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Is Anyone Here Interested in MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator)


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Does anyone here besides me have an interest in MBTI? Or study it? Bonus points if you know your type!


 


For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, and popped in anyway, congrats! MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) is a scientific valid, yet controversial tool used to determine your personality "type" out of 16 possible major groups. MBTI is sometimes used in workplaces to determine the best fit for a given worker, whether that be out front dealing with people, or behind the scenes handling the infrastructure. Like I said, however, MBTI is scientifically controversial and there are only so many valid studies to determine its actual reliability.


 


My type is INTP, by the way (which is where I got my name from)!


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Personality tests are inherently limited by the specific axes of measurement that the test maker defines. Also, as life progresses and life experience accumulates, personality characteristics will change or drift, so such tests are at best useful as a cross section for that time frame. Within those limits they can be useful, but I agree that too much stock is put into them and they can't actually do what people think they do, which is narrow down the breadth of human consciousness into a chart for easy reference.

 

I've changed "types" several times over the years and I haven't bothered to keep up to date, nor can I remember the last thing I got.

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I'm definitely an Introvert(though of the talkative variety that would make one think me an Extrovert after a one-off conversation), and I'm definitely more of a thinker than a feeler. My scores on the other two dichotomies tend to be low and have fallen on either side of 0(and I'm sure I would've gotten 0 on one of them at least once if the test allowed for such). As such I identify as an IxTx with x representing no clear preference.

I want to take the MBTI Step II, which breaks each of the 4 dichotomies into five facets, but while there are plenty of free tests out there that will give you an amateur reading on your Step I results, the only places I've found offering Step II require payment, and even if I was willing to pay for the test, I'm not sure which, if any, of these sites is trustworthy.

That said, if I had plenty of money, I wouldn't mind undergoing a full battery of professionally-administered tests for IQ, EQ, and the major theories of Personality(MBTI is probably the most well-known, but there are competing theories with a similar level of validity).

Interesting. I too have only ever taken the Step I test.

 

Personality tests are inherently limited by the specific axes of measurement that the test maker defines. Also, as life progresses and life experience accumulates, personality characteristics will change or drift, so such tests are at best useful as a cross section for that time frame. Within those limits they can be useful, but I agree that too much stock is put into them and they can't actually do what people think they do, which is narrow down the breadth of human consciousness into a chart for easy reference.

 

I've changed "types" several times over the years and I haven't bothered to keep up to date, nor can I remember the last thing I got.

You have a valid point! I find it very hard to "type" older people, in contrast with younger people. It is said that there are 4 "functions," in a personality type, and as one gains experience with life, their "lesser" functions too gain experience, making the person seem more well-rounded and ambiguous.

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Honestly, I really don't understand the intuition vs sensing and judging vs perceiving dichotomies, so can't offer any thoughts on why humanity as a group would have a perference towards one over the other. Considering the humans are, by and large, prone to acting on emotion and being irrational, it doesn't surprise me that feelers outnumber thinkers.

I didn't mean in general - I meant how there's a super majority of Intuitives here over sensors (that report it at least), and how there are far more feelers, as well. Also, is there one judger?

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Sorry for double post, but here's an article I thought would be appropriate here:

Are you an Ambivert? Which also gives us a term for those in the middle on one of the MBTI dichotomies.

If we were to include terms, such as "ambivert," into MBTI, it would make for even closer matches. Some people, like me, are extreme in some ways. Yet others are pretty one-dimensional people, if I may say so. We could increase the number of personalities from 16 to 24 or so.

 

i always wind up with infj or intj on these things

Interesting. Does any one of those show up more frequently than the other? Because there is a difference between the two. One can not be two.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Honestly, I really don't understand the intuition vs sensing and judging vs perceiving dichotomies, so can't offer any thoughts on why humanity as a group would have a perference towards one over the other. Considering the humans are, by and large, prone to acting on emotion and being irrational, it doesn't surprise me that feelers outnumber thinkers.

