People's reactions to opposing points of view?

Question

Tell me some useful generalizations about how people react when a viewpoint differing with theirs is presented - first in general, then on their relationship or organizational position relative to you.
(I didn't say whether this could be friend, relative, partner, coworker, boss etc.)
You might comment on personality types, Myers-Brigg or other.

- some people thrive on this, they love the interchange and possibility of clarifying their thoughts and/or fresh insights. This seems to require humility, open-mindedness, curiosity.
- conversely some people recoil, feel uncomfortable, challenged, threatened, or plain freak out. This seems to be caused by pride, fear, arrogance, insecurity, lack of articulateness.
- some people simply don't care

Clarification:
don't go overboard on the Myers-Brigg, it was only one axis, please address the whole question.

Basically there are certain attitudes or personality types that freak out when you present them with a counterviewpoint; whereas there are other types that thrive, and some in-between.

And some people have the expectation that noone can air a different viewpoint.

Example: in the work situation, what do you when a manager presents a staggeringly stupid idea?
Some will try to gently expose its conflicts by exploring it, some will attack it head-on, some will say nothing, some will agree.

Fortunato, pretty good comments.

Let me rephrase: to what extent does the power relationship change the way personalities would naturally interact?
When is the optimal time for influencing people? Do personality types ever admit their mistakes? Do they even have a concept of optimality, or act rationally? Will most types sacrifice optimality for group harmony, or vanity?To what extent do some types use the length of time they have known someone as a proxy for their credibility when evaluating their viewpoint? etc. etc.

Answer 1

You could say books-worth of material about this topic, so it's rather hard to narrow it down to something useful.

Yes, type (MBTI for example) impacts how people handle different viewpoints. Extraverts are more apt to immediately challenge them, introverts hold back. iNtuitives will focus on the possibilities within the viewpoint, Sensors will focus on the hard realities of the viewpoint. Thinkers will explore the ideas inherent in the viewpoint impersonally, Feelers will be concerned about the impact of the viewpoint upon human beings regardless of the internal consistency of the ideas.

Different general types handle viewpoints differently. SJs are more apt to take the viewpoint as a challenge if it runs in the face of what they already know and believe; they are more apt to (outwardly or inwardly) push back against the viewpoint rather than exploring it.

SPs are indifferent (i.e., just ignore the challenge), or see the challenge as a "game" of sorts, with the winner being the person who can out-argue the other regardless of the inherent strength of the new viewpoint.

NT types will generally examine the idea on its own merits -- ruthlessly and impersonally. If the idea has merit, it will survive; if it has flaws, they will be exposed. There is little mercy here for a viewpoint with glaring holes.

NF types will consider the ideas in light of the person who is promoting them. They are quicker to consensus and are truly interested in the human element -- that, even if the idea is bad, it should be challenged in a way that doesn't negatively impact the person holding the viewpoint.

In a relationship, I think all of us are more inclined to listen to another viewpoint because we have something at stake. we can't afford to just act "according" to type, if we want to maintain the relationship; we actually have to try to understand, and when we don't, the relationship sours.

Same thing with employment. We don't have the luxury of just ignoring viewpoints we dislike, if our boss is the one holding them. Somehow we have to accommodate them or challenge them in a mature and responsible way that takes other people's needs in mind; in the end, we have to maintain that working relationship. People who don't often eventually get fired.

I think the examples you gave in your questions do offer some of the broad range of possibilities here.

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1/17 - I think if you were more specific in your question, people would know how to help.

There are so many ways someone could answer your question (with MBTI being one of them) that it's unclear exactly what you would find helpful... and, to be honest, your clarifications of your question show that you already have a decent understanding of how people work -- so what exactly do you hope to learn?

(The example you provided fits the bill for just about any situation. I.e., you answered your own question, as far as I can tell.)

If you can be more specific somehow, or put some limitations on the question, or provide a scenario and then ask us to analyze it for you, that would be a positive step.

Answer 2

Okay, this is interesting to me because I am an "infj", and my husband of 14 years is a "estp."
If you understand the Myers-Brigg, you'll understand how we had so many issues between us. ( I "feel"; He "thinks" this was our most problem area. I thought he was so cold-hearted, he thought I was too emotional.)
After, we took the personality tests. I respect that he thinks, and that I feel because we are only doing "what is natural." It wasn't personal. "It built up the tolerance to other points of view." I respect them now.