Myers Briggs Type Indicator
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a widely used psychological assessment designed to help individuals understand their personality preferences and how they interact with the world. Based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types, the MBTI categorizes people into 16 distinct personality types across four dichotomies:
- Extraversion vs. Introversion,
- Sensing vs. Intuition,
- Thinking vs. Feeling, and
- Judging vs. Perceiving.
By identifying where you fall within these categories, the MBTI aims to provide insights into your natural tendencies, strengths, and potential areas for growth, ultimately fostering better self-awareness and more effective communication with others.
The Barnum Effect
The Barnum Effect on the other hand, is a cognitive bias where people believe vague, general statements about themselves are highly accurate and uniquely descriptive of themselves.
Named after the famous showman P.T. Barnum (made famous in the movie “The Greatest Showman”), the Barnum Effect explains why people might find personal horoscopes, personality descriptions, or fortune-telling surprisingly convincing. The Barnum Effect highlights how general statements can be interpreted as being uniquely specific to us as a person.
It shows our tendency as human beings to seek personal validation in open or general feedback.
Myers Briggs versus the Barnum Effect
So you can see that in getting a “personality assessment” or profile such as Myers Briggs Type Indicator, we might just be projecting our own personality onto the vague or general descriptions provided. But as long as we know that – let’s have some fun and get our own MBTI personality type!
Choose a single letter from each section to get four letters in total, then find your personality type at the bottom.
Introvert or Extrovert?
Select I or E – which ever you are MOST like:
- Introvert: Reserved, private. Prefer slower time to communicate. Energized by time alone.
- Extrovert: Outwardly focused, Work and think out loud, with others. Energized by people.
Select S or N – which ever you are MOST like for “Taking In Information”.
- Sensing: Focus on reality, Facts and details, Practical applications, Make specific descriptions
- INtuition: Imagine possibilities of how things could be, Big picture, how things connect, Ideas and concepts.
Select T or F for how you “Take in Information”:
- Thinking: Impersonal, using logic, Value justice and fairness, Enjoy finding flaws in arguments
- Feeling: Decisions through personal values, Harmony and forgiveness, Warm and empathetic
Select J or P for how you view your “Outer Life”:
- Judging: Prefer matters to be settled, Rules and deadlines, Make plans, don’t like surprises
- Perceiving: Prefer to leave options open, Improvise and make things up as you go
Spontaneous
Now you should have a four letter combination, such as INTP or ESFJ. Find your combination below for your MBTI personality type!
ISTP – The Mechanic
Strengths: You can remain calm while managing a crisis, quickly deciding what needs to be done to solve the problem.
Development Areas: You’re focused so much on what needs to be done immediately that you fail to see the big picture.
Characteristics: Analytical, practical, realistic but also logical and adaptable.
ISFP – The Creative
Strengths: You’re a creative visionary who enjoys providing practical help or service to others, as well as facilitating and encouraging cooperation.
Development Areas: You sometimes put off making decisions, in the hope that a better opportunity will come along.
Characteristics: Cooperative, modest and adaptable and also gentle and loyal.
ESFP – The Performer
Strengths: You’re adaptable, friendly, and talkative. You enjoy working with others and experiencing new situations.
Development Areas: You have trouble meeting deadlines, and do not always finish what you start.
Characteristics: Tolerant and spontaneous as well as playful, enthusiastic and resourceful.
ESTP – The Doer
Strengths: You apply common sense and experience to problems, quickly analyzing what is wrong and then fixing it.
Development Areas: Being so focused on immediate problems may lead to you ignoring long-term systematic problems.
Characteristics: Analytical, outgoing and enthusiastic as well as logical.
ISTP – The Duty Fulfiller
Strengths: You enjoy working within clear systems and processes.
Development Areas: You can become set in your ways and can sometimes be seen as rigid and impersonal.
Characteristics: Thorough, conscientious, realistic but also systematic and reserved.
ISFJ – The Nurturer
Strengths: You apply common sense and experience to solving problems for other people.
Development Areas: You may be overly cautious, and risk basing your decisions on what you think will please others.
Characteristics: Organized, practical and patient, but also dependable and loyal.
ESTJ – The Director
Strengths: You drive yourself to reach your goal, organizing people and resources in order to achieve it.
Development Areas: You tend to be so focused on the objective pursuit of your goal that you ignore the ideas or feelings of others.
Characteristics: Responsible and efficient but can also be assertive as well as logical and realistic.
ESFJ – The Caregiver
Strengths: You’re sociable and outgoing, understanding what others need and express appreciation for their efforts.
Development Areas: You are overly influenced by what you think others want, and may find it difficult to adjust plans in response to unexpected opportunities.
Characteristics: Warm and appreciative as well as outgoing and supportive.
INFJ – The Protector
Strengths: You enjoy finding a shared vision for everyone, inspiring others and devising new ways to achieve the vision.
Development Areas: You’re private and may do your thinking in a vacuum, resulting in an unrealistic vision that is difficult to communicate.
Characteristics: Compassionate, idealistic as well as imaginative and visionary.
INFP – The Idealist
Strengths: You enjoy helping others with their growth and inner development to reach their full potential.
Development Areas: You struggle to speak up in meetings, leading others to believe you have nothing to contribute.
Characteristics: Flexible, spontaneous as well as reflective and contained.
ENFJ – The Giver
Strengths: You’re able to get the most out of teams by working closely with them, and make decisions that take into account the values of others.
Development Areas: You often talk a lot, and may become discouraged if you do not receive a lot of feedback from others.
Characteristics: Warm, collaborative and supportive and organized.
ENFP – The Inspirer
Strengths: You’re willing to consider almost any possibility and often develop multiple solutions to a problem.
Development Areas: You may not follow through on decisions or projects, and risk burning out from over-committing or following every possibility.
Characteristics: Friendly and expressive as well as innovative and energetic.
INTJ – The Architect
Strengths: You’re able to define a compelling, long-range vision, and can devise innovative solutions to complex problems.
Development Areas: You may come across as cold and distant when focusing on the task in hand.
Characteristics: Strategic and conceptual as well as innovative, independent and logical.
INTP – The Thinker
Strengths: You can adopt a detached and concise way of analyzing the world, and often uncover innovative approaches.
Development Areas: You may struggle to work in teams, especially with others who you perceive to be illogical or insufficiently task-focused.
Characteristics: Independent and detached, as well as skeptical and innovative.
ENTJ – The Executive
Strengths: You’re able to efficiently organize people and resources in order to accomplish long-term goals.
Development Areas: You may overlook the contributions of others and the needs of the people who implement your plans.
Characteristics: Structured and challenging, they also tend to be strategic and questioning.
ENTP – The Visionary
Strengths: You enjoy developing strategy and often spot and capitalize on new opportunities that present themselves.
Development Areas: You avoid making decisions and may become excited about ideas that are not feasible because of constraints on time or resources.
Characteristics: Emergent and theoretical as well as imaginative and challenging.
You can see what people are saying about David McLachlan here: REVIEWS
Navigate to Free Project Management and Leadership Articles through the links on the right (or at the bottom if on Mobile)