 

Feeling in the Jungian sense has nothing to do with emotions.  That's a mistake a lot of newcomers to the MBTI make.  The other most common mistake is mistaking introversion for shyness.  There are plenty of shy extraverts, as well as plenty of outgoing introverts.

 

INFP here.  No surprise, as INFPs tend to have more esoteric interests thanks to Introverted Feeling dominating our personalities.  Being so highly individualistic it's no surprise we would be more likely to be accepting of things that go against the social grain.

 

The MBTI is controversial, but I find most people who have a problem with it don't actually understand it, or its Jungian roots.  The test is really just a first step, and isn't meant to be a comprehensive guide, nor is it guaranteed to be accurate.  It's just a starting point - after that, there is a whole world of things to discover.

 

Sorry if this is too much of a necro.  I only just discovered this thread.

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Feeling in the Jungian sense has nothing to do with emotions.  That's a mistake a lot of newcomers to the MBTI make.  The other most common mistake is mistaking introversion for shyness.  There are plenty of shy extraverts, as well as plenty of outgoing introverts.

 

INFP here.  No surprise, as INFPs tend to have more esoteric interests thanks to Introverted Feeling dominating our personalities.  Being so highly individualistic it's no surprise we would be more likely to be accepting of things that go against the social grain.

 

The MBTI is controversial, but I find most people who have a problem with it don't actually understand it, or its Jungian roots.  The test is really just a first step, and isn't meant to be a comprehensive guide, nor is it guaranteed to be accurate.  It's just a starting point - after that, there is a whole world of things to discover.

 

Sorry if this is too much of a necro.  I only just discovered this thread.

Oh, you're fine! I'm always super glad to hear more responses on this topic here, as I find it immensely interesting - and fun to share with fellow omorashi-enthusiasts. I feel like it can bring us closer together!

 

As an INTP, I feel like you and I could probably relate pretty well.

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I feel like a lot of problems in our society could be resolved if more people had even a basic grasp on cognitive psychology.  The idea that people are different, and that's okay, would do wonders for the general acceptance of what is considered deviant behavior (omorashi included).

 

INFPs and INTPs do tend to get along well.  I think it's because they share perceiving functions (auxiliary extraverted intuition with tertiary introverted sensing), and they are both quite individualistic thanks to their preferred judging functions being introverted in attitude.  I have one INTP friend who I get along really well with.  Maybe I'll soon have two :happy:

 

It's interesting to me that you don't seem to like the xSTJs too much, which makes sense given that Te represses Ti (objective vs subjective analysis.  I have the same problem with Fe people).  But you have to admit that xSTJs are really good at getting stuff done, and we probably wouldn't have a civilization if not for them.

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Put simply as I understand it, Feeling deals with value judgements based on the criteria of how the issue affects people.  Thinking on the other hand deals with more logical principles, or what is most effective regardless of the effect on people.  I guess you could say Feeling is about morality and Thinking is about efficiency.  It should also be noted that both Feeling and Thinking are rational functions.

 

As for the terminology, I think it has to be said that you cannot divorce the assessment from the theory.  The assessment is based on Jung's ideas, and as such understanding Jung's ideas on some level is going to make the whole thing make more sense.  One problem is that some of the sites that have the tests are trying very hard to obfuscate the underlying theory for the sake of simplicity.  I think this is a flawed approach because it gives people the wrong idea about how typing works.  For example, the four letter code that the assessment spits out isn't actually telling you your preference for introversion or extraversion, sensing or intuition, feeling or thinking, and judging or perceiving.  It's a lot more complicated than that.  What it is doing is showing which order the subject prefers to use cognitive functions.  What are cognitive functions?  They are what the whole MBTI revolves around.  You cannot hope to understand the MBTI without understanding Jung's cognitive functions.

 

I don't think you need to worry about the nuances of the language.  Jung didn't pass away that long ago (1961), so it's not like this is some ancient stuff.

