MBTI: Understanding yourself and others better

Adam Barnard

Table of Contents

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What is MBTI?

The Myers-Brigs Type Indicator(MBTI), is a fairly robust personality typing tool that was created by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers, based on the great Carl Yung’s work. Used by more than 88 percent of Fortune 500 companies in 115 countries, and available in 29 languages, it has become the go-to personality typing system for personal and professional development, worldwide. In addition, a great tool for helping couples understanding each other better. It has personally helped me and many people I know to understand themselves and others better.

How it works

This personality test requires you to answer a variety of introspective question honestly and will take you no more than 15 minutes to complete. On completion you will be given a four letter acronym that best fits your unique personality type. It is critical to know that all eight personality traits are experienced on a spectrum, so for example, not all introverts are equally introverted etc.  
  • Extrovert(E) vs. Introvert(I)
  • Intuition(N) vs. Sensing(S)
  • Thinking(T) vs. Feeling(F)
  • Judging(J) vs. Perceiving(P)
Now let’s explore these concepts in more detail, shall we?

Extrovert(E) vs. Introvert(I)

This refers to how you gain energy and how you choose to interact with the world. It is important to note that everyone is both introverted and extroverted, it is more about which one you relate with more. In other words introverts can also behave in an extroverted way, but just prefers not to do so most of the time and vice versa.
 
If you are more extroverted, you’re more sociable. So, you enjoy being with others and belonging to groups and prefer not to be alone. You get energy by spending time around people, usually larger groups of people and get drained by being in isolation for too long. Simply put, you tend to focus more on the outside world, communicating through talking and processing ideas outwardly. 
Extrovert traits:
  • Don’t mind being the center of attention
  • Enjoys group work
  • Get drained spending too much time alone
  • Communicates thoughts and feelings through talking
  • Tends to act first before thinking
  • Likes outside stimulation
  • Generally more outgoing
  • Tends to have a big social circle
 
If you are an introvert on the other hand, you are drawn to spending time in solitude to process your ideas and feeling and to recharge your “batteries”. You get drained easily in social setting with too many people. You might want to leave big social gatherings sooner than others or find yourself in the corner having deep one-on-one conversation with someone because too much small-talk drains you. 
Introvert traits:
  • Prefers to work alone
  • Gets energy by spending alone time 
  • Prefers to process thoughts and feeling in solitude
  • Self-aware
  • Sensitive to outside stimulation
  • Gets drained by small-talk and big social gatherings
  • Prefers a smaller and more intimate social circle
  • Likes one-on-one conversations

Intuition(N) vs. Sensing(S)

This refers to how you process information. It is important to note that everyone is both intuitives and sensors, it is more about which one you relate with more. In other words intuitives can also think like sensors, but just prefers not to do so most of the time and vice versa.

 

If your are an intuitive, your are more likely to focus on abstract concepts or things not grounded in reality. You will not look for tangible evidence but instead use your imagination to identify patterns and possibilities. You enjoy discussing abstract ideas, theories and concepts. You are an out of the box thinker and like to learn through trial and error. You like to re-invent the wheel, so to speak, and like to come up with creative problem solving ideas. 

Intuitive traits:

  • Easily connect ideas and concept with each other
  • Focused on the meaning behind any situation
  • Focus on the ‘why’ and ‘what if’ questions
  • Like to go down the rabbit hole when doing research
  • Have a vivid imagination
  • Tend to be observant and overthink situations
  • Find yourself day dreaming often
  • Big picture orientated

Conversely, if you identify as a sensor, you pay attention to your most immediate impression; the “raw data” that you can see, hear and touch. You create meaning out of concrete information and rely heavily on past experiences to guide your future behavior. You prefer to be practical and active. You like to live in the here and now. 

Sensor traits:

  • Prefers the “what” questions to “why” questions
  • Tends to be suspicious
  • Detail orientated
  • Your moto is, “if it works, why change it”
  • Known as a hands-on person
  • Make plans instead of day dreaming
  • Great organizers and like to bring order to chaos
  • Tends to be more narrow-minded
  • Tends to focus on facts 

Thinkers(T) vs. Feelers(F)

This refers to how you prefer to make decisions. It is important to note that everyone is both thinkers and feelers, it is more about which one you relate with more. In other words thinkers can also make decisions like feelers do, but just prefers not to do so most of the time and vice versa.

 

As a feeler, you prefer a feeling mental process that leads to conclusions and decisions that are more personal, warm, caring, and empathic. Feelers are people or communication orientated, seeking harmony at the cost of objectivity. You focus more on personal values and whether decisions and actions are worthwhile and how it will affect other. 

Feeler traits:

  • Consider other people’s feelings when making decisions
  • Tends to be gentle and caring
  • Tends to be compassionate and empathetic
  • Follow your “gut-feeling”
  • People orientated

As a thinkers on the other hand, you rely on objective information in all areas of your life. You are a critical thinker who evaluate situations and people based on logic and facts and focus on problem-solving when confronted with personal or work challenges.

Thinker traits:

  • Tends to be logical and objective
  • Fact and thing orientated
  • Thick-skinned
  • Tends to be firm and direct with people
  • Rational
  • Make decisions based on raw data, facts and logic

Judger(J) vs. Perceiver(P)

This refers to how you prefer to organize your environment. It is important to note that everyone is both judgers and perceivers, it is more about which one you relate with more. In other words judgers can also structure and organize their environments like perceivers, but just prefers not to do so most of the time and vice versa.

 

As a judger, you seek closure from the outer world through order, planning, and organization. When possible, you prefer for things to be settled and crossed off your list. You prefer order to chaos and like things to be done in a certain order. You prefer planning to spontaneity.

Judger traits: 

  • Prefers to make plans in advance
  • Prioritize work over play
  • Goal-oriented and task driven
  • Self-disciplined and decisive 
  • Responsible and like to complete tasks before moving on

However, as a perceiver, you prefer to approach life in a freewheeling, spontaneous way, preferring to keep your options open than make a clear plan of action. You view structure as limiting and seek flexibility in your live. You don’t mind adapting to a new situation and you feel frustrated by the daily grind of routines. 

Perceiver traits: 

  • Flexible and open-minded
  • Prefer spontaneity and has many ideas
  • Curious and creative
  • Tends to be unstructured 
  • Tends to be disorganized 
  • Tends to procrastinate
  • Dislikes set routines 

How knowing this can positively impact relationships, both personal and professional:

By knowing your MBTI type can open a door into self-discovery and can influence how you view the world and others around you. It can give us insight into why we prefer to do somethings and despise doing others. You will become aware of what activities and situations drains you of your vital energy and what gives you energy. This can not only help you to better communicate effectively with your loved ones, but also help you to understand and have respect for the lens  through which they view the world. It makes you aware of your and other’s personality strengths and help you to cultivate compassion for the challenges that everyone, including yourself, might face. Businesses can incorporate this by assigning the correct tasks to the most suitable employee to make them and your business shine. The possibilities of where and how you can incorporate this amazing personality tool is boundless. 

If you found this content valuable please share it with your loved ones or anyone who you think might benefit from it. Also share your story with me in the comment section. 

Thanks for reading. 

 

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