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Understanding Gender Perception through Personality Types and Duality

Opteamyzer Understanding Gender Perception through Personality Types and Duality Author Author: Ahti Valtteri
Understanding Gender Perception through Personality Types and Duality Photo by mohammad aref zohrabi
Main / Knowledge Center / Understanding Gender Perception through Personality Types and Duality

The concept of gender perception begins forming in early childhood and continues evolving throughout life. The understanding of one's gender identity and the development of psychological modalities used to interact with other genders are undoubtedly influenced by several key factors:

  • Family beliefs and upbringing.
  • Cultural and social context.
  • Personal experiences.

Eric Berne describes three core "ego-states" that shape personality perception: Parent, Adult, and Child. These aspects are crucial in how we perceive gender and build interactions with others. Berne asserts:

"Each of these states — Parent, Adult, and Child — has its own view of the world, its own way of perceiving self and others."

Parent serves as the keeper of beliefs and values inherited from family and culture. This ego-state influences our perception of gender roles, establishing standards, expectations, and social norms that define "appropriate" behavior for men and women.

Adult represents objective, rational thought — the ability to accurately perceive reality, analyze information, and find solutions. In this state, a person can evaluate their gender stereotypes and social beliefs from a position of awareness and logic. Berne highlights:

"The Adult in us is the mediator between Parent and Child, the one who analyzes and evaluates the here and now."

Child is the ego-state tied to our natural, emotional responses and needs. Within it lies gender-related feelings, early childhood experiences, and the desire for recognition and love. Gender norms and roles can sometimes limit the expression of true feelings from the Child state, affecting self-esteem and one's sense of place in society.

Ultimately, Berne notes:

"How we see ourselves and others depends directly on the state through which we perceive the world at any given moment. The influence of the Parent and Child can distort perception, whereas the Adult seeks to evaluate reality objectively."

Understanding these three angles allows us to better see how our perception of gender is rooted in past experiences and ingrained beliefs, worked through in childhood. The Adult state, free from biases and illusions, enables us to view ourselves and others with greater accuracy.

It's interesting to note that all these factors impact the formation and development of psychological modalities both independently and in various combinations, often adding complexity to the topic of gender perception. The influence of the emotional center compounds this, creating an Everest-like challenge best approached with preparation and appropriate resources.

But what if I told you that the issue of gender is far less traumatic and complex than it seems at first glance? The underlying problem is largely a lack of fundamental understanding of human psychology in most adults. If, for example, at least half of patriotic education in schools were replaced with psychological principles, the endless "gender drama" might be far less intense and relevant.

In the 16-personality framework (though any suitable typology can be used), there are 16 distinct relationship types. In other words, each type has a unique interaction style with every other type. Add in sociological parameters such as age, education, language proficiency, and country of residence, and for an ordinary person without psychological or sociological training, this kaleidoscope of types and relationships may seem overwhelmingly complex, with no time for it in everyday life.

Exacerbating this is the fact that each personality type has two most compatible types, which often go unnoticed in daily life. Meanwhile, types that are the least compatible tend to seem very interesting and promising. Moreover, in the first half of life, a person is more likely to overlook "ideal matches" due to an absence of initial external attractiveness. In other words, personality types that are well-matched often tend to ignore each other upon first meeting, which is often their last.

One of the aims of Opteamyzer, among other things, is to provide education that encourages people to approach relationships more consciously, using data-driven technology and not merely instincts or fleeting emotions.

Dual Relationships: Psychological Comfort through Complete Complementarity

In the 16-type system, dual relationships represent a unique phenomenon in which two types, seemingly very different, complement each other remarkably well. This "complete complementarity" (duality) creates psychological comfort, mutual understanding, and even a unique interdependence. It's essential to note that dual relationships not only allow each type to acquire missing qualities but also help minimize personal weaknesses, creating a harmonious interaction.

At first meeting, dual pairs often do not notice each other. There may be neither particular sympathy nor antipathy, due to a lack of obvious common topics. Initially, each partner may even perceive the other as "too different" to be interesting. However, this neutral reaction is often one of the first signs of duality. As communication develops, each person begins to see in the other something that complements their own psyche and compensates for their weaknesses.

Dual relationships are like two puzzle pieces, each covering the other's gaps, making the picture whole.

Dual Relationship Interaction: Initial Impressions of Each Type

  • ILE (ENTp) and SEI (ISFp): Upon first meeting, ILE may enthusiastically share their ideas, oblivious to how SEI feels. SEI might feel somewhat overwhelmed, but later, ILE appreciates SEI's calmness, while SEI is inspired by ILE's ideas.
  • ESE (ESFj) and LII (INTj): ESE appears expressive, while LII remains reserved. Over time, ESE values LII's analytical mindset, while LII appreciates ESE's emotional stability.
  • EIE (ENFj) and LSI (ISTj): EIE seeks to express emotions, while LSI stays composed. EIE later sees reliability in LSI, who finds inspiration in EIE's energy.
  • IEI (INFp) and SLE (ESTp): SLE might find IEI overly dreamy, while IEI finds SLE too direct. Over time, SLE sees IEI as balancing their impulsivity, while IEI sees a protector in SLE.
  • ILI (INTp) and SEE (ESFp): SEE finds ILI introspective, while ILI sees SEE as too lively. Eventually, SEE values ILI's insights, while ILI finds confidence in SEE's energy.
  • ESI (ISFj) and LIE (ENTj): ESI initially finds LIE too direct, while LIE views ESI as deep. Both eventually appreciate each other's ethics and strategic insights.
  • EII (INFj) and LSE (ESTj): EII analyzes emotions, while LSE remains structured. LSE comes to value EII's emotional insight, while EII appreciates LSE's stability.
  • IEE (ENFp) and SLI (ISTp): IEE might seem overly expressive, while SLI appears reserved. In time, IEE sees stability in SLI, who enjoys IEE's sincerity and creativity.

These initial interactions often seem vague or indifferent. However, through the unique features of dual relationships, mutual enrichment and harmony gradually unfold between partners.