Date Posted: 13:35:35 03/22/05 Tue
Author: Chris
Subject:  UBFers’ personality types

Thinking about why and which people stay in UBF, another ex UBFers and I came to the conclusion that there is not only one type of typical UBF member, but there are several aspects and types of UBF members. These patterns are, however, very �typical.� Similar to Hippocrates classical personality types, you can make up the following classification of typical UBF personalities. Of course, not everybody in UBF fits into exactly one of these categories. There are huge overlaps. Actually, the following types have to be thought of �personality dimensions� in a 2 dimensional space, like Eynckens suggested for the Hippocrates types. One person can have more of the following characteristics, but usually one or two are dominant:

    • Category 1: Obligation/Calling
      – Feel obliged to �pay back� their salvation which they attribute to UBF�s efforts
      – Feel that campus mission in UBF is their �calling,� since they were fished by UBF�s campus mission ministry
      – Feel the need to be eternally thankful to UBF
      – Strong feeling of �owing� something to UBF (leaders and shepherds)
      – Feel the need they have to pay back everything from their �love bombing� phase
      – Feel unworthy, often have minority complexes
      – Working �in God�s mission� is their guarantor of salvation and only meaning in life
      – Very religious, diligent, loyal, dutiful people
      – Often addicted to harmony, want to have peace with everybody and fulfill their requests
      – Often there is a true, honest desire to please God and/or do something for others
      – Zeal (though often without knowledge)
      – Fear driven: Fear of condemnation by authority figures and God, fear of losing salvation, fear of doing something wrong
      – Usually very na�ve and/or very indoctrinated
      – The longer they are in UBF, the more indoctrinated they are
      These people are usually the most pleasant and honest people in UBF. But their noble motives often grow stiff or get corrupted over time. Most people from this group will eventually leave UBF.

 

    • Category 2: Social Aspects
      – UBF as a replacement family
      – Extremely susceptible for peer pressure and opinion of others
      – �As a 2nd gen, I do not want to have a confrontation with my parents, nor do I want to lose the community with my fellow 2nd gens�
      – �My husband/wife will leave me if I leave UBF�
      – �As an introvert student, lost and alone in a foreign country or city, I don�t want to lose my only social contacts�
      – �Will I ever find a good husband/wife outside UBF?�
      – �For the first time in my life, I feel loved in UBF�
      – Often addicted to harmony, want to please everybody in order not to lose their love
      – Need an authority figure (father figure) in their life
      – Like the feeling that somebody cares about them, even if they are exploited or reproached
      – UBF as a compensation for bad childhood, broken family, never having experienced love and care
      – Have stayed so long in UBF that they have no more friends outside
      – Some students have even �burned the bridges� to their own parents
      – Married to a UBF loyalist, or the whole family is in UBF
      – Feel �holy� because they belong to a �holy� (highly demanding) group with many �holy� people (who look more spiritual than themselves)
      These people are more or less superficial; they do not care much about the truth, about the Bible, about God, about spiritual things, about justness, not even about the suffering and abuse of others in UBF. Their main concern is whether they feel well, whether they are treated well, and whether UBF is ok according to their own subjective and limited perception. And if they have stayed long enough in UBF, they will even tolerate some abuse exercised on themselves, because they have �nowhere else to go� (any more). Extreme cases may resemble the �battered wife� or �Stockholm syndrome.� Some also like regular punishments and reproaches, because it gives them some �feedback� and an opportunity to �expiate� their sins, like monks who flagellate themselves.

 

    • Category 3: Elitist Mindset
      – Like to be called a Shepherd or Missionary
      – Like the feeling of being something special
      – Like to be part of a �movement�,
      of an insider community of those who really do the will of God
      – UBF buzz phrase �Sense of History�
      (everything in UBF is considered a �historical� time or event)
      – �Professor Shepherd�
      – �I want to be (I am) a �Great Man of God��
      – Easy to attest others an �easygoing lifestyle� mentality
      – �Missionary Work Hard Yoon� attitude
      – Proud on their work and offering for UBF
      – Like the feeling of being not only saved by grace, but being saved by performance as well
      – �Warrior of Christ� feeling
      – �I am a good shepherd� (others are not)
      – �We (UBF) are �A Holy Nation and A Kingdom of Priests��
      – �Among the 144.000� attitude
      Though they may appear as arrogant and high-headed, towards leaders they are often very humble and subservient.

 

    • Category 4: Power/Honor/Money
      – Like to be called a Missionary, Leader, Director
      – Like to have power over other people and controlling them
      – Like to have others following/admiring/fearing/serving them
      – Like to delegate work to others, but talk as if they alone did everything
      These people are the worst kind in UBF. The higher you get in the �spiritual order� of UBF, the higher is the percentage of these people. Often, they are also very corrupt; they may lie, misappropriate money etc.

 

What do you think about this attempt of an classification? Is it applicable? Please keep in mind that the personality of UBF members is often mixed from 2 or 3 of these types with various percentage.

Please also note two other aspects:
* The personality types are not static. UBF tends to shift them. A person that may have started with honest motives in Category 1 may develop pride or power hunger and end up in Category 3 or 4.
* The personality types are not independent. People from two oppositional categories (like people who like to be dominated and power mongers) can increase the aberrant behavior of the other category. Like electrons and protons, they circle around each other, forming a stable atom.

Source: http://www.voy.com/60734/1/9920.html