Personality types

[crashdive123]

Yep......saw that coming.

[Rick]

Blind men everywhere are nodding in agreement and smiling, Crash.

[crashdive123]

Sorry Hoosierarcher, but it's kind of like living out in the country where there's a BIG curve in the road. In the winter it ices up a bit. All of the locals know about it and are very cautious when getting to the curve. The city folk that don't get out there too often always skid and slide when they get to the curve while the locals look on in amazement.

[Rick]

That's a good post, Remy. We often think about our reactions to crisis while in the comfort of our home. We don't think about the physiological changes that will take place within us under stress. I think it is one of the reasons we need to practice our Bug In and Bug Out plans, why we need to ensure we have current First Aid Training and why we need to have a thorough understanding of our equipment. The more automatic we can make our response the less likely it will be that stress will alter our response whether we are alone or with others.

One of the reasons I was so impressed with Cody Lundin's 98.6 book was that he discussed the very points you bring out. The fact that our own physiology changes as does the stress we face (extreme cold weather for example). Something I had failed to include in my own plans.

Thanks!

[bulrush]

One aspect of leadership is, how do you deal with troublemakers?

Do you kick them out of the group the first time they make trouble? Do you shoot them the first time they make trouble? Do you have a stern talk to them and give them a warning the first time?

In a survival situation, I guess it all depends on what they did. Did they steal food, then lie about it? Do they have a generally pervasive bad attitude that they don't have to abide by the rules, or did they just get real frustrated one day and steal a piece of bread? Do they have a can-do attitude? Do they have useful skills for the group?

There's a lot of variables here and I would try to get to know the offender, not in a personal way, but try to decide if they are a plain bad apple with no hope of reforming, or if they are a good person who was having a bad day. Remember, if you are a good person with a consistently bad temper, you are not much use to the group. That's my motto anyway.

You could be the best hunter in the group, but if you have a bad temper, out you go. Because the bad feelings will spread and infect and disrupt the group as a whole, making survival that much more difficult.

[Rick]

I think that's why it's important to have some personality training. Then you have a better chance of identifying the personality type and know how to deal with them. Again, it's not the be all end all but another tool.

[trax]

There are lots of different personality types. Is there an ideal personality type for Surviving a group crisis situation?

What a great question. I know what I can do on my own, but a group situation throws in so many more variables and shifts the dynamics. There have been some good posts here as well, but I wonder how many besides myself challenge themselves with this question. We did the group scenario things a few times and they kind of fell apart, but I know when I'm out in the wild I usually have one person with me only, if that.

[grundle]

I am not sure that your survival behaviour can be trained. I have noticed that in crisis situations people all instinctually react differently. I remember when I worked in a restaurant a woman started choking on her food. I watched everyone around her freeze up and do nothing. I was nowhere near being the closest person to her, but I sprinted over and gave her the Heimlich manoeuvre. Why did her husband sitting next to her do nothing? Why did the waitress a few steps away say "Oh my God?" but do nothing to help?

I don't understand the mechanics, but I believe that the US military realized this trait and it is why their bootcamp is the way it is. Sure it serves to prepare new soldiers for combat, but it also serves to weed out the weak minded people who will be a danger to their brother's in arms during a real life SHTF scenario. Unfortunately even that process still cannot catch all the cowards, and people who cannot deal with stress.

Those of us who have been in stressful situations can at least be confident (hopefully) in how we will react, based on how we dealt with it in the past.

[Rick]

I was just referring to learning/taking the Jung - Myers-Briggs test and understanding what the different personality types are and how they relate to one another. Training was probably a poor choice of words on my part.

[trax]

Remy's postings on these things would be so helpful if I could just remember all that stuff! I hope he never tells me 'this is going to be on the test' cuz I'm skipping that day

[Rick]

Hey, I print this stuff out. When TSHTF I don't want to be standing around going, "Let's see now, what was it he said..." I'll just thumb through my printouts and read it while I'm running for my life.

[Rick]

I'm an ENTJ Extroverted 1, Intuitive 50, Thinking 12, Judging 67. This was my write up:

ENTJs have a natural tendency to marshall and direct. This may be expressed with the charm and finesse of a world leader or with the insensitivity of a cult leader. The ENTJ requires little encouragement to make a plan. One ENTJ put it this way... "I make these little plans that really don't have any importance to anyone else, and then feel compelled to carry them out." While "compelled" may not describe ENTJs as a group, nevertheless the bent to plan creatively and to make those plans reality is a common theme for NJ types.

