How much can Artificial Intelligence learn from your writing? Your gender? Your MBTI personality type? Can someone find out such things about you from your writing?
uClassify is a free text classifier web service, using which you can develop your own text classifiers. Several have been developed already, the most popular being GenderAnalyzer and Typealyzer.
Gender Analyzer
GenderAnalyzer tries to guess the gender of the author. From over 6000+ votes on the site, it appears to have correctly guessed the gender 58% of the time. An Unquiet Mind’s homepage rated almost gender neutral:
Since these services do not crawl web pages, they only use the page you specify as their input. So, to get more credible results, use larger sources for input. An easy way to do this with your Wordpress blogs is to specify your favorite tag/category URL. So since a lot of my posts have the ‘India’ tag, giving http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/tag/india gave a lot more content to analyze, and hence came up with a more accurate assessment.
Typealyzer
Typealyzer takes the text from a URL you specify and classifies it according to MBTI personality types. It can be fun! Here are An Unquiet Mind’s results:
Personality Type
It is important to remember that this purports to classify the writing style of the author, not the author’s personality type (ignore the marketing byline). Thus, even if my personality type is iNTJ, my writing style is iNTP.
Archetype
This is a classification based on Carl Jung’s archetypes.
Love Type
Sport Type
I guess the above two are for those who want to date or make friends with other bloggers!
Some of the other classifiers at uClassify are interesting too – find out the mood of the writer, the tonality (formal/informal) of the writing, similarity with authors of famous classics, etc.
I’ve written before about what I call the Superlative Style of Composition with regards to writing - where a writer blends conceptual and perceptual styles into the most persuasive style of writing. Let us take an example to illustrate this. I’m referring to Ergo talking about why India is not a tourist brochure.
The goal of the writer is to convey: “the predominant ethos of the Indian culture is not that of benevolence, friendliness, or rationality but the opposite of these.”
If one had chosen to write conceptually about this, it would probably have resulted in a dry essay on a purely “intellectual” level, to which many readers may not have responded at all. (If you’re wondering about the quotes around “intellectual”, I think it is an unfairly derided term. For more, read this).
Instead, observe the style of the composition: the writer intersperses perceptual experiences (in other words – what one experiences in a day-to-day life) with the conceptual inferences he draws from it.
This helps the reader understand and appreciate why the writer is drawing these conceptual conclusions from his experiences.
I’ve read tons of blog posts that either deal only with the perceptual (experience) level, or just simply conceptual ramblings, but very few that synthesize and harmonize the two. That is what I mean by the Superlative Style of Composition.
No surprises here, as Ergo gets the Intellectual Blogger Award from me!
Notes:
- I am not saying one should agree with what is being said in this superlative style. My posts are about the styles of composition being used, not the content in them.
- Ergo has probably not read my posts about Styles of Composition, and is completely oblivious to what I’ve written about. This is good in terms of objectively assessing what I’ve written!
Again, something I’d written long time back, in 1990, to be precise. All criticisms welcome!
What do I write about?
The mountains, lakes, skies;
Or birds, flowers, and the like?
Here I am, amongst my daily troubles,
Wanting some peace of mind
Thought I would write a poem
But what do I write about?
I wonder what poets possess
That makes them poets
I wonder how their creativity
Is created…
How mischievous language is!
It completely describes an entity
As complex and vague as the poetic mind
By simply calling it poetic!
Is poetry born out of
Joy, Grief, and other such
Intense emotions only?
Or can this be called a poem
If I consider it to be?
I now suspect
That it needs great concentration
For a poet
To write a poem
And further
That there is a superior logic
Behind the rhythmic passages
Of a poem
Poetry is a means for the poet
To let his imagination
And romanticism
Run wild
If we invent norms
Regarding what constitutes a poem
Would it be a restriction
Which may destroy what it’s trying to preserve?
For some, a poem is simply
A rhythmic, lucid passage
Why can’t prose
Not possessing lucidity of words
But of thought
Be called a poem?
