The Out Campaign

 INTJ

Welcome to my site.  Why "INTJ Mom"?  INTJ is a Myers Briggs and Keirsey personality type.  INTJs are supposedly rare with estimates ranging anywhere from 1% to 5% of the general population.  Within that small percentage, female INTJs are said to be even more rare.  Female INTJs who are parents are supposedly rarer still.  Since I am both a female INTJ and a mom, I'm supposedly in an extremely small group.  You can learn more about INTJs and personality type indicators in general from links on my personality page.

Normally a website like this is really "not me."  I tend to be a more private person.  I'm more the kind of person who would gladly donate millions to a worthy cause, but be beyond mortified if they tried to give me any public recognition.  If I wrote a book, I'd have a strong urge to use a pen name and someone else's photo on the dust cover.  Not because I'm embarrassed about anything in regards to myself.  I just don't desire to be the center of attention.  I love anonymity.  I have not even the slightest desire to be famous.  For as long as I can remember, my "dream" situation has been to be wealthy but unknown.  While having strangers recognize them may be a dream for some, it would be a nightmare for me.

However, after hearing about the Out Campaign, I eventually decided I should probably do my part.  Plus I like to meet interesting people who have interesting thoughts to share.  Maybe this will aid in my quest.

I'll tell you upfront that I tend to be a freethinker and rather independent.  I'm not impressed by titular authority.  I won't ascribe to/follow traditional social rules/morés if I think they are irrational.  There are no "sacred cows" in my world.  Everything is open for examination and analysis.  I'll say what I think and you can take it or leave it.   I really don't care which you choose - but if what I think about something offends you - too bad, you'll have to deal with it or leave.  Just so you understand that and we get it out of the way right at the beginning.  Continue at your own risk.

My primary goal is not to convince you to agree with me (although admittedly that would be ideal).  I mainly want to try to make people think - to make people question - everything.  My belief is that the only way to truly study & understand a topic is to read everything you can find about it - from the extreme pro to the extreme con and everything in between.  I believe that only then can you get all the information available and be able to make an informed decision of your own.  A truly wise & intelligent person never says "I have all the answers" but rather "this is what I currently believe in regards to all the evidence I've seen thus far and in regards to my current analysis of this evidence.  I'm always open to changing my mind when new evidence and/or arguments are presented."  This is the stance I try to take, which is not meant to imply that I consider myself wise by any means.  It just means that I aspire to achieve wisdom and I hope someday I manage to cross the line over into that category.

I hate to see people live their lives on auto-pilot and never question or think deeply about whether the beliefs of their fathers really make any sense and really work for them (or anyone else, for that matter).  If you've truly questioned something and wholeheartedly researched and deeply thought about it before coming to a decision, I can respect your decision, even if you've come to a different decision than I have.  If you believe something just because that's what your parents taught you or just because it's a tradition, I can't respect that because you aren't thinking for yourself.

I don't advocate anyone ever just taking someone else's word for something, including mine.  I think people should do their own leg work and come to their own conclusions.  I've attempted to teach my kids how to discern rational arguments (or this site) from other forms such as circular reasoning, straw man theories, "no true scotsman", non sequitur, etc.

I don't claim to be perfect at it myself, but I do make an honest attempt to keep my arguments rational.  I believe one of the greatest and most important things I can do as a parent is to teach my kids to be critical thinkers - to think for themselves - and to have the self confidence to trust their own thought processes.

Are they going to make some mistakes?  Of course!  But that's ok, it's an important part of the growth process.  Personally, I've gained the most knowledge and personal growth from dealing with & analyzing mistakes I've made.  IMHO people who've been tightly controlled and/or are paranoid about making mistakes usually come across as rather stunted & shallow. 

I also like to play devil's advocate at times in an attempt to unearth more sides of an issue.  I like to think I've gotten pretty good at arguing viewpoints I don't personally currently subscribe to simply because I'm trying to unearth more information or I'm trying to get someone to think outside of their box.

This site is far from finished, but for now it will have to do.  I will try to remember to keep the What's New page updated whenever I make additions or changes to the site.