You are in a Supermarket.

[Utisz]

1) You are in a supermarket. You are pushing a trolley through it. You come upon the bread aisle. What is it like? Details, please.
They are out of all the stuff I usually buy for my husband. There are several things that look good, but I know my husband will turn his nose up at anything new. I buy some nine-grain honey wheat because I love it, and something that resembles what my husband usually eats.

Identifying the nine-grain honey wheat rather than the eight-grain or ten-grain or even just plain old multi-grain honey wheat is an indication of an attention to detail, and an appreciation of detail, of craft, of something done right. There's also a sense of compromise, like you were all set on buying the bread that your husband prefers at the opportunity cost of something you love, but only when it's not there are you willing to get something you love that your husband will like.

You have particular tastes in things, and can be very devoted to certain things you like. You have an attention to detail. You understand the need for -- and are willing to -- compromise.

2) You push your trolley further. You're in the dairy aisle. You pick up a bottle of milk. It goes off in four days. What do you do?
I put it back and get organic milk. Because it doesn't move as fast, they ultrapasteurize it so it lasts for a very long time. It doesn't really even need to be refrigerated until it is opened, but no one will buy it unless it is kept cold.

Your practical side emerges here in terms of picking up the better quality milk with a longer shelf-life. I think you also value the knowledge that putting this milk in the fridge is mainly a marketing ploy; you value "being in the know".

You tend to have a matter-of-fact outlook in terms of what your goals are, and how you can achieve them. It is important to you to be informed, and to make informed decisions. Probably you research the shit out of things before you buy them online.

3) You push your trolley further. You want to buy Oreos. Someone is blocking them. Describe the person. What do you do?
She is at least 100 years old. Her 45 year old grandson is standing near her cart guarding her purse while playing games on his phone. She is comparing two identical packages of cookies with a deep scowl. She puts them both back and complains to no one in particular that the packages are different now and she isn't sure what she is buying, and that nothing is made right now anyway. She absently pulls on her cart so that it is blocking the entire aisle now. The grandson doesn't notice. She picks up two more packs of cookies and resumes scowling. I finally reach around her and grab what I want. She apologizes, I turn my cart around rather than trying to get the aisle unblocked.

Wow, okay. This one is tough.

We can start with the easy observations. Turning around rather than trying to get the aisle unblocked again points to your willingness to compromise. For others this could easily become a point of conflict, like how could this inconsiderate dumb lazy stupid bitch block the aisle for the whole supermarket (... and them). But this is not your reaction. You see her as doing so absentmindedly. So there's definitely a sense of empathy there, and a lack of drama. A sort of live-and-let-live attitude.

The next thing is your relation to her, which is tricky. The fact that "nothing is made right now anyway" sounds a bit like you're saying that in her voice, or at least that you respect her position. So again it comes back to an attention to detail, but also a sense of nostalgia. There's also the fact that her scowl is deep, and nobody is listening to her, which is hard to unpick as they kind of contradict in terms of how I would interpret them. The fact that nobody listens to her could be something that you identify in yourself, like you are alone on certain opinions. The thing is that the deep scowl is not something you would immediately assign to someone you want to identify with, so the construct is hard to read (maybe you think she is right/brave/honest to scowl like that). Ultimately she apologises, so I think you definitely sympathise with her, and with her opinion.

The grandson is a tricky one. He's 45 but acting in an irresponsible, childish, maybe selfish way. The fact that he's guarding her purse assigns him the role of protecting and watching out for her, but he's abdicating that role, more interested in his phone (it's also interesting that you note that the purse needs to be guarded). He doesn't hear her about how things have gone to shit. I really don't know if this is someone in your life, or men in general but I'm getting an overall impression here that men don't pull their weight, or are somehow freer to pursue their interests oblivious to the responsibilities that correspond to them than women are; or, more specifically, that the men in your life get to be more carefree than you can afford to be.

Again, you are considerate, empathetic and forgiving. You have some nostalgia for the way things were in the past. There's perhaps an element of you pulling your weight more than people close to you, and of not being heard by people close to you.

4) You push your trolley further. A sale is announced on the intercom. What items are on sale? Will you buy these items?
It's fresh baked french bread, still hot from the oven. No, I already got two loaves of bread.

