Myer briggs personality types explained
Myers & Briggs' Personality Typing, Explained
Personality typing is a system of categorizing people according to their tendencies to think and act in particular ways. Personality typing attempts to find the broadest, most important ways in which people are different, and make sense of these differences by sorting people into meaningful groups.
The most popular and well-known system of personality typing was developed by Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother, Katharine Briggs, in the 1960's. Myers and Briggs built on the personality theories of Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung as outlined in his book, Psychological Types, and developed one of the world's most popular personality assessments, the Myers Briggs Type Indicator®, or MBTI®.
The History of the MBTI® Assessment
From early in her life, Katharine Cook Briggs was captivated by Jung’s theory of psychological types. However, she recognized that the theory as Jung explained it was too diffuse and complex for use by regular people. She therefore set out to convey Jung’s ideas in a simple way so that anyone would be able to recognize personality types in action in everyday life. She felt passionately that through understanding personality types, people would be better able to use their own strengths and appreciate the diverse gifts of others.
Katharine's work was picked up by her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers, who became interested in the theory as a way to help with the war effort during WWII. Isabel clarified the theory her mother had developed and used it as the basis of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator®, a psychological assessment designed to sort people into one of sixteen personality types. She created detailed descriptions of each of the 16 types, and explored applications of her theory in academics, business, and personal development.
The Basics of Myers & Briggs' Personality Theory
The Myers-Briggs system describes a person’s personality through four opposing personality functions, variously known as dichotomies, preferences or scales.
The first three preferences are based on the writings of Jung; Katherine Cook Briggs added the final preference, Judging versus Perceiving, based on her own observations.
- Extraversion vs. Introversion: How do you gain energy? Extraverts like to be with others and gain energy from people and the environment. Introverts gain energy from alone-time and need periods of quiet reflection throughout the day.
- Sensing vs. Intuition: How do you collect information? Sensors gather facts from their immediate environment and rely on the things they can see, feel and hear. Intuitives look more at the overall context and think about patterns, meaning, and connections.
- Thinking vs. Feeling: How do you make decisions? Thinkers look for the logically correct solution, whereas Feelers make decisions based on their emotions, values, and the needs of others.
- Judging vs. Perceiving: How do you organize your environment? Judgers prefer structure and like things to be clearly regulated, whereas Perceivers like things to be open and flexible and are reluctant to commit themselves.
The choice of preference is either/or—in Myers and Briggs' system, you’re either an Introvert or an Extravert, a Judger or a Perceiver.
Once you have decided which style you prefer on each of the four dichotomies, you use these four preferences to create a four letter code which sums up your personality type. For example, someone with a preference for Introversion, Intuition, Feeling and Judging would have the code “INFJ" (an Intuition preference is signified with an N to avoid confusion with Introversion). There are 16 possible combination, or personality types.
Many people find their type by taking a personality test, however it is also possible to discover your personality type simply by studying the preferences and your own behavior.
Myers and Briggs' 16 Personality Types
Myers and Briggs outlined 16 personality types based on the four personality preferences. Each personality type is designated with a four-letter code, with each letter signifying one of the personality preferences.
Isabel Briggs Myers stressed that each personality type was more than the sum of its parts, and her descriptions of each type were intended to explain how all four of the personality preferences came together to interact, synergize, and form a cohesive type. This gives Myers and Briggs' personality type descriptions the advantage of showing us how to conceptualize various combinations of personality traits—for instance, the difference between someone who is extraverted, kind and compassionate, and a similarly extraverted person who is more logical and emotionally detached. Other personality systems, such as the Big Five, typically talk about personality traits in isolation, which is often less helpful when trying to conceptualize a person as a whole.
Briggs Myers' personality types are described in detail in her book Gifts Differing. Further research illuminated differences among the types in career selection, work style, and approaches to relationships. Below is a quick snapshot of each of Briggs Myers' sixteen personality types.
You can click on each type code to explore a type in more depth.