 

Here's a quick breakdown of what the four letter code actually says:

 

The first letter (I or E) indicates the direction of your dominant function, be it introverted or extraverted.  The last letter (J or P) indicates whether you prefer extraverted perceiving or extraverted judging.  Using that information you can determine the top two functions in the stack.  For example, I'm an INFP.  First letter is I, meaning my dominant function is introverted in direction.  Last letter is P, meaning I use extraverted perceiving.  Middle letters are NF, for Intuition and Feeling.  Intuition is a perceiving function, and Feeling is a judging function (you just have to memorize these), so that means I use Introverted Feeling (abbreviated as Fi) as my dominant function, with Extraverted Intuition (abbreviated as Ne) as my auxiliary function.

 

There is of course even more to it than this, but I have yet to figure out how to determine the 3rd and 4th functions from just the code.  Thankfully, a quick lookup of the types is all I need.  All the functions a person uses are important, as are their position in the stack, and their interactions with the other adjacent functions.  These nuances are where things get really interesting.

 

So, to answer your question, the language is fine so long as you understand the context.  There are four function types with two possible directions for each one, which leaves you with eight functions.  There are so many resources for these that I don't even know where to start.  Wikipedia I guess?  I'd be happy to break them down here, but this post is already getting kinda lengthy.

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I feel like a lot of problems in our society could be resolved if more people had even a basic grasp on cognitive psychology.  The idea that people are different, and that's okay, would do wonders for the general acceptance of what is considered deviant behavior (omorashi included).

 

INFPs and INTPs do tend to get along well.  I think it's because they share perceiving functions (auxiliary extraverted intuition with tertiary introverted sensing), and they are both quite individualistic thanks to their preferred judging functions being introverted in attitude.  I have one INTP friend who I get along really well with.  Maybe I'll soon have two :happy:

 

It's interesting to me that you don't seem to like the xSTJs too much, which makes sense given that Te represses Ti (objective vs subjective analysis.  I have the same problem with Fe people).  But you have to admit that xSTJs are really good at getting stuff done, and we probably wouldn't have a civilization if not for them.

My father may be an INFP. If not, then an INFJ. It's very hard for me to tell. Maybe he's even an INTP, who has lots of development. I'm not sure. The one thing I do know, however, is that we connect with each other fantastically. We laugh at the same things, say the same things the same way, think almost the same things... it drives my ENTJ mother crazy sometimes. And I feel for her for having to put up with us.

 

I tend to have a certain amount of respect for ISTJ's versus ESTJ's, whom I can't stand to be around for very long. I have had a very negative experience with one ESTJ who, in short, thought he was some kind of "god" because of his status. Or perceived status, anyway. Long story short, he got super frustrated at me for not following his every demand, I called him out on it in front of the world, and we somewhat awkwardly avoid each other to this day.

 

ISTJ's can be cool. I like their general demeanor, and I can relate to them on a basic level. But no more than that.

Edited by Philosophaster (see edit history)
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Respectfully, you shouldn't condemn an entire type of person because of experiences with a select few.  That is one of the downfalls in the typing community, especially since the community mostly consists of iNtuitives who have had bad experiences with Sensors.  Maturity is the missing component, because mature people can get along even if they don't agree on everything.  Each type is valuable, but each type also has weaknesses.  The MBTI exists so we can identify the strengths and weaknesses in others as well as ourselves, so we can get along better and forge a better world.

 

What I'm saying is any person can be a problem if they are immature.

 

As an INFP, I have certain troubles with xSFJs because of how differently they see the world.  But each type has something valuable to offer, and no one type can tackle all problems.  The important thing is realizing that each type has a place in our world, and to respect each type's skills in their respective domains.

 

Changing topic (sort of), it's been interesting to me how different types are who, at first glance, should be similar.  You mention the INFP and INFJ, and indeed it's easy to mistake one for the other at first glance.  However, what's interesting is that the INFP is actually almost polar opposite to the INFJ - they don't share any functions.  The INFP actually has more in common with the ESTJ, who has all the same functions but in reverse order.  In another typing dicipline called Socionics, that is called a 'Dual' relationship, and is actually considered to be ideal for friendships and romantic relationships.  It's the Yin and Yang paradigm.