Commitment, basically. You already have your bread. Interesting that (1) you were offered something you already have, but (2) it doesn't seem to bother you. Anyways, no need to overcomplicate this one.

You are committed and loyal. You are independent and do not generally expect much help from others.

5) You push your trolley further. You reach the hygiene aisle. Something is spilt on the floor. Describe it in detail.
Looks like coffee with creamer. Many people have already pushed their carts through it and it is now tracked halfway down the aisle. There is no way to traverse the aisle without making the mess worse. I leave my basket behind to go and grab what I need from the aisle while avoiding stepping in the worst of it, but just as I get there, an employee stops me and ribbons the aisle off for cleanup.

The fact that many people have already pushed their carts through it suggests a sense that many people around you are oblivious or ambivalent to the greater good. You make an effort to not make the mess worse than it already is. The fact that you have a basket, not a cart, means that you see your needs as small. Even though many have already made a huge mess, and your plan is to not make it worse, you get obstructed from getting what few things you need by the authorities in place.

You are respectful of the needs of others and of your surroundings. You feel like you don't need much. You are strongly independent. Others tend to mess up or obstruct your careful plans.

6) You are at the back of a long checkout queue. A new queue opens right beside you. How do you react?
I let the people in front of me in line go to the new line. I'm now near the front of the line I was already in. I get to the checkout and the new brand of bread won't ring up. They send someone for a pricecheck, it takes forever and people stare hate at me.

When I get home, my husband helpfully informs me that he doesn't really like the bread I got him (he hasn't tried it yet of course) and would really prefer the stuff we usually get. I sigh.

Well that sucks! The bread sounded nice.

You feel undervalued sometimes. You are perhaps more adventurous than your husband, and wish he would be more open to try more new things with you.



Overall, you don't really spend much time on the people in the supermarket, other than the old lady and the grandson. You assign much more detail to the bread than the people. In the case of the old lady and the grandson, you assign them ages, but don't mention a single detail otherwise about their appearance: are they skinny, fat, short, tall, what hair they have, clothes, etc.

You are comfortable in your appearance, not "skin-deep", and generally self-assured. You form close relationships with few people and really value people with whom you share interests.



I think you should go treat yourself to something nice.

[Sistamatic]

Identifying the nine-grain honey wheat rather than the eight-grain or ten-grain or even just plain old multi-grain honey wheat is an indication of an attention to detail, and an appreciation of detail, of craft, of something done right. There's also a sense of compromise, like you were all set on buying the bread that your husband prefers at the opportunity cost of something you love, but only when it's not there are you willing to get something you love that your husband will like.

You have particular tastes in things, and can be very devoted to certain things you like. You have an attention to detail. You understand the need for -- and are willing to -- compromise.



Your practical side emerges here in terms of picking up the better quality milk with a longer shelf-life. I think you also value the knowledge that putting this milk in the fridge is mainly a marketing ploy; you value "being in the know".

You tend to have a matter-of-fact outlook in terms of what your goals are, and how you can achieve them. It is important to you to be informed, and to make informed decisions. Probably you research the shit out of things before you buy them online.



Wow, okay. This one is tough.

We can start with the easy observations. Turning around rather than trying to get the aisle unblocked again points to your willingness to compromise. For others this could easily become a point of conflict, like how could this inconsiderate dumb lazy stupid bitch block the aisle for the whole supermarket (... and them). But this is not your reaction. You see her as doing so absentmindedly. So there's definitely a sense of empathy there, and a lack of drama. A sort of live-and-let-live attitude.

The next thing is your relation to her, which is tricky. The fact that "nothing is made right now anyway" sounds a bit like you're saying that in her voice, or at least that you respect her position. So again it comes back to an attention to detail, but also a sense of nostalgia. There's also the fact that her scowl is deep, and nobody is listening to her, which is hard to unpick as they kind of contradict in terms of how I would interpret them. The fact that nobody listens to her could be something that you identify in yourself, like you are alone on certain opinions. The thing is that the deep scowl is not something you would immediately assign to someone you want to identify with, so the construct is hard to read (maybe you think she is right/brave/honest to scowl like that). Ultimately she apologises, so I think you definitely sympathise with her, and with her opinion.

