MBTI: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a popular personality assessment that sorts people into 16 distinct personality types. Understanding the nuances of each type can help with personal growth and improving relationships.
How MBTI Works
The MBTI model categorizes people based on their preferred ways of:
Interacting with the world: Extraversion (E) vs Introversion (I):
- Extraverts: People who are energized by interacting with the external world and other people. They tend to be socially engaged, energetic and active.
- Introverts: People who are energized by their inner world of ideas and experiences. They tend to be more reflective, calm and focused on a few close relationships.
Processing information: Sensing (S) vs Intuition (N):
- Sensors: People who prefer to take in information through their senses in a practical and concrete manner. They focus on what is real and actual.
- Intuitives: People who prefer to take in information by seeing the big picture, patterns and interrelationships. They focus on the novel, conceptual and potential.
Making decisions: Thinking (T) vs Feeling (F):
- Thinkers: People who make decisions objectively based on logic and what seems reasonable and fair. They prioritize truth and facts over sentiment.
- Feelers: People who make decisions subjectively based on personal values and the impact on people. They prioritize kindness, compassion and harmony over cold logic.
Dealing with outer world: Judging (J) vs Perceiving (P):
- Judgers: People who like structure, organization and having things planned and decided. They seek closure and tend to be systematic and orderly.
- Perceivers: People who like flexibility, spontaneity and keeping options open. They tend to be curious, open to change and go with the flow.
Combining one preference from each category produces 16 MBTI types:
•ISTJ •ISFJ •INFJ •INTJ
•ISTP •ISFP• INFP •INTP
•ESTP •ESFP •ENFP •ENTP
•ESTJ •ESFJ •ENFJ •ENTJ
The 16 Types At A Glance
Each MBTI type has distinct characteristics:
- ISTJs: Practical, fact-focused and dependable.
- ISFJs: Caring, loyal and dedicated.
- INFJs: Idealistic, perceptive and passionate.
- INTJs: Strategic thinkers who seek patterns.
- ISTPs: Flexible, curious and observant realists.
- ISFPs: Creative, laid-back and live in the present.
- INFPs: Imaginative, warm and committed idealists.
- INTPs: Logical, analytical and innovative thinkers.
- ESTPs: Active, risk-taking and seek new experiences.
- ESFPs: Outgoing, fun-loving and flexible performers.
- ENFPs: Enthusiastic, motivating and perceptive.
- ENTPs: Curious, innovative and intellectually stimulating.
- ESTJs: Practical, logical and value structure/tradition.
- ESFJs: Warmhearted, loyal and traditional caretakers.
- ENFJs: Inspiring, warm and idealistic organizes.
- ENTJs: Decisive, logical leaders and achieve goals.
In summary, the 16 MBTI types provide a high-level overview of common personality differences and preferred modes of operation. Gaining a basic understanding of the types can improve self-awareness, communication and teamwork across personality variations. However, MBTI is not a perfect system – individuals often exhibit traits from multiple types.
