How to Determine Your Myers Briggs Personality Type

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

The Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment System was invented by Katharine Cook Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers, a mother-daughter couple looking for a method to help American women find the best job for them during World War II. The idea behind this system is that as people are right-handed or left-handed, they are similarly inclined to think and act in some ways they find more natural. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) analyzes four preferences and gives 16 possible combinations.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Finding Your Type

Step 1. Determine if you are extroverted or introverted

This preference is not about your sociability, but about your tendencies when taking action. Do you usually act before you think? Or do you prefer to think carefully about what you do?

• Whoever puts action first finds motivation and energy in this behavior and is typically a person extroverted in the MTBI. This type of person also particularly enjoys the company of others.
• If you are the type of person who needs a break to reflect and regain energy (often alone), you probably are introverted.

Step 2. Think about how you collect the information

Do you do it with the senses or with the intuition? Whoever uses the senses sees the trees; whoever uses intuition sees the forest.

• People sensitive they prefer the details and hard facts. They might say "I don't believe if I don't see". They have a tendency to not trust instinct and intuition when they are not based on logic, observation or facts.
• People intuitive instead they feel more comfortable with abstract information and theories. They are spontaneous and have more imagination than sensitive people and appreciate exploring what goes beyond the present, especially when thinking about the future. Their thoughts are based on patterns, connections and flashes of genius.

Step 3. Evaluate how you make decisions

Once you have gathered the information, with your senses or intuition, how do you arrive at a decision?

• Do you have a tendency to try to evaluate the situation from the point of view of all the people involved in an attempt to find the most balanced and harmonious solution (i.e. consensus)? If so, your preference is probably for the feeling.

• If you have a tendency to look for the most logical and coherent solution, perhaps by comparing it with a series of rules or axioms, your preference is the reasoning.

  • Those who prefer feeling always try to avoid conflict, while those who use reasoning usually accept it and consider it a part of the comparison with other people.
  • Some people believe that the preference of feeling implies an emotional personality, and that of reasoning a rational personality, but this is not the case. They are both rational approaches, and people with both preferences can be emotional.

  

  Step 4. Think about how you relate to the outside world

  Do you have a tendency to communicate your judgment or the perception you have of others?

  • If you prefer judge, you have a tendency to explain to people how you arrive at decisions and to resolve open questions. You like making plans, ticking things off your to-do list, and pushing deadlines forward.
  • If you prefer the perception, you have a tendency to share your point of view with the world, leaving questions open. You also prefer to do things at the last minute, mix work with play, and wait until the last moment before making a decision or a commitment.

  

  Step 5. Determine your personality type, which is the combination of 4 letters (eg INTJ, ENFP)

  • The first letter will be I (introverted) or E (Extroverted)
  • The second letter S (sensitivity) or N (intuition)
  • The third letter will be T (reasoning) or F (feeling)
  • The fourth letter will be J (judgment) or P (perception)

  Part 2 of 3: Take the Test

  

  Step 1. Go to the internet

  A simple online search for the 4-letter combination you got will find you many websites that will describe your Myers Briggs personality type. Read them to find information about your personality and determine areas in which you can step out of your comfort zone and develop new skills.

  If the description is not accurate, you could take an MBTI test. There are many available, from free online quizzes, to in-depth and official assessments performed by a qualified professional

  Step 2. Take the official MBTI test

  If you don't trust the internet, you may be interested in taking the MBTI test given by a professional, such as a psychologist. More than 10,000 companies, 2,500 universities and 200 government agencies use the test to better understand their employees and students. Join them!

  You may get identical or different results from internet tests. If you find yourself in the balance between a stretch or two, your mood of the day could also determine the outcome

  

  Step 3. Read your guy's profile

  Knowing your personality type isn't everything. You can read entire profiles on the internet or request them from your psychologist or employer. They can help you understand what "sensitivity" and "perception" really mean. Each profile has a title that identifies it, such as "The Generous" or "The Teacher".

  The full profile describes your personality in many environments - work, personal, home and so on. You may think that the four-letter code doesn't reflect you, but a deeper analysis might convince you

  Part 3 of 3: Using the Results

  

  Step 1. Put your type into action

  When you know what type of personality you have, you can begin to understand how to interact with the world. If you have an INTJ personality and are a salesperson, you might want to reevaluate your career! There are many uses in daily life for this test.

  • Use it when you learn. How do you absorb and perceive facts and concepts?
  • Consider the outcome in your relationships. How do you feel with different personalities?
  • Consider it for personal growth. Knowing what your trends are is the only way to recognize them and start learning new things. Or make the most of your strengths!

  

  Step 2. Understand that no preference is better than another

  No personality is superior to the others. MBTI seeks to identify natural preferences and not skills. When determining your type, consider what you tend to do, not what you think you should do. Recognizing your preferences is a useful tool for personal development.

  

  Step 3. Ask others for their type

  This is a fascinating concept, and millions of people take the test every year. So ask your friends to do it! It could help you improve your relationships.

  Regarding their personality, ESFJ and INTP people can spark interesting conversations. Find people who are different from you and sit down with them to talk about the test. And find someone who has given the same answers as you - did you know you had the same personality or were you surprised? In some cases it is difficult to predict

  

  Step 4. Remember that this test is not the absolute truth

  If you don't like the result, don't worry. This is a widely used test, but your personality is much more complex than what can be assessed with just four questions. It would be like saying: "You are an Aquarius, so you will never be punctual and thoughtful!" Fortunately, it's not that simple.