What's your MBTI personality type?

I first discovered the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) in college. I didn't really think much about it at the time, and we only looked at it superficially and briefly. I only recall that I was an introvert, which was no surprise.

Years later, I've come back on occasion to the idea of a personality type as outlined by the MBTI. I've been conflicted with it. At times, I look at it as understanding myself at my core. At other times, I rail against it as pop psychology fluff. There are criticisms of the MBTI, but I can't seem to move away from it. I want to reject it, I think, because I want to reject my personalty type as defined by it.

I think my issue is that I keep coming up INFP (Introvert, iNtuitive, Feeling, Perceiving). INFPs are an odd bunch, and we're one of the smaller segments population-wise. Heck, even among the four temperaments, NFs are in the minority (we're "idealists," so go figure).

I guess what I'm trying to say, is that I believe in much of the validity of the MBTI, but I view being an INFP as a cross that I have to bear, albeit reluctantly. I think my life would be much easier if I had a different personality as defined by this. I don't think much of the world is kind to my type. We're bloody dreamers.

This is something I'm learning to accept and work with.

That said, what is your personality type?

You can take some quick measures to determine it:

• Myers Briggs Test | MBTI Personality Types
• Personality test based on C. Jung and I. Briggs Myers type theory

The first one is pretty easy. You just pick what best describes you in each quadrant. The second one might be more your speed if you aren't so sure. It's a longer questionnaire about how you act or think in certain situations.

If you're serious about it, though, you can pay a reasonable fee to have a proper test done: My MBTI Personality Type - Take the MBTI Instrument

I'm not all that interested in paying for a proper test, because I doubt I'm anything other than an INFP. It's pretty obvious. I have on a a few occasions tried to trick myself into thinking I was an INTP (the "Engineer)—Thinking instead of Feeling—and even an ISFP (the "Artist")—Sensing instead of iNtuitive—once. But after reading a couple of books, I'm quite convinced I'm a rather deeply set INFP.

• Creative You: Using Your Personality Type to Thrive: Otto Kroeger, David B. Goldstein: 9781582703657: Amazon.com: Books
• Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type: Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron-Tieger: 9780316167260: Amazon.com: Books

I do recommend these books above just taking some online quiz. They go into detail that helps you really understand what each attribute actually entails.

Anyway, I'd like to know where you guys fit in the MBTI, and I'd like us to discuss what knowing our personality types might do for us. As far as I'm concerned, I need to accept the kind of person I am, lest I never realize my full potential.

 

I'm an ENTJ, the Fieldmarshal. Knowing that has helped me embrace leadership. I'll be back with more later.

 

I'm an INFP as well, although it's been a few years since I've been tested. And "Healer" would probably be one of the last words that I would use to describe myself.
If I remember right, I'm somewhat borderline between F and T. I find it amusing, because although I see myself as intuitive, but don't consider myself particularly idealistic. I'm stolidly pragmatic about most things. I do need a few close friends, but I hate small crowds, like 10-50 people, and feel threatened. Large crowds, like a stadium, don't affect me the same way.
My work is highly analytical, although I use intuition as a point of departure, I try to vet intuitive "hunches" with careful and patient analysis. I don't really see a strong difference in myself between sensing and intuiting. Intuitives may, perhaps, just sense some things that sensers don't, and have that so-called "sixth sense."

Out of awakened curiosity, I think that I'll do one of the self tests. I'm remembering now that when I visited with my high school counselor fifteen years out he said that I was "enigmatic." which I took as a high complement.

 

The problem with inadequate tests is that you don't get each aspect graded. If you're borderline T, that would explain your more rational leanings. The NT "rationalist" temperament might come out in your work, which would make you more of a rational thinker.

Your intuition is actually a part of your rational thinking. It's your feeling side that you need to keep in check when it comes to what you do.

It's the difference between NT rational:
Keirsey Temperament Website - Portrait of the Rational (NT)

And NF idealist:
Keirsey Temperament Website - Portrait of the Idealist® (NF)

 

I'm not going to bother to retake the inventory, as I've taken it multiple times over the years, and I'm always an ENTJ. I've bolded the characteristics that are particularly true for me.

Extraverted Characteristics

• Act first, think/reflect later
• Feel deprived when cutoff from interaction with the outside world (yes and no, thanks to the Internet and my profession)
• Usually open to and motivated by outside world of people and things
• Enjoy wide variety and change in people relationships
  

Intuitive Characteristics

• Mentally live in the Future, attending to future possibilities
• Using imagination and creating/inventing new possibilities is automatic-instinctual
• Memory recall emphasizes patterns, contexts, and connections
• Best improvise from theoretical understanding
• Comfortable with ambiguous, fuzzy data and with guessing its meaning.
  

Thinking Characteristics

• Instinctively search for facts and logic in a decision situation.
• Naturally notices tasks and work to be accomplished.
• Easily able to provide an objective and critical analysis.
• Accept conflict as a natural, normal part of relationships with people.
  

Judging Characteristics

• Plan many of the details in advance before moving into action.
• Focus on task-related action; complete meaningful segments before moving on. (see my use of the Pomodoro technique)
• Work best and avoid stress when able to keep ahead of deadlines.
• Naturally use targets, dates and standard routines to manage life.
  

From the Keirsey site:

This is especially true for me--I always end up in charge of group work. It started in high school. Somehow, this happens whether I want to lead or not, as I am typically the most organized person in the group with the best idea of how to get the work accomplished. People typically yield to my concept of how the work should be achieved. For example, my cohort recognizes me as a kind of de facto leader of the class. I'm the one who founded the Facebook group that helps us all keep in touch outside of school, for instance.

My career goals absolutely fit with my personality profile. I want to lead. I currently work as a manager, and my current career fits my organizational tendencies well. My skills suit my profession, and I recognize that as I go down this path, I'll find satisfaction from pursuing my long-term goals due to my personality type.

 

I thought I'd post my scores too. I don't think they fluctuate much, though I think I might sometimes fool myself in terms of how I react rationally vs. emotionally. My Feeling is probably actually higher than this indicates.