In my diary I don't belong here I mentioned that I was an ENFP who had at one point worked in a data processing shop where the vast majority of the people were exactly the opposite: INTJs. For some reason that started an extended discussion of what type people were. But the only way people could offer was to enter comments, and it made it hard to track the distribution here at Big Orange. Someone suggested a diary with a poll, but so far that has not happened. So today I will take that upon myself.
For those to whom these initials are all gobbledygook, I am talking about Myers Briggs Type Indicator. The issue is NOT whether or not it is "scientifically valid." Consider this a "fun" exercise. One which may or may not offer any information of value. I will, before the poll, explain a bit about MBTI, which is derived from Jungian pyschology (and if you reject that because you are Freudian or Adlerian, tough cookies). I will give some quick background on the 16 types, and offer an instrument on which you can check your type if you don't know it.
As noted, MBTI is based on Jungian typology. It is the work of a mother-daughter team, Isabel Briggs Myer and Katherine Briggs. There is a foundation dedicated to their work, at which you can find a useful one-page summary from which I note the following:
Favorite world: Do you prefer to focus on the outer world or on your own inner world? This is called Extraversion (E) or Introversion (I).
Information: Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning? This is called Sensing (S) or Intuition (N).
Decisions: When making decisions, do you prefer to first look at logic and consistency or first look at the people and special circumstances? This is called Thinking (T) or Feeling (F).
Structure: In dealing with the outside world, do you prefer to get things decided or do you prefer to stay open to new information and options? This is called Judging (J) or Perceiving (P).
Your Personality Type: When you decide on your preference in each category, you have your own personality type, which can be expressed as a code with four letters.
(the above has hyperlinks to explain each of the 8 choices in more detail).
The combination of the four choices gives you your type, and a description of all 16 possibilities can be found at this page at the site. As I have noted previously, I am an
ENFP
Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative. See life as full of possibilities. Make connections between events and information very quickly, and confidently proceed based on the patterns they see. Want a lot of affirmation from others, and readily give appreciation and support. Spontaneous and flexible, often rely on their ability to improvise and their verbal fluency.
Like any measurement based on dichotomous choices, the phrasing of the question might influence the selection you make: that is, what they use for the choices could influence the results. Thus I provide you with two instruments you can use online. Note that the complete test is much more extensive - and hence perhaps more accurate - than what you are here offered.
Choices for taking MBTI online include:
this from humanmetrics
Keirsey.com. The second will not get you to your specific type of the 16, only to one of four basic groups, called "temperaments" but it is a decent site for finding out generalities. The four temperaments are Artisans, Guardians, idealists, rationlists. At the top of this webpage you will find a button for their temperament sorter. You will have to give some information to register - it costs you nothing to take the test and to find out which temperament applies to you. I just took it, and it says I am an idealist, an NF, which puts me in the same temperament as people like Gandhi and Eleanor Roosevelt (the later being after whom the high school at which i teach is named).
There are of course books about MBTI, and free paper tests contained therein (but then of course you'd have to buy the book).
So enough. Below is the poll. If you know, tell us who you are. And perhaps add a comment if you think it is relevant? If you are a mixed type (as you can be on any one dimension) you may need to add a comment.
Oh, and since there are only 15 choices, and I have to provide for 16 types plus being mixed, I have made two combined choices, INTP/INTJ and INFP/INFJ - that's because each of these choices is supposed to be only about 1% of the population. If you are one of these, you may also need to explain in a comment.