Wow! Thank you so much for this post, Harshini! (and to Louise for the down-to-earth explanations of how things work!) This is utterly fascinating!
And, while I am obsessed with personality typing, I’m ashamed to admit that I never considered someone with DID and how that might present! So thank you for enlightening me, and helping me make changes going forward!
You’re welcome, and feel free to ask any other questions you may have!
Yeah, unfortunately DID is one of those things that a lot of people don’t think about beyond an interesting plot twist in a movie or TV show. But it is a real thing, and it’s usually quite a lot different from how it’s portrayed in fiction. If you’re interested, another of our alters, Leyna, has been writing reviews of DID portrayals in fiction, mostly in comic books so far.
The point about MBTI being a spectrum is a good one. It reminds me of Carl Jung writing about the fallacy of applying statistical analysis to humans in his book The Undiscovered Self. He used the analogy of the average weight of a rock on a beach and how odds were excellent that you were never going to find a rock of that exact weight there. How much moreso with a DID system...especially with changes as time goes on.
This was truly enlightening. Thank you, everyone, for this interview!
I remember reading that the mother and daughter team that invented the MBTI were fascinated with Jung, so it’s not surprising that you are seeing some similarities with Jung. (I really should probably read some of his works myself, I have a feeling I would find him fascinating, too.)
I would personally suggest the previously mentioned The Undiscovered Self as a starting point, Louise. It was written late in his life but is a good primer. Slim, compact, gives you a feel for his ideas and writing style without overwhelming the reader.
I loved how you highlighted MBTI as a tool for self discovery rather than rigid labels, especially the insight about alters sharing types but still being unique individuals.
The bus analogy was such a clear and relatable way to explain DID too!
Thank you both for this open, enlightening conversation. It left me with so much to reflect on. 😊❤️
Very informative! Super interesting that everyone has multiple inner selves, and how in DID, these fail to merge due to trauma. I can see how that can happen. Using a “bus” analogy is visually easier to understand! It makes sense that each alter has a unique MBTI type, showing that personality can be fluid. I loved that you mentionwd that MBTI should be taken flexibly, not set in stone.
In the beginning, when I first discovered it, it helped a lot get to know myself better, but got disillusioned exactly because I took it very rigidly. And it is a tool to help us ask ourselves "who are we". Thank you for this article.
Wow thank you for this interview! So informative and fascinating!
We're glad you liked it! Thank you! ✨
You’re very welcome! Let us know if you have any further questions!
Louise
Wow! Thank you so much for this post, Harshini! (and to Louise for the down-to-earth explanations of how things work!) This is utterly fascinating!
And, while I am obsessed with personality typing, I’m ashamed to admit that I never considered someone with DID and how that might present! So thank you for enlightening me, and helping me make changes going forward!
You’re welcome, and feel free to ask any other questions you may have!
Yeah, unfortunately DID is one of those things that a lot of people don’t think about beyond an interesting plot twist in a movie or TV show. But it is a real thing, and it’s usually quite a lot different from how it’s portrayed in fiction. If you’re interested, another of our alters, Leyna, has been writing reviews of DID portrayals in fiction, mostly in comic books so far.
Louise
Thank you. ☺️
Thank you! We are so glad it helped! It was so fun working on this post. :D ✨
The point about MBTI being a spectrum is a good one. It reminds me of Carl Jung writing about the fallacy of applying statistical analysis to humans in his book The Undiscovered Self. He used the analogy of the average weight of a rock on a beach and how odds were excellent that you were never going to find a rock of that exact weight there. How much moreso with a DID system...especially with changes as time goes on.
This was truly enlightening. Thank you, everyone, for this interview!
I haven't heard of the rock analogy before. I love it!
Thank you, we're glad you found it helpful! ✨
You’re welcome, and thank you!
I remember reading that the mother and daughter team that invented the MBTI were fascinated with Jung, so it’s not surprising that you are seeing some similarities with Jung. (I really should probably read some of his works myself, I have a feeling I would find him fascinating, too.)
Thanks for your support, Johnathon!
Louise
I would personally suggest the previously mentioned The Undiscovered Self as a starting point, Louise. It was written late in his life but is a good primer. Slim, compact, gives you a feel for his ideas and writing style without overwhelming the reader.
Thanks for the recommendation!
I loved how you highlighted MBTI as a tool for self discovery rather than rigid labels, especially the insight about alters sharing types but still being unique individuals.
The bus analogy was such a clear and relatable way to explain DID too!
Thank you both for this open, enlightening conversation. It left me with so much to reflect on. 😊❤️
You’re welcome, and thank you for the compliments, Mkwawa!
Louise
We're glad it was helpful! Thank you! ✨
Very informative! Super interesting that everyone has multiple inner selves, and how in DID, these fail to merge due to trauma. I can see how that can happen. Using a “bus” analogy is visually easier to understand! It makes sense that each alter has a unique MBTI type, showing that personality can be fluid. I loved that you mentionwd that MBTI should be taken flexibly, not set in stone.
In the beginning, when I first discovered it, it helped a lot get to know myself better, but got disillusioned exactly because I took it very rigidly. And it is a tool to help us ask ourselves "who are we". Thank you for this article.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! :D
Glad you liked the article! ^^ ✨
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful!
Yes. Very informative! Thank you!