Unlicensed Psychology Ep. 5.1: Personality Type and Intelligence
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Randy: Thanks for your interest in this topic. I see that you're taking this stuff seriously. One of the strange facts I have been wrestling with for a long time is that for most people, ignorance is a critical source of joy. "Studying one's own blind side" seems to be reserved for the few for whom ignorance becomes more a source of pain than of joy. This is reflected very well in Morpheus's famous "Woman in the Red Dress" speech to Neo in the first Matrix movie. I would say that Carl's Jung "individuation process" begins when ignorances crosses this barrier from a source primarily of joy to one of pain. In other words, yes, the psyche can be studied and what is called the shadow can be integrated, but most people won't want to do it.
That said, I also realize that one's strengths can provide one a source of pleasure. To say that one's type may be all a defense mechanism - that is, a means of avoiding pain - may be going too far. The pleasure principle is also at work. A person is likely to derive pleasure from the use of their strengths, regardless of the desirability of defending against pain. It's hard, therefore, to say precisely how much of personality types develop from the pursuit of pleasure as opposed to the avoidance of pain. But I personally find it easier to think about the pain aspect. Apparently I either get more pleasure or avoid more pain by doing that! But heck if I know which one!
Zach, thanks for your honesty and I hope to learn more about the types and how they relate to the psychology of people. I will get the book you mentioned, so that I can start to understand it better.
“I think a personality type is actually more akin to a defense mechanism, by which a person ignores their weaknesses by emphasizing their strengths.”
A priori, I would think that this is true, but once one knows of their likely type biases, wouldn’t they be able to compensate by studying one’s own blindside, as I have fancied that I can try to do now, to some degree of success that I haven’t actually measured?
Thanks, Randy. I disagree with how you perceive personality types. I think a personality type is actually more akin to a defense mechanism, by which a person ignores their weaknesses by emphasizing their strengths. And the latent intelligences are not in fact types. They exist prior to the development of one's type. What no one has done before is directly connect the two ideas, of Jung's types on the one hand and the theory of multiple intelligences on the other. But one cannot reap rewards from this deed unless one is willing to sacrifice one's "polite distance" from the subject. It's very convenient to say and/or believe that all people are created equal, despite the objections, both theoretical and practical, that accompany this. But my interest in the truth is more important to me than my allegiance to a theory which merely makes people feel and/or look good. I suppose I am like Nietzsche, in that sense, that my audience is really only those who are willing to give up social niceties in order to understand reality. A minority, to be sure!
Good video, Zach. I think of personality types as giving an individual signature, or an accent to how one expresses being human, not as a final indicator like intelligence tests. Your points are right on and I enjoyed the powerpoint graphics you presented. Thinking of individual traits as larger or smaller bubbles is good visually. It is as if I can see these bubbles floating around the people I meet, giving me more information.
I will look up the book you recommended, as well.
Thanks, Bonnie! I've got a bunch of other videos on my channel, too. I'm calling my new series "Ecce Zacho". It's basically me finally having the confidence to do a daily video blog. As of May, 2015, it's the newest and latest.