I can better appreciate rhythm and lucidity
In ideas
Than in words
How I wish I could write a poem
Of my many enchanting thoughts
Without suffering from the curse
Of being compelled to use language
Whose words do not always rhyme…
I am now catching a glimpse
Of the poetry
That is in the world
For me
How wonderful is the fact
That I am conscious
Of myself!
Am I not the poetry of Nature?
But then I wonder
Who is the poet of Nature?
Which itself is sheer poetry?
Does poetry require a poet?
Which leads me to think
Does a poet ever create poetry?
Or does he simply catch
The already existing poetry
In words?
Finally, what is poetry?
Which, I think
Everybody should decide for oneself
If they can
For me
The lucidity of ideas in a poetic work
Transcends the superficial rhythm
Of its words
I think the best example
Of what I intend to say
Is best exemplified
In this work itself
Which has been a poetry for me
Hasn’t
The lucidity of thoughts
And the logic of the thinking mind
Combined with the flavor of romanticism
Surpassed the absence of rhyme
To create this poem?
PS: This just goes to prove that I’m not a poet by nature, irrespective of my amatuerish attempts!
There are some truths you figure out yourself without needing to study them elsewhere.
I learnt a bit of yoga when I was a child, and while doing pranayama, learnt that the left nostril leads to the right part of the brain and vice versa.
Some years later, I bought the book Whole Brain Thinking, and discovered the individual strengths (or shall we say personality traits?) of the left and right hemispheres of the brain. (For an excellent summary of what whole brain thinking is all about, see this article by John Adams)
Well, connecting the dots, I deduced the following principle:
When one is breathing through the left nostril, the right brain is active, and vice versa.
I decided to put this to the test and here’s what I found:
1. Yoga’s ancient adage about the nostrils connecting to the other side of the brain has been proven by science.
2. My hypotheses is held up both by yoga and what’s now called ‘alternative’ medicine or therapies.
I’ve tested this hypotheses of mine practically several times, and it turns out to be true without fail. What I have not been able to achieve is what the yogis preach: change the dominant nostril at the first sign of any physical or mental disturbance. Whenever I try that, not only do I not succeed, I get more frustrated and upset!
A few asides:
- Spiritual comes from the word Spiritus, which means breath in Latin
- In the movie Out of Africa, Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford) bemoans how the foot has never been appreciated by the poets. I think the same is true about the nostrils. Consider this: Each day, the nose cleans about 10,000 litres of air, which has to be filtered and air-conditioned, to the, um, taste of the lungs – 80% humidity and 35 degrees Centigrade. It is no mean feat!
By the way, this is finally my 100th post. A very grateful thanks to all my readers – here’s some celebration to go along with it!
This is a sequel post to Styles of Composition – Writing. Please read it before you read this post. Thanks.
Structural Music
On the one hand, we have complex, heavy, and unemotional compositions, which are vigorous and characterized by structure and grandeur. When listening to such music, personal and emotional responses are minimal, as the mind is involved in the development of the theme by the use of complex notes and their inter-relationships set in a mathematical framework. The Baroque and Classical musical eras – Bach, Haydn, and early Mozart – are representative of this style of composition.
Easy Listening Music
On the other hand, we have soft music, which has a flow and rhythm that makes it suitable for easy listening. Mental concentration is minimal as the music is based on elementary note variations and harmonies. But there is a sentimental touch to such music that involves the emotions of the listener. Folk tunes, pop songs, and simple melodies are examples of such music.
Superlative Music
Superlative music is a harmonious synthesis of these two styles of composition. It involves the greatest effort on the part of the composer and offers the most rewarding experience on the part of the listener.
Here, a profound theme developed by a simple set of notes within a complex harmony is presented with the grace, charm, and simplicity of soft music.
The result is that the listener’s mind is awed by the combination of melodies of the greatest strength and beauty with contrapuntal devices of the smoothest mastery and the listener’s heart overflows in response to the poignant human emotion embedded in the composition.