The Commander
Strategic leaders, motivated to organize change
INTJThe Mastermind
Analytical problem-solvers, eager to improve systems and processes
ENTPThe Visionary
Inspired innovators, seeking new solutions to challenging problems
INTPThe Architect
Philosophical innovators, fascinated by logical analysis
ENFJThe Teacher
Idealist organizers, driven to do what is best for humanity
INFJThe Counselor
Creative nurturers, driven by a strong sense of personal integrity
ENFPThe Champion
People-centered creators, motivated by possibilities and potential
INFPThe Healer
Imaginative idealists, guided by their own values and beliefs
ESTJThe Supervisor
Hardworking traditionalists, taking charge to get things done
ISTJThe Inspector
Responsible organizers, driven to create order out of chaos
ESFJThe Provider
Conscientious helpers, dedicated to their duties to others
ISFJThe Protector
Industrious caretakers, loyal to traditions and institutions
ESTPThe Dynamo
Energetic thrillseekers, ready to push boundaries and dive into action
ISTPThe Craftsperson
Observant troubleshooters, solving practical problems
ESFPThe Entertainer
Vivacious entertainers, loving life and charming those around them
ISFPThe Composer
Gentle caretakers, enjoying the moment with low-key enthusiasm
Myers and Briggs were careful to point out that no one type is any better than another; each has their own equally valuable gifts, strengths, and contributions.
It is also important to understand that while certain types tend to gravitate naturally towards particular behavior styles, a person's type cannot absolutely predict their behavior or what they will be good at. For instance, while ENTJs are often considered to have qualities we associate with leadership, an individual ENTJ may not be a particularly good leader if he or she has not developed related skills. Personality type may predispose a person to being a certain way, but the ultimate outcome depends on many more factors.
Sources
MBTI® Manual
Katherine and Isabel: Mother's Light, Daughter's Journey
- Key Principles of Myers & Briggs' Personality Typing ›
THE FINE PRINT:
Myers-Briggs® and MBTI® are registered trademarks of the MBTI Trust, Inc., which has no affiliation with this site. Truity offers a free personality test based on Myers and Briggs' types, but does not offer the official MBTI® assessment.
For more information on the Myers Briggs Type Indicator® assessment, please go here.
The Five Love Languages® is a registered trademark of The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago, which has no affiliation with this site. You can find more information about the five love languages here.
The Myers & Briggs Foundation
ISTJ
Quiet, serious, earn success by thoroughness and dependability. Practical, matter-of-fact, realistic, and responsible. Decide logically what should be done and work toward it steadily, regardless of distractions. Take pleasure in making everything orderly and organized - their work, their home, their life. Value traditions and loyalty.
ISFJ
Quiet, friendly, responsible, and conscientious. Committed
and steady in meeting their obligations. Thorough, painstaking,
and accurate. Loyal, considerate, notice and remember specifics
about people who are important to them, concerned with how others
feel.
Strive to create an orderly and harmonious environment at
work and at home.
INFJ
Seek meaning and connection in ideas, relationships, and material possessions. Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful about others. Conscientious and committed to their firm values. Develop a clear vision about how best to serve the common good. Organized and decisive in implementing their vision.
INTJ
Have original minds and great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving their goals. Quickly see patterns in external events and develop long-range explanatory perspectives. When committed, organize a job and carry it through. Skeptical and independent, have high standards of competence and performance - for themselves and others.
ISTP
Tolerant and flexible, quiet observers until a problem appears,
then act quickly to find workable solutions.
Analyze what makes
things work and readily get through large amounts of data to isolate
the core of practical problems. Interested in cause and effect,
organize facts using logical principles, value efficiency.
ISFP
Quiet, friendly, sensitive, and kind. Enjoy the present moment, what's going on around them. Like to have their own space and to work within their own time frame. Loyal and committed to their values and to people who are important to them. Dislike disagreements and conflicts, do not force their opinions or values on others.
INFP
Idealistic, loyal to their values and to people who are important
to them. Want an external life that is congruent with their values.
Curious, quick to see possibilities, can be catalysts for implementing
ideas. Seek to understand people and to help them fulfill their
potential.
Adaptable, flexible, and accepting unless a value is
threatened.
INTP
Seek to develop logical explanations for everything that interests them. Theoretical and abstract, interested more in ideas than in social interaction. Quiet, contained, flexible, and adaptable. Have unusual ability to focus in depth to solve problems in their area of interest. Skeptical, sometimes critical, always analytical.
ESTP
Flexible and tolerant, they take a pragmatic approach focused on immediate results. Theories and conceptual explanations bore them - they want to act energetically to solve the problem. Focus on the here-and-now, spontaneous, enjoy each moment that they can be active with others. Enjoy material comforts and style. Learn best through doing.
