I remember reading somewhere that window shopping [even the online variety] can stimulate the same areas of the brain that light up with all sorts of happy chemicals whenever you make an actual purchase...

This is great news for those who are firm believers in retail therapy but don't exactly have bank accounts with limitless funds! [*ahem* such as myself]

Chemical Happiness!!

A brief Google search didn't bring up the article that I was thinking of, but I'm pretty sure that all of the 'feel good' stuff that comes from shopping is thanks to our little pal dopamine.

[Psychology Today - Dopamine]

Anyway...I was doing a little online window shopping while texting my cousin [it's like we're virtually shopping together! /sigh...I really need to get out more]. I've learned that there's a ton of stuff out there to buy, and most of it is way overpriced.

Devastatingly expensive item number one:
Star Quilted Bedding from Pottery Barn.

$159 plus shipping for a Full/Queen quilt in any of the available colors. Oh wait...the brown quilt is $129. But still. That's ridiculous.

I've been wanting to get one of these quilts for my kiddo since he was about two years old. Over the span of almost four years, the price has never dropped on these quilts!

Devastatingly expensive item number two:
Holtom Storage Bench from Pier One

$349.95 plus shipping...or you could save the shipping fees if you have the item shipped to a store for you to pick up rather than have it delivered.

This isn't really the exact sort of storage bench that I'd want for myself, but it's kind of close, and a definite indicator of how expensive these things can be. Why must you be so expensive, storage bench? Why?!?

Devastatingly expensive item number three:
Elin Tower Bookshelf from World Market

$149.99 plus shipping. Plus a $30 delivery surcharge, as if that's really necessary.

I saw this bookshelf in one of their stores this past weekend...I think I like it because it isn't a typical bookshelf, but it doesn't seem like it's a very practical design. I think it would serve much better as a piece of accessory furniture rather than a functional bookshelf...or maybe I just have too many books. [pfft! nah. there's no such thing as too many books!]

Devastatingly expensive item number four:
Verona Six-Shelf Bookshelf from World Market

$249.99 plus shipping. Add an additional $70 surcharge for delivery. What?!?

This actually makes me kind of sad. Unlike the other bookshelf I posted, I could see these shelves being extremely useful and I love the design. Is there any reason it should be so expensive though? I understand that 'you get what you pay for' and if you want better quality furniture that it's foolish to not expect a heftier price tag...but I'm under the impression that a good bit of the furniture from World Market isn't exactly heirloom quality. If these shelves are made from whatever faux-wood that makes up those cheapo accessory pieces that can be found in catalogs [Think companies like Brylane Home...] then it's certainly over-priced!

I'm going to go on record as saying that this evening's online window shopping session was not successful in producing feel-good amounts of dopamine...quite the opposite actually.

But maybe now is one of those times when I should be optimistic and try to enjoy the things that I have right now...and look forward to getting some of the things that I want when I grow up! [hehehe]

Cleaning and Depression...

Hey guys, hope you're having a fantastic Sunday morning...

I've made it my mission to get some serious cleaning accomplished today. Between working and parenting/entertaining my kiddo, it seems to me that clutter tends to accumulate way too quickly...my living room can go from company host-worthy presentable to "what happened in here?!?" in about two afternoons!

CLEAN ALL THE THINGS!!!

Truthfully, I don't mind cleaning all that much. I actually sort of like it! I think it's because cleaning is a task that renders immediate results...I know that if I put, say, an hour's worth of effort into cleaning up clutter, that within that hour, the clutter will be gone. Much, much more gratifying than other things...like exercise. I can exercise for an hour a day, and it would be weeks before there are any noticeable changes. Weeks! /sigh...so, yeah...lots of cleaning will be done today.

Plus, keeping a 'clean home' does wonders for helping to combat depression. I know myself, and I know that on my personal depression scale, I'm doing okay right now...but, I know what's coming.

I know that I'm a few 'bad days' away from hitting some potentially dark lows, and for the sakes of myself, my kiddo, and my family...I need to try and stave the beast off. I've learned the hard way that nothing truly good ever comes from my bouts of depression and I owe it to the people that care about me to put some effort into managing my depression.

I know that the concept of [ decluttered house = decluttered mind ] might sound far-fetched to some that aren't familiar with the idea, but I promise that it's an actual phenomenon.

