The Fascinating World of Personality Types

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Hey Queen Susan! I think we've got a few more ISFPs around here, but it doesn't look like they've posted. Thanks for sharing the links!

What Job is Best for Your Personality?
http://www.bustle.com/articles/42982-what-job-is-best-for-your-personality-this-chart-might-tell-you

Lol, as soon as the author starts talking about switching from INFP to INFJ, I find myself wanting to contact her and send her a link about the differences between the two. They look so similar on paper and I used to be really confused about which one was my type, so I feel for her. It's easy to get caught up on the differences between J and P, but when you start digging into the cognitive functions, you find that it goes much deeper than that. That's how I was finally able to banish my confusion on that, and it was a happy day because I love finally figuring things out.

That aside... those career suggestions are really interesting! Out of the suggestions for INFJ, organizational development consultant is especially interesting to me. I'm pretty good at organizing things (especially where people are involved) and figuring out an efficient/productive way forward, and I like helping people develop ideas and talking them through whatever snag they're trying to unravel. Anyway, it's an intriguing avenue that I hadn't thought of before. MBTI is so cool that way; it can introduce a lot of insight and possibilities that you wouldn't have encountered otherwise.

Decorating for Your Personality
http://mrsfancee.com/decorating-personality/

Ooh, I loved her page on INFJs! That is so neat. I especially liked her suggestions about orderly chaos, as I'm always trying to find a balance between creativity and organization.

I also found the book "The Art of Speedreading People" to be helpful in understanding the whole system and be able to maybe figure out what family/friends are as well. Anyone else read it?

I have not, but I'll have to be on the lookout for it! I'm rather hit and miss when it comes to guessing a person's MBTI type... I might get a hunch, but I never have any certainty. Usually I feel like I need to have the other person's cooperation and interest first before I can definitively type them. I always want to pick their brains and ask a bunch of questions. Not too long ago, I finally realized that my brother is an ISTP after I'd been thinking he was an INTJ for a while... and before that, I thought he was an INTP. Sigh. It's a learning process. So yes, I'll be keeping an eye peeled for that book.

[Ithilwen]

The entirety of "It All Began with a Picture" is, in and of itself, a rather excellent description of someone using Ni, so I am not at all surprised that people type him as INTJ. Seems to be right on the mark!

Interestingly, Lewis's descriptions of how his Narnia books came to be exactly match the ways my books come to be. My stories always begin with a picture, and then I decide to write a story about the picture, just like Lewis. However, I'm an INTP, and I don't have Ni.


~Riella

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Interestingly, Lewis's descriptions of how his Narnia books came to be exactly match the ways my books come to be. My stories always begin with a picture, and then I decide to write a story about the picture, just like Lewis. However, I'm an INTP, and I don't have Ni.

I think just about everyone draws inspiration from images... just look at how many writers there are on Pinterest. Of course, one might want to distinguish between pictures/symbols that randomly pop into a person's head and actual pictures/scenes that you physically encounter. (I'm not sure which is the case with you.) With Lewis, he's talking about pictures that popped into his head out of nowhere, but that in and of itself is not the reason why what he is saying is evocative of Ni.

The reason why the blogger's thoughts and Lewis's essay are good examples of how Ni works depends on how the pictures turn into a story. For both of them, it is largely an unconscious act. It just happened. The blogger didn't know how the pictures were going to work into her story until she let them take her where they would in the midst of actual writing. Lewis couldn't tell you exactly how he wrote his stories; it was as if they grew on their own from the pictures in his head and his dreams of lions. In a sense, he felt as though he was just "along for the ride", and this is very resonant with the concept of Ni. Because Ni frequently works behind the scenes in the subconscious, Ni-users often feel more like recipients of ideas than actual creators.

From what I've observed of your methods for writing, you're quite different from this. You are very deliberate when it comes to planning out a novel. You linger on the details of details, spending a lot of time world building and writing up in-depth character profiles and chapter outlines before you begin to write. In general, the way that you write seems to be much more like J.R.R. Tolkien, and from what I have read, he was almost certainly an INTP.