 

Not that I agree with that, but it's an interesting idea.  They do say opposites attract.

 

The actual sister-type to the INFP is the ENFP, who has the same functions but ordered slightly differently.  Instead of Fi/Ne, it's Ne/Fi.  As such they can be quite similar, but with an emphasis on different aspects of the personality.  Similarly, the sister-type to the INTP is the ENTP.

 

In general, though, I find iNtuitives get along pretty well with each other, especially the Extraverted iNtuitives.  ENFP, ENTP, INFP, and INTP all have that desire to explore ideas and find patterns and connections, so conversations flow easily.  The only problem is nothing ever gets done.

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  • 2 months later...

I feel like a lot of problems in our society could be resolved if more people had even a basic grasp on cognitive psychology.  The idea that people are different, and that's okay, would do wonders for the general acceptance of what is considered deviant behavior (omorashi included).

 

INFPs and INTPs do tend to get along well.  I think it's because they share perceiving functions (auxiliary extraverted intuition with tertiary introverted sensing), and they are both quite individualistic thanks to their preferred judging functions being introverted in attitude.  I have one INTP friend who I get along really well with.  Maybe I'll soon have two :happy:

 

It's interesting to me that you don't seem to like the xSTJs too much, which makes sense given that Te represses Ti (objective vs subjective analysis.  I have the same problem with Fe people).  But you have to admit that xSTJs are really good at getting stuff done, and we probably wouldn't have a civilization if not for them.

 

Earlier regarding my MBTI: I'm semi-officially concluding that I'm an ISTP, rather than INTP. Now remember, both are Ti-doms, so you can see how I got confused here. But I'm pretty darn sure that Se is my auxiliary rather than Ne.

 

I'm not much of a stereotypical jock-like ISTP, though. I'm an intellectual, which is why I thought I was an INTP for a while. But, yeah imagination is not my strong suit. Neither is abstract stuff. Not that I dislike theoretical stuff. But it's just not my natural way of thinking.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Earlier regarding my MBTI: I'm semi-officially concluding that I'm an ISTP, rather than INTP. Now remember, both are Ti-doms, so you can see how I got confused here. But I'm pretty darn sure that Se is my auxiliary rather than Ne.

 

I'm not much of a stereotypical jock-like ISTP, though. I'm an intellectual, which is why I thought I was an INTP for a while. But, yeah imagination is not my strong suit. Neither is abstract stuff. Not that I dislike theoretical stuff. But it's just not my natural way of thinking.

 

 

ESTPs are typically stereotyped at the jocks, whereas ISTPs are stereotyped as your Jason Bournes and your Batmen.

 

It seems to me that INTPs often have trouble accepting they are INTPs for some reason.  Not really sure why that is, but it's something I've seen in the past.  Then again, MBTI is more of a journey of self-discovery than a super reliable metric, so it's up to you to determine who you are.  The test is only a starting point after all.

 

I originally tested INFJ myself, but more recently consistently tested INFP.  After much self-examination I am pretty confident in the INFP result.

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ESTPs are typically stereotyped at the jocks, whereas ISTPs are stereotyped as your Jason Bournes and your Batmen.

 

It seems to me that INTPs often have trouble accepting they are INTPs for some reason.  Not really sure why that is, but it's something I've seen in the past.  Then again, MBTI is more of a journey of self-discovery than a super reliable metric, so it's up to you to determine who you are.  The test is only a starting point after all.

 

I originally tested INFJ myself, but more recently consistently tested INFP.  After much self-examination I am pretty confident in the INFP result.

If I was an INTP, I would be more than happy about it. For a long time, I thought I was an INTP. That's why my avatar is an owl (INTPs are often equated with owls). It's also why my name is Philosophaster. Although, as an ISTP, I still do enjoy philosophy here and there. Mostly, though, I just want to question everything and find the truth.