The principal technique employed in the composition of such superlative music is that of counterpoint. It is the technique by which two or more melodic lines are combined so that they establish a harmonic relationship while retaining their individuality. Very much like sentences in the superlative style of writing.
The mind of the listener is awed by the development of the theme through integration of the intricate melodies into a coherent whole, and his heart is swept away by the passionate, subtle intimacy of the orchestration.
It is this unison of the heart and mind that makes listening to such music a rewarding experience. Isn’t the sense of fulfillment that prevails after such communication what every composer and listener seeks?
The last three symphonies of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart offer a classic example of the superlative style of composition. They are masterpieces which still excite audiences and baffle musical scholars.
No wonder that they have been called ‘the apotheosis of the symphony’!
This is a piece I’d written in 1991, with minor edits. I’m not sure what ‘categories’ I should post this in. When I read it today, it sounds too simplistic and I could be justifiably accused of over-simplification and generalization. However, I think it is still a humble and worthwhile exercise in the tenuous conceptual process of abstraction.
Styles of writing vary between two extremes.
Conceptual Style
At one end is writing that is succinct, heavy, and read and written slowly. Individual sentences in this style encompass ‘heavy’ content, complex concepts, and have an air of independence in relation to other sentences. Each sentence harbors a complete unit of information, and the writing is a conglomeration of such units. This entails the development of more and more complex and broader concepts built upon the units of information conveyed earlier, which in turn constitute concepts built upon the preceding ones.
In this style, the reader has to grasp the previous concepts before he can grasp the later ones. If a reader skips some content, the later content doesn’t make sense. For example, read Godel, Escher, Bach – An Eternal Golden Braid.
Since such writing deals essentially with the communication of the development of higher concepts, I call it as the style of writing on the conceptual level.
Perceptual Style
At the other end is writing that is elaborate, simple, and read and written rapidly. Individual sentences in this style encompass light observations, simple descriptions, and do not possess an entirety in them. Instead they ‘belong’ to the text and form an integral inseparable part of it.
This style of writing has a unique flow, which lends it favorably for rapid reading, since one can usually anticipate the subject of the following content. Even if a reader skips some content, he can usually “catch up” to what’s being said later.
Since this style deals essentially with the communication of perceptual matter through elaborate description of the perceptual experience of the writer, I call it as the style of writing on the perceptual level. For example, read Jerome K. Jerome’s Three Men In A Boat.
Words are conceptual in nature, hence conveying perceptual matter through concepts is a reverse process. The extent to which reading such content stimulates the perceptual experience depends on the ability of the writer.
From another perspective, the conceptual style of writing involves the reader and writer on an intellectual plane, whereas the perceptual style of writing involves them on an empirical plane.
The style of writing is determined, among other things, by the intended audience, the subject matter, and the psychological state of the writer.
Intuitive senses, event narratives, and expressions of feelings dominate the perceptual style of writing, whereas conceptual style is dominated by expressions of thoughts and ideas. Hence perceptual style is the result of a rapid and quick process and engulfs the reader in its rhythmic flow, whereas conceptual style is the result of a conscious, carefully planned process, and needs the concentration of the reader’s cognitive faculties.
Another dimension is that conceptual style of writing involves left-brain activity; perceptual style of writing involves right-brain activity.
Superlative Style
Superlative writing is a harmonious synthesis of these two styles of writing. It involves the greatest effort on the part of the writer and the most rewarding experience on the part of the reader.
Here, the writer communicates complex concepts in such a fashion that the reader is presented with a complex chain of concepts along with the perceptual experiences that motivated the writer. Hence, the reader is led through the development of concepts in a manner as if he were himself developing them.
The result is that the writing develops wider and an evolving set of concepts yet has a unique flow and an enjoyable rhythm. The text is heavy, yet simple to grasp, the sentences are independent, yet they belong to the text. Complex concepts are communicated, yet the text can be read rapidly. Matter is rationally thought out and planned, yet the reader has an intuitive feel of what is to come.
It is this unison of the mind and heart of the writer and reader that makes such writing a rewarding experience for both. Isn’t the sense of fulfillment that prevails after such communication what every writer and reader seeks?