I think a good analogy might be something along the lines of this: an INTJ is someone who can build a building while sleepwalking, and an INTP is someone who meticulously lays every brick. The INTJ is more interested in what the building stands for than they are in its structural integrity. The INTP, on the other hand, is going to be more focused on the details.

In general, I think this is why you see such complex world building in Tolkien's Middle Earth universe, whereas in the world of Narnia, Lewis seemed to be mostly concerned with overarching themes and ideas. For instance, Lewis didn't care about having a crazy mishmash of mythologies in his books because it served his purposes, but apparently this element of CoN bugged Tolkien to no end. (From what I've read, anyway.)

Does that make any sense?

[Ithilwen]

Of course, one might want to distinguish between pictures/symbols that randomly pop into a person's head and actual pictures/scenes that you physically encounter. (I'm not sure which is the case with you.)

The former.

The reason why the blogger's thoughts and Lewis's essay are good examples of how Ni works depends on how the pictures turn into a story. For both of them, it is largely an unconscious act. It just happened. The blogger didn't know how the pictures were going to work into her story until she let them take her where they would in the midst of actual writing. Lewis couldn't tell you exactly how he wrote his stories; it was as if they grew on their own from the pictures in his head and his dreams of lions. In a sense, he felt as though he was just "along for the ride", and this is very resonant with the concept of Ni. Because Ni frequently works behind the scenes in the subconscious, Ni-users often feel more like recipients of ideas than actual creators.

This is how it happens to me as well. I've often said that I don't feel like the author of my books, because all the characters, plot twists, etc. came to me naturally, out of nowhere. An example I often use to show what it's like is that it feels like someone has slipped a DVD into my head, and I'm sitting there watching the movie play inside my brain, not knowing what's going to happen next, and just enjoying the show. After I've watched the whole thing, I write down what I saw in my notes, organize the notes, and turn it into a book.

From what I've observed of your methods for writing, you're quite different from this. You are very deliberate when it comes to planning out a novel. You linger on the details of details, spending a lot of time world building and writing up in-depth character profiles and chapter outlines before you begin to write.

That's my method of organizing my notes. Before I make outlines and character profiles, I've already watched the whole "movie" in my head. But making those outlines and profiles helps me to remember what I saw in the "movie", so I don't forget it. Just like a dream does after waking, the "movie" I see fades and the events and characters get jumbled up the more time goes on. Organizing the story on paper helps me to keep a clear vision of it in my mind so I can write it as a novel later.

A good example might be a messy room that needs cleaning. Imagine my habit of making outlines and profiles to be my cleaning method. The cleaning method helps clean the room, putting all the objects in their proper place so that they're easy to see and easy to use. However, the cleaning method did not put those objects in the room to start with. It only cleaned them up. Similarly, outlines and profiles help me organize my ideas, but they did not create the ideas.

In general, the way that you write seems to be much more like J.R.R. Tolkien, and from what I have read, he was almost certainly an INTP.

I always heard that Tolkien was an INFP.


~Riella

[IloveFauns]

Just finished my personality module at uni. Socio-cognitive approach seems to be a well regarded theory of personality. Here is a link to this gist of the theory https://explorable.com/social-cognitive ... ersonality

what do you all think?

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

This is how it happens to me as well. I've often said that I don't feel like the author of my books, because all the characters, plot twists, etc. came to me naturally, out of nowhere. An example I often use to show what it's like is that it feels like someone has slipped a DVD into my head, and I'm sitting there watching the movie play inside my brain, not knowing what's going to happen next, and just enjoying the show. After I've watched the whole thing, I write down what I saw in my notes, organize the notes, and turn it into a book.

Ah, I think I see where you're coming from, then. The sense of involuntarily receiving ideas is the common ground here. Beyond that, though, I don't think what you're describing is the same as what Lewis described, or is a description of how Ni works. That's not necessarily your fault, though, because I feel like I may be inadvertently throwing you off with some of my own descriptions. Like I said in a previous post, Ni is notoriously difficult to put into words.

For Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe wasn't like a movie that downloaded into his brain; it began with a single picture (one that had been in his mind for over thirty years) and one day, he decided that he would try to write a story about it. He tells us that initially, he didn't know how the story was going to go, but then the unifying character of Aslan appeared and, like pieces in a puzzle, the rest of the story fell into place. Similar to how the mental picture of the faun carrying an umbrella in a snowy wood didn't become a story until decades later, Lewis tried and failed to write The Magician's Nephew for a number of years after publishing LWW. He finally made a breakthrough in 1953 and then wrote MN in short order, completing it early in 1954.

This is very similar to how I, an INFJ, develop stories: it begins with a vague idea or series of ideas that I may sit on for quite some time before experiencing the sudden epiphany that crystallizes them into a unified story. When this happens, it's as if all of the pieces of the story, which once seemed disconnected, are clicking seamlessly together like magic. It can sometimes feel a little bit like I've already figured out the story while I was asleep and am only just remembering it now that I'm awake.

Your description of a fully-formed, richly-detailed story that you consciously observe playing out in your mind seems quite different from this to me. The sheer amount of detail you come away with is also extremely indicative of extroverted intuition, or Ne, which is your secondary function as an INTP. I have seen Ne described as an explosion of ideas not unlike a supernova, whereas Ni is a black hole drawing in information and zeroing in on just a few overarching concepts.

Basically, Ne multiplies and divides, while Ni distills and unifies. If that makes any sense.

I always heard that Tolkien was an INFP.

I've seen that on some celebrity types websites and have encountered individuals arguing that on the internet, but I've also seen a number of people type him as an INTP and give pretty good reasoning for doing so. Based on what I do know about him and his writing, it seems like a really good fit, but if I'm being honest, I don't know enough to speculate intelligently. If he is an INFP, though, I think he would need to have a really well-developed inferior function.

Just finished my personality module at uni. Socio-cognitive approach seems to be a well regarded theory of personality. Here is a link to this gist of the theory https://explorable.com/social-cognitive ... ersonality

what do you all think?

That's really interesting, IlF! The part at the end that states "personality per se does not exist, and that our traits are merely cognitive strategies or things that we do for us to obtain the kind of reward we want" is especially intriguing. I'll have to look into it and give it some thought. Thanks for sharing!

[IloveFauns]

I do a whole unit on personality and mental sets in 3rd year. That should be interesting. My main areas of interest however are with memory, perception(which i get to do a whole unit on next year) and psychological disorders.

[SnowAngel]

What? So far the only ISFP? Oh well.

I am an ISFP too, Queen Susan!

SnowAngel

[Elfiea]

I'm an INFP. I've probably taken the test over a dozen times and always gotten INFP. Now, I know that's not all there is to it (the tests are usually only a guide), but the type description always fits me extremely well. It's almost scary how alike it is to me.

The only time I've gotten anything other than an INFP was when I took a cognitive functions test, in which my initial result was actually INFJ. The funny thing is, whenever I look at the cognitive functions and how they work, INFP is still more accurate. I'm an extreme Fi and Ne user.

[Shadowlander]

I'm curious if there's a table which would display which personality type you would be least likely to get along with, or a few that you might consider to be close friends. Anything like that out there?

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Glad to meet another INFP, Elfiea! Y'all are so creative. (Welcome to NarniaWeb, btw!! )

Lol, I've had trouble with those cognitive functions quizzes as well. They rarely give me INFJ as a result. If you want to read about the differences between INFP and INFJ sometime, this is a good article. I used to wonder if I might be an INFP because of inconclusive testing, and articles like that were a big help in determining that I am an INFJ.

SL, that's a good question. There's quite a bit of stuff like that geared towards romantic relationships, such as this graph, but things like general compatibility can be a little more difficult to find.

