The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is one of the most recognized personality theories in the world. Millions of people use it to learn more about themselves, navigate relationships, and steer their pursuits and careers. Even so, even people who have taken the MBTI may wonder, what is MBTI? Is it valid? What do all those letters mean? This article will attempt to answer these questions, plus give you a more in-depth understanding of the MBTI universe.

What is MBTI?

At its most basic level, MBTI is a personality assessment designed to identify how people like to perceive the world, and how they make choices. It was created in the early 1940’s by Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. Their goal was quite practical—to help women find meaningful work. They believed that the better women understood their personalities, the more likely they would be to find work they could be satisfied with.

The MBTI draws from the psychological theories of Carl Jung, who argued that people have natural preferences for both their experiences of life and how they arrive at their information. The MBTI works off a questionnaire to identify individuals’ preferences, thus creating 16 unique personality profiles based upon four different dimensions of “types.” Understanding these preferences can help people understand their strengths, weaknesses, and ways of interacting and relating with other individuals.

MBTI has Four Dimensions

Your MBTI type consists of four letters, with each letter representing a preference in one of the four pairs of opposites:

1. Extraversion (E) vs. Introversion (I)

Extraversion (E): You get your energy from the outside world, and from other people. You have a preference for being engaging, talkative, and enthusiastic. You enjoy being active, and are stimulated by being with others in social situations.

Introversion (I): You draw your energy from time alone, or from quiet settings. You are, as a natural preference, more private, reserved, and thoughtful. You prefer to engage in deep, meaningful conversations where everyone is engaged, and may find small talk tiresome or exhausting.

2. Sensing (S) vs. Intuition (N)

Sensing (S): You are focused in the moment on facts, details, and concrete information. You prefer to trust your five senses using the five elements of touch, taste, sight, sound, and small. You like to take a practical, matter of fact approach.

Intuition (N): You prefer to hear patterns, possibilities, bigger picture ideas. You enjoy time thinking about possibilities, abstract theories, innovative ideas, and concepts.

3. Thinking (T) vs. Feeling (F)

Thinking (T): You make decisions with emphasis on logic, objectivity, and fairness. You value truth and consistency and make decisions with reason and think about problems rationally.

Feeling (F): You make choices based on personal values and how your choices might impact others. You are empathetic, you are compassionate, and you value harmony.

4. Judging (J) vs. Perceiving (P)

Judging (J): You prefer structure, planning, and a sense of order. You like having made decisions and you appreciate predictability and schedules.

Perceiving (P): You prefer flexibility, spontaneity, and keeping your options open. You enjoy reacting to new information and dislike rigidity in planned activities.

How Does MBTI Work in Real Life?

Through these four letters (i.e., E/I, S/N, T/F, J/P) apply within each of the character facets, you create 16 personality types (i.e., INFP, ESTJ, or ENTP) – each describing a different approach to engaging with the world, processing information, and making decisions. An INFJ type might identify as ideological, introspective, and values driven; whereas, an ESTP type may be characterized as energetic, pragmatic, and hands-on.

Understanding your MBTI type helps you better understand your behavior and communication, as well as your desire for certain characteristics in a person’s career role. For example, the ISFP type may be more drawn to artistic careers where, the ISFP prefers behind the scenes work roles, and the ENTJ was drawn into leadership roles and strategic planing roles.

What MBTI Actually Measures?

MBTI measures preference in terms of how you take in the world and make decisions. MBTI does not measure skill, intelligence, or mental health. MBTI is simply a guideline for understanding our strengths, and preference in terms of how we naturally operate.

• MBTI is not about ability and intelligence.
• It does not predict the future, or success.
• Don’t put MBTI types into boxes to put limits on yourself, they are a tool for self-awareness.
• You may have attributes of all types, but generally, you prefer one side of each dichotomy.

Common Misunderstandings About The MBTI

• MBTI identifies behavior: The MBTI is about preferences, not behaviors. While people may act in a way that corresponds to their type, they can and do act outside their type.
• MBTI is not a definitive test: It is a tool for gaining insight into yourself, it is not a diagnostic instrument.
• Type X is better than Type Y: All types have strengths and weaknesses; diversity is valuable.

What’s the Fifth Letter in MBTI?

While MBTI traditionally assesses personality types based on four letters, current versions utilize a fifth letter to incorporate aspects such as confidence or emotional stability. A fifth letter in MBTI is sometimes used, such as “A” for Assertive or “T” for Turbulent, particularly in online quizzes related to MBTI or other forms of personality systems.

These sorts of five-letter extensions are just attempts to clarify another dimension to the typology, but they aren’t a part of the traditional MBTI. The official MBTI maintains its type based on four letters.

How to Find Your MBTI type?

Finding your MBTI type generally begins with a questionnaire or inventory. A valid MBTI comes from a predictive assessment administered by representatives and gives a very precise, detailed explanation of results and recommendations. Fortunately, many free and online versions of questionnaires provide an estimated guess as to your personality type.

In addition to MBTI questionnaires, self-reflection can contribute to your discovery of your personality type. Ask yourself questions about where you gain energy from – other people, or solitude? Does go into more detail about the details when presented with big picture ideas? When making decisions do logic or feelings drive you? Would you prefer planning for structure, or a flexible approach? If you take time to reflect on the answers to the above questions along with your questionnaire results, you can arrive at your true personality type.

Where Can You Get the MBTI?

You can obtain official MBTI assessments from certified organizations such as The Myers & Briggs Foundation and licensed couselors or psychologists, and some career counselling or development centres are offering the MBTI as a component of professional development services.

There are plenty of free quizzes available online, but they’re not all good quality. Some rely on easy, simplified questions, and the questions are often unvalidated for research purposes. If you are looking for serious reflection on this or if you want to use it professionally, then you should take the official MBTI.