Ayn Rand offers a classic example of superlative writing in her non-fictional works. ‘The Romantic Manifesto’ is a masterpiece exemplifying how the superlative style of writing can be employed to communicate complex concepts. The reader experiences a pleasant journey through profound subjects dealing with the psychological and philosophical implications of Art.
Expanding the horizons of this analysis leads us to the application of this principle to music…(contd.)
I knew it, and it’s now proven: A yawn is actually a compliment.
BBC Reports:
Yawning may appear the height of rudeness, but in fact your body is desperately trying to keep you awake, according to research from the US.
The common wisdom is that people yawn because they need oxygen, but the researchers at the University of Albany in New York said their experiments showed that raising or lowering oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the blood did not produce that reaction.
Their evidence suggested instead that drawing in air helps cool the brain and helps it work more effectively.
Yawning therefore delays sleep rather than promotes it.
The desire to yawn when others do so may also be a mechanism to help a group stay alert in the face of danger.
So the next time you are telling a story and a listener yawns there is no need to be offended – yawning, a physiological mechanism designed to maintain attention, turns out to be a compliment.
Boy, how I would like to enlighten all my school teachers!
My cousin, an eldest sibling, alerted me to this news finding: The eldest children in families tend to develop higher I.Q.’s than their siblings, researchers are reporting, in a large study that could settle more than a half-century of scientific debate about the relationship between I.Q. and birth order.
Salient Points
- The study was carried out only on men. Researchers say sex doesn’t matter, and that findings would apply equally to females.
- The researchers looked at IQ scores in 250,000 men entering mandatory military service. They found a significant difference in IQ scores in 60,000 pairs of siblings.
- Men who were first in social or birth order had, on average an IQ about 2.3 points higher than those who were second in social or birth order. This pattern continued in the sense that second born men had higher IQs than the third born, and so on.
- The causes are social, not biological.
My Observations
- Interestingly, about a year ago, Medical News had reported findings about a similar study, conducted in the US, with exactly opposite results.
- Though the study doesn’t cover single children, the social factors that are cited as responsible for higher IQ in elder siblings would work wonders when there’s only a single child. So does this mean countries like China, with a one-child-per-family program will produce a nation of geniuses?
For Parents
- Parents should not be unduly concerned about these results. Having high IQ and knowing how to use it are different attributes.
- A child might score a few points lower in their IQ but have other assets such as curiosity, imagination and what is increasingly being called “emotional intelligence” that helps them use their IQ more effectively.
- If you have several children, then spending some one-to-one time with each one is probably a good thing to do but if you can’t manage it, don’t lose sleep over it.
- Parents who recognize the different niches that their children fill can enhance the family’s intellectual environment by exploiting each child’s expertise, researchers say.
- While even slight differences in I.Q. score can be important for some, the test measures a narrow set of skills. Excessive attention to it can blind parents to the diverse and equally rich expertise that later-born children usually develop.
For Elder Siblings
- Chill out!
For Younger Siblings
Don’t despair:
- You can kill your elder siblings (as suggested by another youngest-in-family cousin)
- If the above sounds anathema to you (even if you have low IQ), you can encourage your parents to have more children (so you’ll have higher IQ than them)
- You already have impressive friends and are in distinguished company
- Evidence suggests that younger siblings are more likely than older ones to take risks based on their knowledge and instincts.
- The study did not look at the effect of age gaps on IQ. But previous research has suggested that a younger sibling with a large enough age gap might be able to recoup the IQ points.
- The study was conducted in Norway. If you’re Norwegian, as per Asterix, you’ve nothing to fear. Even if you’re not, you’ve nothing to fear. The study doesn’t talk about cultural differences in upbringing.
- It doesn’t mean younger siblings aren’t more intelligent in other ways, like emotional intelligence.
Further, the New York Times quotes experts:
To distinguish themselves, younger siblings often develop other skills, like social charm, a good curveball, mastery of the electric bass, acting skills. They are developing diverse interests and expertise that the I.Q. tests do not measure.