One site that offers some information is TypeLogic. If you scroll down to the bottom of one of their personality type pages (here's ISTJ as an example), you'll see a list of links regarding that type's relationships with the rest of the MBTI type spectrum. Clicking on the link underneath for more information shows the definitions for each of those relationship types. (Advisor, Cohort, Companion, et cetera.) For example, the ISTJ's "Pal" type is ESTJ, which means that you work well and play well together with minimal natural type conflict.

If I run across any other helpful articles or graphs, I'll be back with more links.

[Elfiea]

Lol, I've had trouble with those cognitive functions quizzes as well. They rarely give me INFJ as a result. If you want to read about the differences between INFP and INFJ sometime, this is a good article. I used to wonder if I might be an INFP because of inconclusive testing, and articles like that were a big help in determining that I am an INFJ.

Thanks for the link! After reading that, I'm definitely sure I'm an INFP. I'm definitely more analytical than some INFPs, but I think that's more of a who-I-grew-up-with thing. People you know can rub off a lot on you!

It's also interesting how different situations can cause you to act or feel more one type or the other. When I'm around people I'm comfortable with, I act and feel a lot more ENFP, but at the core I'm definitely INFP. People tire me out.

[Shadowlander]

I've been wondering if my group alignment is fully accurate or not. I have so much of the ISTJ and yet there have been some inconsistencies too. I was just meandering around the net today and poked around a bit and figured I may be more ISFJ - the "Protector/Defender" in some regards. Kinda strange because I feel I straddle the fence between the two. Especially regarding my kid:

As parents, people with the ISTJ personality type are often the most comfortable. Their sense of responsibility and honor blends well with a tradition that has been in place since time immemorial: to raise one's children to be respected, contributing members of home and society. As with most commitments, ISTJs do not take their roles as parents lightly, and will make it their work to ensure that this tradition is upheld to the highest standard.

This doesn't always come easily for their children though, as ISTJs tend to be strict, with high standards and expectations. ISTJ personalities establish stable, clearly structured environments for their children, always with an eye on helping them to develop a sense of place in society, and to fulfill useful roles.

See...that's not really me. At all. I shower my daughter with affection and am prepared to spoil her rotten. Yet I feel many of the above items too, especially with regards to teaching her tradition, honor, and integrity. I hate saying "no" to her though I know that sometimes it has to be said.

ISFJs' warmth and care make parenting something that often comes naturally to them. Many people with this personality type feel like parenting is the task they were born for, taking no small pleasure in the sense of personal importance and responsibility they feel in ensuring that their children grow up to be healthy, confident and successful. At the same time, ISFJs are anything but arrogant, and will hardly take their natural skill in this department for granted.

From the start, ISFJs' altruism is apparent in their approach towards their children, ensuring that they have a safe, stable environment filled with love, care and support. In their children's younger years, ISFJs' patience comes in very handy as well, as their children learn to become more independent and self-deterministic, testing any limit they can find.

This is much more accurate of how I feel being a dad.

ISTJ also tends to portray a person who is quiet and aloof and not able to mesh socially well with others...but that's not really me either. I've always been very shy and introverted yet I'm able to have really good rapport with most people, and my boss has told me my customer service skills are second to none. Which fits the ISFJ personality to a T:

Whether subordinate, colleague or manager, ISFJs share the goal of putting good service and dedication above all else. Whether helping customers directly, helping coworkers get projects finished on time or helping teams keep organized and productive, people with the ISFJ personality type can always be relied on for their kindness and ability to listen to concerns, and to find ways to resolve them. Win-win situations are ISFJs' bread and butter, and no one takes quite the same pleasure in finding satisfying resolutions to day-to-day challenges.

There's irony because ISFJ's tend to be non-confrontational, and for the most part I am, but when I sense or feel a line is crossed somewhere (especially with politics or religion) I dig in and get really vocal and loud. I could never be a particularly good police officer (due to being non-confrontational and having the need for people to "like me") except when I was really irate, and then I'm like a Sherman tank throwing a tantrum I also, in most cases, will go full on ISTJ with regards to news and current events and will revert to judging these things based on facts and my sense of right and wrong, as opposed to appeasing others.

