What fictional characters do you relate to as an ISTP?
Just as we can describe real people using the Myers-Briggs® typology system, we can also use the system to type well-written fictional characters. Some of fiction’s most iconic and intriguing characters are ISTPs — they make particularly good action heroes — and today we’re going to talk about seven that I think real-life ISTPs will find relatable.
One great thing about looking at character personality types is that it helps us better understand people who have different types than we do. Fictional ISTPs can serve as examples for what real-life ISTPs might be like, and also show how much variation can exist between individuals with the same type.
One of the things that makes ISTPs such great fictional characters is that they pair the spatial awareness and physical skills needed to lead an action/adventure story with the clever quick-wittedness that we like to see in a hero. Tactical skills, good luck, and a dry sense of humor aren’t the only things that characterize ISTPs types, though. I love it when we see ISTP characters developed throughout several movies or in a TV series so there’s more of an opportunity to for them to grow beyond stereotypes, and that’s the case with most of the characters on this list.
Han Solo
While not every ISTP — fictional or real — is going to fall into the action hero mold, a high percentage of action heroes in fiction are ISTPs. We could probably put most of Harrison Ford’s roles on this list, but as a huge Star Wars fan I’m going to to with our favorite scruffy-looking nerf herder Han Solo. He’s also the ISTP Susan Storm chose for her post “The Greatest Movie Heroes of Every Myers-Briggs® Personality Type.” I’d like to quote part of that article:
Han Solo captures the devil-may-care, quick-thinking qualities of the ISTP. We see his Introverted Thinking (Ti) in the way keeps his rational thought processes internalized. He is constantly expanding and making improvements to the Millennium Falcon, and needs to know why he must do something before making a decision. This constant tinkering and modifying and the search to constantly know “why” are all hallmarks of Introverted Thinking types.
Han also shows an ISTPs co-pilot process (extroverted Sensing) in his ability to respond quickly to the outer world. He’s impulsive and often jumps into things without much of a plan, but he has a talent for figuring things out as he goes. (more…)
Freedom is often held up as one of the highest human ideals. Freedom from oppression or enslavement, freedom of choice, freedom of expression — those things are so important that people have fought and even died for them throughout history.
When Jesus came to this world as God made flesh, He was born as a Jewish man in a world ruled by Rome. He preached a message of freedom, but not necessarily the type of freedom the people around Him wanted. Many thought they needed a Messiah to kick-out the Romans. Instead, they got a Messiah interested in freeing them from a different kind of bondage.
Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” … “Most certainly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is the bondservant of sin. A bondservant doesn’t live in the house forever. A son remains forever. If therefore the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:31-23, 34-36, WEB)
By the end of the conversation that these words are part of, the Jews had accused Jesus of having a demon and picked up stones to throw at him (John 8:31-59). They refused to accept that they were in bondage to sin or that their Israelite lineage couldn’t save them. They dishonored Jesus by rejecting Him and the truth He brought of their need for salvation. And if we’re not careful, we can make a similar mistake today.
God + “Something”
I’m reading a book called Rethinking Sexuality: God’s Design and Why It Matters by Dr. Juli Slattery. I think it’ll be one of the best Christian non-fiction books I’ve ever read, and I bring it up in this post to share a point she makes about our attitudes in approaching God. She talks about examples in Judges and Romans of people who “had a form of worship and spirituality that might have even included God. Yet their worship of God was ‘God plus something.’”
“This is what is happening in Modern Christianity. While we may worship God, we worship something else right along with God. … We elevate our own reasoning and experience as equal to or greater than God’s wisdom. We look inward for truth instead of looking upward. While we sing of God’s power and majesty in church, we suspend His rule over how we approach sexuality” (p. 37).
The problem of a “God plus something” attitude has profound implications in all areas of our lives, not just sexuality. We should not dare put our own ideas or desires higher than God’s word, and yet we keep making excuses or trying to rationalize our way out of submission and obedience. When we hold any part of ourselves back from fully submitting to God’s authority as Creator and Lord, we end up enslaved by the things we’ve added to or substituted for true worship.
