K S LO ENGLISH

A depressing announcement was made this afternoon: the school picnic has been canceled. The school claims that, due to unstable weather and after careful consideration, the picnic would be canceled. All teachers and students are required to return to school for regular classes.

It is such undesirable and frustrating news for all the students and teachers. Complaints and grumbling have spread across various social media platforms about the discontented decision made today.

The mood of the students was greatly affected when the trip was canceled due to a typhoon. Initially, we were looking forward to this trip and couldn’t wait to relax at this event. Classes were filled with discussions and laughter all week. When the cancellation was announced, some classes fell silent. I even heard a resounding scream from the floor, though I’m not sure if it came from 5C or 5D. Without a doubt, they must be filled with disappointment.

Indignation is especially high among Form 6 students. As we all know, this year would be their last chance to participate in group activities during their secondary school life. It’s such a pity that there is no follow-up story for now. Whether the picnic will be postponed to a later date or canceled entirely remains a mystery.

What about other students? Two weeks ago, they were told there would be a school picnic on 18/11, but the announcement of the cancellation dropped like a time bomb. The bad news really dampened everyone’s spirits. Some had already packed their bags and bought snacks in advance. Their expectations for the trip had reached a peak, and now they face sudden changes and feel extremely disappointed. Some of my classmates suggested that it would be great to have a party in every class rather than return to regular lessons. Originally, students were full of anticipation and excitement for the trip. Everyone discussed the upcoming adventure in class, fantasizing about exploring new places and participating in activities with their classmates and teachers. This was not only an opportunity to enjoy group activities but also a time for friendship, with everyone looking forward to creating good memories together.

Needless to say, students are despondent about the result. Some described it as groundless worry, like jumping at shadows or abandoning ship too soon. For me, it felt like a balloon suddenly popped—my excitement vanished in an instant. It was as if the rug had been yanked out from under me, leaving only emptiness where joy once stood. Anticipation turned to hollow disappointment, like a mirage fading just as I approached.

But from the school’s perspective, the decision to cancel is understandable. The uncertainty of the weather may have affected the students’ safety, preventing them from fully enjoying the day. We understand that this decision was made to protect every student.

Though we regret the current situation, we trust that the school will fully consider everyone’s feelings and will try to find a new date to make up for the trip.

I’m looking forward to the new picnic day, hoping that when it comes, we can once again enjoy a moment of laughter and joy and share an unforgettable journey together.

‘What is your MBTI?’ ‘Oh… mine is ENFP…’ I automatically answer this question from a new person I just met. It surprises me how natural it has become for me to say my MBTI out loud. But is MBTI really that significant in describing who we are?

Introduction

MBTI, fully named the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, is a self-reported questionnaire that makes pseudoscientific (偽科學) claims to categorise people into sixteen ‘personality types’.

People are grouped by defining eight letters within four opposing categories. The four categories are:

• Extraversion vs Introversion

Extraverts tend to gain energy by communicating with other people and sharing their thoughts. Introverts prefer to gain energy by spending time alone and being more thoughtful before speaking.

• Sensing vs Intuition

‘Sensing’ people like to live in a more practical and realistic way; they work better with actual proof or examples. On the other hand, ‘intuition’ people (represented by ‘N’ in MBTI) like to imagine more and live in a more creative way.

• Thinking vs Feeling

‘Thinking’ people are more rational, focusing on facts rather than emotions. ‘Feeling’ people are more emotional; they seek attention and help for the community or others, and are often easily affected by others.

• Judging vs Perceiving

Judging refers to people who like to plan everything before starting. They prefer a structured schedule over random situations. Perceiving refers to people who enjoy spontaneity and remain flexible with everything.

Once you know which four letters suit you, a type (out of 16) will be presented to show you your personality.

Link to the MBTI test: https://www.16personalities.com

Problems

It seems that MBTI can help others and ourselves understand who we are, right? Through it, we believe we can find our dreams more easily and enhance ourselves. However, the problems with MBTI don’t lie in its usage, but in the personality it defines.

First, MBTI limits our thinking. With a known personality type, we tend to trust it and follow the advice to improve ourselves. But do we really 100% lean toward just one side of the personality? MBTI can only show how a person is during a recent period; it doesn’t fully reflect everything about our lives. We wouldn’t expect a test to tell us how to earn money, right?

Moreover, we frame ourselves with the simple letters provided by the test. In my surroundings, many people use ‘being an I person’ as an excuse not to communicate with others. Although everyone seems to accept this reasoning, does it really apply to all of us? No, of course not! We can’t define ourselves as purely 100% extroverted or introverted because we change throughout our lives for various reasons. It’s unreasonable to use MBTI as a shield to block difficulties from our view, let alone from reality!

Thirdly, MBTI affects our impressions of others. Through MBTI, we can work with others by knowing their type at first sight. Indeed, this can reduce the time needed to understand and adjust to each other. However, isn’t it the same as forming fixed first impressions based on MBTI?

We often say it’s not recommended to fix our impressions of others because they can change over time. But with MBTI, aren’t we repeating this exact process?

For example, Korean youths today often discuss their MBTI types. Even idols share their MBTI types with fans to help them feel more connected. While this is harmless for simply understanding or marketing purposes, the problem arises later. If an idol behaves in a way that doesn’t align with the MBTI type they presented, some fans may criticise them for being ‘out of character’ or ‘abnormal’. 

In the end, we wrongly interpret the purpose of MBTI and turn it into a restrictive label, which is totally unacceptable. We deprive everyone of the chance to change due to time, experience, or environment with just eight simple letters. But the essence of being human is that we learn and evolve. Through differences, we collaborate, adapt, and grow. MBTI, however, limits our perceptions, causing us to box in the behaviour of others and ourselves. I’ve heard classmates explain why they can’t engage in normal conversations with strangers, saying, ‘My MBTI is INTJ, so it’s hard for me to talk emotionally,’ or ‘I’m an F person, so I react in a more rude way.’ Since when did we use MBTI as a justification for our poor behaviour? It’s inevitable that we must face reality. If we only use MBTI to escape, we’ll never progress.

Claims and Suggestions

Even though MBTI leads to many problems, it remains a useful tool for self-reflection. The purpose of this article is to highlight the overuse of MBTI to handle problems. It’s suggested that we should only use it as a starting point for understanding ourselves and others.

If we can take it less seriously and instead choose to explore ourselves more freely, wouldn’t it be better to use a test as just one tool among many?

So, are you ready to put down your phone and face reality?