Home » Misc » Dionysus personality type

Dionysus personality type


Here's the Greek God or Goddess You'd Be, Based On Your Personality Type

I love using Myers-Briggs® to talk about fictional characters, but I’ve never used it to type mythological figures before and I was excited when Susan suggested this topic to me. Greek mythology is a fairly recent interest of mine sparked in part by Lore Olympus, part by my obsession with the Hadestown musical, and part by finally following my sister’s suggestion to read Homer.

While no mythological figure or fictional character can perfectly represent a personality type, it was fun to try and figure out which of the Greek gods and goddesses fit the types best. I really enjoyed digging through Quora questions, forum discussions, and other people’s blog posts to get ideas for typing the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology. There was quite a bit of disagreement for how to type some of the gods, while for others it was easy to find good fit. I hope you enjoy reading this post as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Not sure what your personality type is? Take our new personality questionnaire here. Or you can take the official MBTI® here.

Here’s the Greek God or Goddess You’d Be, Based On Your Myers-Briggs® Personality Type

ENFJ –Nike

This winged messenger goddess doesn’t appear in a huge number of stories. When she does, though, she’s often seen as a companion or helper to other important gods and goddess. Though she acts as a messenger, her primary role is as the goddess of victory flying around handing out glory and fame to mortals. I chose her for this type because many ENFJs thrive in mentor and supporting roles, encouraging others to reach their full potential and cheering on their victories.

ENTJ – Zeus

Lots of people type Zeus as an ESTJ, but some of us see him as more of an ENTJ. He’s an extremely powerful leader who rules all the other gods and maintains order and justice. While this could apply to any TJ type, Zeus also has the viewpoint that rules are for other people to follow. He believes he can do pretty much whatever he wants so long as it lines up with his overarching goals (a sign of Introverted Intuition). ENTJs are known as long-term strategists, and they strive to keep the bigger picture in mind while also not caring too much about rules and tradition.

INFJ – Hestia

The goddess of hearth and home was known as a gentle, kind personality. Don’t underestimate her, though, since she was also worshiped as an aspect of fire. She’s a protector with the power of elemental nature behind her who can cause volcanos when she’s angry. In keeping with an INFJ’s interest in harmony and peacekeeping, Hestia wouldn’t participate the quarrels of other gods or go to war with them.

Read This Next: 3 Weird and Wonderful Secrets About the INFJ Personality Type

INTJ – Athena

There really isn’t any question that the goddess of wisdom, strategy, justice, and diplomacy is an NJ type, and I think most people type her as an INTJ. She’s such a perfect fit for the mastermind personality type. Athena started out as a goddess of war and later became seen as the goddess of rational thought. As a virgin goddess, she’s much more interested in her responsibilities than in relationships (which is not true of every INTJ, but does fit with this type’s preference for making decisions based on impersonal criteria).

ENFP – Apollo

Apollo is recognized as the god of quite a wide variety of things, including music, poetry, dance, healing, archery, truth, prophecy, oracles, and more. It seems like a good fit with the ENFP type’s zest for life and enthusiasm for a wide variety of creative and people-oriented interests. Apollo was also seen as a “guiding light” for the Greeks and was considered one of the more charming and attractive gods.

Read This Next: 24 Signs That You’re an ENFP, the “Visionary” Personality Type

ENTP – Hermes

Just about everyone agrees the trickster god of orators, thieves, merchants, shepherds, and travelers must be an ENTP. This personality type has a well-earned reputation for being quick-thinking, inventive, and adaptable. Hermes fits into this description well as the cunning, clever, and daring messenger god.

INFP – Persephone

Goddess of spring and queen of the underworld; gentle maiden and bringer of destruction (that’s the literal translation of “Persephone.” One of her earlier names, Kore, means “maiden”). Like popular stereotypes of INFPs, she seems innocent and harmless and dreamy. But on top of being all those things, she can also be frightening and intimidating if she has good reason to stand up for what’s right.