How Keeping A Clean House Helps Depression

There are several articles on it floating around the internet, here's the link to one of them. Check it out!

Hamster Wheel!

Let's talk for a minute about ruts...

You know what I'm talking about, right?

I SAID SNOOZE!!!

That state of mind where you can't help but feel like your life is on a constant loop of sorts...each day is the same thing as the day before...get up, go to work, come home, go to bed, repeat repeat repeat...

I spent a few minutes thinking about the premise of 'daily ruts' earlier, and I've decided that the whole think is a bit baffling...

As human beings, our brains are more or less wired to create routines...to some degree, we crave routine. This can be very beneficial, allowing us to form 'muscle memory' for tasks that would be too demanding otherwise (driving, most athletic feats, typing on a keyboard with any sort of proficiency...I'm sure there are a million other examples, all of which manage to escape me at this moment...)

However, it is these routines (blown up to a daily scale) that can lead to 'ruts'...I can't think of anyone that would say that they actually enjoy being in a rut. They're terrible!

What a cruel trick of nature...

I had intentions of sitting down and writing a mind-blowingly profound about 'ruts' and the unfairness of the human condition...but it's coming on 5 pm and I have to start getting dinner ready...

Squee!

Hmm? Oh, never mind me...I'm just another person stuck in the perpetual hamster wheel that is a daily routine! Tra-la-la!

Temperaments and Ninjas...

Hope you all had a good weekend full of either lots of fun stuff or relaxation, whichever you prefer. I had a pretty decent weekend, my only complaint would be that it was too short, though I think most people have the same thoughts every Monday morning...

On Saturday, I was talking with my brother about the MBTI post from earlier. Though the statistical likelihood of us having the same MBTI result is rather low, we both consistently score as INFJs, so that's pretty awesome. My sister completed the questionnaire, too, and got ESFP. If you've ever met my sister, you'd definitely agree that it's pretty darn accurate. A few others let me know what their results were as well, sounds like they were pretty spot on! So despite the MBTI being pretty much 'just for fun,' I think it can be said that there is at least a tiny bit of validity to its results.

On a similar note, my brother and I got to talking about some of the many other personality tests that are available, the Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS-II) in particular. Seems to me like this test works well in conjunction with the MBTI and gives you another facet to consider when examining personalities. Here's the link to the version of the test that I took this morning:

Keirsey Temperament Sorter (KTS-II)

And here's the screenshot of my results screen:

I know the picture might be a little hard to read, but I've been placed in the "Idealist" category, and if you look at the brief description below that, you'll see that INFJ is listed as an 'idealist - counselor.'  So that's pretty cool. I don't know near as much about the KTS-II as I do the MBTI, but I'm definitely going to read up on it. For those who are interested, I'm posting graphs that list some common traits/behaviors by groups.

Can I just take a minute to laugh at the INFJ 'stress behavior' bit? Not saying it isn't true...it's just funny to see it written that way...

I also spent a good deal of time watching way too many episodes of Naruto...though, when it comes to Naruto, I don't think there actually is such a thing as too many episodes!

Naruto!

Pretty sure it isn't healthy to get as attached to fictional characters like I do, but they're just so darn amazing! Hulu has all the episodes (at least I'm pretty sure it's all of them) available, and a good portion of them have a dubbed option as well as subtitled. Though, if you're going to watch an anime, you really should be watching subtitled episodes rather than dubbed. Something about Japanese words/names trying to pronounced by Americans who really have no clue what they're saying...just, no. And I still cringe when I watch one of the early episodes when Naruto is younger and runs around adding "Dattebayo!" after just about everything he says...there is no English translation for this phrase! So the solution? Let's have Naruto obnoxiously say "BELIEVE IT!" because it looks about the same! /Sigh....

Anyway, you should check it out, it's a really cool anime. There's just something about Naruto's undying determination that I find ridiculously motivating. I know it sounds lame, but watching the show and feeling as if I can personally relate to some of its characters has actually helped me get through some pretty tough times. 

Fan art of Kakashi Hatake - one of my absolute favorites!

Last thing:

Edit: I switched out videos. I like this one better than the one I had originally posted. This one has scenes from the more recent Shippuden episodes that I've been watching as opposed to the earlier episodes when the characters are much younger.

