Can You Change Your Personality Type?

Many people ask whether it is possible to change one's personality type - the short answer is yes, and no.

Thanks to Kiara Kerrick for the subtitles!
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About me:
Hi, I'm Harry, and I'm intensely passionate about personality typing and self-development - so much so that I have created my own Jung-inspired system, taking a more high-resolution look at the factors making up personality.

Through Cognitive Personality Theory I examine the underlying mechanisms behind cognition, and the means through which a single type can have limitless individual variation - I believe type itself is just a set of cognitive predispositions that can according to the needs of the situation be overcome.

I don't believe any type is limited in what they can achieve, but have noticed sensationalist attitudes and internet trends propagating a culture in which type-development is actively discouraged in favour of conforming to simplistic archetypes. Through CPT I hope to dispel various myths and oversimplifications of what constitutes personality type, and along the way encourage a healthier attitude towards type that allows a person to become not who they are told they are, but rather who they want to be.
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KEY

Ni/Introverted Intuition - Broad & plethoric perception of internal world.
Ne/Extraverted Intuition - Broad & plethoric perception of external world.

Si/Introverted Sensing - Specific and concrete perception of internal world.
Se/Extraverted Sensing - Specific and concrete perception of external world.

Fi/Introverted Feeling - Subjective codec; internal emotional data & harmony.
Fe/Extraverted Feeling - Subjective codec; external emotional data & harmony.

Ti/Introverted Thinking - Objective codec; internal logical order.
Te/Extraverted Thinking - Objective codec; external logical order.

Lens - Perceives data.
Codec - Rationalises data.

Convergent - Positive, creative, enacting change and seeking novelty.
Divergent - Negative, authoritative, instilling consequence and driving utility.

For more clarification on terms see the CPT eBook!

#16types #16personalities

[andyroobrick-a-brack]

So basically, your type technically stays the same, but you reach more equilibrium with certain types as you age? I can vibe with that.

[cindyc]

The cognition remains the same, though the expression thereof can change with growth, time, and cognizant behavior.

[jaimiehorton]

Very interesting breakdown 😊 I distrust any system of thought that doesn't allow for human flexibility, I'm glad it's acknowledged that circumstances will have an impact on how you present. Although you'd think after working a reception desk intermittently for over a decade I'd be less introverted 😅 but my introversion doesn't really show unless I'm letting someone see behind the scenes. It seems like teasing apart our outside presentation and our true cognitive process could be tricky.

[iankinzel]

I can think of several people familiar with my personality who hope the answer is "yes."

[kinarast]

In my opinion, people have different genes and experiences that makes them the person that they are now. Personality can change throughout time but it get more solid the older you get

[gjscheffer]

Great video. People often make the mistake that a person's personality type will be evident in their actual personality. The environmental factors, superego, etc... Peoples behaviors will be far more complex and nuanced than these predictable natures that are often portrayed through certain functions or types

[LikeToWatch]

This is the first channel I've found where he refers to the types as archetypes. It's an important distinction because from what I know about archetypes a person can embody different archetypes at different times. Moore and Gillette talked about using active imagination in order to access archetypes in their classic King, Warrior, Magician, Lover.

[sang-hyeoklee]

Not sure how relevant this is, but I went from INFP to ENTJ after fixing some major health problems. I tested simply out of curiosity because my friends were asking and I got ENTJ, which I consistently get now, which is shocking because back in high school I got INFP (and identified with it as well). I think tests that base your personality on your decisions aren't an accurate reflection of your personality, or maybe the decisions you make determine your personality.

[Heather-vgdh]

I literally grabbed my notebook to take notes lol

[embaljac]

I really liked this video and all the examples you gave. I liked the part where you mentioned an Fi dominant person can value Fe. As an INFP, thats been the most frustrating thing about MBtype for me so far. I’ve always valued the way people can work with others and express themselves through Fe. (Almost thought I was an ENFJ for that reason) That Fe ability has always felt out of my comfort zone but I’ve always valued it even envied it, possibly due to how I was raised. It’s a blind spot for me sometimes and I hate not being able to see what other people see or communicate effectively. Connection is invaluable and Fe is a way to connection, though I probably use my Ne more naturally to connect. The best feeling is when someone else can spend time to see and value my Fi/Ne traits. Those people are the best! 🥰 I think thats another reason I value Fe users and want the ability for myself.

As an INFP, the world frustrates me. My idealistic and withdrawn nature doesn’t mesh well with the tedious mundane routine of life. But I also value that because I see the benefit of it for my mind and responsibilities.

Humans are complex and I enjoy that.

[melbeth]

I don't claim to understand all this, but I definitely think different functions can jump out more easily at different times in our lives, depending on circumstances, almost in phases at times. I also think nature vs nurture plays huge into this.