In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be devoted to one and despise the other” (Matt. 6:24, WEB). If we’re trying to serve “God plus something” then we’re not really serving God. He doesn’t accept divided loyalty and we can’t pick-and-choose what parts of Him we want. Either you recognize Jesus as Lord in your life and act accordingly, or you don’t.
In addition, just saying “Lord, Lord” isn’t enough. We have to actually do the things He says (Luke 6:46). While we will make mistakes and God understands that, He wants us to consistently try to follow Him. If we don’t seek God with all we are and do our best to love Him with all our heart, mind, and soul then we don’t really understand what it means to be a Christian.
Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? (Rom. 6:16, WEB)
In many ways, what we typically think of as “freedom” is an illusion. Even if we’re free to do whatever we want and follow our own impulses, we’re under the control of our own human nature and vulnerable to Satan’s influence. That’s slavery to sin. The world will tell you that obedience to Christ means giving up freedom, but in reality the only true freedom is found in Him. We can only be free when Christ removes the shackles of sin, making it possible for us to deeply connect with and serve the God who created us to be in relationship with Him.
But thanks be to God, that, whereas you were bondservants of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were delivered. Being made free from sin, you became bondservants of righteousness. … But now, being made free from sin, and having become servants of God, you have your fruit of sanctification, and the result of eternal life. (Rom. 6:17-18, 22, WEB)
We might at first find this idea offensive or even frightening. Where’s the freedom Jesus talked about in being a bondservant of God? The two types of service we get to pick from are very different, though. Serving sin leads to misery and death. Servants of God and His righteousness gain sanctification and eternal life.
Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and may have it abundantly” (John 10:10, WEB). The word “abundantly” means over and above, more than necessary, extraordinary, and superior. Life with God is far more wonderful and exciting than any life without Him could be. To quote Dr. Slattery again, “God is not a distant God. His love for you is not simply a sterile call to obedience. He invites us to enter a passionate celebration of covenant love with Him” (p. 60).
Being a bondservant of God is about enjoying true freedom within a secure, reliable, incredibly loving relationship with our Creator and Lord. It’s only when we’re all-in to serving God that we can truly be free.
This article first appeared on MadebyHemp. One of their representatives sent me an email last week suggesting we could promote some of each other’s articles. I haven’t tried CBD oil myself, but I did some research on it when writing for a client and it sounds like something that really could help a lot of people. I also thought this post had some very good content about habits that can help support our mental health. I hope you enjoy reading it!
2018 was the year we saw a strong surge of mental health awareness. The public’s focus on health broadened to also include taking care of one’s mental and emotional health. People have finally realized that one of the keys to maintaining a healthy body is to have a healthy mind.
This coming 2019, mental health awareness will continue to be one of the bigger focuses on overall well being. Learning a few habits that will promote and improve your mental health will be a great start to your new year.
The secret to a sound body is a sound mind. But it could also work both ways. The secret to a sound mind is a sound body. It might not work for everybody, but for a majority of able-bodied people, a great way to boost endorphins is to go out and move. Find an exercise that you love. You don’t need to do what everyone else is doing. Some people prefer lifting weights, some like yoga, some even run marathons. Find that one exercise you want to stick with and run with it.
Being thankful for the things you have instead of focusing on the things you don’t is a good way of bringing positive energy into your life. It will, more importantly, make you realize you are lucky to have the things you do. Practicing the habit of being grateful will help you become a more positive person.
Be the person you wish other people would be to you. Make someone’s day by smiling at them, or helping them carry a heavy load, or even just opening the door for someone who has their hands full. A bit of kindness paid forward will cultivate a world of kindness. It doesn’t take much to make others smile.
Get enough sleep. Sleep can do wonders for a tired mind and body. Don’t overdo it though. Get the right amount of sleep in order to feel rested and ready to tackle your day, every day. Put your screen away close to bedtime and concentrate on relaxing. Give your body and mind the time to recover and recuperate.
Socialize. Even the most introverted person has someone they prefer to hang around with. It does wonderful things to your soul to share your time with the people that matter.
Better yet, try Therapeutic Chocolate with Cannabidiol (CBD) oil. Cannabinoids are non-psychoactive and can reduce anxiety. If you are looking to incorporate CBD into your diet, but is not very much of a fan of its earthy taste, chocolate is the way to go. Cannabinoids are found to keep the body in neutral state, and support the functions of the brain, as well as the central and peripheral nervous system. Get your chocolate fix for the day, and get CBD’s benefits while you’re at it.