The grandson is a tricky one. He's 45 but acting in an irresponsible, childish, maybe selfish way. The fact that he's guarding her purse assigns him the role of protecting and watching out for her, but he's abdicating that role, more interested in his phone (it's also interesting that you note that the purse needs to be guarded). He doesn't hear her about how things have gone to shit. I really don't know if this is someone in your life, or men in general but I'm getting an overall impression here that men don't pull their weight, or are somehow freer to pursue their interests oblivious to the responsibilities that correspond to them than women are; or, more specifically, that the men in your life get to be more carefree than you can afford to be.

Again, you are considerate, empathetic and forgiving. You have some nostalgia for the way things were in the past. There's perhaps an element of you pulling your weight more than people close to you, and of not being heard by people close to you.



Commitment, basically. You already have your bread. Interesting that (1) you were offered something you already have, but (2) it doesn't seem to bother you. Anyways, no need to overcomplicate this one.

You are committed and loyal. You are independent and do not generally expect much help from others.



The fact that many people have already pushed their carts through it suggests a sense that many people around you are oblivious or ambivalent to the greater good. You make an effort to not make the mess worse than it already is. The fact that you have a basket, not a cart, means that you see your needs as small. Even though many have already made a huge mess, and your plan is to not make it worse, you get obstructed from getting what few things you need by the authorities in place.

You are respectful of the needs of others and of your surroundings. You feel like you don't need much. You are strongly independent. Others tend to mess up or obstruct your careful plans.



Well that sucks! The bread sounded nice.

You feel undervalued sometimes. You are perhaps more adventurous than your husband, and wish he would be more open to try more new things with you.



Overall, you don't really spend much time on the people in the supermarket, other than the old lady and the grandson. You assign much more detail to the bread than the people. In the case of the old lady and the grandson, you assign them ages, but don't mention a single detail otherwise about their appearance: are they skinny, fat, short, tall, what hair they have, clothes, etc.

You are comfortable in your appearance, not "skin-deep", and generally self-assured. You form close relationships with few people and really value people with whom you share interests.



I think you should go treat yourself to something nice.

All spot on. I'm kindof amazed. I think the fact that I prefer to be largely invisible is a coin with two sides, in that I will as a consequence tend to be undervalued. I was just talking to my husband the other day about how I tend to be a little bit too understanding with people because I don't want to expend the energy of being annoyed at them and I am almost always capable of being happy with what I have and making do. I am working on being a slightly squeakier wheel...within reason. If it looks like I'm the only person around who is willing to queue up fairly, I will never get to the front of the line. I think my extreme introversion is at least partly due to the fact that the only time I get my way is when I'm by myself. This is mainly due to the fact that I am the least likely to throw a fit if I don't get my way.

[Utisz]

awl right

Only caught now that you are going meta on me! Will leave the meta for the last post then just before the thread vanishes from existence.

[Utisz]

I did start to read someone else's answers, but that inspired me to play, so... *shrug*

1) You are in a supermarket. You are pushing a trolley through it. You come upon the bread aisle. What is it like? Details, please.

It is a wall of options that don't interest me. I know that there's one specific brand and type of bread that everyone in my family likes. I find the light rye but I want something different, something better. I start looking at descriptions and packaging. I want whatever has the most seeds and nuts, the most flavor. All of the bread is described the same. Most of it is probably tasteless. I look at protein and fiber counts, trying to find a sliced bread with substance. I take the plunge and select a plastic bag, knowing it's a gamble.

The fact that it's a wall of options that don't interest you, and that you assume most of the bread to be tasteless, suggests that you are wary of the superficiality that surrounds you.

You look past the light rye -- what appears to be the safe option -- and try to go for something better, keeping an eye out for something new.

You want seeds and nuts, so you have specific tastes, but the bread aisle doesn't rise to the occasion. So it's not indifference at play here, but rather lack of satiation. You resort to a more logical, data-driven decision process, looking for high fibre and protein content.

Though you value substance, you feel that you are often surrounded by superficial things and superficial options. You seek novelty and like discovering new interests, but these are often hard to come by. You like keeping your options open, which might sometimes lead to procrastinating on a decision. When push comes to shove, and you have to make a decision, you try to do so from a logical informed standpoint rather than an emotional one. You are thoughtful and deliberate in your actions.

2) You push your trolley further. You're in the dairy aisle. You pick up a bottle of milk. It goes off in four days. What do you do?

Put it back and look for a more recent jug.

