Let's Stop with the Stereotypes

 

    Okay, so I feel a strong need to write this.
    I absolutely love Myers-Briggs types. They fascinate me. I love reading articles, typing my friends and family and complete strangers. I love using it to help me understand people. Even the stereotypes can be fun.
     But they can also be hurtful.
     Yesterday, I was bored. I decided to play with Google's suggested searches. I typed in each Myers-Briggs type, followed by the word are, and watched what it suggested.
    I was shocked by the differences between types. Some types were exclusively positive. Some were mixed. And some were completely negative.
    ESFJs, for example. The suggested words included annoying and stupid. Now, both my mom and my sister are ESFJs (though my sister is pretty ambiverted). Of course, sometimes they annoy me. That's inevitable, considering I live with them. But they are also amazing. Both are hardworking, conscientious, and loving. Both will always listen and provide a shoulder to cry on. They are so much more than stupid and annoying.
     And just because they're the same type doesn't mean they're the same person. My sister loves reading, and spends a lot of her time doing it. Her favorite genre is fantasy. She's a proud Ravenclaw. She loves singing and dancing. She wants to open a daycare when she grows up.
    My mom, on the other hand, does read, but prefers historical fiction. She's studying to get a degree in English. She likes romantic comedies. She doesn't really care about Harry Potter, but we're 99% sure she's a Hufflepuff.
    Yes, they're similar. But they don't have a hive mind.
     While I fit very well into the category of INFJ, I don't agree 100% with everything I read. I can't effortlessly tell someone's life story, or even if they're upset. Sometimes I think something's wrong when they're totally fine. Sometimes I'm completely oblivious. I spend a lot of time in my head, but I don't think exclusively about philosophy and world peace. I think about homework. I think about boys. I think about that last episode of Doctor Who that I watched.
     One of my least favorite things about Myers-Briggs is the assumptions that come with each group and type.
    Just because I'm not an NT doesn't mean I'm not smart. Just because I'm not an SJ doesn't mean I can't follow rules. Just because I'm not an SP doesn't mean I can't be crazy and spontaneous. If you're not an NF, it doesn't mean you can never be deep.
     Introverts can enjoy having company. Extroverts can enjoy being alone. Sensors can be deep. Intuits can be practical. Thinkers can be kind. Feelers can be smart. Judgers can be spontaneous. Percievers can be organized.
     Your type can help you discover yourself. But it does not define you. You define you. You are so much more than your type. Each type has good points and bad points, and each type has diversity within the type. Don't let stereotypes hold you back. Because before you are a type, you are a person.