People’s personalities reveal diversity in the way we interact within nearly every aspect of life, which is why knowing your own can be both an important task and a lifelong skill.  The Myers-Briggs personality test has characterized much of the way people view personality and many work places utilize it to help determine placement and team building.

This test is meant to be short, taking roughly 12 minutes.  It works best to answer as honestly as possible.  If you don’t already know your Meyers-Briggs personality type, try clicking the link below to find out:

https://www.16personalities.com/free-personality-test

Finding more research about the 16 varied personality types and some history behind each one can be enlightening and informative.  Your result may be moldable over time; however, by looking into the strengths and weaknesses of the traits you value, many of the quirks and mindsets of your nature will begin to make sense.  Moreover, understanding how those around you perceive relationships and the world opens doors of understanding within communities.

The Myers-Briggs test uses the following two sets of traits:

ENTJ: extraversion (E), intuition (N), thinking (T), judging (J)

ISFP: introversion (I), sensing (S), feeling (F), perceiving (P)

By utilizing subconsciously directive questioning, Myers-Briggs isolates the values of the individuals tested.  People often identify on the edge of two types, but overall it effectively describes various schools of thought.  Below, the 16 personalities are briefly summarized:

Analysts & Rationalists

INTJ, “The Architect”: planners, intuitive thinkers, and strategizers.  INTJ’s make up only 2% of the population and are rarely women.  They are generally go-getters and intellectuals, never acting on emotion.  Some famous ones include Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vladimir Putin.

INTP, “The Logician”: scientists, creators, and theorists.  INTP’s make up 3% of the population.  They often look for provable patterns and solving problems.  Some famous ones include Bill Gates, Kristen Stewart, and Albert Einstein.

ENTJ, “The Commander”: efficient, energetic, and self-confident.  They are goal-focused, rational, and often times do best in commanding leadership positions.  Famous ones include Steve Jobs, FDR, and Julius Caesar.

ENTP, “The Debater”: outgoing, argumentative, and honest.  They are smart and love to win arguments, sometimes willing to step on people’s toes to do so.  Their brains are quick-moving and can be impatient.  Famous ones include Thomas Edison, Robert Downey Jr., and “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Diplomats & Idealists

INFJ, “The Advocate”:  helpers, dreamers, and idealists.  They dream of making a significant positive influence and rarely let obstacles stop them. INFJ’s are very rare; making up less than 1% of the world.  They easily connect with other people and are known as warm, but need to be alone often.  Famous ones include Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa, and Nelson Mandela.

INFP, “The Mediator”:  optimists, idealists, and reserved poets.  Their thoughts are complex and inspired; however, they enjoy keeping to themselves.  INFP’s make up 4% of the world.  They are value-centered and keep a few intentional, close friendships.  Famous ones include William Shakespeare, J.R.R. Tolkien, and Julia Roberts.

ENFJ, “The Protagonist”: charming, passionate, and confidently inspiring.  They enjoy guiding other people and rallying positive impacts, often working in political, coaching, and teaching positions.  ENFJs make up 2% of the world.  Famous ones include Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Jennifer Lawrence.

ENFP, “The Campaigner”: free spirits, value-centered, and caring.  They form relationships easily and can engage from an intellectual level to a fun level.  ENFPs make up 7% of the world.  Oftentimes, ENFPs see the world as a complex idea to be solved.  Famous ones include Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, and Walt Disney.  I test as an ENFP.

Sentinels and Guardians

ISTJ, “The Inspector”: reliable, trustworthy, logical, and protective.  They act loyally and consistently, valuing close relationships and stability, often maintaining some of the highest GPA’s.  ISTJ’s are known as ones who like to play by the rules and make up about 12% of the population.  Some famous ones include George Washington, Warren Buffet, and JD Rockefeller.

ISFJ, “The Defender”: practical, cooperative, rule-honoring, and loyal. Having access to empathy, they are oftentimes known as shy, consistent, and trustworthy. ISFJ’s make up about 7% of the world.  Some famous ones include Beyonce, Kate Middleton, and Mitt Romney.

ESTJ, “The Executive”: dedicated, tradition-honoring leaders.  They are known to be forthright and outgoing, but they also revere family connections and loyalty above almost anything else.  ESTJs oftentimes become politicians because they’re organized, goal-oriented, and subscribe to a specific ideology. Famous ones include Hillary Clinton, Frank Sinatra, and Judge Judy.