Fair enough.

You are a practical person. You do not seek out unnecessary drama.

3) You push your trolley further. You want to buy Oreos. Someone is blocking them. Describe the person. What do you do?

She's on her phone, talking to someone, occasionally giving a half-hearted glance at the aisle in front of her. I push my cart close, expecting her to take the hint. She doesn't. I go to the next aisle to continue my shopping then circle back, hoping she's moved on. She's moved ahead six inches, and she's still blocking the oreos. I feel my blood pressure rising but I hate any sort of confrontation (especially when I'm irritated, rather than calm) so I just continue my shopping and hope I'll remember to come back. (Assuming I really need the Oreos for something. On the other hand, if it's just a random craving then I'll take it as a sign of fate and I'll let it go with sense of relief that I won't be buying junk food after all.)

Well it's almost a freebie, but there's strong introverted vibes here. You would rather go all the way around the supermarket and come back than have to interact with this lady. The fact that she has not seen you or has not figured out what you need/want is also telling. Though you are annoyed you don't confront her, afraid she might see an emotional reaction from you. Rather than try to sneak and grab what you need, you see her as an insurmountable obstacle. Also you don't really describe her in any detail, which suggests a lack of superficiality, but also a sort of default egalitarian view of people (she's not blocking you because she is fat or old or young or stupid or whatever, she is just "she"). The fact that you are willing to let it go when she stops you from getting what you -- even to suggest that it might be for the best -- suggests that you are used to making the best of things and/or of keeping a brave face.

You are introverted. People around you are often oblivious to what you need, or what you really want. You try to keep control of situations, but often other people will make that difficult. You make a particular point of controlling yourself: you distrust acting out of emotion and try to avoid showing emotion. You are not interested in stereotypes. You are used to having to compromise with those around you, but try not to harbour grudges (c'est la vie). You are used to not getting your way, and to having to make sacrifices for the good of your relationships with other people.

4) You push your trolley further. A sale is announced on the intercom. What items are on sale? Will you buy these items?

I have no idea because I paid no attention whatsoever.

INTP much?

You are independent. You try not to rely on others and don't expect hand-outs. People might often see you as aloof. You probably are not listening to half the shit that people say but rather have developed a mental replay function in case they ask you something while you are thinking about some wikipedia article you'll have to read later or whatever.

5) You push your trolley further. You reach the hygiene aisle. Something is spilt on the floor. Describe it in detail.

It's a bottle of purple shampoo that fell from the top shelf. The top came loose and the cylindrical plastic bottle (looks like Suave) is lying in a pool of purple goo. Other shoppers are ignoring it. Looks like it might be a while before someone cleans it up.

The fact that it's shampoo and purple is pretty non-dramatic: it's something unoffensive, easy to clean, and most people are ignoring it. There's some interesting geometric/mechanical details about the bottle; actually the bottle is more interesting to you than its parenthetical contents. Also you have little faith in the staff of my little supermarket here.

Again, you are not a dramatic person. You have an eye for form. (Maybe an interest in architecture or some sort of abstract design? Not sure.) You will often value details that others are oblivious to. You tend to lower expectations of other people by default, perhaps because it's just easier to deal with people that way.

6) You are at the back of a long checkout queue. A new queue opens right beside you. How do you react?

I smoothly maneuver my cart right over.

Interesting! After Oreogate, this went surprisingly smoothly.

You are an ambitious person and not afraid to take your opportunities where they arise and where they do not generate conflict. You have a sense of your own competence and value, which makes it less important what others might think. You are not afraid to let bygones be bygones, and tend towards optimism.

[Utisz]

1) You are in a supermarket. You are pushing a trolley through it. You come upon the bread aisle. What is it like? Details, please.

Aritsan breads. Rows of varied and specialised items. You've got french rolls, croissants, rye, wholemeal, grains, whites, crusty, sourdough. The floor is lightly covered with nuts, grains and flour from the breads, and there is a pleasant smell of baked goods in the air. Some of the breads are still warm from the oven.

Life's rich tapestry! The shelfs are stocked with lots of great options, and aromas fill the air. The nuts, grain and flour sprinkle the floor, adding texture. The bread is warm, baked for you.

You see life as full of opportunities. You enjoy pursuing different interests and perusing different options. You like trying new things.