Read This Next: 10 Amazing INFP Anime Characters

INTP – Hephaestus

God of fire, volcanos, metal working, and sculpture, Hephaestus is also a clever inventor. He’s considered a peaceful god who prefers to help the mortals rather than get involved with the Olympians, who treat him as an outsider. INTPs often feel like outsiders in their societies, and I think they’ll identify with Hephaestus’ wanting to step outside the “normal” interests of the other gods and focus on his own clever projects.

Read This Next: 12 Fictional Characters You’ll Relate to if You’re an INTP

ESFJ –Hera

Queen of the gods as well as the goddess of marriage and birth, Hera is powerful enough that there are times when even her husband Zeus feared her. She’s known for her jealousy, but if you’re the goddess of marriage and your husband refuses to be faithful, jealousy seems the only rational response. Like many ESFJs, Hera cares about harmony in relationships and supporting institutes that help create social stability.

ESTJ – Poseidon

I’m not convinced Poseidon is a perfect fit for ESTJs (though I’ve seen quite a few people put him with this type), but I wanted him on the list and this seemed like the best fit for him. Like the sea, he’s often calm but can whip up into a destructive rage when he has a reason to be angry. Competitive and challenging, he was tasked to protect all the waters. ESTJs are also known as being protective of their communities and families. As long as you stayed on Poseidon’s good side he could be a powerful ally, but don’t disrespect him or attack someone he cares about.

ISFJ – Demeter

Goddess of the harvest, agriculture, and sacred law, Demeter was known as a peace-loving deity who helped the mortal realm. She’s a nurturing, mother figure – an archetype that’s often applied to ISFJs. They’re also a guardian personality type, though, so don’t underestimate them. Put Demeter’s daughter in danger and she can make the whole world weep with her, as she did after Hades ran off with Persephone (or vice versa, depending which version of their legend you like).

Read This Next: 24 Signs That You’re an ISFJ, the “Protector” Personality Type

ISTJ – Hades

People often think of Hades as a brooding, emo god of the dead, but he’s actually god of the underworld and that’s a significant difference. Think of him as manager of the underworld along with its inhabitants and riches. He is considered one of the most reliable of the gods. He likes to keep things orderly, enforces rules strictly, and named his three-headed dog Spot. Hades also loves deeply and is actually faithful to his wife (a rare thing in Greek mythology). I think he’s a perfect example of a faithful, dependable, duty-fulfilling ISTJ who’s extremely good at his job and much more interesting than people might at first give him credit for.

ESFP – Dionysus

David Keirsey called the SP types “hedonic” and even connected them to Dionysus in his book Please Understand Me. The Greek god of wine, fertility, and grape cultivation, Dionysus was also a deity of theater and the arts as well as ritual madness and religious fervor. He’s a live-in-the-moment and enjoy every minute of it sort of character, which relates well to some (though not all) of an ESFP’s typical traits. Aphrodite is also often typed as an ESFP.

ESTP – Ares

Hotheaded and unpredictable, Ares is the sort of live-in-the-moment character that’s often associated with SP types. As a god of war, Ares represents the violence and physicality of warfare (Athena represents the strategic side). While some saw him as dangerous and overwhelming others, most notably the Spartans, saw him as the ideal figure to worship and emulate.

ISFP – The Muses

The Muses were nine goddesses who ruled over the arts and sciences. Poetry, history, music, tragedy, comedy, geometry, astronomy, rhetoric – all of these and more are embodied in the Muses. Even today, they symbolize creativity and inspiration. ISFPs are often portrayed as artists, but I like using the Muses for them because they more accurately portray this type’s wide variety of skills, talents, and interests.

ISTP – Artemis

I went back and forth on some of the typing in this article, but not this one. Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and wilderness, seems the perfect fit for ISTPs. In ancient times, the fact that she was a virgin goddess signaled that she was her own master and just as powerful as the male gods. Like many ISTPs, she doesn’t like to be controlled by outside forces and she has formidable physical skills.

What do you think?

There are a lot more than 16 gods and goddesses in the Greek pantheon, so I couldn’t talk about them all on this list. Are there any others you identify with your personality type?