This kind of experimentation might explain evidence that younger siblings often live more adventurous lives than their older brother or sister. They are more likely to participate in dangerous sports than eldest children, and more likely to travel to exotic places. They tend to be less conventional than firstborns, and some of the most provocative and influential figures in science spent their childhoods in the shadow of an older brother or sister.
Firstborns have won more Nobel Prizes in science than younger siblings, but often by advancing current understanding, rather than overturning it.
It’s the difference between every-year or every-decade creativity and every-century creativity,” Dr. Sulloway said, “between innovation and radical innovation”.
I have consistently found a lot of traffic to my blog with searches related to INTJ. One of the reasons for this, I think, is that there is no good “Index” site for INTJs. One needs to search and then visit a lot of pages in an exploratory fashion to really get what you’re looking for. Hence this post.
Notes:
1. I’m omitting all sites that are primarily commercial in nature or offer too many ads.
2. I’m sure INTJs will love a nice capsule of information like this. Before you leave this blog, if you find this useful, I request you take a moment to comment.
Because as this article states: “if too much feeling is suppressed, INTJs may build up pressure and find expression in inappropriate ways. Their feeling needs to be used constructively, such as through appreciation of other people. Given their talent for analysis, appreciation may be hard for INTJs, but they will find it helpful on the job as well as in personal relationships.” 
3. Also, do read some of my posts related to INTJs.
INTJ Personality Profile
The classic profile description and functional analysis. Start here.
Portrait of an INTJ, also must read.
One of the most insightful descriptions at Murray State University.
INTJ on Wikipedia – says it all.
Descriptions of INTJs from a social perspective.
By now, you’ll have some questions. Does introvert mean shy? How to deal with INTJs? How about gender, sex, religion, profession?
Most of these are answered in this INTJ FAQ.
INTJ Relationships
Find out your strengths and weaknesses, and how you’re as a parent or a friend.
A badly designed site, nonetheless has some more ‘academic’ information.
Worth one-time visit, to check out how INTJs can contribute to a team, how they deal with stress, etc.
Worth one-time visit, to check out how Introverts deal with stress.
Introversion
Revenge of the Introverts
“With the continuous enhancement of pagers, teleconferencing, cellular phones, and the development of personal communicators, a growing verbal inferno threatens to engulf the world’s quieter individuals. Yet, silent as they may be, introverts can have a lot to say given the right forum. They’ve found that the internet can help them communicate in their preferred manner; a written dialogue with time to pause for thought and analysis.”
An excellent article that sheds light on why introverts like INTJs prefer email to phone, among other things.
Introverts in an Extroverted World
An excellent article describing challenges faced by introverts, and tips for parents on how to raise an introverted child.
Love
INTJ Love Tips
Few tips on love.
How to love an INTJ – Tips if your partner is an INTJ
Daily Life
Some down-to-earth descriptions of what it means to live as an INTJ. Astounding number of posts, but I don’t think that’s a problem for INTJs!
Forums
A moderately active forum of a community of about 220 INTJs.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to Pamela for the excellent Murray State University link.
Feedback
Do please let me know through your comments if you find this useful. If it does prove useful, I’ll expand it. Thanks!
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Thanks to Bernie, who empathized with the plagiarism of my poem, I stumbled upon this excellent list!
A cognitive bias is something that our minds commonly do to distort our own view of reality.
More interestingly, “you’ll never be able to truly gauge any of the biases you might be operating under since it’s not possible to accurately observe a system you’re part of.”
I have one suggested addition to the list, which is more a corollary to ”Endowment effect – the tendency for people to value something more as soon as they own it.“ You got it, the Disendowment effect – the tendency for people to value something less as soon as they’ve sold or given it away”!
Also, do you think iNTjs are vulnerable to ”Information bias – the tendency to seek information even when it cannot affect action?”
Here are the 26 most studied and widely accepted cognitive biases: “26 Reasons What You Think is Right is Wrong“.
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An Unquiet Mind by Mahendra Palsule is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
