Choosing to to live in "modes"

[Santtu]

Do you choose to live in two or more clearly distinguishable styles of behavior, thinking AND emotions that are consistent within each "mode", and different with each other?

What modes are they?

What makes you choose which of the modes you'll be in at any one time?

What do you think of your own behavior, given that there are different modes of it?

Do you think it's reasonable for people to adjust to your behavior?

Accept it?

Understand it?

Last, why do you choose to live that way?

[Jeffster]

No. I am always in awesome mode.

[Santtu]

I'll start.
Do you choose to live in two or more clearly distinguishable styles of behavior, thinking AND emotions that are consistent within each "mode", and different with each other?
Yes.

What modes are they?
Work and pleasure. This is not just work for 8 hours and pleasure for 8 days after - this is more persistent period that focuses on either work or pleasure for anything from few days to several months, depending what kind of professional situation/opportunity there is to be experienced.

What makes you choose which of the modes you'll be in at any one time?
Opportunities, running out of money. Getting tired of work.

What do you think of your own behavior, given that there are different modes of it?
I guess it's hard for some people to adapt to it. I really must think selfishly and technically to get myself to do great amount of work if the situation calls for it. I'll just disregard my feelings then, for the most part.. tho it gets hard. I think my situation is acceptable, but it would be better to work for normal hours and at a normal intensity for all time.

Do you think it's reasonable for people to adjust to your behavior?
I'm giving my close friends and family a hard time with this. Yet, projects excite me. I'm up to the challenge of working hard when the opportunity presents itself. On the other hand, I neglect to do enough work when I'm having a loads of fun. I think every mode change is a disruption, tho nowadays I don't make long commitments that would depend on me staying available all the time. I am not a "service" to people, something that should stay one and the same.

Accept it?
Yeah it's me. I accept it. Work and play stimulate completely different brain araeas. Both offer a type of continuity, but it's hard to mix the two and make it work. So I like that the times are different. The key to this is memory. My work has always been extremely memory intensive. It's beneficial for me to work long hours for a project, so it stays in my mind, and I can dismiss most things outside it. Projects usually have thousands of small items to remember, few hundreds of which I'll handle any one day. I don't like how extended leisure time makes me forget the details of my work, making my performance drop tremendously to the point of being a risk to the completion of the project.

Understand it?
Yes I understand my situation.

Last, why do you choose to live that way?
Mathematically speaking, I think it's a bistable system. I can't combine memory intensive work with leisure time that tends to make me forget things. Either or. I can't do better than that.

I could try to organize my work in a way that doesn't depend on active memory so much, so I could combine work with play better, without the need to worry.

[FDG]

No, I always blend work, study, and play. Each of these activities offers (to me) decreasing returns to scale, so Jensen's inequality apply to each of the activities listed above, so maximization of pleasure (for play), results (for work and study) necessitates a rational (well, usually it's kind of casual) distribution.

Perhaps they offer to you increasing returns to scale (up to a given limit), thus you're better off separating them.

[edcoaching]

Do you choose to live in two or more clearly distinguishable styles of behavior, thinking AND emotions that are consistent within each "mode", and different with each other?

First off, I describe type not as a box but a house with 16 rooms. My own type (INFJ) is my favorite room, the one with the window seat where I read and gaze at the back yard while drinking coffee. I go to other rooms with different ease. INTJ, the other dominant intuitive type, is kind of the kitchen--I love to cook. ESTP, my opposite, is probably the laundry room but I've been doing laundry for years and don't mess it up much. Maturity is about being able to go to whatever room a situation requires but my favorite is still INFJ.

What modes are they?

I've had to develop an Extraverted mode for any interactions with others (obviously) and it plays out at work and family time more than leisure.

What makes you choose which of the modes you'll be in at any one time?

For the facilitation work I do, people wouldn't be very happy if I said, "Okay just read chapter three and I'll get back to you later." I have to interact with the group. Same with parenting. Telling a child, "Mommy's an Introvert and doesn't have the energy to deal with you right now" isn't going to fly.

What do you think of your own behavior, given that there are different modes of it?

I will always be working on recognizing when to switch modes. It only makes sense that we draw on different skills and strengths in different situations. It also provides a chance for rest--I spend hours on end in creative activities; something structured like following a recipe can actually be appealing and give me a chance to zone out. Each type has activities like that that shut down the dominant function. Consistency would be a fast track to burnout in my mind.

Do you think it's reasonable for people to adjust to your behavior?

Who needs to adjust depends on who has the biggest need and who's most mature. I often have to adjust to clients; they're paying me! If students aren't understanding something, in my mind it's the teacher who needs to do the adjusting. Etc.

Accept it?

Type is all about constructive use of differences. If someone wants my best work I hope they're going to honor that I have to do it in my most natural mode. But then I need to turn around and communicate in their mode, most likely, if they're going to understand my needs and my ideas.

Understand it?

Last, why do you choose to live that way?

• It's a lot more interesting than being the same 24/7
• Situations require different ways of being
• Maturity is about understanding the best mode for a situation and when you or someone else's needs trump things

edcoaching