 

The thing that did it for me, though, was the auxiliary functions. For the INTP it is Ne, and for the ISTP it is Se. As an 18 year-old, I'm still a growing person. Extraverted Sensing is definitely what I have, over Extraverted Intuition. I like to do things, rather than just think about them. If things aren't done after awhile, I go crazy. I pay an extremely close attention to my surroundings most of the time. I know when people are behind me, or looking at me. My hand-eye coordination is fantastic. And holy cow, I love working with my hands. I can't stand too much theoretical nonsense. I prefer hands-on, common-sense education. And you better believe if I can't see, taste, hear, or feel something, I'm going to demand tons of evidence before believing it exists.

 

So, yeah. After over a year, I conclude I am an ISTP, rather than an INTP. I never understood their humor, either...

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I just want to question everything and find the truth.

That's perhaps the most Ne thing I've heard a person say. Se doesn't care about deeper meanings - it just takes things at face value.  You won't often see Se users questioning the status quo.  They are too busy living in the immediate moment.

 

Extraverted Sensing is definitely what I have, over Extraverted Intuition. I like to do things, rather than just think about them. If things aren't done after awhile, I go crazy. I pay an extremely close attention to my surroundings most of the time. I know when people are behind me, or looking at me. My hand-eye coordination is fantastic. And holy cow, I love working with my hands. I can't stand too much theoretical nonsense.

You may be confusing Si for Se. INTP and INFP share Si as a tertiary function, and since it's so low in the stack it comes out in weird ways that may not be immediately apparent. I am also hyper-vigilant and pride myself on situational awareness.  Just because I'm an INFP doesn't mean I sit around and dream about dragons all day. I actually hate the fantasy genre and prefer somewhat-hard sci-fi.  Beware of the stereotypes.

I'm also very hands-on and only learn by example. I feel it should be said that MBTI is based in cognitivism and not behaviorism. MBTI doesn't care what a person does, but rather what motivates them to do it.  Also, people who use Introverted Thinking or Introverted Feeling as their dominant function are usually quite different from others who use the same functions.  Two INFPs may be completely different, for example.  This is because so much of their development is based on their own personal experiences, and how it affects them.  The Fe and Te people are generally more easy to predict because their values are mostly based on things that reside outside of themselves.

 

I prefer hands-on, common-sense education. And you better believe if I can't see, taste, hear, or feel something, I'm going to demand tons of evidence before believing it exists.

 

I'm pretty sure this is more about Ti than your perceiving function, whatever it may be. Ti is introverted and logically oriented, meaning that if something doesn't make sense to your own personal, internal logical system then you will be unlikely to accept it. I'm pretty sure this is why INTPs have trouble with accepting they are INTPs, because they don't take things at face value, question common 'truths' and must understand something completely before they accept it. Again, I'm not saying you are an INTP over some other type, I'm just giving my observations of INTPs I have come across.

I recommend you do some reading about Introverted Sensing, as it's quite elusive and has many properties that can be confused for Extraverted Sensing. Both are sensing, but in different directions.

 

Also it should be noted that some sources say that age does matter when it comes to functions.  I have heard that a person doesn't really mature into all their functions until well into their thirties.  I can't cite any reliable sources (this isn't strictly science as much of this cannot be measured, after all), but from my personal experience as somebody who is in his thirties, it's probably true.  It's also probably why I initially mistested as INFJ when i was in my 20s.

 

But hey, you're not the only one to question your type.  I also wonder about myself sometimes as I often exhibit Se-like things, or think in a manner very similar to Ti.  MBTI is deep, and it can take a long time to really grasp just how deep.

 

And for fun, check out this test: http://www.celebritytypes.com/test/intp-or-istp.php

 

I'm pretty sure it was designed for you.

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That's perhaps the most Ne thing I've heard a person say. Se doesn't care about deeper meanings - it just takes things at face value.  You won't often see Se users questioning the status quo.  They are too busy living in the immediate moment.

 

You may be confusing Si for Se. INTP and INFP share Si as a tertiary function, and since it's so low in the stack it comes out in weird ways that may not be immediately apparent. I am also hyper-vigilant and pride myself on situational awareness.  Just because I'm an INFP doesn't mean I sit around and dream about dragons all day. I actually hate the fantasy genre and prefer somewhat-hard sci-fi.  Beware of the stereotypes.