Find out more about your personality type in our eBooks, Discovering You: Unlocking the Power of Personality Type,  The INFJ – Understanding the Mystic,  The INFP – Understanding the Dreamer, and The INTJ – Understanding the Strategist.

About the Author:

Marissa Baker is the author of The INFJ Handbook (available in the Amazon Kindle Store). You can find her online at LikeAnAnchor.com where she blogs about personal growth and development from a Christian perspective.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • More

INFP Bubble

ESFJ Aphrodite (Ἀφροδίτη): Born out of the foam of Uranus’ (God of sky) castrated parts that his son, Titan Cronus, had thrown to the sea. Thus, she emerged from the Ocean in all her beauty and grace and all the water Nymphs and all the Winds came to bow before her. Goddess of love and beauty, of pleasure and of passion as she was, all the men desired her and all the women envied her graces. She married Hephaestus, she desired Ares and she loved Adonis. One could always glimpse her winged son, Eros, god of desire, flying above her as she would’ve often whispered to his ear the next mortal whose his heart was about to be shot by Eros’ arrows.

ENFJ Apollo (Ἀπόλλων): God of light, of sun, of music, of poetry, of truth, of knowledge and protector of the arts. He was everything and he knew it all. People worshiped him all over the known world and build him the most gracious and marvelous temples and oracles, where sunbeams would make the white marbles shine as bright as the sun. In return, Apollo through the voice of gifted diviners would reveal to them what would the future hold. He played his lyre and his daughters, the Muses, would come over from the valleys to accompany his sweet melodies. He loved and protected the young as he, himself, remained a young man forever. He was a healer, but if the mortals were to infuriated him, he would bring the greatest of the plagues on them.

ISFP Artemis (Ἄρτεμις): Twin sister of Apollo as they where both children of Zeus and Leto. Quieter and humbler by nature than her twin brother, she found her call in the deep forests, the mountains and the moon. She befriended all the living things of the wild and devoted herself to their protection. Always bearing a bow in the hand and a handful of arrows on her back, she would hunt in the forests, but she’d never become violent, always honoring her prey. Although she took an oath to remain a virgin, young Orion became her hunting companion and he managed to win her heart. Their love was never meant to blossom, as Artemis shot Orion with an arrow by accident and killed him.

ESTP Ares (Ἄρης): Son of Zeus and Hera as he was, he would grow to become a forceful and a fearful one. Gifted with great physical strength and an everlasting blood lust, he excelled in the battlefields and become a soldier model for the Spartans. He was Aphrodite’s secret lover and together they had many children like Eros, who followed his mother, and Deimos (god of terror) and Phobos (god of fear), who both followed Ares as his warfare companions. The other gods tended to avoid him and on the great Trojan war he was on the losing side, therefore triggering Zeus’ anger towards him. Later, the Romans acknowledged his military intelligence and worshiped him by the name of Mars.

ESTJ Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ): If someone contrived to impersonate the essence of the ancient Greek spirit, it would look like her. It does not surprise that she was goddess of wisdom, handicraft and warfare as well. All three basic elements of the city that she fought with Poseidon for, thus founded and gave it her name, Athens. Athena always wore a helmet, brandished a spear and kept her shield with Medusa’s head on it (that Perseus had gifted to her for helping him in murdering that marine beast) by her side. Legend has it that she was born fully armored from Zeus’ forehead. However, Athena would never initiate an  unreasonable, blood spilling war against her enemies like Ares would do. Wise and strategic as her mind was, Athena favored those with strength and bravery, like Hercules and Perseus, with courage and valiance, like Bellerophon and Jason, as well as those with a sharp mind, like Odysseus, aiding them in multiple ways.