ESFJ, “The Provider”: scheduling, organizing, and giving.  They love routine and organization, but in combination with their interest for a social life, they tend to be the jocks and cheerleaders. ESFJ’s take words of affirmation seriously and make up about 12% of the world. Famous ones include Bill Clinton, Taylor Swift, and J Lo.

Artisans and Entertainers

ISTP, “The Virtuoso”: kinesthetic, mechanical, and creative.  These are the simple, permissive, yet loyal people who could spend hours in their space building and creating.  ISTPs make up about 5% of the population and are rarely women.  Famous ones include Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, and Michael Jordan.

ISFP, “The Adventurer”: down to earth, artistic, and observing.  They love to experiment and form new ideas, which makes them push the envelope of normal.  ISFPs love to “live in the moment” and “go with the flow,” and therefore can be seen as a bit extreme to more rule following personality types.  Famous ones include Avril Lavigne, Michael Jackson, and Kevin Costner.

ESTP, “The Entrepreneur”: energetic, performing, and adaptable.  They have a knack for finding their way into being the center of attention and living on the edge.  Rules often go out the back door for ESTPs, which makes them easy to misjudge.  Underneath the performance is a highly sensitive, passionate, compartmentally rational individual.  Famous ones include Madonna, Ernest Hemingway, and Donald Trump.

ESFP, “The Entertainer”: encouraging, confident, and charming.  They were born to perform, but have an extremely sensitive, observational side under all the bells and whistles, making them loyal friends.  They often act for the pleasure of the moment and may not be the best advice givers, however, they will be extremely receptive to the immediate needs of those around them.  Famous ones include Adele, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Katy Perry.

Keep in mind that this test is self-reported, and can often be a reflection of what the individual sees in him/herself.  People oftentimes waver between two types, which is normal and echoes complexly. Nevertheless, the Myers-Briggs test effectively categorizes the vastly varied schools of thought as they present themselves in any community.  Scientifically perfect or not, it helps people assess their unique personality and what relationships and careers will be fulfilling for them.

Another positive aspect of getting to know one’s personality type is assessing weaknesses and strengths.  Knowing the most important part of your own personality can help you be aware of what there is to work on.  All of the personalities have distinct strengths and weaknesses and playing up both can be helpful in the workplace.

In the workforce, stereotyping people based on personalities has led to some controversy because personalities are bound to change and don’t necessarily reflect quality of credentials.  Nevertheless, distinct correlations exist between certain personality types and average employment and income rates.

According to TIME magazine, rationalists and specifically ENTJs, aka “The Commander,” make the most income at an average of $80,000 per home.  Some of the lowest annual salaries are the more ideological, sensitive, and shy types like INFPs at an average of $60,000 per home.  This is not to say that outliers can’t exist– they do all the time; however, an interesting parallel between the manner in which people interact with the world frequently impacts something as trivial as income.

Money aside, the reason your personality impacts the future aligns more with interest and what makes you tick.  If working with and talking about people interests you like it does for an ENFP, then connections and future goals will be successful when taken into this context.  Similarly, INTJs require structure and would be best suited in an intellectual, left-brained career.

Taking these personality types into account, you will be able to get to know some of the ins and outs of your own personality with more sense and discernment.  Much of the reason that Jung’s theories and the Myers-Briggs personality test are so successful is their relatability– people can identify with the 16 personalities and put a label on what makes them unique.

Sources:

“Discover Your Personality Type.” Personality Central. Personalitycentral.com, 2015. Web. 23 Mar. 2016. <http://www.personality-central.com/>.

“Myers-Briggs Type Indicator | MBTI.” – Knowledge Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.

Roy, Jessica. “This Is How Much Money You’ll Make Based on Your Personality | TIME.com.” NewsFeed This Is How Much Money Youll Make Based on Your Personality Comments. TIMES Infographics, 06 Nov. 2013. Web. 25 Mar. 2016.

“16 Personalities: It’s so Incredible to Finally Be Understood.”” Free Personality Test, Type Descriptions, Relationship and Career Advice. NERIS Analytics Limited, 2011-2016. Web. 27 Mar. 2016.