Is spirituality biased towards certain personality types?

[Altair]

Originally Posted by Lorelyen

It could be to do with personality type. At first I thought it might be more about upbringing / early education but that leads to development. So it's possible.
.

I think personality clearly plays a role in what kind of spiritual path we're drawn to. It's probably difficult for an extrovert to do a silent 10 day retreat, or for an introvert to be a guide in a temple that receives hundreds of visitors each day. Culture plays a role too. Buddhism can find a niche in modest Protestant countries where Christian practice is declining. Protestantism probably has less success in India than Catholicism.

Spirituality is universal but how that spirituality looks will depend on culture and personalities.

[Altair]

Originally Posted by iamthat

A further comment on this statement which implies that those who are drawn to the spiritual path are the "failures of society", unable to cope with living in the "real" world.

Spirituality is part of being human, so it's not about being a failure or anything. ''The real world'' is enchanted with all sorts of stuff, and it we ignore spirituality/religion than there's still all sorts of secular enchantment like secular norms and ethics, which couldn't be more obvious than in today's world. Everywhere you look you can see secular groups speaking with a religious fervour about their beliefs and values. It lacks the spiritual (if defined as something beyond the material) but it still contains symbols, narratives, and myth making, and there are attempts to enchant society with meaning and purpose. Perhaps humans can't be non-spiritual.

[pixiedust]

Originally Posted by Altair

Spirituality is part of being human, so it's not about being a failure or anything. ''The real world'' is enchanted with all sorts of stuff, and it we ignore spirituality/religion than there's still all sorts of secular enchantment like secular norms and ethics, which couldn't be more obvious than in today's world. Everywhere you look you can see secular groups speaking with a religious fervour about their beliefs and values. It lacks the spiritual but it still contains symbols, narratives, and myth making, and there are attempts to enchant society with meaning and purpose. Perhaps humans can't be non-spiritual.

This is an insightful comment.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE1 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Altair

Using the Myers-Brigg personality types, I think there is a bias in modern spirituality towards certain personalities, in particular the INFP personality.

That's an interesting point and one on which I had never given much thought.

When I was a Vice President and Department Manager at Merrill Lynch, all of the VPs in Capital Markets Systems Development attended a two-day required seminar during which the Myers-Brigg personality test was administered. I was an INFP with a "conflict" on the P/J component.

The Executive Vice President jokingly asked the administrator if there was any VP in the group who fit the prototype for being a monk in the mountains of Tibet and everyone looked at me. Without knowing my name or who I was at that point, the administrator looked at the test results and called out my name. No one was surprised.

There may be some basis for your opinion on this subject.

[pixiedust]

Originally Posted by Altair

I think personality clearly plays a role in what kind of spiritual path we're drawn to. It's probably difficult for an extrovert to do a silent 10 day retreat, or for an introvert to be a guide in a temple that receives hundreds of visitors each day. Culture plays a role too. Buddhism can find a niche in modest Protestant countries where Christian practice is declining. Protestantism probably has less success in India than Catholicism.

Spirituality is universal but how that spirituality looks will depend on culture and personalities.

Insightful again - yet difficulty or habit should never be a reason not to undertake something. When we are not challenged, very few will know how to grow.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 8 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by Just Tim

Anytime somehow "compares" their belief system, knowledge of whatever can be, to someone else or a dogma or anything, they are trying to show superiority.

Some people "compare" to find common ground.'

Projections and generalizations, however, are always revealing.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 11 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by jro5139

I know some very religious people who look down on anyone that doesn't follow their beliefs

... and I know some very religious people who do NOT look down on anyone that doesn't follow their beliefs.

[Ciona]

Originally Posted by iamthat

A further comment on this statement which implies that those who are drawn to the spiritual path are the "failures of society", unable to cope with living in the "real" world.

The spiritual group I belonged to had people from all walks of life, including doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, etc. Hardly the failures of society. I joined this group as a student and then went on to have a successful career in IT in the corporate world of banking. My career was never that important to me, but I was still committed to doing my job well. And after all, it paid the bills.

Being in a spiritual group doing long hours of meditation teaches many things, including self-discipline, self-awareness, self-confidence, persistence, organisation, responsibility, decision-making, along with an overall sense of detachment. These are all useful attributes on the spiritual path, but they are equally useful in the workplace.

The spiritual journey is not about running away from life and society, but rather is more about learning to play the game of life effectively.

Peace

Absolutely, my experience as well

Also in higher awareness one-ness much of what's posited on this thread doesn't apply in the higher heart center anyway. But if one hasn't experienced that yet, one simply doesn't know of course. With the exception of Altair's statement that perhaps humans can't be non-spiritual.

There are a lot of misinterpreted ideas about so-called 'spirituality' expressed on this forum, like we're all just about unicorns and butterflies and only feeling good things etc, a load of hogwash. As a Kabbalist the physical is very much included in my day to day spiritual practice as it is among many other practices especially the eastern practices or anyone who has any basic knowledge of the chakra system and their lower chakras.

As if real life isn't in everyone's face regardless of how they choose to respond to it. Oftentimes no respect for the absolute rubbish (nice word to keep the rules), challenges, trauma or turmoil many on here have experienced and faced first hand and solid. Decades of real life experience. Or, as if we somehow owe skeptics on here an explanation or have to fill out some kind of application to be considered 'legitimately spiritual.'

*Just as disclaimer, this last statement of mine is not directed at the OP or this thread whatsoever, it is just another point. I actually do not view the OP that way, it is a discussion of personality types.

*Also edited a bit for accuracy

[Still_Waters]

Originally Posted by Altair

It's probably difficult for an extrovert to do a silent 10 day retreat, or for an introvert to be a guide in a temple that receives hundreds of visitors each day. Culture plays a role too.

That is precisely why there are so many different meditation techniques to suit the various personalities.

[Still_Waters]

QUOTE 20 EXCERPT:

Originally Posted by iamthat

A further comment on this statement which implies that those who are drawn to the spiritual path are the "failures of society", unable to cope with living in the "real" world.

The spiritual group I belonged to had people from all walks of life, including doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, etc. Hardly the failures of society.

Amen! Amen ! Amen !

I too could not believe the statement that was posted previously about people drawn to the spiritual path being "failures of society".