MBTI: Psychology or New Pseudoscience?

Young people's fascination with MBTI. Is it psychology or a new form of pseudoscience? This article explores the nature of MBTI and its impact on young people.

MBTI: Psychology or New Pseudoscience?

In recent years, conversations filled with English letters like 'Are you an I or an E person?' and 'Can J people's inner worlds be understood by P people?' have become popular among young people's social circles. These are all about the personality types in the MBTI personality test. The test is based on the psychological type theory proposed by psychologist Carl Jung. He divided people's personality types into two basic attitudes of 'introversion (I)-extraversion (E)' and four functions of 'sensing (S)-intuition (N)', 'thinking (T)-feeling (F)'. Myers and Briggs added the dimension of 'judging (J)-perceiving (P)', forming 16 different personality types.

MBTI can be a good way for young people to introduce themselves and break the ice. It also allows them to deepen their self-awareness and build confidence. However, people wonder about its scientific nature. Is it like those old magazine psychological tests or even horoscopes?

Some professional psychologists point out that all psychological tests are just reference tools. We should not regard them as absolute truths. For most non-professionals, using MBTI rationally and not being overly obsessed with it is key.

Some worry that MBTI's classification into 16 types might reinforce young people's bad habit of labeling others and ignoring the complexity of human nature. While this is a valid concern, we should also recognize that labeling can sometimes be useful in helping us start to understand others and ourselves.

In the end, MBTI and other psychological tests are just paths for young people to understand themselves and socialize. What matters is not which path they choose but finding the right direction.

MBTI may not be perfectly scientific, but it's not pseudoscience either. It's a tool that young people can use to explore their personalities and connect with others.