This is an AMV that a fan made to Trapt's "Headstrong." Love this video so much! I'll watch it from time to time if I'm feeling pathetically wimpy and it brings me back to focus on the task at hand and reminds me that you only truly lose if you give up. I'll never give up or back down for that is my ninja way, dattebayo!! ^_^

Morning Ramblings...

Good morning! It's finally Friday, and to most people that means the end of the workweek and the beginning of that glorious stretch of free time known as the weekend. And then, you've got people like me who are more or less self-employed AND a single parent, and the weekend is just a smidge less fabulous and stress-free and more like a slightly less soul-crushing workday.

Yeah, so there's that. Not a terribly optimistic point-of-view, but hey, I haven't had my coffee yet...so really, It's a miracle that I can even function at this point.

I wanted to briefly introduce a few things that will very likely be recurring themes in my blog posts, that way anyone who decides to read it might have a better idea of what I'm talking about rather than blindly stumbling through my seemingly incoherent mumblings. The first of these is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI for short).

The MBTI is a quick and dirty, yes/no type questionnaire that is often used for determining personality types. The premise behind the 'test' is that the vast majority of people's personalities fall somewhere in the grand spectrum of extrovert and introvert (duh) and it attempts to determine where you fall in that huge array of possibilities. The questions are based around a 4-axis approach to personality: extrovert/introvert, intuitive/sensing, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. After answering the questionnaire, the results allow you to see which of the two possibilities you lean most towards on all 4 axes. (Evidently, 'axes' is the correct plural form of 'axis,' kind of odd, isn't it?)  Now, I'm not absolutely positive that this is the same online version of the questionnaire that I've taken before, but it seems like it would probably do the trick if there is anyone who would like to see what their MBTI classification might be:

HumanMetric Jung Typology Test (MBTI)

And here is a link to webpage that does a better job of explaining the possible results:

MBTI Basics

My results have consistently been 'INFJ.' Not sure if the link above breaks down the estimated percentages of the population that makes up each of the 16 types, but most sources will say that INFJ makes up the smallest percentile of the population. (Read: INFJ types are the most rare!) Some people will say that results of the questionnaire are rather unreliable. They argue that if an individual completes the questionnaire, there is a 50% chance that if the same individual takes it again in as little as 5 weeks, they will receive a completely different type. However, I am not in that 50%. I've completed the questionnaire several times over the years and always receive the INFJ type result. So, I think it's pretty safe to say that my results are consistent.

Now, a word of caution about MBTI personality typing: the results are far from scientific. They're somewhere between astrological horoscopes and polygraph tests as far as accuracy goes. (Okay, maybe a touch more accurate astrology since individual input is required rather than just a birthday) So if you do decide to take the questionnaire, just keep that in mind. Although it is kind of sciency, sort of, it's mostly just for fun.

So, why did I decide to introduce the topic of MBTI personality types only to turn around and say that it isn't scientifically valid?

Learning that my MBTI type is INFJ has actually proven to be helpful for me, personally. It allowed me an insight as to why I may not always have the easiest time relating to other people as well as why it might seem to me that 'no one gets me.' Researching INFJ traits, behaviors, and such has given me access to entirely new sources of information that I hadn't previously considered. I've found blogs and articles on the INFJ personality types and have actually picked up a few pointers on how I can change my perception of situations so that I might be able to see more than the surface drama of whatever the situation might be. It's also been somewhat of a source of comfort to know that I'm not the only person who sees the world the way that I do. (Read my blog for long enough, and you'll probably see what I'm talking about...not saying that my views are necessarily right or wrong, but a lot of people will most definitely agree that they're different...)

My undergraduate degree is in psychology, and I did a good bit of work with a few PhD's who specialized in personalities, so I find this topic to be particularly interesting! If you happen to take the questionnaire, please feel free to leave a comment or send me an email telling me what your results were...no really, it would be awesome if you did, it'd give me something to read up on later. :)

Wow, that turned into a much longer bit than I had initially anticipated. I wanted to touch on more topics, but I've exhausted my 'free time'...

I've posted a video from a YouTube channel that I follow pretty regularly - Agressive Comix. The girl in the video posts her thoughts/reviews of movies, video games, nerdcore stuff in general. Love her, love her videos, and love love love her sense of humor! Check it out, and then check out the YouTube channel if you like the video that I've posted here. 

Okay, I have got to go find some source of caffeine. Bye for now!