2) You push your trolley further. You're in the dairy aisle. You pick up a bottle of milk. It goes off in four days. What do you do?

Search for the latest possible date on other bottles of milk if they exist. Otherwise its quite inconsequential.

Makes sense.

You are not a dramatic person. You approach life's problems in a rational way, and if it doesn't work out, so be it.

3) You push your trolley further. You want to buy Oreos. Someone is blocking them. Describe the person. What do you do?

There is a morbidly obese man in a hoody and sweatpants that don't quite cover everything. Its quite apparent that he is quite hairy, though whether it is localised to the exposed butt-crack or all of him has to be left up to the imagination. Either the effort of standing or the excitement of beholding oreos has caused him to be glazed in a light sweat, and he is giving off a rather unpleasant sour and biting odour that no healthy creature should be capable of producing.

I skip the oreos. He is a warning to us all.

Interesting that it's a fat hairy sweaty odorous semi-exposed man! Also interesting that it's a man. You don't talk or interact with him, which suggests introversion (or maybe just revulsion in this case). When he gets in your way, you decide you don't want Oreos after all, avoiding the interaction entirely while still coming out on top.

You are aware of your appearance, but not too aware (somewhere between "you apply basic grooming practices" and "you regularly use a hairdryer"). You are introverted and easy-going.

4) You push your trolley further. A sale is announced on the intercom. What items are on sale? Will you buy these items?

The sale announces half price women's sanitary pads. I wonder whether that is a good price for women's sanitary pads, and think briefly on how our last prime minister ensured they were taxed by proclaiming they are not a necessity and thus not exempt from sales tax. Maybe he was into that shit? While i think about buying some briefly purely for comedic effect, i do not.

The first question that jumps out is "why sanitary pads?". It's tempting to dissect that more, but I think that the sanitary pads are simply the last thing you need. It is not that they are fucking you over by not discounting what you need, it is just that you don't really care about the sales. Those announcements are for other people.

You are an independent person. You try not to depend too much on others.

5) You push your trolley further. You reach the hygiene aisle. Something is spilt on the floor. Describe it in detail.

There is a yellow puddle on the floor with a "caution: slippery" sign placed over it. Now, the usual questions raise their ugly heads. Is that what I think it is? One could get closer and sniff it to investigate, but where is the benefit of getting closer and sniffing it if it is what I think it is? Then the question of how it got there...several possible scenarios go through my head, none of them particularly pleasing. There is a somewhat sardonic irony in the fact that this was to be found in the hygiene aisle. I wonder for a split second if there is a connection, and if maybe i am not trapped in my own solipsistic world, whereby I myself placed this puddle there because of my own desire to create such an ironic universe, or maybe purely because i saw the word "hygiene". This is how religious movements start. By people thinking puddles of piss in the hygiene aisle is really god talking to them...

Of course, I can't know for sure that it isn't god talking to me...

(He's not the Messiah, he's a very naughty boy!)

So it's piss. I think there's a lot of ways people might react to a pool of piss: indifference, disgust, anger, etc. It is interesting that you react with a sense of wonder. Your response unfolds as a mystery, almost tempting you over to sniff it to see if it's really piss. There's a sense of playfulness in that, and also in the sense of irony. A bit like in the case of the sanitary pads, it then unravels into some greater theme (in that case politics; in this case philosophy and theology).

You are not quick to jump to conclusions, but rather prefer to see the evidence. You are inherently curious and are constantly trying to find abstract connections between things or abstract theories that explain things. You are inherently playful.

6) You are at the back of a long checkout queue. A new queue opens right beside you. How do you react?

Let the peons rush for their new queue. They are greedy savages, and odds are several of them will misjudge the naive attempt at quicker super-market freedom and infact make that line longer than this one. Besides, its not worth fighting the rabble and engaging with people for a few seconds of what is otherwise a relatively minor part of my day that will be over quickly. Their fighting over the new line will ensure a hasty speed up of my progress even if i do nothing.

You don't go for the new line, but not out of a sense of dejection or pessimism, but rather because you are content with the line you are in, and are confident it will work out fine (even though you are at the back of a long line, you talk about a "few seconds"). This is still consistent with being stubborn but I don't get that sense from the answer. It's more indifference to the issue, that it doesn't affect you. It's a minor part of your day. Another detail is that you strongly distance yourself from the other people ("the rabble"), and don't really recognise the central figure of the checkout lady in this situation, which suggests introversion. You again figure that not getting yourself involved in their interactions and drama will make things go more smoothly for you.