I'm also very hands-on and only learn by example. I feel it should be said that MBTI is based in cognitivism and not behaviorism. MBTI doesn't care what a person does, but rather what motivates them to do it.  Also, people who use Introverted Thinking or Introverted Feeling as their dominant function are usually quite different from others who use the same functions.  Two INFPs may be completely different, for example.  This is because so much of their development is based on their own personal experiences, and how it affects them.  The Fe and Te people are generally more easy to predict because their values are mostly based on things that reside outside of themselves.

 

 

I'm pretty sure this is more about Ti than your perceiving function, whatever it may be. Ti is introverted and logically oriented, meaning that if something doesn't make sense to your own personal, internal logical system then you will be unlikely to accept it. I'm pretty sure this is why INTPs have trouble with accepting they are INTPs, because they don't take things at face value, question common 'truths' and must understand something completely before they accept it. Again, I'm not saying you are an INTP over some other type, I'm just giving my observations of INTPs I have come across.

I recommend you do some reading about Introverted Sensing, as it's quite elusive and has many properties that can be confused for Extraverted Sensing. Both are sensing, but in different directions.

 

Also it should be noted that some sources say that age does matter when it comes to functions.  I have heard that a person doesn't really mature into all their functions until well into their thirties.  I can't cite any reliable sources (this isn't strictly science as much of this cannot be measured, after all), but from my personal experience as somebody who is in his thirties, it's probably true.  It's also probably why I initially mistested as INFJ when i was in my 20s.

 

But hey, you're not the only one to question your type.  I also wonder about myself sometimes as I often exhibit Se-like things, or think in a manner very similar to Ti.  MBTI is deep, and it can take a long time to really grasp just how deep.

 

And for fun, check out this test: http://www.celebritytypes.com/test/intp-or-istp.php

 

I'm pretty sure it was designed for you.

Thank you for offering me a different lens with which to view myself (or at least what, and how I described myself).

 

I am quite intrigued by your description of Se & Ne. You know, I tend to question certain things about the status quo — extremely deeply so — when said things may threaten my freedom, or that of others; things like organized religion anger the ever-living hell out of me. I question and challenge authority. When people feel like they have authority over me, I want nothing more than to give them the finger and show them who's the boss.

 

Another thing, I can't stand sitting around somewhere without something to do. I hate having to spend time trying to imagine this or that, doing a whole lot of stuff in my head. I can't do that very long. I need to be doing something. I love being alone, I am alone whenever I have the ability to do so. When I'm alone I'm either on the computer, practicing the piano, playing games, or sleeping. I can't sit around and daydream, or think about things I want to be done around the house. When I know something needs to be done (the wall needs repainting, the fan needs fixing, etc.), I need to get up immediately and do that right now, with passion. I've tried using Ne extensively; it doesn't work. How boring.

 

I'm not sure if this is a sensor thing, or whatever, but I obsess over my appearance. I mix and match several different articles of clothing until I have an outfit I am confident in. I spend time on my hair, and make sure it's trimmed up regularly. I can't stand wearing anything that doesn't fit me. I need to look fantastic when I leave my room, let alone my house. I feel terrible when I don't look good for the day. I am also pretty big into (some) trends. Like right now, the trend is to roll up your pant legs, wear colorful socks, and wear slim (not skinny) pants. You need to have an undercut. That is the style.

 

My sense of humor is terrible. Absolutely horrific. I hate sarcasm, I hate nonsense, and I hate people trying to be funny. I want things done. I want everyone to shut up. I want everyone to take things seriously. The only humor allowed is deadpan. And only every other ten minutes.

 

About the link, yes I've taken that test. Several times. I took it again and got 88% ISTP when throwing in a certain INTP answer just for charity.

 

And about that Ti, everything has to make sense according to my internal framework thing: yes, that is me to a god damn T! If there had to be one sentence to describe my thinking style, that would be it.

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