In light of a lot of tension around here lately and it being a fairly boring Friday night (for me anyway), I thought it would be a fun idea to take a break and take a personality test. These topics come up once in awhile around here and I figured now would be a good time to get the pulse of the community. The test, as I'm sure many of you are already of aware of, is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It has four dichotomies or preferences, which are described as:
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).
As these are preferences, of course people are not going to be 100% one or the other. It simply means that you tend to use one preference over the other with varying degrees. In other words, people are most comfortable in the preferred preferences. One of the common mistakes that people make is equating preferences with their more common meaning. For example, having a higher preference for introversion does not necessarily mean that person is quiet or shy. The same applies for the other preferences as well.
I've taken the (unofficial) test several times and I always get the same result, although the degrees will vary to some extent. My result is ENFJ (E-33, N-88, F-25, J-78). My highest preferences are always N and J, as you can see. Based on what I know about the type, I think it fits me well. It is shared with only 2-5% of the population, and apparently it is even rarer to be a male with this type. The ENFJ-type correlates with the Teacher:
Teachers are introspective, cooperative, directive, and expressive. They tend to look for the best and to expect it from those around them. Teachers communicate a belief that everyone has the potential to succeed, and Teachers often seek to help others express this inner potential. In doing so, they may motivate others to meet the Teacher's positive expectations.[2] However, Teachers may unintentionally overpower others with their idealized vision.[1]:151
Teachers tend to be organized and like to have things settled. They usually plan their work hours and social engagements in advance and can be trusted to honor their commitments. Yet Teachers also use their creativity to invent engaging activities with little planning. Teachers gravitate more toward educational leadership than social leadership. Their primary interest is in personal growth.[1]:150
Teachers generally have a clear understanding what is going on inside themselves, and their intuition gives them insight into the feelings of others. However, they tend to be less skilled at logical decision-making, and may do well to seek the advice of a Thinking type.[1]:151 Teachers often mirror the beliefs, characteristics, and emotions of those they interact with to generate rapport. This helps them develop a sense of connection with the joys and problems of others.[2] However, they can become overly involved in other people's concerns, which can leave Teachers feeling overwhelmed.[1]:150
Teachers consider people their highest priority, and their communication often asserts a personal concern and willingness to help. Warm and outgoing, Teachers value harmonious relations and interpersonal communication. They are generally tolerant of others and easy to get along with. They are enthusiastic and unusually expressive. They tend to have strong language skills, which enhance Teachers' influence in groups. Teachers are good at face-to face communication and don't hesitate to share their feelings, beliefs, and ideas. Teachers can become charismatic public speakers and are often asked to assume leadership roles.
Take the test and
look up your type.
Unfortunately, we only have 15 poll options for 16 types, so two get lumped together. I do know that that poll here will be radically different compared with the general population. I tried to put together two types I think are probably rarer here.