The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a personality test based on Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types, designed to assist a person in identifying their personal preferences. The test is frequently used in the areas of pedagogy, group dynamics, career exploration, employee training, leadership training, marriage counseling, and personal development, although scientific skeptics and academic psychologists have subjected it to considerable criticism. While the MBTI may not be perfect in its characterization of personality types, it nonetheless allows significant insight into the differences and similarities on people’s experience of life. Through such understanding, we can relate more harmoniously together, appreciate each other better, each making our contribution to human society.
- Extraversion (E) – Introversion (I)
The extraversion-introversion dichotomy was first explored by Jung in his theory of personality types as a way to describe how people respond and interact with the world around them. While these terms are familiar to most people, the way in which they are used here differs somewhat from their popular usage. Extraverts are “outward-turning” and tend to be action-oriented, enjoy the more frequent social interaction, and feel energized after spending time with other people. Introverts are “inward-turning” and tend to be thought-oriented, enjoy deep and meaningful social interactions, and feel recharged after spending time We all exhibit extraversion and introversion to some degree, but most of us tend to have an overall preference for one or the other.
- Sensing (S) – Intuition (N)
This scale involves looking at how people gather information from the world around them. Just like with extraversion and introversion, all people spend some time sensing and intuiting depending on the According to the MBTI, people tend to be dominant in one area or the other. People who prefer sensing tend to pay a great deal of attention to reality. particularly to what they can learn from their own senses. They tend to focus on facts and details and enjoy getting hands-on experience. Those who prefer intuition pay more attention to things like patterns and impressions. They enjoy thinking about possibilities, imagining the future and abstract theories.
- Thinking (T) – Feeling (F)
This scale focuses on how people make decisions based on the information that they gathered from their sensing or intuition functions. People who prefer thinking place a greater emphasis on facts and objective data. They tend to be consistent, logical and impersonal when weighing a decision. Those to prefer feeling are more likely to consider people and emotions when arriving at a
- Judging (J) – Perceiving (P)
The final scale involves how people tend to deal with the outside world. Those who lean toward judging prefer structure and firm People who lean toward perceiving are more open, flexible and adaptable. These two tendencies interact with the other scales. Remember, all people at least spend some time extraverting. The judging-perceiving scale helps describe whether you extravert when you are taking in new information (sensing and intuiting) or when you are making decisions (thinking and feeling).
