APTi Ethical Standards for All Users of Psychological Type

3. Remind yourself and others that psychological type doesn’t explain everything about personality, and that people may not behave in accordance with their Best-Fit Type pattern for a variety of reasons, including culture, personal development, contextual adaptation, etc.

A person’s type does not predict their behavior. Our type pattern can describe our most natural, or preferred, ways of responding to life, but we are not limited to the behaviors typically associated with a specific type. We can intentionally use less-preferred parts of ourselves, even though doing that may be slower, require more concentration and effort, and produce less polished results than our natural modes. We can also acquire skills in less-preferred areas through practice and development. Many people also can naturally and effectively use one preference at some times and the opposite preference at other times. What we do when may depend on, among other things:

• External expectations to behave in a particular manner, such as family, social, cultural or work expectations
• Specifics of the situation that make it more effective to use some responses rather than others, for example, an emergency where flexibility and quick action are needed
• Growth periods in which we are trying additional ways to function

Return to APTi Ethical Standards