When they said laughter is the best medicine, they were not kidding. Laughter helps ease stress and anxiety. Hang out with a funny friend, or watch a comedy show. Or maybe learn a few jokes and share them with your friends. Laughter is one of those things that multiply when shared.
A few desserts won’t hurt you any but for the most part, feed your body the things it should be fed. Eat a healthy and balanced diet. This will ensure your body will feel healthy and will give you less things to stress or worry about. Avoid things that will harm your body like smoking or excessive drinking.
Tell yourself something nice every day. Most people are generous with giving away compliments to others but are stingy when it comes to themselves. Start your day by giving yourself a sincere compliment. It could be something simple like “oh my skin looks very nice today”. Or “I do make an amazing omelet.” And develop this into a daily habit. Because loving yourself will allow you to love others more freely.
Give your mind a chance to empty itself out of the negative energy that is pervasive in the world. Give your mind the space to breathe and relax. And as you relax your mind, you relax your body. Meditation is a great way to connect your mind and your body into one plane. It is a good way to relax and to relieve yourself of any stress that you may have. Meditation also complements therapy.
One of the things that really irritates me when I see certain introverts talking online is how much they seem to hate extroverts. They’ll even use that word — “I hate this thing that extroverts do” or “I hate it when extroverts are like this.” Some even have lists of all the things they hate about extroverts.
We introverts have been pushing for a while now to get recognized as “normal.” Introversion is how about 50% of the population’s brains are hardwired. It’s an inborn preference for the inner world of thoughts and ideas, which is also shaped by our unique individual experiences. So stop judging us for it, okay?
What far too many of us forget is that the exact same things are true of extroversion. For about 50% of the population, being an extrovert is perfectly normal. It’s an inborn preference for the outer world of things and people. Extroverted and introverted mental “wiring” are both perfectly normal. Both are needed, and both personality types deserve respect.
So with that clarification out of the way, let’s talk about whether or not extroverts are incapable of understanding introverts. (more…)
The Old Testament often describes God as “slow to anger.” A more literal translation of the Hebrew is actually “long-nosed,” which makes no sense in English. But it’s a picture of a person who takes a long time to reach the point where they’re so angry that their nostrils flare and the air whooshes through their nose like a bull about to charge.
The phrases “slow to anger” and“long-suffering,” are both translated from two Hebrew words — “long” and “breath/passion/heat/anger.” The Greek equivalent is typically translated “patience” or “long-suffering.” It’s not about never getting angry, but about having control over when that happens and not flying off into a rage.
Anger is not inherently sinful. God gets angry, and Paul also tells us we can be angry without sinning (Eph. 4:26). But God doesn’t get angry quickly or without good cause, and we shouldn’t either. So how can we become “slower to anger” and “longer suffering”?
Quick Anger Fuels Strife
I think the dividing line between anger that is and is not sinful can be found in the effect that it has. Jesus throwing those who were exploiting believers out of the temple? Righteous anger. Me getting so upset at someone that I say something nasty which leads to conflict? Sinful anger.
God hates arrogance, wicked schemes, and discord. So if your anger is causing these (or anything else He hates), then it is leading to sin. There are several Proverbs addressing this. Here are a few: (more…)
I think most people would tell you that one of the defining traits of introverts is that they are quiet. It’s even the name of one of the most popular introvert books — Quiet: The Power of Introverts In A World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. This also happens to be the book that first got me started on studying and embracing introversion, and it’s still one of my favorite books.
But in the midst of this “quiet revolution” that’s pushing for greater acceptance of introversion, we might get the idea that all introverts are characterized by being soft-spoken people who rarely talk. However, that’s not entirely accurate and that’s not what really what Susan Cain meant when she named her book Quiet.
Confusing Introversion and Shyness
One of the most common mistakes regarding introversion is to assume it’s the same thing as shyness. But introversion is simply a description of how about 50% of the population’s brains are “hardwired.” It’s a preference for the inner world and a need to recharge in solitude. Shyness, on the other hand, is related to social anxiety. (more…)