ENTJs are often "larger than life" in describing their projects or proposals. This ability may be expressed as salesmanship, story-telling facility or stand-up comedy. In combination with the natural propensity for filibuster, our hero can make it very difficult for the customer to decline.

TRADEMARK: -- "I'm really sorry you have to die." (I realize this is an overstatement. However, most Fs and other gentle souls usually chuckle knowingly at this description.)

ENTJs are decisive. They see what needs to be done, and frequently assign roles to their fellows. Few other types can equal their ability to remain resolute in conflict, sending the valiant (and often leading the charge) into the mouth of hell. When challenged, the ENTJ may by reflex become argumentative. Alternatively (s)he may unleash an icy gaze that serves notice: the ENTJ is not one to be trifled with.

[Rick]

I can "see" that in your writing even though words are one very narrow side of you.

I think the importance in knowing what I am is that I gain a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. The importance of knowing what you are enables me to tread lightly on those things that push your buttons and engage those things that allow us to work together. As I said, it's not the be all end all but just another tool that can be used to your advantage.

For those of you not familiar with the process, there is no "correct" personality type. You are what you are. Some will look at either write up above and say, "exactly" and some will say see, that's what I thought about the SOB. It just depends on how the personality types interact.

[trax]

These the same people that make the small engines for pumps and lawnmowers and that kind of stuff, cuz they're good I'll tell ya. Oh..that's Briggs and Stratton, never mind.

[bulrush]

I don't understand the mechanics, but I believe that the US military realized this trait and it is why their bootcamp is the way it is. Sure it serves to prepare new soldiers for combat, but it also serves to weed out the weak minded people ...

And there is the crux of one of the most important aspects of survival. You must be mentally strong AND flexible to survive the stress of a huge change, i.e. when SHTF. You can teach someone physical survival skills. It is much harder, and it takes much longer, to teach bravery and perseverance. And some people will just not have either no matter how much you teach them.

I think Remy mentioned that cowardice is not a weakness. I disagree. Cowardice means the person was not mentally trained to do what needs to be done under severe stress. I.e. the person is currently mentally weak. The person could receive military training, and get over his cowardice, by strengthening his mind. Just like a physically weak person could lift weights and build up his muscles.

I have my "default" or "natural" personality which is more laid back. But I have also trained myself to do things which are not naturally a part of my "default" personality. I can be upfront and "in your face" if the situation requires it. Or I can let my natural personality take over and let someone else lead. So, if I take a personality test, am I answering the questions based on what my "default" laid-back personality would be, or what my "in your face", leadership personality would show?

As you can guess, I'm kind of in a state of flux in my life right now.

[Ole WV Coot]

Has boot camp changed? I thought it was to break you down, lose your identity, teach you to be a team player(say blanket party), give you a great haircut like everyone else and train you like a dog to obey an order and not think about why. Then hopefully you become somebody that is built back up to be one mean SOB, maybe. I remember Grandpa telling me that nobody said anything to the men that wouldn't fight or carry a rifle, just went thru the quickie training and got on the ship with everyone else. When they landed in France Grandpa said his job was to offer these men a rifle as they were marched off the ship and he laughed when he said nobody refused a rifle then. That was WWI.

[Rick]

I don't know, Bulrush. According to the American Heritage dictionary, cowardice is "Ignoble fear in the face of danger or pain." But who defines an act of cowardice? Is my refusal to eat slugs cowardice or my fear of holding a wolverine? KLKAK holds them. How long must I endure incoming artillery?

I think each of us has some point in which we can no longer cope and the stressor may be different for each of us. I may run at the sight of a spider. You may run at the sound of incoming rounds. I don't think I'm worthy to judge and I don't think a person's breaking point is a weakness. It's another means of survival.

Just my opinion!

[Sam]

Hey, be fair now...Rambo didn't just use a knife. The M60 and the compound bow with explosive tipped arrows helped to even the odds in his favor. I'm just surprised they never had him hip firing a mah deuce.

you mean people don't fire the M-2 from the hip? lol

[Sam]

(theme from Jaws starts and Nell looks over map of Indiana)

Rick, grab some plastic sheeting to get behind and I'll get the bacon. This will be to good to miss.

[Sam]

ENFJ

Extroverted 56
Intuitive 38
Feeling 75
Judging 11
I read the thing and I ain't gonna write it all down. I see some of it and some I don't see. Interesting though.