The MBTI model of personality was developed by Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, and was taken from the works of Carl Jung, who developed a study on psychological types. Jung wrote that "what appears to be random behavior is actually the result of differences in the way people prefer to use their mental capacities."
In 1921, Carl Jung published Psychological Types, which introduced the idea that each person has a distinct psychological type or set of preferences. Things like extraversion and introversion were discussed, and how people make decisions. Unfortunately, the academic language of the book made it hard for many people to read and so his theories didn't become very widespread.
During World War II, Katherine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers set out to find an easier way for people to use Jung's ideas in everyday life. They felt that if Jung's theory could be written and applied in a more easy-to-read way, that it could be extremely beneficial to people everywhere.
The Basics of the MBTI
The MBTI categorizes your personality into one of sixteen types. These types determine where you get your energy from, how you take in information, and how you like to make decisions. Your type is identified by four letters that stand for four of eight main functions. For example, I'm an INFJ, so my four main functions would be:
I - Introversion
N - Intuition
F - Feeling
J - Judging
There's a lot more to these functions than what appears. Each type uses all eight functions, your type just determines which one you favor most and are most proficient with. For the sake of simplicity, this blog is just going to cover the very basics.
The Order of Functions
Everyone has a dominant function, an auxiliary function, a tertiary function, and an inferior function. From ages 0-7 we display mainly our dominant function, from age 7 to our 20's we start exhibiting our auxiliary function, in our 30's and 40's we delve into our tertiary function, and in our later years we develop our inferior function more. Regardless of what we develop, our dominant and auxiliary functions will always be the most perfected and the most obvious.
The chart below, from Kiersey.com explains the order of functions really well.
Extraversion/Introversion
While everyone has extraverted and introverted qualities, most people will prefer one method of interacting with the world over the other. Don't confuse extraversion or introversion with shyness or timidity, both extroverts and introverts can be shy, and that has nothing to do with either.
Extraversion: Where do you get your energy from? Extraverts enjoy the outer world of people and things. Extroverts usually need to process thoughts, ideas and experiences through speech. They tend to feel energized by talking and doing, and often enjoy social settings and feel energized by being with others. They will want occasional alone time, but not as often as introverts.
Introversion: Introverts get their energy more from the internal world. They need and desire quiet time for reflection. They tend to feel drained by too much talking or doing, and need time to think and consider. They think and reflect before speaking, and have a strong need for privacy.
One last thought on the I/E Preference: Extraverts will want alone time sometimes, and introverts don't usually want to hide in a cave all alone for the rest of their lives. Most people are more like ambiverts, then extreme extroverts or introverts. However, everyone has a preference, even if it's slight, for extraversion or introversion.
Sensing/Intuition
Everyone uses sensing and intuition. However, N personality types prefer and have more advanced intuition, while S personality types prefer and have more advanced sensing. Sensing and intuition are the perceiving functions, which determine how you take in information.
Sensing: Do you take in information through your five senses? While all people do this to an extent, sensors are especially more aware of what comes in through sensation. They are more focused on the present, and use that focus to create practical solutions. They think in a linear fashion, and don't like guesswork or abstract theories. They like concrete information, and are usually very down-to-earth.
Intuition: Do you live in the world of theories and possibilities? Are you more focused on the future than the present? Intuitive personality types prefer to think of what could be, and are highly imaginitive. They think in terms of connections and they get hunches which influence their decisions. They love theories and guesswork and the world of symbols and dreams.
One last thought on the S/N preference: There's a big difference between extraverted and introverted intuition, and extraverted and introverted sensing. You can find out more about that here, but the characteristics mentioned above will usually remain for any S or N type.
Thinking/Feeling
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| Graphic from strategicpath.com |
Thinking and feeling are judging functions, this means that they determine how you make decisions. Everyone has thinking AND feeling functions, but everyone has a natural preference for one over the other.
Thinking: Thinkers are practical, logical and go with what makes sense. They are persuaded by facts, figures, and statistics and usually make decisions by weighing the pros and cons and focusing on the task at hand. They are very straightforward and blunt in their manner of speech. Now this doesn't mean that they all live like vulcans! All thinkers have a feeling function. They just will rely more on logic than on personal feelings or emotions. They don't usually mind conflict too much, as long as it's impersonal.
Feeling: Feelers make decisions based on how it will make others feel. They are relationship focused, and crave harmony in every decision-making process. They take things personally, and focus on the emotional impact of what is said. They may absorb other peoples emotions (Extraverted feeling) or be very aware of their own inner feelings and values (Introverted feeling). They dislike conflict and criticism, but can become very confrontational if one of their values is being criticized.
Judging/Perceiving
The judging and perceiving function are one of the more confusing ones to determine for a lot of people. Everyone has judging and perceiving functions, having a 'J' or 'P' at the end of your type basically means one of the following:
Judging: Judgers crave closure and like to have decisions finalized. They enjoy planning and making to-do lists. They enjoy schedules and knowing what lies ahead, and may have a harder time being spontaneous or enjoying surprises.
Perceiving: Perceivers like to leave their options open, and wait to make decisions till they've explored all the alternatives. They are more spontaneous and improvisational. They have a harder time following strict schedules or making decisions quickly.
Where's the best place to find out my MBTI type?
Online MBTI tests are often flawed because there's a lot more to the MBTI and how you use the functions than what can be covered in a quick test. The best way to find out your MBTI type is through the official MBTI instrument, however, if you want to try a free test, this is probably the most accurate one you can take. The absolute best way to type yourself is by learning about the cognitive functions and reading the type profiles and determining which one fits you best.
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