For example, I was raised by two parents who both have Si high in their phyche. Despite mine being third, mine is very strong, and a lot of time, the past can feel more real than the present. I can recall it in vivid detail, and bring up the exact emotion attached to that experience on command. I think the nurture aspect of being raised by people who valued Si so much, made mine more pronounced, and as a result, I brought that forward into my commercial cleaning. As a team leader, I could annoy people at times with how picky I could be. I could give, "you missed a spot" a whole new meaning lol. The odd thing is though that I can be even more picky than a lot of sensors this way. For example, I noticed your plant was wilting a bit (not a critisism at all) and that your Jung book was slightly crooked on your shelf. I could also tell the daylight changed a few times during the editing. I've always been crazy inside my head and really struggled to be present, yet notice a lot of things like this, and most people (including me) think it's weird how I can notice so much, yet still struggle to be present simultaneously.

Despite all this though, my imagination has always been off the chart all my life, and I've always been very in touch in my emotions and thought of being detached from them makes no sense to me at all.

When I write, I always veer off quickly into the abstract and deeply emotional and symbolic. This to me, is the nature part of my personality that has not been effected by nurture. My parents are not deep, super creative or abstract people, yet I have always been. It's all so very interesting!

I was always raised around music though as my dad was always whistling, singing or playing a record from my earliest memories. That allowed me to feel deep feelings very young and cataloge them into emotional events by song in my mind, like a soundtrack for differant years or events.

[s_yash]

Whenever he pauses and blinks in between it looks as if he is buffering or he thought process is loading

[jemartiaga]

I'm pretty certain that I was extroverted back when I was young until early teenage years.

But I became more introverted, I mean more quiet, more reserve, more enjoying alone times at 15.

Then I took MBTI and got INFJ personality type. I watched YouTube videos about it and I could relate.

I even watched this guy's video about "Signs You're Not An INFJ", and I totally passed it. I mean, I could relate to being "proactive", and the "synergy", "universalism", "introverted thinking", and "extraverted feeling".

I'm quite certain that I was an extrovert, but my brain today works like how an INFJ brain would work.

I'm just wondering what happened to me.

[absinthesesotericadventure]

I grew up in a very Si type of environment and even though I am an NT, I can see how it has affected my life, people have confused me for my lower two functions, but I myself still am not very good at them, but at least I can see it. As for the other four, I can sort of see them too, but they are not such an eye sore. I can clearly see what you are saying and it is very interesting.

[rumpertthejester]

I was born an ENTP, but converted to INTP. Early in life Ne wasn’t working so well for me, so I switched to Ti (which was handily right next door anyway) and everything else seemed to follow over the years. As a result, I sometimes type as INTJ, but I have typed INTP about 98% of the time and ENTP only once.

[marwa._.moonlight]

It's kinda disappointing cuz my mbti type doesn't match my future plans.I wanna be bigger than just a social butterfly who makes an average salary a month. -ENFP

[tofusamurai]

Harry, great analysis as usual! I also "look", both inwardly and toward others I know, to confirm CPT system dynamics (and it continues to check out, btw! :P ) ... If I may, I'd like to make a request for a video on some of your thoughts/observations exploring "healthy" vs. "unhealthy" cognitive archetypes (i.e. healthy INTJ vs. unhealthy INTJ), and what that may look like, both in some potential behavioral cues indicating level of health/alignment with your innate type, and in how those dynamics are likely playing out within that person's mind (internal cognitive function dynamics). Just a request though-- you should do whatever the hell you want! lol I'm just grateful for the content, man! As always, thank you ^_^ ~Matt

[aniokay]

I like how you a trying to reconcile Freud and Jung 😉🙃

[gorilla-san]

Great video! Do you think that there's any surefire way to determine whether I'm an ENTP or an ENFP? Over a course of 7 years, I've tested as both. In my early 20s I would always test as an ENTP. I used to be very reason/logic focused and thought that truth matters more than anybody's personal feelings. I'd be arguing with people over their personal beliefs without regard to their emotions and thought that the only way for them to be truly happy is to accept reality as it is.
Later I realized that it doesn't matter what somebody believes in and as long as they're happy and not hurting anybody with their beliefs, it's fine for them to believe whatever they want and it's not going to make them any less happy.
I often get an itch to play the devil's advocate, but if I think it might create tension or unnecessary drama, I refrain from it. I love arguing, but only with people whom I know won't get emotional.
I also don't at all identify with the stereotype that ENFP's get hurt when you argue with them about something they truly believe in. I actually never get hurt over anything. Ever. I really rarely take things personal or serious. Even if somebody is serious, unless they mean the world to me, I don't much care. I don't even get mad nor do I hold grudges.
But there are other stereotypes I do identify with.
I have a somewhat good of an understanding of functions, but I'm not sure which ones I'm using. It's hard to determine.

[StockHonda]

Ok Good, that Means ill Stay an ENTP and just develop better skills with my stacks