Have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, “What’s your sign? I bet they’re a Scorpio.” Sure, you can identify the characteristics of a person based on their astrological sign, but have you ever wondered what someone’s personality type is? Do you know your own personality type?
What is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator?
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI for short) hasn’t been around as long as zodiac signs, but it can help you better understand yourself and others around you. The MBTI is a self-report questionnaire that assesses your personality based on the way you perceive the world. In addition to determining your personality type, the questionnaire also measures your strengths and weaknesses. Depending on how you answer each question, you will fall under one of 16 personality types. Your personality type determines your strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, the way you get along with others, and potential careers that fit your personality like a glove. The MBTI falls under four scales:
Introversion (I) – Extroversion (E): Seemingly self-explanatory, this scale measures whether you’re more “inward-turning” (Introverted) or “outward turning” (Extroverted). This is the scale that we’re most likely familiar with in regard to ourselves. Do you gain more energy from socializing with others, or do you feel charged when you’re alone?
Sensing (S) – Intuition (N): This scale assesses how we perceive what’s going on around us. Individuals that score on the Sensing side of the scale view the world realistically, while individuals that score on the Intuition side like to think about possibilities. Do you value reality or imagination?
Thinking (T) – Feeling (F): This particular scale focuses on decision-making. Those on the Thinking side of the scale value facts and data to reach conclusions, whereas individuals on the Feeling side of the scale put emphasis on emotion. Are your decisions typically based on logic or feeling?
Judging (J) – Perceiving (P): Lastly, this scale is concerned with how we receive information around us. Do you lean more towards Judging in that you prefer firm decisions, or are you more adaptable on the Perceiving end?
There are only 16 personality types; although you have one that best suits you upon completing the questionnaire, your qualities can also fall under another personality type. But the one you score the highest in is your true self, granted that you answer each question truthfully (and it is important that you do so). Upon completing the questionnaire, you can see a detailed explanation of your personality. Each personality type is combined into a four-letter code based on the four scales, as listed below. Click on your assigned personality type from Verywellmind.com to further learn about yourself!
ISTJ – The Inspector
ISTP – The Crafter
ISFJ – The Protector
ISFP – The Artist
INFJ – The Advocate
INFP – The Mediator
INTJ – The Architect
INTP – The Thinker
ESTP – The Persuader
ESTJ – The Director
ESFP – The Performer
ESFJ – The Caregiver
ENFP – The Champion
ENFJ – The Giver
ENTP – The Debater
ENTJ – The Commander
Where Can You Take the Questionnaire?
The MBTI has its roots in psychology, therefore it is recommended by professionals to visit an office certified in the assessment. However, there are several different resources online that allow you to find your personality type! You can take it for free through the Truity and 16 Personalities websites, or you can obtain your personality type from the official MBTI website and follow the instructions on how to do so here. As a broke college student, I personally love the free alternative to the questionnaire, but I also encourage you to obtain your personality type from a professional if you have the means to do so.
Learning About Yourself Following the Assessment
Once you’ve completed the questionnaire and received your unique personality type, you can truly assess who you are as a person. From my own experience, discovering my personality type came as a surprise to me (I’m an ENFP). I always thought that I was more introverted because I’m a better listener than I am a talker, so I initially denied the personality type given to me. After reading what it’s like to be an ENFP, I never felt more exposed! Every single aspect of the ENFP read me like a book; from the strengths of being warm and empathetic to the weaknesses of being overly emotional and disorganized. I learned that my initial perception of being “introverted” really just means that I have a desire to understand how other people are feeling, so I tend to be quiet around people I don’t know in order to gauge their mood and what makes them comfortable. What shocked me the most was how each type has a list of careers that best fits them. Seriously…every career and college major that I ever considered was recommended for the ENFP personality type. It’s scarily accurate!
But it’s not just the ENFP personality type that gets assessed perfectly; each personality type does an exceptional job explaining in great detail what kind of individual you are. It also helps you understand other people. If you’ve ever been irritated at the fact that people don’t think the way you do or have the same “common sense” as you, it’s most likely explained by your different personality types. Some of us are more emotionally perceptive, others are more concerned with the practicality of it all. You may look to the future and spend your time daydreaming about possibilities, but your best friend or significant other can’t relate and instead prefers to focus on logic and how things actually are. Whether you take the test for yourself or to better understand others, knowing the 16 personality types can allow you to be more perceptive to the world around you!
For more information:
https://www.verywellmind.com/the-myers-briggs-type-indicator-2795583#the-mbti-types