Strange, eh?

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

Hmm... I'm intrigued, SL.

Seeing some similarities between ISTJ and ISFJ isn't unusual, since they're "sister types"—they both use introverted sensing, or Si, as their dominant function.

If you are sure that you're a Si-dominant, then you should be able to tell if you're an ISTJ or an ISFJ by looking at extroverted thinking (Te) and extroverted feeling (Fe) and seeing which one you use. (For some reason, there are several typos listening Fe as Ne in the extroverted feeling link, but the info is still accurate.) Te is the auxiliary function in the ISTJ function stack and Fe is the auxiliary function for ISFJ.

In MBTI function stacks, the dominant function is a little like the captain of a ship, while the auxiliary function serves as first mate. Or, the primary function is the superhero and the secondary function is the sidekick: together they're a powerful team. There are also two other functions in each type, the tertiary function and inferior function, but I won't get into explaining that at the moment or else this post will be a mile long. For anyone who wants more info on the whole cognitive function thing, this blog post is a pretty quick read and does a good job explaining them. (Not sure if I agree with the author's opinion that Harry Potter is an ISFP, but that's beside the point... )

It's possible that you're not an ISTJ or an ISFJ, so if you look at those links and feel like something isn't right, let me know and I might be able to help put you on the right track. I've found that looking at the cognitive functions is pretty much the only way to figure out a person's type for sure... most type descriptions tend to describe stereotypical type behavior rather than how a person's brain actually works, and that's the meat and potatoes of MBTI.

[Shadowlander]

I get lost in the individual "functions". I love driving the car, but you guys like tinkering with the engine specifics . Interesting observation: the ISFJ category lines up really, really, really nicely with my Spiritual Gifts, namely Teaching and Exhortation. Have you, or anyone else for that matter, noticed anything like that with your categories? I didn't put one and one together until yesterday.

[The Rose-Tree Dryad]

I get lost in the individual "functions". I love driving the car, but you guys like tinkering with the engine specifics .

Lol, I resisted learning about them for a really long time because they seemed like they might be confusing. Ironically, learning about them was the only thing that put an end to my confusion with Myers-Briggs typology. Hmmm, let me see if I can streamline this for you...

If you have auxiliary Fe, you have a natural ability to understand other people's feelings, even if you haven't personally experienced what is grieving them. You are very attentive and pick up on a person's emotional state quickly. You can easily assess the mood when walking into a room full of people. In social settings, you deeply desire harmony and for everyone to be getting along. You like helping other people and being nurturing and encouraging. If someone is upset, you may even "feel" what they are feeling, absorbing their emotions. You are great at listening to people talk about their feelings and giving them compassionate feedback.

If you have auxiliary Te, you have a natural aptitude for ordering your external world and understanding it in an objective way. You want everything to make logical sense, and you really don't like wasting time on unproductive ventures. You're great at organizing tasks in a logical way, and easily identify the necessary steps to accomplish a goal. If someone is hurting emotionally, you have a tendency to look for a tangible solution rather than empathize with their feelings. You make decisions quickly and logically, are very good with deadlines and self-discipline, and like to be in control of your environment.

If the Fe description resonates with you, you're an ISFJ. If the Te description does, then you're an ISTJ. If neither do, then we may be barking up the wrong tree entirely.

Interesting observation: the ISFJ category lines up really, really, really nicely with my Spiritual Gifts, namely Teaching and Exhortation. Have you, or anyone else for that matter, noticed anything like that with your categories? I didn't put one and one together until yesterday.

That's an interesting question. Off the top of my head, I can't remember anything along those lines, but I did run across this article today, which discusses the roles that MBTI types tend to play in a church environment. I don't think it discusses association between gift and type, but there might be some general insight in there.