Basics of Personality Type

Of course each person is a unique combination of spirit, genetics, and experiences. We are influenced by our family, culture, and time in history. Each person is an individual; one of a kind. Within that uniqueness is a sense of commonality. How do you make decisions, input information, use your abilities, and deal with the world?

Good Places to Learn About Personality Type

Personality Theory is based of the work of the psychiatrist Carl Jung. He published Psychological Types in 1921. (Heavy reading and mainly theory not application.)

Katharine Briggs and her daughter, Isabel Briggs Myers applied Jung's theories in the mid 1940's to fulfill the need to quick, accurate job placement during WWII. They are considered the pioneers of personality type measurement. Their work is the basis for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator which is used widely today to place people in jobs where they can be the most successful.  

Isabel Briggs Myers built upon her mother's insights about Jung's work to publish the classic book on personality type with her son Peter B. Myers. Very insightful and positive. Worth reading. 

Gifts Differing - Understanding Personality Type by Isabel Briggs Myers

Comparison of Introverted and Extroverted Functions

This is a comparison of each preference: Intuition, Feeling, Thinking, and Sensing manifests itself when it is used in the internal world of thought (introversion) or in the outside physical world (extoversion).


INTROVERTED INTUITION EXTROVERTED INTUITION

situation helps understanding                            inner understanding to help situation
(examples illustrate)

Being Me an INFJ

Advantages of Being Me!

(I wrote this as kind of my mission statement. I've had a  lifetime of feeling I was inferior because I couldn't spell or do math well, or remember name and dates easily. Now I'm trying to recognize and share the unique talents I have as an INFJ - Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judging woman. I am trying to develop a more positive view of myself. I am looking at my strengths instead of just my weaknesses.)

NF Intuitive Temperment

Blue Type- NF  Intuitive Feeling Personality Type
The strengths, weakness of an NF and what stresses and energizes this type of person.

Desires - to influence others - to lead significant lives
Values - people and personal relationships; relates individually
Characteristics - empathetic, appreciative (also strong needs), warm, enthusiastic, good listener

Introversion

Intuition function can be used in the inner world of thought (introverted) or used in the physical world (extroverted). This chart shows a dominate intuitive who naturally intoverts intuition. It also shows the consequences when intoversion is used in an unnatural way for that type. I made this to remind me, a dominate introverted intuitive INFJ, to be myself.  If extroverting intuition is natural for you then you would not have the negative consequences.  Instead, introverting Intuition would cause you stress and not fully use your abilities.

ESFJ Extroverted Sensing Feeling Judging

ESFJ      13% of population  Extroverted Sensing with Feeling

Facilitator Caretaker, The Provider, Hosts and Hostesses of the World; Traditionalist, Stabilizer, Consolidator;  uses extroverted feeling to deal with the world supported by introverted sensing

goals provide/ensure physical needs of others are met; comfort of others, help others

Talents supportive of others, social, warm, caring, friendly, emphatic, patient, steady, common sense, clear-eyed realism, love of life, know how to listen, laugh, forgive, and bringing out the best in

ISTJ Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging Character

ISTJ    10% of population   Introverted Sensing with Thinking

Relating
administrator; help others by checking to see if following rules and procedures patriarchal
firm and consistent
teach basic home skills not play
work on own; silent; reserved

ISFP Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceptive

Introverted Feeling Supported by Sensing  (ISFP)  about 6% of population

• See the realities--the needs of the moment-- and try to meet them.  
• Satisfaction doing things that involve discrimination, and a sense of beauty and proportion.  They excel in craftsmanship.  
• Special love of nature
• Sympathy for animals.  

