what is your personality type?

The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (or MBTI) test divides us into a total of 16 temperament types. How we make decisions, how we act, how willing we are to compromise and how charismatic we are… all of this plays into and influences our personality. But what exactly is behind it? We will explain the different types that exist, where the test is often used and what the letter combinations consist of.

It should first be noted that the MBTI was born from the work in analytical psychology of the American Isabel Briggs Myers (1897-1979). This psychological test is performed by around 2 million people around the world every year. It aims to improve personal and professional relationships, increase productivity and identify leadership and communication preferences.

What is the Myers Briggs test?

Originally, the psychological profile theory dates back to the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung and was taken up by Katherine Cook Briggs (American theorist in psychology) and Isabel Briggs Myers (his daughter, American psychologist). Together, they created the MBTI Personality Test and made this questionnaire commercially available.

In line with this work, the test was then developed by the American psychologist David West Keirsey and made available free of charge. It has become a very useful tool, especially in the professional context. Today, the Myers Briggs test is often used in human resources (especially in the United States). It is used around the world, among a variety of psychological tests, in job interviews, teamwork, coaching and job criteria.

What is the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) used for?

The MBTI is very useful in personal development, in self-knowledge, professional orientation or even team management. However, it is not suitable for “selection”, because it does not allow two people to be compared. It is a simple indicator, which possibly allows if the personality of a person lends itself to such or such function in a professional framework. Many schools also use it for their guidance advice. The MBTI test describes the personality in a dynamic and detailed way, with a simple language allowing to give a name to elusive phenomena.

How does the MBTI test work?

There are a number of questions that must be answered for the test. The result is a combination of letters, each of which has a meaning. These letters are made up of the following four categories, each with two opposing characteristics, by which one is judged. Important: there are no good or bad results, this is a simple assessment and it simply reflects different personalities.

The MBTI test starts from the observation that the human mind has four basic psychological functions, each of these functions offering two preferences:
– Orientation of energy (“Where do you get your energy from?”): Extraversion versus Introversion
– Information gathering (“How do you collect information?”): Sensation versus Intuition
– Decision making (“How do you make your decisions?”): Thinking versus Feeling
– Mode of action (“What is your preferred mode of action?”): Judgment versus Perception

Once the questionnaire is completed, we get his profile, and the letters that are closest to his personality. We just have to look in detail at what this means.

>> To learn more, it is advisable to buy the book Understanding Personality Types by Isabel briggs Myers and Peter Myers (available on Amazon for example).

The 4 categories of the Myers Briggs test:

Introvert vs extrovert (I / E) = introvert vs extrovert
Here a distinction is made between extrovert i.e. open, sociable, team oriented. And introverted, that is to say closed, sensitive and more of the solo player type.

Intuition vs. Sensation (N / S) = intuition vs. sensation
The category answers the question is someone intuitive, so they rely more on instinct, flair, or feel, therefore more realistic and detail-oriented?

Sentiment vs. Reflection (F / T) = Feeling vs. Reflection
This category shows how a person makes decisions. The feeling is suitable for someone who is more subjective and emotional. Reflection describes the thinker who acts in a more logical and rational way. You could say more Cartesian.

Judge vs. Perceive (J / P) = Judgment vs. Perception
This category is about strategies. How flexible and willing is someone to compromise? Judging describes someone who makes quick decisions and sticks to their decision. Perception describes someone who is more flexible and also willing to change their mind when they receive new information.

The 16 possible combinations for the MBTI test:

In each category, one is classified in one of two characteristics. The eight letters representing the properties (I / E, N / S, F / T and J / P) can be combined with each other in completely different ways. This then results in the 16 types of temperament, the following 16 personalities:

1. Idealists:
ENFJ: charming, lively and inspiring
INFJ: rather calm, but still very idealistic and inspiring, but focused
INFP: friendly, helpful, sensitive and altruistic
ENFP: confident, positive, enthusiastic, creative

2. Artists:
IS P : smart, energetic, adventurous
ISTP: direct, open, thoughtful, practical
ESFP: spontaneous, enthusiastic, energetic
ISFP: warm, sympathetic, attentive, ready to compromise

3. Rationalists:
ENTJ: organized, efficient, idiosyncratic, imaginative
INTJ: confident, positive, enthusiastic, creative, intelligent, planner, strategic, perfectionist
ENTP: brave, intelligent, creative, enthusiastic
INTP: Thirsty for knowledge, independent, very good problem solver. The INTP is also called “the architect”.

4. Goalies:
ESTJ: realistic, clear, decisive, clear
ISTJ: practical, fact-driven, reliable,
ESFJ ambitious : helpful, caring, popular
ISFJ: devoted, warm, humble, focused

>> To learn more, it is advisable to buy the book Understanding Personality Types by Isabel briggs Myers and Peter Myers (available on Amazon for example).

The 4 categories of Keirsey:

It was David West Keirsey, in line with the work of Isabel Myers Briggs and her mother, who divided the sixteen personality types into four broad categories: artists, guardians, idealists and rationalists.

• Idealists: they are freedom-loving, need their opportunities to develop
• Artists: they have a busy mind, are free-thinkers and often want to undertake
• Rationalists: they are in control, they are rational and reliable (only 11 to 15% of the population)
• Guardians: they need rules and fixed structures, they are protective

And also: Test: Do you have a taste for risk?

How to interpret the MBTI test?

Each person has preferences in each of these functions and can therefore analyze their psychological profile. For example, it is established that the majority of women have the ISFJ profile (Introversion / Sensation / Sentiment / Judgment). This model, which helps us to understand the preferences of our brain, allows us to analyze our relationship to the world and to the family or professional environment, in order to understand or modify it.

It is also useful to know your profile to know that our reactions are not always the right ones and to take the time to ask yourself to think more about the situation and clarify your ideas before making a decision or responding to a request. or a question. Whether in the context of work (job offer, professional development, conflict with a colleague …) or in his private life.