ESFP
Outgoing, friendly, and accepting. Exuberant lovers of life,
people, and material comforts.
Enjoy working with others to make
things happen. Bring common sense and a realistic approach to
their work, and make work fun. Flexible and spontaneous, adapt
readily to new people and environments. Learn best by trying a
new skill with other people.
ENFP
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.
ENTP
Quick, ingenious, stimulating, alert, and outspoken. Resourceful
in solving new and challenging problems. Adept at generating conceptual
possibilities and then analyzing them strategically. Good at reading
other people.
Bored by routine, will seldom do the same thing
the same way, apt to turn to one new interest after another.
ESTJ
Practical, realistic, matter-of-fact. Decisive, quickly move to implement decisions. Organize projects and people to get things done, focus on getting results in the most efficient way possible. Take care of routine details. Have a clear set of logical standards, systematically follow them and want others to also. Forceful in implementing their plans.
ESFJ
Warmhearted, conscientious, and cooperative. Want harmony
in their environment, work with determination to establish it.
Like to work with others to complete tasks accurately and on time.
Loyal, follow through even in small matters. Notice what others
need in their day-by-day lives and try to provide it. Want to
be appreciated for who they are and for what they contribute.
ENFJ
Warm, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. Highly attuned to the emotions, needs, and motivations of others. Find potential in everyone, want to help others fulfill their potential. May act as catalysts for individual and group growth. Loyal, responsive to praise and criticism. Sociable, facilitate others in a group, and provide inspiring leadership.
ENTJ
Frank, decisive, assume leadership readily. Quickly see illogical and inefficient procedures and policies, develop and implement comprehensive systems to solve organizational problems. Enjoy long-term planning and goal setting. Usually well informed, well read, enjoy expanding their knowledge and passing it on to others. Forceful in presenting their ideas.
Excerpted from Introduction to Type® by Isabel Briggs
Myers published by The Myers-Briggs Company.
Used with permission.
The most romantic personality types according to Myers-Briggs
Love
The language of love is more diverse than any in this world, and we all spoke it at least once in our lives. True, there are several types of personality that have succeeded more than others in this art. It is about them that we will now tell you. I wonder if your type or the type of your crash is in this selection?
INFJ (Activist)
If you dream of classic love, where you are connected to each other by a strong thread, like in romance novels, then intuitive introverts are your option. Activists are kind, caring and sensitive people who value connection on a spiritual level, for which they are even ready to neglect their own freedom.
INFJs are also known for their ability to empathize with others and their ability to inspire with their positive outlook on life. They are excellent empaths, thanks to which they quickly understand what their significant other wants here and now.
The strong intuitive part allows the Activist to return to the partner as much love as he receives it, even more. INFJs show their love mainly by actions, but physical contact can be avoided for quite a long time.
ENFJ (Coach)
ENFJs are one of the main romantics, and their approach differs from INFJs in the presence of extraversion. These people are not going to hide their feelings for you and will maintain the warmest relationship if it is interesting and pleasant for them. Coaches are very generous with emotions and attention, which they always have enough for a loved one. ENFJ is the same hopeless romantic who will always look for his ideal.
ENFJs look different when interacting with their partners than when interacting with other people. Coaches devote a lot of time to their soulmate and are always honest with her. They take relationships seriously and are committed to the long term. They love to make their partner happy and take care of their needs.
INFP (Intermediary)
Intermediaries are ideal companions for those who want to feel like the most loved and best person in the world. This type of personality will spend a lot of time discussing your feelings and experiences in order to remember them for the rest of their lives. It is very important to him. INFPs believe that the connection they build with another person is also connected to their soul. Yes, these are the people who believe in soulmates!
INFPs are creepy romantics, they want to know everything about the person they have tender feelings for. They want not only to adore their partners, but also to know all the details of their personality, as if they were the closest family members. The mediator sees love as a union of souls and thoughts, and not just as a coincidence of lifestyles or interests. For openness to their emotions, INFPs will get hurt, but they will get a star from the sky.
ENTP (Controversial)
ENTPs are very selective when it comes to romance, but when they fall in love, they do it powerfully and overwhelmingly.
They quickly become attached to a person who seems suitable to them. At the same time, their "ideal types" are rare, but Controversialists appreciate every second of the time spent together if the search for love is successful.
