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In “Discovering your Personality Type” we examined why people might want to know about their particular personality type with a promise to delve into some of the methods people use to help define or enhance their understanding of who they are and how they relate to the world and people around them.
The first and most commonly used personality testing criteria is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
An Introduction
The MBTI is based on Carl Jung’s philosophy that each person’s individual personality works in a hierarchical intellectual fashion. The most important aspect of a person’s personality is the “dominant” function, with “auxiliary”, “tertiary”, and “inferior” functions following in order of importance in a person’s life.
Carl Jung was the first to identify four cognitive functions, and these are the basis for the MBTI.
In the 1940s, Isabel Briggs Myers devised the MBTI as a way of applying Carl Jung’s theories to the ordinary person’s life. Myers believed that “[w]hatever the circumstances of your life, the understanding of type can make your perceptions clearer, your judgments sounder, and your life closer to your heart’s desire” (www.myersbriggs.org). The basic theory is that our random behaviors are really not so random. They are based on an individual’s perception and judgment. “Perception involves all the ways of becoming aware of things, people, happenings, or ideas. Judgment involves all the ways of coming to conclusions about what has been perceived. If people differ systematically in what they perceive and in how they reach conclusions, then it is only reasonable for them to differ correspondingly in their interests, reactions, values, motivations, and skills.”
Mental Processes versus Mental Orientations
The MBTI sets out to determine which of two kinds of mental processes through which a person naturally engages their world, and which of two kinds of mental orientations.
Mental processes are those ways in which a person “perceives” or takes in information, and makes “judgments” or decisions. In this respect a person is either “sensing (S)” or “intuition” (N), or “thinking (T)” or “feeling (F)”. The way in which a person naturally perceives and makes judgments about their circumstances can influence levels of understanding and cooperation.
Mental orientation, by contrast, is the ways in which our minds consciously engage in the world around us. Jung referred to two ways, “energy orientation” and “outer world orientation”. Energy orientation refers to how each of us draws our daily energy – by being alone (introversion - I) or being with others (extroversion – E).
When dealing with the world outside of ourselves, we will either naturally judge the world around us (J) or perceive (P).
The Myers-Briggs Categories
Category 1 – Extroversion – Introversion. According to Carl Jung, about 30 percent of all people are extroverted – focused on other people and their surrounding environment. An introvert is someone who focuses on their thoughts and generally likes to be alone. Extroverts have high energy, talk more than listen, think out loud, act then think, like to be around people a lot, prefer a public role, can sometimes be easily distracted, prefer to do lots of things at once, are outgoing and enthusiastic.
Introverts have quiet energy, listen more than talk, think quietly inside their head, think then act, feel comfortable being alone, prefer to work “behind-the-scenes”, have good powers of concentration, prefer to focus on one thing at a time, and are self-contained and reserved.
Category 2 – Sensing – Intuitive. People who are sensors are focused on details and facts; they admire practical solutions, view things “as they are”, live in the “here and now”, trust real-life experience, established skills, and step-by-step instructions. They like to work at a steady pace. Intuitive people concentrate more on connections and relationships between facts or possibilities. They admire creativity, notice things that are new and different, like to view things as they could be and think about the future implications of things. They trust their gut instincts and like to learn new skills and figure things out for themselves. They also tend to work in bursts.
Category 3 – Thinkers – Feelers. Thinkers decide things based on what is logical, are often cool and analytical, honest and direct, value honesty and fairness. They tend not to take things personally. They are motivated by achievement and enjoy arguing and debating. Feelers, by contrast, make decisions based on their feelings and values, appear warm and friendly, and are diplomatic and tactful. They value harmony and compassion. They take many things personally and are quick to notice and express the good things they see in others. Feelers are motivated by appreciation and like to avoid arguments and conflicts.
Category 4 – Judgers – Perceivers. “Judgers prefer a structured, ordered, and fairly predictable environment, where they can make decisions and have things settles” (www.personalitytype.com). Judgers make most decisions fairly easily, are serious and conventional. They pay attention to time and are prompt. They prefer to finish projects, work first, play later, understand the need for most rules, like to make and stick with plans, and are comforted by schedules. Perceivers often have difficulty making decisions. They are playful and unconventional, are less time conscious and often run late, and like to play first and work later. They prefer to start projects, as opposed to finishing them, and like to keep their options open. Perceivers often question the need for rules, like to keep plans flexible, and enjoy being free and spontaneous.
An MBTI test asks simple questions to find out which of the four categories you fit into and then generates one out of 16 possible combinations. (For interest’s sake, this author’s personality type is ISFJ – Introvert, Sensor, Feeler, Judger. Follow the third source linked below to discover yours.)
What’s the Point?
It is important to remember that there is no one particular personality that is right or wrong. You can’t “fail” this test. The purpose of such a test is to make you more aware of how you operate and on which levels you engage your world.
Knowing your personality type can help you determine what kind of career you would be best suited for, and what kind of position within a certain career you could carry. Knowing personality types can help teachers and students decide on which program and even specific teaching methods that will help maximize comprehension and application of material. Knowing your personality type and learning that of friends and potential “better half” can help you discover each other and determine how you would get along – and how you would not.
“Knowledge and understandings of the personality type…can be a tool for personal growth, achieving balance, understanding self, and creating possibilities…Your personality type doesn’t change over time, but each preference helps you in different ways, and to different degrees, as you move through your life. Type development is a lifelong process and understanding type can help you overcome challenges at various stages of life….” Taking care of your own mental health and the health of others can also be influenced by knowing personality types. You will be more aware of which kinds of people to avoid, and how to address or accept certain people as you learn how to relate to them.
Knowing your specific personality type is not the answer to everything. It is simply a tool that can help you grow, achieve, and prosper, by learning to engage in those things to which you are naturally suited.
Sources: www.personality-and-aptitude-career-tests.com; www.lifepositive.com; www.personalitytype.com; http://wilderdom.com; www.personalitypathways.com; www.bbc.co.uk; www.myersbriggs.org
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