ENTJ Poseidon (Ποσειδῶν): He is known as the sea god, but in fact there was not an element that wouldn’t bow to his will. Poseidon was ruler of the seas, the rivers and all the running waters. He was commander of the earth, the soil, the storms and the mighty earthquakes. He was protector of the noble horses and, as many say, he was the true king of Atlantis. Although he lost supervision of Athens to Athena, the Athenians didn’t forget his volition to become their guardian and they worshiped him almost as much as her. They build him a magnificent temple on the windy top of Cape Sounion, where the waves of the great Aegean sea would crush the rocks beneath it. Poseidon would often help seafarers reach their destination safe and sound. Damn those who would dare sail without a sacrifice to his name for appeasing the tides. A tremendous storm created by a swing of his trident would crash their ship to an unknown land or, even worse, he would drag them all the way down to his wet kingdom. 

ENTP Zeus (Ζεύς): The father of the Gods wasn’t an easy one. As every king that walked the earth, the sea or the skies before and after him, he was whimsical, temperamental and stubborn as a bull. In fact, there were times that he would take the form of a real bull or an eagle, a swan, a bear, a serpent, a flame or even a shower of gold, always to seduce a new love interest of his own. Europa, Cassiopeia, Leda, Alcmene and Ganymede are just a handful of all the women and men he desired and approached while transformed into a creature of beauty, with the sole intention of sleeping with them. It’s no wonder that his wife, Hera, was always mad at him, thus she was the only one that ever managed to scare him a little bit. However, he was Father of everyone and everything. Mortals should not forget that without Zeus, the world would still be at the hands of his tyrannical father, Titan Cronus, whom Zeus with the help of his brothers and sisters managed to overthrow. Thus, he became the true ruler of the skies, bearer of the thunder and enforcer of law and order as well. Among mortals, he was yet another mighty symbol of civilization and justice.

INTJ Hera (Ἥρα): She wasn’t the wife next door. She was the queen of Gods and protector of all the women. Someone could even see her as one of the very first symbols of feminine power in ancient cultures. Her rightful rage towards her unfaithful husband, Zeus, was the fuel of her many vengeful actions against him and his lovers. Although she refused Zeus’ first marriage proposal, after marrying him, she became goddess of marriage and patron of the household and childbirth. Hera could be your worst enemy (even Zeus was sometimes afraid of her), but also your most valuable ally. But, most of all, she was true to herself and to her worshipers. After all, she was the queen-mother of the world.

INTP Hades (ᾍδης) or Plouton (Πλούτων): After the Gods defeated the Titans at the beginning of time, the males ones (Zeus, Poseidon and Hades at that time) gathered together to drew lots of ruler-ship over the world. Although Hades was the eldest between them, Zeus received the sky, Poseidon the earth and the sea, but Hades’ fate was to become king of the underworld. He took Persephone, Demeter’s daughter, for his wife and made her queen at his side. A giant three-headed dog guarded the doors to the underworld, thus making entrance to anyone alive almost impossible. Hades didn’t care for the affairs of the world of the living, or even for the matters of the rest of the gods. Although he wasn’t evil, mortals avoided to refer to him by his name in case they drew his attention. They mostly called him Plouton, which meant “rich”, as all the precious minerals came from the underground, thus the boundary of Hades’ kingdom.

ISFJ Demeter (Δημήτηρ): A rather motherly figure and a well-respected goddess. Demeter loved the earth and everything that came from the soil. She protected farmers and brought to them a good harvest year after year. The humblest seed took root whenever blessed by her. Nothing was more precious to her than her own daughter, Persephone. When Hades abducted Persephone with the intention to marry her, Demeter fell in deep sorrow and not a single thing would grow anymore. Everyone was desperate, and an era of great famine was upon the humans.

INFP Persephone (Περσεφόνη) or Kore (Κόρη): It is said that before her abduction by Hades, Persephone was called Kore, which means maiden or daughter. She was, in fact, the beloved daughter of Demeter, that one day while she was peacefully gathering flowers, Hades came and abducted her, as he was deeply in love with the girl. Demeter was so angry and sad after that incident, that forbade the earth to produce and she begun to wander around looking for Persephone. Zeus heard the cries of the hungry mortals and persuaded Hades to release her. Hades tricked Persephone to eat the seeds of a pomegranate before leaving the underworld, but she ignored that if someone tasted underworld food, they were obliged to come back. Demeter agreed that Persephone would spent half a year on earth and half below it. As a result, the time that Persephone returned to Hades as queen of the underworld, Demeter’s sorrow of her daughter’s absence would make winter on earth. As soon as Persephone come back to earth, she would bring the spring with her. Thus, people worshiped her as a goddess of the springtime and the flowers.