The Controversial's extraversion makes it easy for them to meet new people, and their empathy helps them explore all the possibilities they can share with their partner for success in life. In a relationship with an ENTP, you will definitely not be bored, because this type tends to find interesting and unusual ways to spend time with their loved one. Controversial people love the process of "falling in love" and are always interested in what is eating or bothering their partner.
ISTJ (Administrator)
For lovers of traditional, almost "fairytale" relationships, the Administrator may be the ideal candidate for the role of the ideal partner. They respect the principles and views of their partners at every stage of courtship and expect the same attitude in return.
ISTJ will always come to a date on time, give time to think, and give exquisite gifts.
When an Administrator meets a partner who acts according to the same standards as him, he is ready to go further and higher in order to save the relationship at any cost. This is where the ISTJ really excels, because he always knows what to do next and how to organize everything in the best possible way. With such a lover, you definitely will not be lost!
ENTJ (Commander)
ENTJ is the type of person who will keep the romantic mood going by finding ways to make the relationship interesting, especially if they suspect the connection could be lifelong and highly lucrative. Especially the Commander gives preference to those people who share his desire to be remembered by this world and reach fantastic heights.
Like ENTP, Commanders want to learn and grow with their partner. But just because they take their relationship so seriously doesn't mean they lack heart and sincerity.
ENTJs can really surprise their partners by revealing their true and extremely romantic nature to them.
Nastya Baskakova
Tags
- personality types
- about love
- relationship with a guy
Library
Type science has been actively developing for many decades. It got its start when the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung suggested that human behavior is not determined by random factors, but is quite predictable and therefore can be classified and predicted. At the initial stage, this led to his disagreement with his colleagues, since Jung suggested that the typological categories he identified, for which he introduced several new terms, were not based on mental disorders, anomalies, or hypertrophied urges. On the contrary, Jung believed, the differences in behavior, so obvious to the observer, are the result of preferences associated with the basic functions of the personality of a healthy person, which he performs throughout life.
These preferences are innate and form the basis of the human personality. It is they who, according to Jung, determine our likes and dislikes in communication, as well as the tasks and events of our whole life. Jung's book Psychological Types, published in 1923, brilliantly reflects his classification. However, this book will hardly be close to the uninitiated reader, unless he is a serious lover of theoretical psychology.
Fortunately for this book by Jung, two women (neither of whom were psychologists) became very interested in classifying observable human behavior. One of them, Katherine Briggs, at the turn of the twentieth century, independently of Jung, began to classify people according to their lifestyle. Simply put, she came to the conclusion that different people approach life differently.
When Jung's work was published in English in 1923, Briggs set aside her own research and began to study Carl Jung's theory in depth. Together with her daughter, Isabelle Briggs-Myers, she researched and developed ways to measure individual differences in the 1930s.
The work of these women was spurred on by the Second World War, which forced many people to do work beyond their ability; they set out to create a psychological tool that would explain individual differences in rigorous and reliable terms, based on Jung's theory of individual preferences. This is how the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was born. It was based on the following idea: this type system can be used to identify individual differences, and then use them constructively and for the benefit of people.
The first official version of the questionnaire was published in 1946. Today, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most common means of practical psychology. This document has been translated into 22 languages and is the most popular questionnaire in the world.
The MBTI Type Indicator is designed to help you understand yourself - features and preferences. And then to understand other people. It has proven itself as an analytical tool when applied to individuals, but its effectiveness can be greatly enhanced if it is used in relation to aspects of communication - in sales, building relationships with customers, in teamwork.
The MBTI tool is widely used around the world to build effective collaboration, as it is based on the idea that we all have unique features that can be used at work, including for solving various problems.
The MBTI score gives us 16 personality types, each of which has certain characteristics and virtues. There is no such thing as a "bad" or "good" type, just as there can be no right or wrong answers to questionnaire questions. Remember that the MBTI score shows your preferences, not absolute values.
To use the typology effectively, you need to know the following:
- each type describes 16 dynamic systems, not static objects. A type denoted by 4 letters (for example, ENFP) is not just the addition of 4 preferences, but the interaction of preferences with each other;
- there is no good or bad psychological type, and there are no more or less good combinations for work or for relationships. Every psychological type and every person is the source of many discoveries;
- the purpose of studying types is to learn to better understand yourself and improve your relationships with others;
- in order to better understand the typology, it is necessary to undergo appropriate training under the guidance of a certified specialist;
- no one but you, in the end, will determine the most appropriate psychological type for you.
