Are you intuitive? Prospecting? Observant? Judging? Not sure? Learning your Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI, could help you find out.
Inspired by the works of Carl Gustav Jung, the father of analytical psychology, and his theories of introversion and extroversion, Katherine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers co-authored the MBTI personality indicator, which identifies four traits and combines them to determine your four-letter type.
“A different way to look at personalities is through the lens of a trait-based rather than a type-based model,” the 16 personalities website said. “Instead of creating an arbitrary number of categories and attempting to fit people within them, a trait-based model simply studies the degree to which people exhibit certain traits.”
The personality types are broken down by four aspects: mind, energy, nature and tactics.
Mind can be introverted (I) or extroverted (E). Energy can be observant (S) or intuitive (N). Nature can be thinking (T) or feeling (F). Tactics can be judging (J) or prospecting (P).
A survey was sent out in Schoology asking students to take a test to find their MBTI and explain what they felt was accurate or inaccurate.
“I think the MBTI is really accurate, for me at least,” sophomore Emma Cowan said. “Things like this can be pretty generalized so it seems accurate to most people who try it, but I felt like this was pretty specific and quite accurate.”
Cowan is an INFJ, or advocate. Advocates are the rarest out of all of the personality types and they tend to be idealistic and principled. They seek fulfillment and long to help others. “All of it [was accurate],” Cowan said, “[except] sometimes I don’t handle a lot of stress well, which was something that the website [said] INFJs do.”
Some students were shocked by how accurate their results were.
“Nothing [was inaccurate],” senior Ella Sedabres said.
Sedabres is an ENFJ, or protagonist. ENFJs tend to be kind-hearted and love helping others. They are passionate, creative, and have strong ideas and values.
“It was creepy accurate and made me aware of things I’ve noticed but could never really pinpoint,” Sedabres said.
Others weren’t surprised that their results were accurate.
“I think [MBTI is] pretty accurate on the way you view yourself because you are the person answering the questions,” senior L Pananon said.
Pananon is an ENFP, or campaigner. Campaigners are generally optimistic and open-minded. They have a strong sense of hope and goodwill towards others and are vibrant and energetic.
While some of the students were skeptical, almost all of the students who took part in the survey reported it being accurate to at least some degree. And many found the test to be insightful.
Senior David Geldmacher said that his MBTI was right about him “[liking] novelty more than stability, yet preferring rationality.”
Geldmacher is an ENTP, or debator. ENTPs are bold and creative. They are persistent and pursue their goals vigorously.
Many people approach MBTIs with skepticism. No amount of questions can tell you who you are.
According to 16 Personalities website, “Personality is just one of many factors that guide our behavior… Our actions are also influenced by our environment, our experiences, and our individual goals.”
Your MBTI cannot tell you everything. But what it can do is outline the tendencies that you and other people share.
“It was nice to know that the things I felt were how other people felt as well,” Pananon said.