Is MBTI a Science or Just a Personality Trend?

The scientific community is divided about MBTI. Some professional commentators are critical of its too-simple typology or that MBTI is indefensible in terms of reliability and validity. Reliability means whether a person gets similar results from taking the test multiple times. Reliability assessments have shown that this is sometimes not the case for the MBTI. Validity describes whether responses on the MBTI would predict behaviour. In this domain, MBTI comparisons to something like Big Five personality traits show MBTI holds no current comparable value to other models.

For all of the planning and reservations that are written about MBTI, people still prefer MBTI because it’s easy to follow and useful for developing frameworks in communication and awareness of themselves and others. MBTI does not claim to be an accurate scientific tool; it claims to be a common way of thinking about humans differences.

Can Your MBTI Change Over Time?

Personality is not static. Many people have stable core preferences, but your life experiences, maturity and personal growth may influence how much you identify with those preferences. For example, many people become more introverted or conscientious as they age. Thus, it is indeed possible to have taken an MBTI assessment years apart and identified as different types. This reflects development rather than a limitation with the tests.

What’s the Most Common and Rarest MBTI Types?

Some types are simply more common than others. ISFJ, ESFJ and ISTJ. are considered to be the most common types, and tend to associate with practical, detail-oriented approaches to behaviours. INFJ and INTJ are relatively rare types, representing a portion of the population. Cultural and gender factors also determine distributions of types in society. For instance, some types may be more commonly found in certain occupations or geographical areas.

MBTI and Relationships: Are Certain Types More Compatible?

Many users want to explore compatibility with their own and their partner’s MBTI types. There are no guarantees that certain types will always get along, but there is some usefulness in understanding the differences in preferences of personality styles. Its possible for two types that are opposite to successfully become “complementary types” which means that the two types have strengths and weaknesses, and will balance each other in a couple. Couples that exhibit similar personalities may share values, but will also communicate in a similar manner.

For example, an extroverted, organized person may balance the social and structured energy of an introverted, spontaneous partner. Healthy relationships are based on mutual respect and communication, not type.

How to Guess Someone’s MBTI?

It can be tempting to type others but it can be difficult. The best way to guess someone’s MBTI is to observe their behaviors and preferences, and when applicable, ask directly about their preferences. For example, do you notice if the person prefers socializing to time alone, if they focus on concrete details or the bigger ideas, or what decision making strategy they use.

With that being said, typing others carries the risk of oversimplifying, so it may be best to use it as a fun insight rather than definitive judgment.

Why Is MBTI So Popular?

Basically, it is due to its simplicity and general positivity. While many personality assessments can come off as clinical or judgemental, MBTI does the opposite and highlights strengths and preferences. MBTI won’t label you as “good” or “bad” or good compared to someone else. MBTI personality types are easy to understand in their four-letter type, allowing everyone to engage with MBTI regardless of their identity.

More importantly, MBTI can be applied in meaningful ways to teams in workplaces, learning styles in our schools, and development as individuals. It facilitates appreciation of differences by instilling empathy.

Some Considerations and Limitations

Like many good and useful things, with limitations. Even though MBTI is not without its benefits, we must recognize that it simplifies the complexities of human personality into 16 types. It is a personality assessment that measures personality preference, not ability, intelligence, or mental health.

MBTI can, at times, feel confining when we rigidly rely on the assessment and not what it represents. As a summary, take MBTI for what is is: a way to reflect upon yourself and experience growth; not a way to box yourself and others in.

MBTI and Pop Culture and Celebrities

MBTI types can also be pinned on celebrities and fictional characters. Examples include:

• Elon Musk is usually typed as INTJ because of his visionary and strategic qualities.
• Will Smith is often referred to as ENFP due to his energy and charisma.
• K-Pop stars like Stray Kids’ Hyunjin and Felix have MBTI types publicly shared and talked about among fans as one of the many positive developments regarding the popularity of personality in entertainment circles.

Celebrity MBTI Types: Fact or Fiction?

It is easy to label our favourite public figures or fictional characters with personality types based on how they present themselves, but the reality is that most of our types are educated guesses rather than actual assessments.

Unless someone publicly takes and posts their own MBTI, we can only interpret behaviours and public personas, since we can’t access their lived experiences. A person might be expressing extreme extroversion and energy, but in private be a highly-motivated introvert.

So while it is entertaining to think about your favourite fictional villain as an INTJ or favourite pop star as an ENFP, they are only an educated guess, not a statement of value or personal identity- because ultimately they are mildly amusing and contribute not to psychological value, but entertainment.

Fun Facts about MBTI

• INTJs are commonly referred to as “Masterminds.” Thanks to their strategic, logical way of thinking, they are regarded as long-term planners and independent thinkers.
• Most countries utilize MBTI. With more than two million people taking part in MBTI each year, it has been translated into thirty languages and is commonly used throughout the world.
• ENTPs are called “Debaters” and they love a good debate. They may argue simply for the sake of discussing an opposite idea, even though they may not disagree. They simply enjoy going around and talking about various perspectives (which may annoy everyone still).
• ISFPs are casual rebels. They may appear relaxed, mellow, and ashamed but don’t get it confused with being bland. They lead a life of deception where they break rules, challenge norms, and abide by their own moral code.

Conclusion

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator lets us take an incredible look into our personality. Whether you want to learn about yourself, be a better communicator, or find a career that aligns with your preferences, MBTI can be a helpful milestone.

If you are interested in taking it a step deeper, take an official assessment, think through and clarify your preferences, and understand your future relationships and personal development based on it. Understanding your personality is a process, not a destination.