NFP Strengths and Weaknesses

NFP

5% of population      Intuition is the preferred mode to deal with world
Possible areas of trouble or weakness for that characteristic

• flexible, adaptable, tolerant, spontaneous, curious, zest for experience, imaginative, original, independent, open minded, open to inspiration
• trouble dealing with details
• trouble remembering names, faces, dates, appointments, etc,

INFJ Personality and Stress

Intoverted Dominate Intuition (greatest strength) This is my personality. All functions (feeling, intuition etc) can either be used in the inner world of thought (intoverted) or the outer physical world. This is how an INFJ uses abilities.

Dominate- Intuition   Introverted   Ni

best in inner world of spontaneous thought
has faith; trusts inner vision; intuition
Very creative- seeks and makes
     new connections and relationships
originate own patterns, insights

INFJ Coping with Stress

This is a plan I wrote for myself (an INFJ) to help me deal with stress.

If Stressed 
balancing- use my gifts in a natural ways for me
Ni - learn, create relationships and patterns
with Fe- meaning; help people grow, value based decision making; communication
with Ti - analyzes, solves problems; simplifies (needs quiet time alone)
with Se - input and enjoyment of surroundings; supports Ni (intoverted intuition)

S is sensing; T thinking; N intuition, F feeling; small e or i intoverted function; large E or I extroverted function

Sensing Perceiving SP Temperment

portrait of an ISTP  Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceptive about 5% of population

Characteristics
intensive, LIMITED CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS, TERRITORIALITY, CONCENTRATION
realistic, actual, utility, practicality, sensible
objective, laws, impersonal, justice, standards, analysis
flexible, adapt as you go, let life happen, open options, something will turn up, there’s plenty of  time; let’s wait and see

ISTP Characteristics

portrait of an ISTP  Introverted Sensing Thinking Perceptive about 5% of population

Characteristics
intensive, LIMITED CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS, TERRITORIALITY, CONCENTRATION
realistic, actual, utility, practicality, sensible
objective, laws, impersonal, justice, standards, analysis
flexible, adapt as you go, let life happen, open options, something will turn up, there’s plenty of  time; let’s wait and see

ESTP and ISTJ Comparied

This shows the difference with the same characteristics when they are used in different ways.

ESTP uses their perceptive ability (sensing) with the physical world and their thinking ability in the world of thought.

ISTJ uses their judging ability (thinking) with the physical world and their sensing ability in the world of of thought.

This is how these differences affect their behavior.


 ESTP ISTJ
Optimistic Pessimistic
Fraternal           Parental
Spends Saves
Insubordinate Obedient

Intuitive Feeling Types INFP, ENFP, ENFJ, INFJ

INFP and ENFP (lesser extent ENFJ and INFJ)
Intutive Feeling people either Introverted or Extroverted types have some characteristics in common.

• most right brained
• creative, conceptional, intuitive - think great thoughts, lost in thought, daydreamer
• processors of information– idea producers of society
• not detail oriented- integrative, holistic
• interested in ideas -  enthusiasticly sharing ideas or bored; may interrupt to express an idea; enjoys relating concerning ideas instead of practical matters or the physical tangible; will defend and express ideas that believe in

INFJ Introverted Intuitive Feeling Judging

INFJ    The Individualist; The Counselor; The Author;
Catalysts for Positive Change; rarest of all types  less than 1% of population

Abilities
getting whole picture easily gives ability to:
perceive others will, intelligence, feelings; empathic
see implications; predict future
receptive to inspiration (use mainly to help people grow)
understand complex concepts
see possibilities especially in people
see connections, relationships, and analyze;

Personality Type Code

I  = introvert  - you use your greatest strength in the inner world of thought
E = extravert - you use your greatest strength in the outer physical world

S = sensing - you prefer to gather information through your senses; touch , smell,
                     sight, hearing
N = intuition - you prefer to gather information through your sense of intiution;
                        feelings, thoughts

F = feeling - you prefer to make decisions based on values
T = thinking - you prefer to make decisions based on values

J = judging - you prefer to use your judging function (thinking or feeling)
                     with the outside world
P = perceptive - you prefer use your perceptive function (sensing or intuition)
                          with the outside world