Personality types: MBTI. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) helps people to get to know themselves better. This tool is often used as a method to find personal preferences. The MBTI includes 16 personality types, all based on 4 characteristics of preference.
This indicator was made by Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers. It starts from the idea that human beings all have their own specific preferences when it comes to experiencing the world we live in. These preferences determine our interests, needs, values and motivations. It’s usually the first letter of these characteristics that determines your MBTI personality type.
- Extrovert or Introvert: Are you focused on the outside world or on your own realm of thought? Extroverts like to work in teams in order to develop new ideas while simultaneously being able to consult others. People with an introverted personality rather work at a quiet work space and develop ideas alone.
- Sensing or Intuition: Do you have a particular interest in facts or are you more fascinated with what is possible? Typical realists prefer working step by step on tasks for which they already know the method. Intuitive people find it more exciting to deal with new and complex projects, where they work in bursts of energy.
- Thinking or Feeling: Do you make your decisions based on logical and objective reasoning or rather based on personal emotions and ideals? Thinkers are firm and task-focussed instead of being focussed on the group, while Feelers especially benefit from consensus in the group. They take decisions based on their personal or others’ emotions. People with an F-preference can also reason their decision logically, but will only do so after they’ve let their emotions speak. Do you want to convince someone? Mind their preferences!
- Judging or Perceiving: Do you prefer living structured and organised, or rather spontaneous and flexible? Judging people prefer to work according to a schedule; they decide quickly and focus on what needs to be done. They prefer finishing every task as soon as possible. Observers love change, are open to new experiences and feel limited by too much structure. They sometimes have trouble finishing something because they’ll always find new and other useful information.
When all four characteristics are combined, the result amounts to 16 different possible personality types. For example, someone with the INFP code is an introverted (I), intuitive (N) feeler (F) who is also a perceiver (P).
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