ENFP Dionysus (Διόνυσος, Diónysos) or Bacchus (Βάκχος): This one knew how to enjoy life to the fullest. As the god of wine, theater and ecstatic dance, Dionysus was an emblem of freedom and basically… fun. With vines in his hair, a thyrsus in his hands (a wand of ivy vines and leaves) and a smile on his face, Dionysus would stroll the valleys with his many followers, dancing ecstatically, driving them to divine mania. Mortals would call him “the god who comes”. His companion included goat-legged satyrs and maenads. The last ones were women who, after coming to ecstatic frenzy through dancing and drinking, would please Dionysus through blood-offerings, which in some cases meant that maeneds would kill men with bare hands. Dionysus is said to be a god who dies and rises back from the dead. His many, divine powers still remain a mystery to many of us, mortals.

ISTP Hephaestus (Ἥφαιστος): His form and character does not remind of a god. He was a shy one and would rather spend his time crafting weapons on his hot anvil. However, Hephaestus was the god of fire and served as a blacksmith of gods and heroes. His many creations include Hermes’ winged helmet and sandals, Aphrodite’s girdle, Achilles’ armor, Heracles’ bronze clappers, Helios’ (god of the Sun) chariot, Eros’ bow and arrows and all the thrones of the Gods in Olympus. The legend has it that he was Hera’s son, one that she made by herself out of jealously of Zeus giving birth to Athena out of his head. However, Hera ejected him from mount Olympus, because he was lame on one leg. Hephaestus took revenge against Hera by crafting her a magical golden throne, which, when she sat on, it didn’t allow her to stand up, thus making both her legs useless.

ESFP Hermes (Ἑρμῆς): Also known as the “divine trickster”, the messenger of the gods and the guide to the underworld. Hermes was a pleasant god who protected travelers, merchants, shepherds, athletes and thieves, as he was all of those things himself. His appearance is quite known. A young man with the top of his head full of playful curls, wearing winged sandals, winged petasus (traveller’s hat) and holding the kerykeion (a short staff entwined by two serpents and surmounted by wings). Always being on the move, Hermes loved playing tricks on other gods and mortals.

ISTJ  Hestia (Ἑστία): Hestia was one of the six children of Kronos and Rhea (among Zeus, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Demeter) and therefore one of the oldest Gods. She was goddess of the home and domesticity as her name suggests (Ἑστία means “hearth”) as well as protector of households. Mortals used to gift her the first offering of every sacrifice in the household. During the founding of a colony, flame from Hestia’s public hearth in colonizers’ mother city would be carried to the newly founded one. Hestia rejected both the marriage proposals of Poseidon and Apollo, and took an oath of virginity (like Artemis). She cared little for the conflicts of gods and mortals and tended to her domestic matters. Hestia was the simplest and humblest between gods and even offered her place in Olympus to Dionysus, making him the 12th Olympian god in her place, thus showing her divine magnanimity.

INFJ Asclepius (Ἀσκληπιός): He was originally the son of Apollo and a mortal woman. His father offered him, when still an infant, to centaur Chiron to mentor him. Chiron taught him the art of medicine, but an ancient legend says that a snake returned a favor of Asclepius back to him by licking his ears clean and passing him secret knowledge of healing. In order to honor the snake, Asclepius made a rod wreathed with a snake his divine symbol. This very rod is still nowadays associated with healing and medicine. Asclepius mastery of healing reached the level of bringing people back from the dead. This act infuriated Hades and forced Zeus to kill Asclepius and turn him into a constellation known as Ophiuchus (“the Serpent Holder”), which many claim it to be the 13th sign of the zodiac circle.

National Culture and Organizational Behavior: Charles Handy's Typology

Submit an Article or Newsletter

January 25, 2013