You are introverted, easy-going, optimistic and have a laid-back confidence. You avoid drama and conflict. You feel secure about the direction your life has taken. You are independent.


Overall, it feels like you are enjoying the setting of the supermarket you have constructed and the possibilities it offers you, but the people you populate it with sound like zombies with poor hygiene standards. There's nobody really relatable in there. So there is a sense of someone who is independent, optimistic and curious about the world. But even though it's filled with people, maybe that world can get lonely.

[stuck]

Only caught now that you are going meta on me! Will leave the meta for the last post then just before the thread vanishes from existence.

That'd be gratifying. I am sure I'm wrong, but I did try to answer quickly.

[TeresaJ]

...

Accurate. As usual.

I think I'm much more comfortable with confrontation now that I've gone countless rounds with a small child.

[Utisz]

awl right

Never intented to actually interpret anything nor was it designed that way.
Then thought that the next level of troll would be to interpret everything. Didn't get there but hey.

1) You are in a supermarket. You are pushing a trolley through it. You come upon the bread aisle. What is it like? Details, please.

I am the supermarket. I am pushing an idea of myself through my outwardly representations. I am the gingerbread man.

Outwardly representations, yep, in terms of senses (colours, smells, textures, dimensions).
First steps into world construction.
Giving birth to yourself here on aisle four.
What you feel you are offered in the abstract; opportunities in life.
Decision making process.
Also general attitudes towards breads; home situation; who you're buying bread for. Bread is kinda personal.

2) You push your trolley further. You're in the dairy aisle. You pick up a bottle of milk. It goes off in four days. What do you do?

Why this must be my childhood's end.

Yeah, would like to say that it ties to attitudes towards impermanece, the inner rot, entropy, and mortality, but admittedly this one was mostly a dud.
Some useful details were volunteered by some, but more in spite of the question.

3) You push your trolley further. You want to buy Oreos. Someone is blocking them. Describe the person. What do you do?

Some person who is still the adolescent I wish to remain

This one was one of the most informative but also super complex. Of all the questions felt like I barely scratched the surface here.
In some cases (same gender in particular), felt like it as some part of themselves they were battling with.
In others it felt more like the person was an object of envy or just generally of resentment.
In others an archetype that has obstructed them in the past, possibly in an abstract sense (an archetype expected of them that they had rejected).
Most concrete things that were easy to farm were the description of the person, and how the interaction goes down.
But the real interesting questions lie in why that archetype. Still don't know how to interpret that.
Though in some cases there was no archetype, just a faceless appendage of humanity's glut in the way. Who can't relate.

4) You push your trolley further. A sale is announced on the intercom. What items are on sale? Will you buy these items?

These are the qualities I wish to have as an adult.

Yeah, potentially offering a little help here in the abstract.
Almost nobody found the sales useful. Why is that? Too young to sort some coupons by expiration date?
Still interesting to see what they thought would be offered.
Often it was something to distance themselves from the help.
Supermarket sales were too plastic a bait probably.

5) You push your trolley further. You reach the hygiene aisle. Something is spilt on the floor. Describe it in detail.

These are the qualities I wish to repair in myself.

Yeah, insecurities and fears I guess.
Some saw a spash of soap that would be easy to clean.
Others saw blood smeared with shit coated with semen topped with a tampon.
Ultimately, nobody had much faith in the cleaning staff.

6) You are at the back of a long checkout queue. A new queue opens right beside you. How do you react?

This is how I feel about mortality.

Could be!
Felt it was about social mobility, about taking opportunities versus earning them versus rejecting the premise entirely.


I think overall the fantasies proved to be more informative than I had imagined. Of course the big caveat being that I'm interpreting these things on an INTP forum and for users I read a bunch of posts by, for the most part. And I played it mostly safe. Would have been fun to see how others interpet the same fantasies.

[stuck]

Of course the big caveat being that I'm interpreting these things on an INTP forum and for users I read a bunch of posts by, for the most part. And I played it mostly safe.

It's the big game of archetypes to a bunch of people who are into archetypes. I think that's why Jung liked "INTPs" best. and thank you for playing.