I was reading something online and I chanced upon the explanation for the Mayer Briggs Type Indicator ® (MBTI®). Intrigued, I decided to spend time finding out more.

According to the official website,“The purpose of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) personality inventory is to make the theory of psychological types described by C. G. Jung understandable and useful in people’s lives. The essence of the theory is that much seemingly random variation in the behavior is actually quite orderly and consistent, being due to basic differences in the ways individuals prefer to use their perception and judgment.”

The four parameters for the test are

1. Do you prefer to focus on the outer (Extraversion – E) or your inner world (Introversion – I)
2. Do you prefer to focus on the basic information that you take in (Sensing – S) or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning to it (Intuition – N)
3. While making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency (Thinking – T) or look at the people and special circumstances first (Feeling – F)
4. In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided (Judging – J) or you prefer to stay open to new information and options (Perceiving – P)

When the preferences in each category are decided, usually through a test, you have your own personality type, which is expressed as a code with four letters.

There are 16 personality types within the Mayer Briggs Type Indicator ® and are often listed in what they call a “type table”

A more detailed explanation of the different types is given below. The descriptions are combined from here and here:

ISTJ aka The Logistician: 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. The most abundant, with around 13% of the population, this personality type is the vital core to many families as well as organisations. These people are honest, direct, strong-willed, dutiful, responsible, calm, practical and create and enforce order. However, they are stubborn, insensitive, work by the book and are seen as being judgemental.

ISFJ aka The Defender: 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. This is a unique personality type as many of their qualities defy the definition of their individual traits with these people being more than the sum of their parts and make up around 13% of the population. Defenders are supportive, reliable, patient, imaginative, observant, enthusiastic, loyal, hard-working and have good practical skills. They are also humble, shy, take things personally, repress their feelings, are reluctant to change and overload themselves.

INFJ aka The Advocate: 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. this personality type is very rare, making up less than one percent of the population. Born diplomats, they have an inborn sense of idealism and morality and capable of taking concrete steps to realise their goals and make a lasting positive impact. The Advocates are very creative, insightful, decisive, inspiring and convincing, but they need to work on being a less sensitive, perfectionistic and private person and stop burning out easily.

INTJ aka The Architect: 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. One of the rarest and most strategically capable personality types with INTJ’s forming only 2% of the population. Strengths include a very quick, imaginative and strategic mind with high self confidence and very independent and decisive plus being Jacks of all trades. This type needs to be careful of being arrogant and judgemental as well as not fall into the trap of being overly analytical

These are the first four types. Since the post is now already too long, will do the rest on Friday. Do check in to see where you would be?